Car Education: "get To Know Your Hid"

[rs73]

Ok, some of you are going to kill me for this post (hear me, Nelson?)

To those ricers that fits HID 6000K or above on your cars... u suck...

Stick with OEM 4300K, they're white, they're not yellowish.

Choosing an HID bulb that have less blue tint makes it easier on your eyes for long drive.

I admit I was one of those showoff ricers who fitted a bluish tint bulb on my 93 Galant when I was in Uni, and yeah, while it's for showoff,

a quick drive on the twisties revealed that I felt the bulbs did not produce as much light as I would expect or was advertised by the manufacturers.

Yes, I was a victim of fashion, and lucky I didn't pay the price by crashing into an obstacle or kangaroos on a dark, deserted, mountain road.

Things why you should never put on blu-ish headlight bulbs on:

1. Human eyes treat blue as glare and would cause pupil to be less dilated, causing reduce night visibility.

2. The higher the colour temp, the less lumen (light output) the bulb produce as well.

Oh yes, some of you may think the higher the colour the temp, the more light, is it???

WRONG...

The higher the colour temp above 4300K, the LESS the light output will be.

Why would do you reckon European car manufacturers, after all those R&D, chosen 4300K as the best HID bulbs to be fitted on cars?

Do your research... and convert before someone gets hurt from using the wrong HID bulb on the car...

Here's one website to explain why the higher the colour temp it does not make it better.

http://www.autolamps-online.com/hidonline/...scolourtemp.htm

Below is also a comparison where the left side of the photo is using 4300K HID bulb & right side using 6000K.

as you can see 4300K emits more lights than 6000K.

The more I do search on various international forums, the more I am convinced that going 6000K or above is not the best decision to make,

except for just some wanking showoff factor...

Now... let the flaming begins... especially from 6000K lovers...

[n15m0]

Agreed. Oem 4300k is more than ample. There is a fine line between nice and rice

[rs73]

actually the best is 4100K from the chart. but due to availability of products on the market, i choose 4300K. if for some reason you felt 4300K still has a bit of tint yellow based on personal taste, try finding 5000K but I haven't found much HID bulbs out there outside the normally available 4300K 6000K and so on...

[Will Power]

anyway of getting them without it being illegal? =)

[rs73]

If it's done properly and not blinding oncoming drivers there are no reasons why it would give you troubles...

The best is to reuse the OEM ones, as some aftermarket kit can easily throw the adjustment off the line, and most important

your headlights should be a RHD JDM spec, don't put LHD USDM G35 headlights as they'll stuff up your beam dispersion the wrong way.

Keeping your headlights clean all the times also helps, or if you're very worried, i'm sure adding a couple of jetwashers on your front bumper directly across from headlight is easy to do.

If your compliance workshop threw yours one out (the ballast, ignitors, etc) then your best bet is to search through yahoo auctions or buy it off from someone here...

[Pulp]

I agree with your write up Rianto, however I find it strange as my mate had diamond white 6000k on his car and they were as it says diamond white, and didn't seem to emit a tinge of blue... confused!

Actually the similar set to the one I have forsale below...

Edited August 21, 2009 by Pulp

[rs73]

6000k is bordering between starting to emit visible blue tint... depending on the shape of the reflectors on his car if it is designed to take HID as standard it may not emit as much blue-ish tint, however if compared side by side with 4300K the 4300K would provide more light output.

There were discussions about BMW cars having a slight tint of blue but it actually is where the light cutoff are, when you're driving from opposite the car then you passed its cutoff point then you'll see slight blue tint, all HID reflector does that, even though they had 4300K standard bulbs. it will just be more prominent on the higher colour temp level...

I've driven on 6000K bulb before and to my eye behind the wheels, it is slightly blue-ish, very faint... once u go beyond it it gets worse...

what car does he have? R33?

either the shape of his reflector, or is the kit really as advertised? e.g. there's no telling if the kit is actually 5000K but was advertised as 6000K by the manufacturer for some 'marketing' reason?

