HID headlights?

[MJ5150]

Anyone upgrade the headlights on their vehicle to HID? I am thinking about doing it on our new Edge. I'm not looking for the blue ricer look, just a bright white. Somewhere around 5K or 6K.

-Mike

[jmattbassplaya]

I hate those things, but they are nice when you`re the one driving.

[Joe Gress]

Can't stand em. Driving with them or on other vehicles.

[ADbassman]

Those headlights make me wish I had rear brights on my car so I can return the favor.

[MJ5150]

Well....I know how at least three people feel now.

I'll probably still get them. As long as they are of good quality, and properly installed, I won't be blinding oncoming drivers.

-Mike

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I won't be blinding oncoming drivers.

-Mike

Actually, for me it's not the fact that they blind other drivers. From my experience with them, regular headlights seem to light up the road better, at least through my eyes. The HID's might be clearer and more focused, but the white light seems to be eaten up by the night. Add trees and hills into the mix and they just don't work like regular yellow blind freakin everything high beams that paint a much broader view of the road around me. The HID's do kinda help when driving through a flat stretch of road since the range is much longer.

Plus when driving though snow or snow on the side of the road the snow seems to just eat that white light right up. The old yellow ones kinda make it
more piss yellow and seeable.

On other drivers it's just that it seems like the guys who have them can't ever turn their brights off. But then again that's not limited to any one type of car. Their all idiots.

I guess a mix match of both would be pretty perfect for me.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Joe Gress

The HID's might be clearer and more focused, but the white light seems to be eaten up by the night.

There is something to be said for this, and part of the reason I am not 100% sure I will buy the HID lights.

I may just replace the factory bulbs with ones a little whiter. I did it on my Ram, and I love those. They are 6K.

-Mike

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

There is something to be said for this, and part of the reason I am not 100% sure I will buy the HID lights.

I may just replace the factory bulbs with something a little whiter, crisper.

-Mike

I got a pair of higher quality bulbs for my escort (yes I realize this was a bit like putting high performance slicks on a minivan, but I hate running into deer), and they seemed to help a bunch. Not HID's, but a higher output regular bulb. Increased the range and all around brightness of everything.

Now if I can keep the lights from going down every time I turn on the heater...

[Number27]

i hate those things!!! errghhg gets me sooo angry... if you're behind me and you have HID lights... i am blind. i will destroy all of you HID losers!!

[DigMe]

Lights that lean towards a warmer (ie yellower) tint tend to have better color definition and allow for better depth perception. They are also lower on glare and cut through mist better as someone mentioned.

bc

[3506string]

Depends on what type of HID's. Most of the ones you see on the road today are retrofitted in halogen reflectors. When you do this you create all types of glare because the stock reflectors aren't meant to handle that bright of a light. These are the light that usually drive people crazy. Most of the time you won't even notice a car with stock or properly chosen, installed, and aimed HIDs. With the exception of the later generation altimas and maxima which for some reason have some of the worst aimed lights in production.

For cars that have reflectors and HID's stock the have reflectors designed for the brighter light and have a better defined cut off.

It also has a lot to do with the temp choice. Most people go with rediculously high temp bulbs like 120000K and 100000K which are those crazy blue and purple lights that are nothing but glare and have very little usable light. Most stock HID's use 4300K or 5000k.

Projectors are how most manufactures integrate HID's because it better controls the light and has a very defined cut off.

I have ran both retrofitted halogen HID's with 6000k bulbs and now have retrofitted projectors with 5000k bulbs. I can tell you they are both better than stock but the projectors are so much better. They evenly distribute light and I haven't been flashed a single time since I put in my projectors. Also the prism cutoff shield is gorgeous.

I will say if you want to do HID's go with projectors and do go any higher than 6000K and make sure the are aimed to DOT standards. I do think that retrofitting HIDs an any car is still illegal thou IIRC. Once you get HID's it will be hard to go back to halogen. I've run silverstars and Silverstar ultra's neither come close to well aimed HID's

This is a pic of my reflector HID at 6000k it's not the best picture but as you can see the glare extends much past the focus of the light this is what other drivers are annoyed by.


This is a picture of my 5000k projector setup and you can see much more defined cutoff above that line light output is serverely decrease as to not blind other drivers.


PS if you drive a truck that's been lifted 2 feet for the sake of the driving public don't do ANYTHING to brighten your headlights

[machine gewehr]

If I'm ever headbutting a car,that'll be a car with HID.

It'll be either because I'm blind or I'm pissed enough to headbutt...

I have light sensetive eyes and those things burn my irisis.

