Stock headlight = POS
#1
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Stock headlight = POS
omg, this was the first time i drive my car in the rain, i was trapped, didn't nkow it was gonna rain and i had to get home. Anyways itw as dark and it was raining.
i can't see ****! its like basically driving in the dark lihgting the way with a match. if i change to a different bulb, will it melt anything?
i can't see ****! its like basically driving in the dark lihgting the way with a match. if i change to a different bulb, will it melt anything?
#4
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agree, not a big fan of those fake hid/xenon bulbs. i tried those on my accord and it sucked, finally just got real hid bulbs and ballast. the beam pattern isnt that great, but you can see everything, rain, snow.
#6
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I agree. Thats why Bulbs were my first Mod. You cant buy the sissy Street legal bulbs either. You gotta go for the 135+ watt units. Mine shines like the Sun now. People flash me thinking I have on high beams and then I show them the high beams. I bet it hurts. Anyways I can see in the rain and night now. No problem. Get the top shelf brightest PIAAs you can get your hands on. I think there is a set for sale in the forsale section that are 170 watt. Bet those would work well.
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#10
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The FDs seem like they came from the factory with the lights aimed two feet in front of the car. I'm not the original owner, yet mine were still aimed low when it came into my possesion.
The first night drive was scary, expecially since the dimwit previous owner stuck really cheap bulbs in - you know, the first attempts at copying the HIDs,the ones that are a faded multicolor. Boy, was that embarressing when I first turn them on the first night I took it out...
Reaim the headlights higher, and it will help out a whole lot. Don't worry, you can go much higher w/o blinding on coming traffic.
The first night drive was scary, expecially since the dimwit previous owner stuck really cheap bulbs in - you know, the first attempts at copying the HIDs,the ones that are a faded multicolor. Boy, was that embarressing when I first turn them on the first night I took it out...
Reaim the headlights higher, and it will help out a whole lot. Don't worry, you can go much higher w/o blinding on coming traffic.
#12
Originally posted by ttb
agree, not a big fan of those fake hid/xenon bulbs. i tried those on my accord and it sucked, finally just got real hid bulbs and ballast. the beam pattern isnt that great, but you can see everything, rain, snow.
agree, not a big fan of those fake hid/xenon bulbs. i tried those on my accord and it sucked, finally just got real hid bulbs and ballast. the beam pattern isnt that great, but you can see everything, rain, snow.
#13
Perpetual Project
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Originally posted by UnSeeN
i just got "true" HID kit (i got the phillips kit) with the ballasts these things are bright as *%&#..much brighter than the Xenon bulbs. My wallet is in pieces now for just some headlights!!! but i think its well worth it..
i just got "true" HID kit (i got the phillips kit) with the ballasts these things are bright as *%&#..much brighter than the Xenon bulbs. My wallet is in pieces now for just some headlights!!! but i think its well worth it..
The difference between all these 'aftermarket' HID kits is how much effort they put into correctly positioning the new HID bulb in the halogen bulb location (again, via adaptors or 'rebasing') - if its truly possible at all. That is why some kits do not maintain the correct beam pattern (quality) of the stock system, even though light output (quantity) maybe significantly greater.
Another difference is the quality of the adaptors or the 'rebasing' job. Rebasing can be simply modifying the D2x bulb's base, or even making a brand new base and removing the glass capsule from the D2x bulb and place it on the new base. Obviously, if it's not done correctly or carefully, there may be problems in the future.
True HID bulbs use an inert gas inside the glass capsule - typically xenon gas. That is why you may have heard true HID lamps refered to as Xenon lamps. HID bulbs do not have a filament for producing light like halogens do - it produces light by creating an arc of light between two electrodes, across this inert gas.
This is the quantum leap that HID is over halogen. Because power is not wasted across a filament, true HID lamps can produce more light using much less power (at least after initial ignite/startup. The drawback is that it requires a micro processor/ballast to finely control the voltage, adding to cost and complexity.
Unscrupulous cheap bulb manufacturers, though, inject Xenon gas into their 'blue' tinted bulbs and therefore can legally call them 'Xenon' bulbs. Bad bulb makers! The actual functional benefit of injecting xenon gas into halogen bulbs is questionable....
#15
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Ok, I'm sounding like a real smart *** here - but I'm willing to make myself look like an *** to make sure that RX7 owners are among the most knowledgeable....
4100K, 5000K, etc refers to color temperature - and not light output. The greater the color temperature, the more it the light color moves higher up the light spectrum. 4100K is blue-white, and as you go higher it turns more purple-white.
In some cases, actual light output actually decreases as you move up the color temp scale, depending on the bulb. There are actually aftermarket HID 'manufacturers' that take a D2x bulb and tint it blue to achieve a higher color temp rating. The blue tinting on the HID bulbs (as like blue tinted halogen bulbs) block a part of the light output. Just when you thought true HID could never stoop so low.....
In the case of all these aftemarket HID 'manufacturers', they incorrectly promote color temp ratings as a difference in light output.
There is one OEM bulb manufacturer, either Philips or Sylvania -can't remember which, that actually manufactures a D2x based bulb that has higher temp rating that is achieved thru 'legitimate' means... I think I read somewhere that light output is still a little lower then the lower color temp rated HID bulbs though.
Daniel
4100K, 5000K, etc refers to color temperature - and not light output. The greater the color temperature, the more it the light color moves higher up the light spectrum. 4100K is blue-white, and as you go higher it turns more purple-white.
In some cases, actual light output actually decreases as you move up the color temp scale, depending on the bulb. There are actually aftermarket HID 'manufacturers' that take a D2x bulb and tint it blue to achieve a higher color temp rating. The blue tinting on the HID bulbs (as like blue tinted halogen bulbs) block a part of the light output. Just when you thought true HID could never stoop so low.....
In the case of all these aftemarket HID 'manufacturers', they incorrectly promote color temp ratings as a difference in light output.
There is one OEM bulb manufacturer, either Philips or Sylvania -can't remember which, that actually manufactures a D2x based bulb that has higher temp rating that is achieved thru 'legitimate' means... I think I read somewhere that light output is still a little lower then the lower color temp rated HID bulbs though.
Daniel
Last edited by dclin; 05-28-02 at 03:11 AM.
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