HID's

[FyreDaug]

I was just curious, what would happen if you got 2 65w HID bulbs and just wired them into your stock harness without a conversion kit or anything?

I was just talking to a buddy about it, and we got 2 mixxed answers.

[qh187]

you mean 2 65w Halogen bulbs right? HIDs have a ballast and bulb setup. I'm pretty sure 65w would be fine on stock wiring. Anymore than that and you risk damaging your stock wiring or combo switch.

[HondaBoy]

yeah, hid bulbs always have a ballast and starter. i really havent seen any hid bulbs that are over 35 watts for automotive use. they dont work if you wire them to a direct power source, they need a ballast to amplify the current. as for halogen bulbs, i'd say 85 watts is the highest you'd want to go on stock wiring. i know people go higher, but sometimes you can get power surges like when your fans come on or something draws from the alternator and fry the wires or bulbs, so that's pretty much why you dont go too high wattage with stock wiring.

[jigga225]

yeah i think he's talking about the Halogen bulbs with the "HID Look"...
Dont go too high man, 65w you should be cool. I used 80W bulbs and it messed up my switch.

[qh187]

build a harness if you want to go higher than 65w. It costs a total of $10-$15 in parts.

[modu03]

build a harness if you want to go higher than 65w. It costs a total of $10-$15 in parts.

hm... i have 100 watts in mine and it doesn't seem to get too hot or anything. they work great, but i do get people flashing their high beams at me because they think mine are on when they're not. this does get kinda annoying.

[lostforawhile]

your high beam goes through a relay,but your low beam goes through the switch, that's why the low beam side of these switches goes out. def use a relay harness, if you don't know how to make one, both summit and jegs carry harnesses for light upgrades. after i get my new combo switch i'm still going to use a harness because of the switch problems, it should make my switch last about forever. with a relay harness all the switch carries is marker light current and current for the relay coils.

[smufguy]

HIDs work on 10,000volts, as a matter of fact so 12V wont work.

ON the other hand, if ur going for HID LOOKs, then go for the Rayberg (i think its how u spell it) for awsome light. its a lil expensive around 89bux a pair, but its well worth your penny. Depending on the H3 housing you got, u will get different light distribution, Hella and PIA give you the best light dispersion and the H3 diamondback and ebay stuff, give you medeocer spread. U can shill out half the price and get Sylvania Silver Stars ( i got them on my 4g and they are better than stock). or you can get the cool blues ( i wont recommend it cause they are shit, unless its used for high beams). so its upto you what you want.

[Busted_Blue]

go with what smufguy says.

Raybrig produces a lightbulb called White Sonic

more or less is around 80bucks a pair.

http://store.racinglab.com/raywhitsonh4.html

here is the cheapest i've found on the net. they are great halogen bulbs with the hid look.

[lostforawhile]

hella also makes conversion lamps for the rectangular lamps. they have the h4 bulb that goes in the back. there are cheap ones but i would go with the hella if you were to use these. they aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. I saw some APC :lol: ones but they were of course crap. i\m thinking about using the hella conversions. with sealded beam lamps going for eight bucks apiece here,it's worth it to me, better light too.

[w00tw00t111]

Wait a sec? 80 buckaroos times 2 Is 160 plus however much shipping is. Why not just save up a few extra buck and buy REAL hid? I mean if your already gonna spend that then you might as well spend a little bit more for the real deal ya know?

[lostforawhile]

true hid is a whole lot more then that

[qh187]

not for just the bulbs and ballasts. probably around $200.

btw its 80 for a pair not 1.

[smufguy]

Wait a sec? 80 buckaroos times 2 Is 160 plus however much shipping is. Why not just save up a few extra buck and buy REAL hid? I mean if your already gonna spend that then you might as well spend a little bit more for the real deal ya know?

80 bux times 2? the price is for a pair bro. not each. no one in the aftermarket business sells u just one single bulb when it comes to headlights. and real hid kid, the wires, ballest, adapter and hid xenon bulb costs around $400 a pair for the cheapest and $1500 for the high end one. IF any, a good one would be Phillips or a Hella or Pia which runs in the range of 600 to 800 bux.