[hover]

some people I know call those "douche high-lighters"

[Atoz]

Originally Posted by 3506string

Depends on what type of HID's. Most of the ones you see on the road today are retrofitted in halogen reflectors. When you do this you create all types of glare because the stock reflectors aren't meant to handle that bright of a light. These are the light that usually drive people crazy. Most of the time you won't even notice a car with stock or properly chosen, installed, and aimed HIDs. With the exception of the later generation altimas and maxima which for some reason have some of the worst aimed lights in production.

For cars that have reflectors and HID's stock the have reflectors designed for the brighter light and have a better defined cut off.

It also has a lot to do with the temp choice. Most people go with rediculously high temp bulbs like 120000K and 100000K which are those crazy blue and purple lights that are nothing but glare and have very little usable light. Most stock HID's use 4300K or 5000k.

Projectors are how most manufactures integrate HID's because it better controls the light and has a very defined cut off.

I have ran both retrofitted halogen HID's with 6000k bulbs and now have retrofitted projectors with 5000k bulbs. I can tell you they are both better than stock but the projectors are so much better. They evenly distribute light and I haven't been flashed a single time since I put in my projectors. Also the prism cutoff shield is gorgeous.

I will say if you want to do HID's go with projectors and do go any higher than 6000K and make sure the are aimed to DOT standards. I do think that retrofitting HIDs an any car is still illegal thou IIRC. Once you get HID's it will be hard to go back to halogen. I've run silverstars and Silverstar ultra's neither come close to well aimed HID's

This is a pic of my reflector HID at 6000k it's not the best picture but as you can see the glare extends much past the focus of the light this is what other drivers are annoyed by.


This is a picture of my 5000k projector setup and you can see much more defined cutoff above that line light output is serverely decrease as to not blind other drivers.


PS if you drive a truck that's been lifted 2 feet for the sake of the driving public don't do ANYTHING to brighten your headlights

This is a good post. You are right the the reason HIDs blind other drivers is because people try to retrofit them into reflectors, rather than the right way with projectors. One of the main reasons is cost. I priced out a HID projector conversion for my Jetta TDI, and it was well over $1000 to do it right.

[VroomVroom]

Originally Posted by 3506string

Depends on what type of HID's....

Just yes. Excellent post. HID's work best when the lens, reflector, and bulbs are designed to work in concert. Quality is much better than quantity, but that's better explained in the post above. Basically, aftermarket solutions are iffy at best, and at their worst are downright horrible. Plus, they're often not very durable...because of the fact that they're not designed as a subset of other OEM functions. Example: have your alarm/remote (un)lock functionality set to flash the headlights? Be prepared to replace ballasts and/or bulbs frequently.

So, just my take, but I'd pass on any aftermarket solution.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by Atoz

This is a good post. You are right the the reason HIDs blind other drivers is because people try to retrofit them into reflectors, rather than the right way with projectors. One of the main reasons is cost. I priced out a HID projector conversion for my Jetta TDI, and it was well over $1000 to do it right.

Exactly.....those cheapo $150 kits on eBay are bogus.

-Mike

[T-Bird]

Hi.

My GFs sporty Volvo has them (bi-Xenons) and while I do like 'em when driving her car, I plain hate 'em if someone else is using any.

Unless the road surface is completely flat You will blind other drivers, no matter what you do, and the installation method or the type of the HID doesn't mean a squat.

The WORST invention when used as low beams in a decade or so in the auto industry IMHO. I'd outlaw them as low beams if I was in any position to do so. Just like halogen 100 watters are. (55/75W Lo/Hi for us up here in the north)

Originally Posted by Joe Gress

Not HID's, but a higher output regular bulb. Increased the range and all around brightness of everything.

Now if I can keep the lights from going down every time I turn on the heater...

As long as the "higher output" is done with the material selection and not by reducing the filament size all is good. Otherwise You may be surprized with he new "improved" life cycle .

Euro FORD, GOD. The el. system is most probably by the Prince Of Darkness himself.
Depending of the vintage of Your ride, installing "direct feed" relays in the lighting circuit is either a breeze or a mild head scratcher with the schematics. In any case I advice You to do so, you'll thank me later if you do. I've had plenty of Euro Fords over the years BTW.

Regards
Sam

[Mark Latimour]

I don't know, I'd have to check what the bus uses, I don't have a car.

[dean owens]

i put a set of hid's (with projectors) on my motorcycle and won't go back. i do a lot of night riding because of work and i can see so much better with them. my dims on my bike are better than the brights on my wife's van. and i have them aimed lower than i'm supposed to. i plan on raising them a bit soon. when i first put them in i had them too high and did get some people flashing me when i had them on dim. since i've lowered them i haven't had any issues from other drivers. oh, and mine are 6000k.

[Falkner]

Originally Posted by ADbassman

Those headlights make me wish I had rear brights on my car so I can return the favor.

+1000