I upgraded my stock 4300k hid bulbs with some 8500k bulbs from globalpremier - http://www.globalpremier.com/d2r8500k.html

New bulbs look fantastic with a purplish color like the audis. Unfortunately, one of them seemed to have gotten so hot that it melted the plastic around the ballast. This only happened to one side and I am curious about whether or not the problem is the bulb or a bad ballast.

I replaced the bulb with the same 8500k, hoping that maybe it was a defective bulb. The other side has been working fine but has always been alittle brighter than the bad side - another reason why I think the problem might be a bad ballast.

I plan to replace both with some better quality bulbs. Any suggestions on what aftermarket bulbs are good and where to get them for a good price? I don't want to be paying $300 just for bulbs.

 

YES THESE BULBS SUCK

It happened to me too.

Its the crappy korean brand. These bulbs are awful. Honestly the best route is get the phillips 6000K bulb.

 

Stick with brand name BULBS! I don't get this forums/site's obessession with upgrading the HID past 6000k+. The popular around here is 8000k which I have no idea why. No reputable company makes anything past 6000k for a reason!

If you must need color, stick with Philips Ultinons 6000k. Check E-bay, they are the cheapest there.

 

Seems like the obsession with high color temp bulbs is coming from the younger crowd. Just my impression anyway.

 

they shouldn't be getting nearly that hot. I've never bought HID for them, but my halogen bulbs are great in my other cars!!!

 

you dont have to buy a kit to put in 6k bulbs correct?.....ive searched the forums and couldnt find any info on this.

Thanks

 

whow whow whow, where did that come from?

 

Well, I wouldn't call a certain group dumb, but for some reason people are absolutely convinced that higher Kelvin temps = brighter bulbs. Anything 6000K and higher is basically either blue or purple, regardless if it's 8000K, 10000K, 12000K. Brightness = lumens, not Kelvin. Seriously, we should sticky that statement somewhere. And increased glare or increased eye strain from the color is not the same as brightness either.

I've done the 6000K, 8000K route. The best is still 4100K D2S at 3200 lumens with projectors to give the blue flicker color via refraction.

The next best short of projectors would probably be the Philps 5100K bulbs. I think those are 3100 lumens.

 

Very well put.

 

I prefer higher temp bulbs because of the look, not because of the brightness. I can tell the 4100k stock bulbs are brighter than the 8000k bulbs, but I'm willing to sacrifice alittle performance for the look. I think most people out there who change out their stock bulbs think like this too. Even if they think 8000k bulbs are brighter, so be it.

I just installed an Injen intake and I'm sure I didn't get much performance boost out of it, but just having it psychologically makes me think it did, so that's all that matters to me. my placebo effect =)