default headlights on m3 GT

[harrbear]

hey guys, i have a mazda3 GT with luxury package including the xenon headlights

i would like to know what's the power on them and if i can change the bulbs to something stronger and brighter. I havent seen my car driving at night on the highway but i have a feeling they are cheap quality lights, not as good as bmw or audi ones. Do we get by default low quality ones from the dealer? If so where can i order a pair of nice bright ones?

 

[gr3y]

low quality?

i don't think there's much of a difference..

if you're talking about temp color, then yes, ours are probably a bit whiter/less annoying than that of a bmw. that, however, doesn't mean that it's of lesser quality.

installing new hids is kind of a pain though.

 

[jam_asian85]

actually, i've been told that the factory bulb are the best for visibility, if you want something for appearance like those blue-ish looking hids then go ahead, just keep in mind the higher you go in temp or color its the less amount of visibilty ...

 

[Captain GJ]

^True, I've talked to several people who got 6000k bulbs installed and immediately wished they hadn't, due to the drastically decreased visibility the higher temp bulbs provide. I even considered it, but it's just not worth it to me.

 

[ispypsi]

OEM units are almost always 4300K which is the whitest purest light available in the spectrum. i always tell kids to aim for between 4000K to 5000K for the best light output. 6000K is pushing it, and anything higher is just for the rice effect.

there is a thread in one of the subforums about the ms3 HID headlights being aimed a bit low compared to other vehicles. i believe they have auto-leveling though, so not sure if aiming them would work very well or not.

 

[icspots]

OEM ones are 4300k....... just like the ones on BMWs, Mercedes, Acura, etc have. The reason they get that color flicker is not because the bulbs are a higher color temp. but because the projectors are different. You'll notice the color you see on those is just at the edges of the light while the light itself is still bright white.

If you want to replace your bulbs then you need Ds2 bulbs (not the H7s that regular 3's use). Try looking at www.hidplanet.com as they usually have some pretty good deals. Bear in mind what everyone is saying that 4300k is the brightest you're going to get. The higher the kelvin scale the more blue you get and the less usable light you have.

Also if you haven't even seen your car at night then don't just assume they put crap in since it's not a BMW. Try it out and see if you're happy with it first.

there is a thread in one of the subforums about the ms3 HID headlights being aimed a bit low compared to other vehicles. i believe they have auto-leveling though, so not sure if aiming them would work very well or not.

Mz3's with HIDs in the US have a manual leveling system. 3's in Europe have auto-leveling. With the manual system you can flip the switch down one and then manually (i.e. with a screwdriver) aim the lights back up to the regular position. That way you have the option of flipping them up one level with the dial if you're on a back road or there isn't any traffic around you.

 

[dkswim]

thats sounds like a good idea aiming higher. dose anyone have hi beem HIDs???

 

[icspots]

thats sounds like a good idea aiming higher. dose anyone have hi beem HIDs???

Most headlight systems with separate high and low beams have regular halogen high beams. HID systems require some warm up time to begin operating properly and most people only have high beams on for short periods of time. Flashing HIDs that way isn't good for them.

Other cars have bi-xenon projectors. That means that the same projector provides the high and low beams without the need for a second light. In this instance there's no strain on the HIDs with the high beam because it's already on with the low beams.

Also if you were to install HIDs in your high beams everyone around you would want to kill you as the uncontrolled light in the reflector housing would blind everyone.

 

[Chicoloco]

If your car has factory hids, there is not much to do. If you do not feel satisfied with illumination, you could retrofit tsx projectors into the headlights. Or try getting better bulbs. Look for Philips 85122+ bulbs. They are brighter than stocks (unless they already have them). You can trust hidplanet.

 

[gr3y]

Mz3's with HIDs in the US have a manual leveling system. 3's in Europe have auto-leveling. With the manual system you can flip the switch down one and then manually (i.e. with a screwdriver) aim the lights back up to the regular position. That way you have the option of flipping them up one level with the dial if you're on a back road or there isn't any traffic around you.

how do you do this?

 

[dkswim]

I just aimed my headlights up one level it helps out a little I can actually see road signs as I approach them as apposed to when I'm up on top of them. If any one wants to know how its done let me know and then I can post some pics of it.

 

[clos561]

keep the stocker.....why did you buy GT that includes this if your gona change them anyway?