Topic: HID

[si]

I love HID headlamps! the ones that turn to guide you around corners are even cooler.  I'd go as far to say that I'd seriously consider getting aftermarket HIDs installed however the americans polititians are trying to stop aftermarket HIDs.  I'll say that once you have driven a night with em, you'll never go back.  I wish every car had them.  Many people desire them; you know how many Maximas have been stolen for their headlights?

The safety that they provide from the viewpoint is worth much more than the distraction they cause lol..  And actually the infiniti G35's have cut down on the annoying "sheen" or glare from the blue lights.  


I have seen the new TL's high beam and low beam HIDs.  It uses the same bulb with a unit which allows more or less light to pass.  Smart.  Id go as far as to say that high beam HIDs on a country road could make the difference between hitting a deer or not.  They are a real EYE OPENER!

[Shnak]

Too bad they blind other drivers...

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Want them on my next car.

Properly designed and aligned/self-leveling, I don't find them bad coming at me. I think the projector style ones are good, otherwise they are kind of bright (particularly noticing the new Maxima's, for example).

(Message edited by sirAQUAMAN64 on December 10, 2004)

[davidm]

That's why aftermarket HIDs are a bad idea.  They don't have the self-leveling mechanism that causes most bad HIDs to be blinding.  Everytime I fire up the A4 the headlights realign themselves (you see them start high, move low, then move 75% of the way back up - roughly).

Personally, I find a crappy old sealed beam headlight aligned up right into my mirrors far worse than a properly aligned HID lamp.

[ovr50]

The only ones that bother me are the after-market ones (as Davidm said). I would certainly get them as OEM equipment, not after-markets.

[si]

So you guys are saying that normal headlight casings are not built for HID bulbs and do not reflect properly... But arent the new (if not old body) Maximas' HID and nonHID headlamps the same?

[Giant Dwarf]

For me, I could have opted for the HID's on my Audi, but it really wasn't worth the extra money.  I'd bet that only 1% of my driving is rural, nighttime driving... and for the other 99% of the time, I've either got daylight or streetlights to help out.  For me, Xenons would be nothing more than status features and the standard equipment projector halogens on my car are surprisingly crisp, clear and bright.

[davidm]

You can't use HIDs in normal headlight casings - you have to replace the whole headlight enclosure (that's why HID's are north of $700 to buy in the aftermarket).  The key is the static AS WELL AS dynamic aiming.  Lights slip out of alignment over time and point at drivers - all HID systems these days have an auto-leveling feature to "correct" the drift.

Jeff1, have you driven an A4 with the HID package - it's pretty surprising the difference?  I was exactly where you were until I did the back-to-back test (in fact, told my dad on his 01 A4 that HIDs were a silly waste).  Dad loves them on his 05 A4.  My Bimmer doesn't have them and I certainly do miss them.

[wing]

Davidm your statement about "All HID systems these days have an auto-leveling feature to "correct" the drift" is incorrect.

The S2000 is the ONLY car but it does not have autolevel, so I blind oncoming cars, but I can see great

And I agree about the difference, I found my RX8 headlight to be AWESOME but once I drove with HIDs I feel blind driving anything else.

(Message edited by jamesbe on December 10, 2004)

[Giant Dwarf]

Davidm, a colleague of mine at work has a new Ultrasport with the HID's.  The difference is somewhat noticable, but not necessary in the urban driving we do.

[si]

actually from my xenon vs non-xenon experience I have notices urban driving is vastly changed as those signs up the road become clear and bright.

Worth it for me.    

So are you guys telling me that the headlight casings are different for cars such as the HID vs. nonHID prius, HID vs. nonHID sienna . . .  
I'd think they would just design the reflection to fit both kinds of bulbs.

[Mdxtasy]

Check out www.hiddepot.com for conversion kits.  I don't see anywhere there that a new housing is required.  While HID conversions may or may not blind other drivers because of improper aiming, the same could be said of a brighter higher wattage bulb.  

[Snowman]

I have spent some time looking into HID’s as an option for my WRX. I have single bulb housing and would loose my high beams and this was not an option. HID bulbs emit only one strength of beam. You would require a housing with duel bulbs and only your low beams would be HID…..what’s the point. Aftermarket HID kits are expensive and mostly for bling.
 
I found a complete HID JDM STi housing for the wrx but it would have cost over $2k….there are better thing to spend $2k on. OEM HID’s are the only way to have a proper system.

[wing]

I don't know snowy with my HIDs I don't even need my high beams they are THAT bright.

[Snowman]

Are they OEM’s James?...or aftermarket?

[Mdxtasy]

I don't think the S2k has auto levelling HID's...but they are standard equipment.  Like all the purists say, that's just extra weight and needless technology for a sports car right?  

[si]

If you're going to go that far about the S2000, why have a windshield at all?  Why have passenger seat at all?  Why drive that wifey around?  For some that could save a lot of weight..

[barrie1]

The Windsheild keeps the Bugs out of your teeth, but the passenger seat could be left behind for sure.  

[tpl]

  HID lights are NO BRIGHTER than normal halogen bulbs.  they LOOK brighter as their light is off towards the blue end of the spectrum...or if you prefer , their colour temperature is higher. ( some photographer chime in here please). I think that the legal light output in Canada is 300 candelas measured by a governmnet mandated test...it would be on a gov.ca website somewhere.

ALL euro car HIDs have automatic leveling, Jeffs Audi, my BMW etc. required by law in the EU.

I am 90% sure that all the OEM euro HIDs that we get  have most of the the euro beam pattern. A very flat "top" to the low beam, but we don't get the sharp uptick to the right...its legal in Canada but, I think, not legal in the USA.

One reason why people think HIDs are dazzling is because of that sharp cutoff. to an oncoming driver the light goes from nothing to full brilliance instantly rather than ( relatively) slowly increasing.

HIDs also take a noticeable time to ignite( several milliseconds to strike the arc and a few more to get to full brilliance)thats why hi/lo systems use a moveable shutter to go from low to high beam...  

In the USA, HIDs are currently permitted but the auto leveling is not required and therefore not fitted. The standard USA beam pattern is already a bit diffuse with halogens and that doesnt help either.
Then add some horrible big SUV with the lights at the maximum permitted height and you get a dazzle.
Full size chevy trucks & suvs are particularly bad IMHO  high lights, small reflectors or lenses they just splatter light everywhere.

As for me, short sighted anyway, not as young as I was, they'll have to pry the HIDS out of my cold dead...

[84im]

If HIDs improve low beam visability by a lot then they're worth it.  If they don't, then they're just 'eye candy' for the rich-look at me with my white headlights....I'm soooo special!
Ron