PS: when you read the page to which busted gave the link for, it says right on the bottom, that $80 is for a pair.

[jigga225]

your high beam goes through a relay,but your low beam goes through the switch, that's why the low beam side of these switches goes out. def use a relay harness, if you don't know how to make one, both summit and jegs carry harnesses for light upgrades.

Word.

[lostforawhile]

Word.hey have a site for your car yet? looks good.

[w00tw00t111]

80 bux times 2? the price is for a pair bro. not each. no one in the aftermarket business sells u just one single bulb when it comes to headlights. and real hid kid, the wires, ballest, adapter and hid xenon bulb costs around $400 a pair for the cheapest and $1500 for the high end one. IF any, a good one would be Phillips or a Hella or Pia which runs in the range of 600 to 800 bux.

PS: when you read the page to which busted gave the link for, it says right on the bottom, that $80 is for a pair.
Didn't go to the link. I went about a year ago and forgot that it was $80 for a pair. And as far as single bulb versus double I always have bought mine in single. Oh well doesn't really matter. And $1500?????? That is hella expensive seeing as though when we bought my mom a lexus they weren't that much and that's from the factory!
Of kits seeing as though technically theyre illegal what good brands are out there? Or do you have to piece "replacement" hella ballasts and igniters and all that? The only highly recommended that I've heard of is Xenon.
Don't mean to steal the thread or be argumentative I just want to learn from your experiences w/ that stuff. :)

[lostforawhile]

yea the good one are expensive, i know they make replacement universal rectangular lamps in hid, i just can't remember who makes them. hid is completly legal as long as it's dot approved. a lot of new cars are hid from the factory. if the light has the dot marking on it no one can say a word to you. J.C. Whitney has the Hella vision plus replacment lamps that are two part and replace our lights exactly. they are 39.99 each as of this post plus whatever else they charge shipping etc. these are dot legal too, they aren't hid but they are something to look at. def better then sealed beam.

[smufguy]

Xenon is the type of gas. and since i have not had any personal experience with HIDs but have knowledge about companies that make light bulbs. so i would suggest either sylvanias or phillips or hella or pia. any cheapest HID you find among these manufacturers are your best bang for the buck.

ps: $1500 HIDs are not for commercial use even if they are available. they are the high end ones used a lot in the lamans, rally and baha races.

[lostforawhile]

hid lights work like a mercury lamp, they ignite a gas inside a sealed envelope with a high voltage arc. the color of the light depends on the type of gas used. the main advantage of them is most of the on road ones have a light spectrum that makes it a lot easier to see the road at night. it also makes object stand out better and has better contrast. the lights i was talking about were designed to fit cars equipped wih sealed beam lamps originaly. most true hid lights are a complete system with the lamps,the ballasts, wiring etc. sometimes you'll see a bulb that says hid then in fine print it says hid like light .remember with most hid systems you don't have a high beam either, you really don't need it. i had looked into getting some, but the price was so high that i'm just going to do the hella conversions.

[Busted_Blue]

hid lights work like a mercury lamp, they ignite a gas inside a sealed envelope with a high voltage arc. the color of the light depends on the type of gas used. the main advantage of them is most of the on road ones have a light spectrum that makes it a lot easier to see the road at night. it also makes object stand out better and has better contrast. the lights i was talking about were designed to fit cars equipped wih sealed beam lamps originaly. most true hid lights are a complete system with the lamps,the ballasts, wiring etc. sometimes you'll see a bulb that says hid then in fine print it says hid like light .remember with most hid systems you don't have a high beam either, you really don't need it. i had looked into getting some, but the price was so high that i'm just going to do the hella conversions.


well the price of hella is about 100bucks or so versus 400 or so for HID lights. I probably will upgrade sooner or later, but I'm a bit skeptical. I love my high beams because I drive in dark roads all the time.

[lostforawhile]

the hella composite lamps which are the lamps where you can remove the bulb are only 39.99 at Jc whitney i think i already mentioned that in here, those are the one i'm going to get. they look like the original lights but have such better optics.

