HID's installed. Not pleased.

[PassivAggressor]

I installed HID's in the 2. I didn't order them from my usual site because of the shipping charges. The scattered light is horrible. Pics:

Factory lights.

Factory light and HID.

On the road.

Against a fence.

I'm not sure if its the 2's lights or if the HID's weren't the best quality, but they will be returned.

 

[DrWebster]

I'm not an expert on HIDs, but my suspicion is that it's the HIDs. If that glare was the fault of the headlights then you'd have at least some of it with the factory bulbs. For being a reflector design the cutoff on our headlights is pretty decent IMO.

 

[PassivAggressor]

Thats what I think too.

 

[nikbrewer]

so you just added HIDs to the current reflector housing? Im no expert but thats not a good way to get good results. The best i have seen are where people open the housing and add the projector. This will be my plan, as i dont see how a HID would wourk well with out a projector housing and hood to do the cut off

 

[destineal]

Yea, you need the projector or you will be blinding everyone with the scattering light.

 

[PassivAggressor]

Yes, yes. I know all about retrofits and stuff like that. Retrofits are awesome but they are expensive and require a bit of work. However plenty of people put HID's in the factory housings. I've done it to my previous vehicle and it wasn't a problem. I usually go for the whiter light (around 5k) anyway.

 

[njaremka]

Yes, yes. I know all about retrofits and stuff like that. Retrofits are awesome but they are expensive and require a bit of work. However plenty of people put HID's in the factory housings. I've done it to my previous vehicle and it wasn't a problem. I usually go for the whiter light (around 5k) anyway.

every car is different, and it looks like the mazda2 doesn't do well with HID kits. that is, unless you got a really B A D kit. mazda2 takes H4 bulbs? many H4 kit bulbs are not made well, and leak into the high beam side of the reflector. looks like that's what happened here.

 

[fam]

so glad I didnt try and half A it with just a HID kit....thanks for confirming my fears. (mind you the kits work great with my 3's and 5's because they have projectors...but the 2's headlight assembly is straight up 1999)

 

[PassivAggressor]

Haha no problem. The 2 actually does produce a nice cutoff line for the type of lights though.

 

[njaremka]

Haha no problem. The 2 actually does produce a nice cutoff line with halogen bulbs.

fixed.

 

[PassivAggressor]

Yah that's what I meant thanks. I guess I'll just have to save for a retrofit.

 

[Chris_uk]

I also have the HID's installed on my 2, nowhere near as bad of a scatter as that, i have 8k in mine and tbh, a decent kit does produce decent results, had mine in just over a year n a half when one of the bulbs just died, not sure if it was the bulb or the wiring harness so replaced both, now back to full light again and compared to the stock, i'd never go back to it, light difference is wayyyyy better with HID's (decent ones)

i Will post a pic at somepoint and show the lights against a wall and on the road

Chris

 

[PassivAggressor]

Thanks Chris. I had a kit from DDMtuning on my Nissan Frontier and it really helped a lot at night. It wasn't scattered at all really. It was probably just this cheap kit.

 

[Suddueth13]

Regardless of manufacturer of the housing, halogen housings with HIDs results it worse lighting. The light bleed off isn't controlled and blinds other drivers. The beam pattern usually isn't affected that greatly which is bad again since halogens are designed for a fair amount of foreground light. So with HIDs you have three times the amount of light very close to the vehicle. This decreases your distance vision and fatigues your eyes. Retrofits aren't that expensive and it can be done in one day.

 

[PassivAggressor]

Noted. I'll have to do some more research.

 

[Chris_uk]

here are some pics i took the other night 35w ballasts with 8000k bulbs, the pics are a bit grainy as i had to turn the flash off because of windscreen reflection haha

this was at work against a wall

as i drove home as you can see its not that bad, here in the UK we have electric headlight adjuster which is set to the lowest when im driving around town

this was a narrow street so you can see the light when its hitting the sides of buildings

this is as i parked up but i was on a slight hill as the road is crap haha so the nose was pointing down a bit more than usual

 

[njaremka]

yeah, that output looks like crap. need a set of HID projectors retro'd into there.

 

[meGrimlock]

my usual party pooper disclaimer, HID retrofit (meaning installing them on vehicles that are not equipped from the factory) is illegal in the US. whether you use projector lamps or not.

projector lamps are cosmetic only; not required. what is a D1R bulb is for? reflector housings.

many german mfg have used factory installed HID reflectors and sealed beam housings years prior to projectors becoming the fashion statement of the lighting world. all while providing a perfectly safe and legal beam pattern that meets US/Euro specs. this obsession with a "cut off" line is purely aesthetic despite any safety argument proponents insist on.

want a halogen alternative? no you dont but i'll tell you anyway: Philips Xtreme Power or Osram Night Breakers. they'll never look like HIDs but offer superior lighting downrange and higher color temperature (closer to a neutral white), without the drawbacks of a blue-filtered bulb like those overpriced PIAAs, still DOT legal.

 

[njaremka]

blahblahblah...

D1R and D2R and D3R are D4R are all designed for use in HID reflectors that have been designed for HID capsule use.
D1S and D2S and D3S and D4S are all designed for use in HID projectors that have been designed for HID capsule use.

the germans aren't the only manufacturers to use HID reflectors. the japanese have also used this technology. maxima and prius are the first two that come to mind.

and, if you want to get technical, ANY high wattage bulb is illegal for road use in the USofA.