Can Someone Explain The Concept Of Hid?

[falsedawn]

Yeah, Stupid like driving around with ne headlight...

What? At least I expressed myself in English. The fact is, I (and a lot of other people) find overly bright, dazzling headlights a real danger on the roads. Badly installed retro-fitted kits and selfish drivers like yourself (quote: "Fight back and blind them with your oun HID..", smiley or not, is just plain irresponsible), only exacerbate the problem.

 

[sanblaster]

The only people who complain about them are the people who don't own them..

I had them. They were nice until one of the ballast's went out so only one turned on. They were blinding to oncoming traffic, they suck in snow and rain, and pretty much 'look cool'. The only time I really appreciated them were during the dry summer nights. The cost was ridiculous and I went to stock again. I am all for xenon but never again hid unless they are properly tuned and 'street legal'.

 

[mzdp5fan]

I was seriously considering them maybe 2 yrs ago, but I've heard countless stories of ppl w/ Maximas who had their HID's stolen repeatedly. I've also heard of ppl's RX330's HID's being stolen from their car. I feel like I'd have to get some sort of aftermarket alarm that has sensors where the headlight casing is b4 I'd consider getting them.

My neighborhood is relatively safe, but I can't vouch for every single place i go.

 

[bazooka joe]

The only people who complain about them are the people who don't own them..

haha...ya my wife..."i hate those cars with those bright blue lights" i don' think she knows i upgrade mine this summer....haha

 

[bazooka joe]

I was seriously considering them maybe 2 yrs ago, but I've heard countless stories of ppl w/ Maximas who had their HID's stolen repeatedly. I've also heard of ppl's RX330's HID's being stolen from their car. I feel like I'd have to get some sort of aftermarket alarm that has sensors where the headlight casing is b4 I'd consider getting them.

My neighborhood is relatively safe, but I can't vouch for every single place i go.

ya, that's because they came with that car from the factory and all the thieves knew that and targeted them...there are so many cars coming through with them now and you can by good aftermarket ones....so...i don't think you need to worry about them getting ripped off!

 

[Huascar82]

.... they suck in snow and rain, ....

I actually think they help me when it rains, well at least when it rains at night, this past weekend it did nothing but rain, and I feel they actually helped, normally when it rains at night I cant see a damn thing on the road, now with the HIDs I can actually see where the road is and can stay in my own lane. The snow thing I havent tried them yet (only ahd them for 1 1/2 months), but I can understand what you mean, snow will reflect the lights even more, I actually feel its better to drive without lights at night when its snowing, I can see so much more. I dont do it though cause I dont wanna risk getting a ticket.

I'm happy with my lights though, havent had a single person flash me their highs, could be that mine are aligned properly.

 

[P5inder]

Did the JDM Protege5/Familia not come with an HID option?

Do they ^ not use the same reflector/lense/housing as the USM/CDM protege5/Familias?

HID's reflect way more than halogen bulbs...this is part of the reason the appropriate relfector/lense/housing design has so much more to do with good lighting than just bulb replacement.

Another thing to note is that most manufacturers using HID's also provided headlight lense wipers as an option...dirty lenses affect HID performance way more than halogen's.

Through lense/housing design advancements, manufacturers have been able to do away with requiring lense wipers as much as in previous years...

I've been thinking of getting a set of HID's for the car...just not sure whether I should get the low beam, the high beam, or both...my decision is being affected, mainly by price, secondarily by lense design and the possibility of blinding someone/causing an accident.

I think that the high beam would be the best option as it is during high speed (within the speed limit) night driving along dark roads that the high beams are the most widely used and the most amount of lighting is required. I firmly belive that using HID's for low beams is, in reality a waste of money for most that do not drive outside lit, urban areas.

Alternatively, one could just get a set of HID driving lights with their own housing which can be connected/set-up to turn on either indepently or with the high-beams only.

There, my.o2

Not that anybody asked...

 

[Matthew1785]

speaking of this thread BrianMP5T where did u pick those lights up?

 

[G-Papi]

Light leveling on the larger cars helps oncomers a lot. I prefer automatic, but my CX-7 came with manual levelers.

Light is worst when meeting someone around a left hand curve, or over the crest of a hill, or some combination of the two. Same as all headlights, that's when they're aimed more directly at oncomers.

