HID lights, I didn't see anything regarding this before Options

[Random_Stranger]

My apologies if there is already a thread like this, but I am looking into buying two HID kits for high and lows. I wanted to get those super violet lights, though in California, I ask if they are legal for the street. I have seen newer cars with them, but that doesn't always mean it is ok. Also, I have noticed everyone mentioning the super white lights to see better, which I can understand, but are these violet or super violet lights really going to hurt vision that bad? Because the people that have those lights have some very powerful beams and even alone, much better than my stock headlights. So I ask any of you who have them, or know for certain if in California they are legal, and if they really impair vision that badly. Someone recommended 4300K for lows on the street and 9004 for highs (at least I think it was 9004, something with a 4 in it).

[bccentaur3]

4300K is what factory hid cars run with. Thats the best you will get visibility wise. Anything lower than 4300 you'll get a yellow look and anything a tad bit higher maybe 6000-8000 you'll have blue. Higher than that you have violet pink looking lights. Horrible for visibility, but looks cool. Unless your car came factory with hids its illegal. Because it will be glaring. Unless you do a retrofit with HID projectors it will look stock and won't attract the coppers.

This post has been edited by bccentaur3: Mar 2, 2008 - 2:58 PM

[Random_Stranger]

4300K is what factory hid cars run with. Thats the best you will get visibility wise. Anything lower than 4300 you'll get a yellow look and anything a tad bit higher maybe 6000-8000 you'll have blue. Higher than that you have violet pink looking lights. Horrible for visibility, but looks cool. Unless your car came factory with hids its illegal. Because it will be glaring. Unless you do a retrofit with HID projectors it will look stock and won't attract the coppers.

But I mean it is just the bulbs that put out the color and such, correct? I can switch those out? Also, what if I get those JDM projectors? Do I still need to do work with those? I really appreciate your reply by the way.

[elvasoshexai]

4300K is what factory hid cars run with. Thats the best you will get visibility wise. Anything lower than 4300 you'll get a yellow look and anything a tad bit higher maybe 6000-8000 you'll have blue. Higher than that you have violet pink looking lights. Horrible for visibility, but looks cool. Unless your car came factory with hids its illegal. Because it will be glaring. Unless you do a retrofit with HID projectors it will look stock and won't attract the coppers.

But I mean it is just the bulbs that put out the color and such, correct? I can switch those out? Also, what if I get those JDM projectors? Do I still need to do work with those? I really appreciate your reply by the way.

the nice HIDs you see in S2Ks TSX etc, the colour of flicker is from the projectors. not the bulb. they used 4300K bulbs and the projector produces the colour only at the cutoff (so the light it shines is stil excellent for visibility yet what other people see is a flicker of purple)

JDM projectors are made for halogen and are not designed for HIDs. so if you want proper performance, u need HID proejctor retrofit. your best bet is to retrofit HID projectors from tsx/bmw/s2k/etc into ur stock housing and get those clear headlamp covers from whoever was selling them here a while back

so if u want good visibility go with 4300K and proper HIDs for the cool purple.

if you get those aftermarket hid kits w/ the high colour temperature, sure it may look bright, but the actual light output you put onto the ground is less than stock halogens (ie u see less)

if you look @ this picture:


on the bottom part, you see that there is a little bit of blue/purple at the cutoff. when you see cars with factory hids flicker purple/blue, that part is what you are seeing. not the entire light output is blue/purple like the top
and btw, that picture shows how our light output will be like if u use 8000K hid kit w/ reflector housing vs a 4300K oem w/ hid projectors

9004 i believe is the type of bulb, but not sure we use tho? thoguht we use 9005/9006.

also, it is not a good idea to have hids in lows and highs. you arne't supposed to drive with your highbeams on all the time anyway and usualyl they are used for flashing. flashing HIDs on and off like that is a great way to kill them real fast.

This post has been edited by elvasoshexai: Mar 2, 2008 - 6:51 PM