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HID headlights arent bright enough? wat to do

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Old 04-23-2009, 03:05 PM
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HID headlights arent bright enough? wat to do

ive got 06 projectors running the factory ballasts i changed the bulbs to 8000k cause i want that bluish light but even with the factory 4300k my lights dont look like they are very bright like an aftermarket kit

is it possible to change my hid setup and use an aftermarket kit? would it make them alot brighter? such as using the oracle 50w kit with 8000k bulbs
 
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Old 04-23-2009, 03:39 PM
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if you want something brighter than the stock 4300k, then you should use 50w ballasts with DL50 bulbs. Its a pretty expensive setup. Your 50w kit with 8000k bulbs will probably be about as bright as the OEM bulbs, but have a very short lifetime.
 
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Old 04-23-2009, 05:22 PM
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Another equally expensive setup is to go quad projector style
 
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Old 04-23-2009, 07:30 PM
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Whether you upgrade to 50W ballasts or stick with 35W's, 8000K bulbs are going to have less light output than a 4300K bulb.
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 11:01 AM
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i know that goin 8000k bulbs put out less light but other cars i know with aftermarket kits and 8000k bulbs they light up the whole road and are very bright looks like an exotic car when you see the lights comin at you
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 11:10 AM
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Yeah, the 8000k lights may look brighter shining towards you, but if you actually sit inside the vehicle with those lights...you'll noticed that things aren't as visable as they seem....especially in the rain. It's the way they reflect and pierce through objects. Also, they only stand out from a crowd in the highway because of the different shade of color making it seem that it's brighter.

I guess another way of looking at it is just imagine if the sun was to put out a more blue-ish color....IMO, everything wouldn't be so vivid, especially in the shade. I don't know...it's kind of hard to explain.
 

Last edited by Deezflip; 04-24-2009 at 11:15 AM.
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Old 04-24-2009, 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted by badnblk
i know that goin 8000k bulbs put out less light but other cars i know with aftermarket kits and 8000k bulbs they light up the whole road and are very bright looks like an exotic car when you see the lights comin at you
See... thats a big misconception. "Aftermarket" HID kits are usually installed in vehicles not designed for HID's so there is ton of additional glare. That additional glare is what "lights up the whole road", however, that light is really not usable. That glare is what also blinds everyone in front of you and on-coming traffic.

As stated previously, you are just getting more contrast with a bluer color. And realistically, anything above 5000K can be difficult to drive with in severe rain or fog conditions.

As for the exotic cars, most use projector headlights with 4300K bulbs. The color and intensity you see coming at you is due to the actual projector, not the bulb. If you sit inside that car, the lights will appear more like the stock G35 lights with perhaps a shade of blue or purple at the cutoff.

I am sure Redlude97 can chime in a bit more with details.
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 01:30 PM
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Good answers provided by all those above. Here is what an headlight with OEM bulbs looks like coming at you when there is color at the cutoff. Using 8k bulbs to simulate this is lame.
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by redlude97
Using 8k bulbs to simulate this is lame.
what a great way of saying it!

op if you want the 'exotic' look... mod your cutoff shields. read all ~20 pages of ivorygt's diy thread before you get started! I personally hate it when I see blue lights coming at me, that stay blue as they pass me. i just think in my head "cheap/fail" :/
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 06:54 PM
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ok i understand about the cutoff that changes that color but will that make the lights brighter? even when i had the stock 4300k bulbs the lights still seemed very dim
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 07:27 PM
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stock was too dim and now you use 8k? I don't know how you can even see with a halogen setup. Maybe you should get your eyes checked out first, then report back
 
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Old 04-24-2009, 07:42 PM
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A color at the cutoff will not make your lights brighter. If you really want something that is brighter, you have to upgrade the projectors and/or upgrade to 50W ballast and bulbs.
 
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Old 04-25-2009, 02:21 AM
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thanks sfgr thats wat i wanted to know i will probably upgrade to a 50w kit and redlude my eyes are fine
 
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Old 04-26-2009, 01:21 PM
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lol, not sure if this has been mentioned yet...

but perhaps you should try taking some meguire's plastX to the outside your headlight lens? if they are hazy, even though it might not look like it, it can lower your light output....

seriously, just a thought perhaps to check! im just surprised you think the stock 06 proj are dim when I, having moved from the old 03 HID reflectors to the new 06 projectors, found the projectors to be AMAZING, and that was before I even went quad.
 
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Old 04-26-2009, 02:11 PM
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Originally Posted by sfgr415
A color at the cutoff will not make your lights brighter. If you really want something that is brighter, you have to upgrade the projectors and/or upgrade to 50W ballast and bulbs.
Just to clarify, sfrg415 means 50w ballasts and 4300k 50w bulbs(DL50 are best) NOT 8k
 

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