here's what I know about HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights.....they are really really bright, they don't have filaments, they have xenon in them, uh their really really bright, that's about it, my question is what is the difference between what people refer to as xenons and True HIDs, because from what I here xenons are imitation HIDs and not the real thing, also is there a noticable difference in price, I'm sure their is, just wanted to know if it is justifiable to buy the more expensive True HIDs? and if it is that much better how much more do they cost approx. the brighter the better!
True HIDs...?
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Inimical_01ES
Member
"Xenon" bulbs............................. about $80
HID Conversion kit....................... about $700
Blinding the ever-loving crap out of someone driving the opposite direction........................ priceless
HID Conversion kit....................... about $700
Blinding the ever-loving crap out of someone driving the opposite direction........................ priceless
well an HID works like this. instead of a filament that heats up, glows to emit light, they have an arc of electricity that jumps between two points in the "bulb"...therefore there are no burnt out filaments. now i dont know if you have to replace the HID bulbs, but if you do, it will be long and far in between changes. real HIDs that come factory also have auto-leveling motors.
so the difference is that theres a lack of a filament so they dont burn out. there are more mechanical differences but more than i care to look up. oh yeah, they look 100x better than bulbs.
so the difference is that theres a lack of a filament so they dont burn out. there are more mechanical differences but more than i care to look up. oh yeah, they look 100x better than bulbs.
mazdamp3_18
Member
- :
- 06 gti, 06 evo IX
hey section 8 are those the piaa yellow plasma fogs??? ive got those on my car.. they look pretty sweet
Inimical_01ES said:"Xenon" bulbs............................. about $80
HID Conversion kit....................... about $700
Blinding the ever-loving crap out of someone driving the opposite direction........................ priceless
Y'know, I never really understood the whole "bright headlight" craze. Why the hell do you need them? Are our stock lights not bright enough for you? Can you not see?
As for "Blinding the ever-loving crap out of someone driving the opposite direction........................ priceless"...that's just dumb. Good idea...blind the guy who's driving towards you so he runs into you or into something else. People with bright bulbs annoy the piss out of me. There's absolutely no reason for super bright bulbs unless you live in the sticks.
*zips up flame resistent suit...*
Here's an analogy to kinda clear that up....
Power goes out in your house. Light a candle. You can see right? Now blow out your candle and grab your MagLite. You can see a hell of a lot more and clearer now, right?
That's the difference. Our stock headlights are like the candle... they work and you can see fine. But if you can afford to get something that will illuminate the road better, why not get it. I have my HID's because I think being able to see where the hell I'm going when I drive is pretty important, and it also helps others see you. I do a lot of night driving and the HID's are easier on my eyes.
kingvitamin
Member
- :
- 2001 MP3
I guess you could say I live in the sticks. Ohio has a lot of wooded areas and corn fields, and even more deer. I spent 35 bucks on the Xenon Hyper White bulbs, and now I can see those little deer eyes light up a lot farther down the road, giving me more time to stop. That was my reasoning for buying them. Our cars (MP3's) have a pretty good headlight housing that cuts the low beams off, vertically, so that they don't blind the guy coming at you. High beams are a different story. I can notice notice a differece, and would reccomend the 35 dollar investment. I don't think I could ever spend a couple grand on lights though? Just my thoughts.
javy212 said:
But your analogy doesn't make much sense...you can't compare our stock headlights to a candle...they light the road very well...
and "why not get it?" because it screws over people in front of you and coming towards you!
OK here's the deal the bulbs for HID lst for over 2000 hours. I think that is something like 83 days straight. long time yeah? Well when they're needing replacement bulbs cost 150 dollars..still worth it though.
So what is the beef with HID's honestly they don't blind all that much what are you guys freakin' moles who never see the light of day? I have them and they haven't blnded anyone and the've had plenty of opportunities to tell me that I am
So what is the beef with HID's honestly they don't blind all that much what are you guys freakin' moles who never see the light of day? I have them and they haven't blnded anyone and the've had plenty of opportunities to tell me that I am
I am not sure how long they last, but I have driven with my Xenons on all the time on my 3-series since day one. I have almost 41,000 and they are still going strong.
Kooldino said:
I wouldn't say our stock lights illuminate the road very well. I say they're good for what they are. They work, and they get the job done. But like I said, "why not get it?" I'm not sure why you think HID screw people over.... I have yet gotten a complaint or flash from anyone indicating that they are being blinded, and have actually ridden in another car oppossing mine to see if they were too bright, and they weren't. Even my father (who's in his 60's and loves to complain about everything I spend my money on) was actually so impressed with how they performed and how non-intrusive they are that he asked me to order him a set for his car.
I think the both the P5 and the MP3 headlight housings are made very well. They aren't angled up very much which is why they don't blind like other cars. If you ever compare our beam pattern with other cars like a Celica for example you will notice that it's much more concentrated but shorter than other cars. It makes it perfect for HID. I got flashed once by an SUV. What the heck is up with that? SUV's are worse than any HID kit because their light housings are so high off the ground.
