HID questions

MMAFIGHTER121

MMAFIGHTER121

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what are HIDs? I know the whole high intensity discharge definition, but what are they in more practical terms.. I just kinda want to go for the custom look i really don't need to be able to light up the eastern seaboard.. can this be done with different bulbs instead of the $400 HID conversion? and do just Gen I LSs need the conversion? i'm assuming there are obvious pros of having the HID conversion or else people wouldn't dish out that much for it, what are the pros?
 
you can get a similar look using special halogen bulbs... but you won't get the same performance
 
Here is some information regarding the difference in HID and halogen:

What is HID ?

HID, High Intensity Discharge, (also known as Xenon) refers to lighting technology that relies on an electrical charge to ignite xenon gas in a sealed bulb, similar to the lightning phenomenon in the sky. HID lighting does not have a filament but instead creates light by igniting an electrical discharge between two electrodes in an air tight tiny quartz capsule filled with xenon gas. HID lighting are also called Xenon lighting, referring to the gas inside the bulb.

HID vs. Halogen Technologies

HID lighting improves durability by 10 times as road vibrations can cause damage to halogen filament, but there is nothing to break inside HID bulb. These light sources also produce a blue-white light that is safer because it is closer to natural daylight. The color temperature is more than 5000K compared to 2300K for halogen. The light output from a 35W HID Xenon lamp is 300% more light than a 55W halogen bulb. The HID Xenon system will also consume much less power from your vehicles electrical system and generate much less heat during operation.

HID Advantages

- 3X Brigther & more consistent illumination of the road, and increases comfort & reduces fatigue when driving at night
- Produces blue-white light that is safer because it is closer to natural daylight
- 10X Longer Lasting. No need to replace for life of the vehicle
- 35% less power consumption, thus generate much less heat during operation

Color Temperature

Color Temperature is a measurement in Degrees Kelvin (K) that indicates the hue of light source. There is a misconception that color temperature is a rating of the brightness of the HID bulb. The truth is that the higher the color temperature, the less light output from the HID bulb.

However, all HID light is much brighter than Halogen, even if it is a 35W 12000K HID bulb, the light output still maintain well over 2700lm; which is still 300% brighter than 55W Halogen with 700lm.

Also, one legal note. HID Conversion Kits are illegal for street use according to the DOT. Unless your car was outfitted from the factory with HID's adding a conversion kit may get you into hot water with your local authorities. However, I have been running my HID kit for over 3 years and have never had a problem. Or course, your mileage may vary.
 
hmmm. indeed. i'm more for under hood moddy, so i think that the simple halogens will do for me. thanks for the plethora of information!
 
if you drive at night then HID is the way to go. its a huge difference when you have them, now the issue with the legal notice is that alot of peaple get HID lights that blind the other motorist and thats becouse they dont adjust the headlamps to point down instead of straight, if you adjust your HID right you wont have any issues.
 
chocolati, you just answered a complaint of mine. I can't stand it when some people have HID lights, they ARE very annoying to have pointing at you. You did answer the "how to" fix that issue. Too bad so many people are idiots. I can't stand those headlights in my face.
 
eavery time the haedlamp is removed it has to be re-adjusted to poing down thats why you see cars with the "cocked eye" look that one side is good and the other is pointing god knows where, to fix all you have to do is park infron of the wall and then adjust it until both lights sources are merged and pointing down, if you are 10 feet in front of your car and the headlight blind you and you need to point it DOWN... i also hate it especially with SUV's they are the worst.
 
Chocolat...

I'm sorry to interject, but there are some issues with a couple of your statements. Going by most recent.

The LS's headlights are not adjustable, so while aiming the headlights is very important on most cars... the LS is not one of them. The fog lights however are adjustable!!! (Chances are they are aimed way way too low; mine hit the ground about 10' in-front of my car before I adjusted them)

Second issue... the reason for HID's blinding people is not actually an aiming problem. The housings (read, reflectors) have to be designed for the light. When the reflector is not designed for the light, it does not focus it correctly. This causes massive amounts of glare. Were it a simple issue of headlight adjustment, the kits would be DOT approve. But because halogen housings do not focus the light in the same way HID housings do, they do not fit safety standards for other drivers.
 
naterw21 you are right and i stand corrected on these issues but most new cars can handle HID with no problems even if they did just come with regular hologen lamps installed well i guess it varies from model to model but in all you are correct and that is the main reason why the KITS are not DOT approved.
 
NateRW21 said:
Chocolat...

I'm sorry to interject, but there are some issues with a couple of your statements. Going by most recent.

The LS's headlights are not adjustable, so while aiming the headlights is very important on most cars... the LS is not one of them. The fog lights however are adjustable!!! (Chances are they are aimed way way too low; mine hit the ground about 10' in-front of my car before I adjusted them)

Second issue... the reason for HID's blinding people is not actually an aiming problem. The housings (read, reflectors) have to be designed for the light. When the reflector is not designed for the light, it does not focus it correctly. This causes massive amounts of glare. Were it a simple issue of headlight adjustment, the kits would be DOT approve. But because halogen housings do not focus the light in the same way HID housings do, they do not fit safety standards for other drivers.
Click to expand...
Actually, the LS lights are adjustable (at least 03+) for up & down directions, just not left & right. In fact the Owner's manual gives aiming directions on page 101. But I do agree with every other point you made about reflectors and the fact that the HID kits are very difficult to adjust so they do not glare because of the reflector/lens problems.
 
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