[w00tw00t111]

yea the good one are expensive, i know they make replacement universal rectangular lamps in hid, i just can't remember who makes them. hid is completly legal as long as it's dot approved. a lot of new cars are hid from the factory. if the light has the dot marking on it no one can say a word to you. J.C. Whitney has the Hella vision plus replacment lamps that are two part and replace our lights exactly. they are 39.99 each as of this post plus whatever else they charge shipping etc. these are dot legal too, they aren't hid but they are something to look at. def better then sealed beam.
Well for about the past year I've been reading all the posts over on hidplanet and unless the company is legalized to "retro-fit" your year and make of car then its illegal. Just don't get stopped for it. Kinda like no front license plates. At least down here they won't pull you over unless they've already pulled ya over and want to write you as many tickets as they can.

Xenon is the type of gas. and since i have not had any personal experience with HIDs but have knowledge about companies that make light bulbs. so i would suggest either sylvanias or phillips or hella or pia. any cheapest HID you find among these manufacturers are your best bang for the buck.

ps: $1500 HIDs are not for commercial use even if they are available. they are the high end ones used a lot in the lamans, rally and baha races.
Actually Xenon is a brand.(as well as a gas :)) Oh and those 1500's are those like the ones that they put on the front grill? I saw a fiat with those in a mag and they're were like drooling about it.

[L337Ride]

I used the fakey HID (halogen) bulbs on my 88 accord for over 2 years (with an H4 conversion), had no problem burning the stock harness, i think they were actually 100 watt bulbs (Nokya) i think was the brand. These kind of bulbs burn out in a matter of months though, you will end up spending as much on replacing the fake HID bulbs as you would getting a real set of HIDs, and there is a world of difference. You can get a decent HID kit for ruffly 300 bucks. I would suggest going that route if you want some beautiful lights. Ill supply you pictures if you like.

[lostforawhile]

Well for about the past year I've been reading all the posts over on hidplanet and unless the company is legalized to "retro-fit" your year and make of car then its illegal. Just don't get stopped for it. Kinda like no front license plates. At least down here they won't pull you over unless they've already pulled ya over and want to write you as many tickets as they can.

Actually Xenon is a brand.(as well as a gas :)) Oh and those 1500's are those like the ones that they put on the front grill? I saw a fiat with those in a mag and they're were like drooling about it.
well these are considered standard replacement lamps, they just have better optics then sealed beams. if the department of transportation approves a light then it is legal for use on all public roads in the united states. federal supersedes local on that. the lights on our car are universal sealed beam lamps, in other words the hella lamps are considered a direct replacment for any car that came with a 6/8 rectangular lamp. now a car that came with an aerodynamic lamp like a civic, they would have to be approved,but again if they have that dot stamp they are street legal.

[L337Ride]

My HIDs are not legal, but it makes no difference. Unless your lights give out some amazing glare or your color is wild your not gonna get pulled over. Im using an 8000K kit which is pretty dang blue and havent been messed with in 2 years, but im using glare shields also.

[Busted_Blue]

My HIDs are not legal, but it makes no difference. Unless your lights give out some amazing glare or your color is wild your not gonna get pulled over. Im using an 8000K kit which is pretty dang blue and havent been messed with in 2 years, but im using glare shields also.



It all depends where you live. Some places cops are just plain dicks and will pull you over. Just be aware, that just because your area doesn't care, doesn't mean everywhere else is the same.

[L337Ride]

TN has probably the most relaxed cops in the nation I will admit. But im just saying, unless you get wild with your lighting, I doubt there will be a problem, glare and color is what catches the eye. Of course, you can always go the safe route and get something DOT approved, which pretty much means enjoy your stock lights.

[lostforawhile]

i've seen the hella lights and they are brighter then sealed beams plus they are approved, it just updates the old sealed beam design. the other problem with sealed beams is that since the filliment is in the light housing itself materials given off by the filliment coat the inside of the lamp over time. like a bulb turning silver. with a composite lamp the bulb itself is replacable and is seperate from the lamp.

[Busted_Blue]

i've seen the hella lights and they are brighter then sealed beams plus they are approved, it just updates the old sealed beam design. the other problem with sealed beams is that since the filliment is in the light housing itself materials given off by the filliment coat the inside of the lamp over time. like a bulb turning silver. with a composite lamp the bulb itself is replacable and is seperate from the lamp.


just for your information. The hella Ece housings are the better ones. Hella vision plus is better but it isn't as great ast the ECE versions. Of course the ECE versions are not dot approved but it shouldn't pose a problem with glare for any cop to notice it.


