Interested UPGRADING your HID's and Lights?
Originally Posted by PeteNJ
Silver,
Your fog lights may look "OK" to you. However, you are definitely getting less than stock output and potentially distracting other drivers. These are just simple facts.
Your fog lights may look "OK" to you. However, you are definitely getting less than stock output and potentially distracting other drivers. These are just simple facts.
Are you sure you dont want to retract your statement? 
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From: Torrance, California
Originally Posted by PeteNJ
Silver,
I am sorry but that is simply untrue. Halogen and HID bulbs distribute light completely differently. Halogen bulbs produce light using a filament which icreates a cylindrical light source. HID bulbs pass current through two electrodes which causes the light to bend up slightly (due to heat forcing it to rise). Please see the picture below.
On the left you have a standard halogen bulb and on the right we have an HID bulb:
As you can see there is a very big difference in the way the light gets dispersed. This means that the reflector or projector assemblies have to be designed specifically for each light source. If you just go ahead and stick an HID bulb in a halogen reflector you will be scattering light all over the place.
Here are some results of HID bulbs in halgen housings:
Here is a comparison of a HID kit installed on a Dodge Neon with 8000K bulbs vs the same headlight with 4300K bulbs and a TSX projector retrofit:
Your fog lights may look "OK" to you. However, you are definitely getting less than stock output and potentially distracting other drivers. These are just simple facts.
I am sorry but that is simply untrue. Halogen and HID bulbs distribute light completely differently. Halogen bulbs produce light using a filament which icreates a cylindrical light source. HID bulbs pass current through two electrodes which causes the light to bend up slightly (due to heat forcing it to rise). Please see the picture below.
On the left you have a standard halogen bulb and on the right we have an HID bulb:
As you can see there is a very big difference in the way the light gets dispersed. This means that the reflector or projector assemblies have to be designed specifically for each light source. If you just go ahead and stick an HID bulb in a halogen reflector you will be scattering light all over the place.
Here are some results of HID bulbs in halgen housings:
Here is a comparison of a HID kit installed on a Dodge Neon with 8000K bulbs vs the same headlight with 4300K bulbs and a TSX projector retrofit:
Your fog lights may look "OK" to you. However, you are definitely getting less than stock output and potentially distracting other drivers. These are just simple facts.
I have to agree with Silver on this one. It is true that light will scatter in an improperly design bulb (HID) in a non-HID housing. Now, that being said, if you buy a GOOD aftermarket HID kit (H4), it should be brighter than the original but perform pretty much the same. Now, remember that I said GOOD. Good meaning there should be some sort of cap in front (ours come with a cap) and the bulb itself should have a coating on the tip. I actually looked this up and found out that where you put the bulb (i.e. how far back or forward in the housing) will make a difference.
Quite a few members here have done this conversion and they have similar results to Silver. I think you guys are getting confused with D2R bulbs and Projectors. You posed pictures of a Projector vs. HID in a non-HID housing. That isn't even a fair comparison. Hell, our HID lowbeams scatter light everywhere (Well, maybe not everywhere but nothing like projector's cut-off lines) and wouldn't have the fine cut-off like the Projector in those photos.
It all boils down to the housing. I bet you anything, the photo with the HID in non-HID housing would look like that with high-output Halogen bulbs but just not as bright.
Last edited by mephistomyhero; Oct 1, 2005 at 01:44 PM.
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From: Hoboken,NJ
Originally Posted by Silverbolt
Obviously the light from an HID bulb and a halogen bulb are produced differently, but if designed correctly, an HID bulb distributes the light in the same exact pattern.
Originally Posted by Silverbolt
If you have a 55 watt halogen bulb vs a 90 watt halogen bulb, the 90 watt bulb will be alot brighter, but the light pattern is the same. The housing doesnt change, so the lighting doesnt change. If you use an H4 HID conversion kit, with a properly designed H4 HID bulb, it creates the same exact light patern as any halogen H4. Also, a 6000k HID bulb will emit more candlelight than any ordinary halogen bulb. I have had two HID kits (H3, and H4), the light patern shines EXACTLY the same if it were the stock halogen bulb.
Originally Posted by Silverbolt
I dont think you're fully understanding my point, so to simpifly it even more... A halgen reflector assembly was made specifically for that intended halogen bulb. However, if an aftermarket HID bulb was made specifically to have the same exact measurements and characteristics (other than light output), you will have the same exact light pattern, but only with HID lighting.
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From: Hoboken,NJ
Originally Posted by Silverbolt
Below are pictures of my HID setup. The first picture is a completely stock setup. Second is with 6000k HID lows and fogs.
The light pattern is identical.
The light pattern is identical.
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From: Hoboken,NJ
Originally Posted by Silverbolt
You're right... a 55w H4 halogen bulb produces more light output than a 35w H4 HID bulb Are you sure you dont want to retract your statement?
Are you sure you dont want to retract your statement? Fog lights are designed to throw wide useable light low onto the foreground. With your HID "upgrade" you are pushing out more scattered blue light into the fog which will cause more glare to come back at you. Highbeams? You don't have them anymore.
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From: O'Fallon, MO & Glenview, IL
I bought these Philips Ultinon Xenon D2R bulbs from the group buy a month ago and I am very happy with these bulbs.
http://www.xenonfactory.com/products/hid/bulb.htm
I have the 6000k and it gives out a slight bluish/purple tint. Love em.
http://www.xenonfactory.com/products/hid/bulb.htm
I have the 6000k and it gives out a slight bluish/purple tint. Love em.
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From: Toh-rensa,Ahteesia,Ahcadia,Montree Pak, Longa Beacha
For the original poster, I'm curious as to how you're going to get "brighter D2R" bulbs.
The stock 4100K Philips are as bright as they come for D2R/D2S.
You would have to:
1. upgrade to projectors, which are generally more efficient at getting the light to the ground than reflectors, and/or
2. change/mod the ballast to run at higher than 35W. If you are doing this route, I'd be really interested in some ballast mods if you are doing this.
The following will not equal brighter HIDs:
6000, 8000, 10000, 12000K bulbs
The following might result in more glare:
D2S in a D2R reflector.
The stock 4100K Philips are as bright as they come for D2R/D2S.
You would have to:
1. upgrade to projectors, which are generally more efficient at getting the light to the ground than reflectors, and/or
2. change/mod the ballast to run at higher than 35W. If you are doing this route, I'd be really interested in some ballast mods if you are doing this.
The following will not equal brighter HIDs:
6000, 8000, 10000, 12000K bulbs
The following might result in more glare:
D2S in a D2R reflector.
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