When meeting somebody especially bright, I tend to let my eyes focus toward the edge of the lane or road on the passenger side. It keeps the light from deep inside the eye, and reduces the after effects.

 

[B1GHAM]

I am actually weighing buying a kit for my car. Ive learned that stock lights @ night in the rain SUCK... So bad that there has been more than one occasion that Ive checked to see if I even had them on. I dont know if its the bulbs or the stock setup, but it sucks none the less.

Theres so many options that I havent narrowed down my choices yet however.

 

[randyscycle]

Having owned and driven a number of cars and motorcycles over the years, I have noticed several things regarding headlamps:

1) They've only gotten better over the years

2) Remembering the sealed beam incandesent days (read: candles), anything looks better at night with halogen. Better with HID.

3) Aim is the biggest complaint factor with most headlights.

4) Aftermarket anything in lighting is usually about as good as what you pay for it.

5) There is a hi/lo switch to take care of the offending oncoming driver.....

 

[16902]

I think that in a lot of cases people dislike HIDs because they draw attention. What I mean by that is that they stick out in a sea of halogen headlamps and therefore their eye is drawn to the HIDs. This ends up with the same conclusion as you would get from looking directly at any light (halogen included)......you are blinded. So, just don't look directly at a light bulb.

 

[NJP5Guy]

They're blinding lights that are extremely annoying to be in front of, especially when you're looking uphill and an oncoming car with HIDs is on the crest.

Don't get me started with SUVs and modded cars that don't have them aimed properly... I have a slight astigmatism and it doesn't affect my night vision for normal lights, but the HIDs just bloom like crazy.

I've got stock lights and I have been flashed numerous times by people who think i have my highs on. it's quite amusing.

 

[Brian MP5T]

speaking of this thread BrianMP5T where did u pick those lights up?

It was a GB two years ago...

 

[melicha8]

I think that in a lot of cases people dislike HIDs because they draw attention. What I mean by that is that they stick out in a sea of halogen headlamps and therefore their eye is drawn to the HIDs. This ends up with the same conclusion as you would get from looking directly at any light (halogen included)......you are blinded. So, just don't look directly at a light bulb.

That's because you're in Indiana. In CA they are everywhere. I'd wager at least 5% of the headlights during rush hour

 

[16902]

That's because you're in Indiana. In CA they are everywhere. I'd wager at least 5% of the headlights during rush hour

Aww c'mon naw....jus becuz wer po dunk hillbillies don't mean some of us don't drive them thar fancy b-m-dubayas wit them fancy purpa lights!

 

[Dermen]

Did the JDM Protege5/Familia not come with an HID option?

Do they ^ not use the same reflector/lense/housing as the USM/CDM protege5/Familias?

Yes, but they use different reflectors because they drive on the other side of the road. Using them would blind oncoming traffic worse than just putting HID bulbs in your stock halogen housings.

I think the only way to do it right is to get an HID projector, either aftermarket or stock from another car, and mod the projector into the stock protege housing. Revs did that, they were recently for sale http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123646487&highlight=HID

 

[latinkings49]

So where can we get some good HID's out there?
and what is the prices?

 

[bazooka joe]

the first night i had mine i was driving home in real bad rain storm, wow what a difference! i love them (i have old eyes)

 

[sephiroth]

So where can we get some good HID's out there?
and what is the prices?

well first, it's going to be illegal to use HID kits in cars that are not initialy HID fairly soon(via federal legislation). Second, you have to decide whether you want a headlight conversion (HID headlights taken from an already HID car and made to fit inside the stock headlamp of said car), which normaly cost $1200-$1400 and are incrediably hard to find. Or, a plug-in-play kit, which can be found on ebay for $200 or so..

I am actually weighing buying a kit for my car. Ive learned that stock lights @ night in the rain SUCK... So bad that there has been more than one occasion that Ive checked to see if I even had them on. I dont know if its the bulbs or the stock setup, but it sucks none the less.

Theres so many options that I havent narrowed down my choices yet however.

they suck because halogens don't just go out when it's their time to go. They dimm over time..the acutal 100% effeciency life time for a typical h4 halogen is really only about 6-12months max..but they can go on producing decreasing amounts of light for years.