[siu_loong_bao]

Hehehe....

4300k sucks....LOL...(just to tease u)...Agree with 4300k emitting more light....

I know where u r coming from with respect to the ricer feel...Some 'ricer's do up their cars nicely, while others r try-hards...(e.g. I saw some jap car with blue haze lights on the freeway at nite and the idiot; thinking he was cool; didn't have his headlights turned on. How wannabe-tryhard is that????)

Anyway, back to the topic, I'll personally go 6000k, nice and white (and just getting into the blue)....Anything above 6000k is fugly i must say...(And also attracts the boys in blue)...

My factory 4300k HID is going to be for sale soon as I find it not 'white' enough...I am going to 6000k HID D2Rs for low beams and 6000k HID H4 for hi/lo beams...When I get some time...

[rs73]

I've been waiting for your post, Nelson ha ha ha

when you mean your 4300K factory is for sale do u mean just the bulbs or the whole ballast thing?

Are you going with aftermarket ballast on the hi beam H4 or is that just a normal halogen with higher colour temp?

I found those blue tinted halogen really sucks... they are not that bright to start with (HID is a lot brighter than halogen)

and they added a blue tint to get to the colour temp which limit the light even further....

[Touge Kyousou]

Rs73,

What you have said in the posts above are correct (i'm a light/torch freak.. have 35watt hid searchlights for toys and handheld maglites putting out the same light as a car on high beams)

HIDS to be properly legal on cars... the car needs a headlight washer system. The reason being if you have a dirty headlight and HIDs, it can cause glare to oncoming traffic.

My mate had a 6000k kit for awhile, it was a little blue to my eyes.. looked not bad though. But 4300k ftw.

[rs73]

some Xenon fitted R34 (dealer option) are legal without washer system, because they have an auto-leveling system. I've seen one in compliance shop and it's complied alright.

auto leveling is another alternative requirement when headlight washing system is not available...

but again even if your car has been fitted with auto levelling and/or washing system, if the reflector in the headlight was designed for halogen and it's fitted with HID bulb, it won't be legal, because the beam pattern will just go wrong.

[fcruz3r]

hi Rianto,

I'm looking at replacing the D2R bulbs on my car with 4300k bulbs. Any ideas of the best (cheaper) place to get these?? Do you have a owners manual with diagrams on how to replace these bulbs??

Cheers

[zei20l]

go on fleabay and find some cheap chinese seller!!

[rs73]

yes, i got mine off ebay too... u can find 5000K if you want it 'whiter' but as suggested try not to go over 6000K as the light will just turn bluer from that point on and dimmer...

[rs73]

don't have any diagrams though... chris told me gotta take front bumper off to get access to the lightbulbs...

it's a hassle but these xenons are meant to live a lifetime of the vehicle

[zei20l]

you can probably just turn your front wheels and go through the splash guards if its similar to the M35.

and xenons are WELL worth the upgrade IMO.

[fcruz3r]

I'll try find a DIY on this from the G35 forums. It would be strange that you'd need to remove bumpers to get to the lights, coz i think only the driving lights are HID, the highlight looks like normal halogens so there must be an easier way to get to them.

[rs73]

there is no easy way to get to them. these xenon bulbs are not meant to be replaced for the lifetime of the vehicle, I have looked around behind the lights from engine bay there's just no way to access it... from the wheel shroud might be another idea...

I think Nissan designed the lights to be non-user-serviceable item... for most common people who cbf diy.

if the high beam bulb is burnt, then its kind of like "replace it at your next dealer service"

[fcruz3r]

looks like accessing through the splash guards may be a better option

http://g35driver.com/forums/body-interior-...-hid-bulbs.html

[08r3308]

love the stock 4300k perfect , on another not what do Chrysler 300c use they have a projector i seen but and bad once coming towards you blind so much