As far as the updated seal beam, hella housings are NOT updated seal beams. Seal beams are low cost budget light bulbs that has not much design for light output because they were replace everytime the bulb went out. For this matter, the reflector design isn't well research simply because they were so expendable and cheaper materials and designs were a priority.

Hella makes a housing that should last at least the life of your car and last alot longer than your bulbs so design and light ouput were higher on the list compare to cost of materials.


Hella ECE are not DOT APPROVED, but they meet ECE requirements which IMO is alot better.


Just a bit of my 2cents on what hellas are. :D

[w00tw00t111]

Wait so does Hella make a replacement housing that has a projector in it? That's what I was specifically talking about. I've only seen one company w/ a 6/8 housing with a projector in it and that was pcp which would definately be illegal. That's the problem that the guy's over on hidplanet are having. When you "retrofit" your housing that's what's illegal. Like ya'll said the illegal part comes from the fact that it gives off glare to the other drivers. Hence the reason for the cut off line in projectors like the stock ones have. But if you doing it your self then most likely you won't make it perfect and very few guy's make it adjustible to correct the light output. But if Hella does make a projector housing that would be awesome!!! And post links if they do! :)

[FyreDaug]

Yeah I was asking about HID look likes, sorry I wasnt clear. But thanks for the replies.

Whats so special about the H4 housing over the H3? Or is it the other way around? Anyways, 80 bucks isnt bad, considering how long they last and how much better they would be I would even spend more than that.

The H3 are specifically for my car or just an H3 casing will work? I guess I'll go look now and gather some prices

EDIT: What am I looking for specifically when I want an h3 housing? And what to expect for prices. Unless someone on here has a housing for sale I didnt see anything on ebay

[smufguy]

H3 is a single wire body grounded bulb like this.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/shopmomo_1853_10166708

what you want is a H4 bulbs like this that has three prongs, one of high, one for low and one is a ground

http://www.casporttouring.com/store/graphics/00000001/philips_vpmain.jpg

This is a H4 housing that you need.

http://67.122.65.69:8087/fif=h4housing-sq.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=818&hei=400&rgn=0.0,0.0,1.00000000,1.00000000&lng=en_US&cvt=jpeg

This is a H3 housing that you dont need.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/rodi_1851_8058924

[lostforawhile]

the Hella vision plus lights list an hb2a bulb i guess thats new it's a low/high beam lamp too, they say it's the higest legal light output you can get. if you were talking abouyt the simulated hid, pilot has a bunch of them, i've had mine for a while and they hold up fine,they have aluminum housings too. this is one of them, these are sold as navigator i have a thread on this somewhere http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/2050000-2050999/2050019_56.jpg these work with my high beams. http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/2050000-2050999/2050019_73.jpg those are them with the marker lights on. the ones closest to center. http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/10/web/2050000-2050999/2050019_1_full.jpg they are pretty bright, they have the light blue lens but the light is white.

[FyreDaug]

Perfect smuf.... now where do I find an h4 housing?

[lostforawhile]

Perfect smuf.... now where do I find an h4 housing?
those ones from hella i was talking about earlier in the thread are a direct replacment for the lamps on our cars, i think the new bulb works the same as an h4 they are street legal too, i decided i'm going to try them on Hella's reputation.

[Busted_Blue]

http://www.rallylights.com/hella/200mm.asp

you want to buy 2 HL79567 if you just want the headlamps then buy a pair of h4 bulbs seperately.


That will range anywhere from 80-100bucks depending on shipping without the h4 bulbs. They are worth it, IMO. I love my hella h4 housings. :)

[FyreDaug]

Bah they dont accept paypal, only credit card. Thats stupid, I was about to finalize the order. I dont have a card. Would anyone want to buy it if I pay you via paypal and ship to me?

[lostforawhile]

what about an old fashiond money order? western union also has a prepaid mastercard/debit card, i like them for online because you can put only the amount you want on it.