HID Lighting Poll...

HID lights themselves aren't the problem. The problem is people putting HID bulbs in housings and reflectors designed for normal halogen bulbs. Doing that causes them to throw light all over the place blinding other drivers. It's not really as simple as looking away (which may make you take your eyes off the road).

 

I want them sooo bad. My stock lights are not bright at all, and I wanna see when Im driving at night. If you properly align them they shouldn't be a problem. Like last night when I hit a bump and watched a car in my rear mirror it blinded me when the car aimed upwords but wasnt bad when it went back to normal.

 

yea they dont bother me as well, i just always tend to look away, i dunno its instinct, and i really dont keep my eyes off the road, but then again, i drive with out knowing, i know it sounds like im a bad driver, but its just natural sometimes i go thorough lights, and i wonder to my self, was that light red??

 

The original manufacturers that started installing HID lights from the factory used reflector housings. So...that little "fact" that everyone likes to throw around anytime HID discussions come up is kind of bullshit.

The correct statement is reflector housings are not the best headlight assemblies for HID lights. However, if you make the proper adjustments to your reflector housings, you will not have bad glare like you see on a lot of vehicles running HID in reflector housings. But yes, projector lenses are more ideal for using HIDs.

Most of the really bad glare HID lights you run across are people who went with 55w, 75w or even 100w HID kits which are insanely bright and way too bright for normal night driving. A 35w kit will work perfect for your regular driving. If you need super bright lights for off-roading, then by all means, get your 100w HIDs, but keep them in dedicated off-road lights instead of your headlights.

 

I don't mind the HID in the fogs. I used to be ignorant to the need for projectors in order to reduce the galre but now that I have done the Retro install it is clear that any Halogen reflector style light upgraded with HID is obnoxious to other drivers on the road.

 

Oh yeah, my HIDs are in the fogs and pointed down a bit. Never get flashed. Why would it be so bad to put HIDs in halogen projectors being that the projectors have a cutoff?.....after pointing them correctly of course. The bright halogens with HID fogs are kickass, when no one else is coming. The low beam H7s in the projectors in my headlights do suck...as has been discussed. Gen 2 ccfls.

 

You are right, they did use mostly reflector housings but those housings were designed specifically for HID bulbs, which have a different output pattern and bulb dimensions than a standard halogen bulb. Reflectors in all headlights are bulb specific. The best analogy I can come up with is a Mag light. When you twist the front of the light it changes the poisition of the bulb relative to the reflector causing the beam pattern to change. Essentially the same thing happens when you put a HID bulb in a halogen reflector.


There are cars today that still have factory HIDs with factory reflector type housings; the Cadillac Escalade comes to mind. But those reflectors are designed to accommodate the HID bulb's characteristics. People using higher than necessary wattage just exacerbate the problem.

SOME drop in retrofit kits try to overcome the difference in bulb position and size and do a good job of doing so. Most do a terrible job or don't try at all which is why you have ricers running around blinding everyone. The only right way to do HIDs is to have a reflector (or a projector) designed specifically to work with a HID bulb.

 

LOL! He said vagina.

 

Also, not all projectors have HIDs. Vehicles like the Honda Pilot, Hyndai Tiburon and a few others use halogen bulbs in their projectors.

 

+10000000000000000000000000000 this is what it should look like. high beams in the first pic low beams in the second pic.

 

the cars like the lincholn mk what ever the hell in the mid to late 90'shad hid lighting in a reflector style housing but it was engineered to handle and lay down that type of light more effectively. also that was a long long time ago when they first began adapting xenon lighting for auto's. we now know how to retrofit and auto manufactures are doing a way better job of eliminating glare. a xenon bulb in a reflector housing looks horrid and while it may provide moe light for the person driving the vehicle it still is the ass backwards way of doing something now i feel different about the fogs and off road style lights but for headlights you must and should do it correctly.

 

Lol, I know exactly what you mean! This has happened to me a few times!


Anyways, idk if it's just me and the way I'm reading these but I feel like people are being assholes to the OP?

 

I've determined that the people being the assholes with the smartass comments are the ones with the HIDs and they're trying to defend them.

 

Lol

 

I have my stock head lights and can see just fine at night. Don't really see the point in getting extra bright lights.

 

I use 35w 8000ks in a reflector housing... But I have them aimed real low, and use glare shields- never been high-beamed, and cops have never had a problem with them. I've seen properly adjusted 55ws that are fine as well; it's all the people that purposely or mistakenly mis-align their HID's that piss everyone off. For some reason, they find satisfaction in blinding oncoming drivers and just want to "show off" how cool their lights are. (Mommy and Daddy just didnt give little timmy enough attention growing up?)

I high-beam HID's with my HID's. Is that bad?

 

If i get blinded I just turn my HIDs High Beams on, and we are even.

 

I curse people who put HID bulbs in halogen reflectors or projectors when I see them in front of or behind me on any road, two lane roads especially. The glare can be horrible, and it prevents me from seeing where I'm going on the road most of the time, which is a hazard because I need to watch for deer/antelope as much as the next guy on the road.

Don't put other people in danger for your pretty blue lights.

I do agree with Konaborne above, though. If you take measures to lessen the effect on other drivers, then one can at least be complimented for trying.

 

Hid's don't bother me... IF, 1) they are aimed correctly, 2) they aren't fucking purple, pink, blue, or any other god-aweful color. Personally my halogen projectors are more than enough for me and my mountain back road driving, no wheeling yet (teach me, master!)

 

100% correct.

reflectors are computer designed to reflect light eminating from a certain point. the reflector "expects" the filament or capsule to be at a certain point, depending on the bulb type and if it is halogen or HID. if you move the filament and on top of that, make it exponentially brighter...you have scatter and glare. of course as the driver, it looks like it is better but there are other people on the road. i could put 4 hella rallye 1000s on my bumper, aimed straight ahead and i'd see everything...but that's crazy right? well, most of these PNP HID kits are no different in terms of creating distractions for the other drivers.

OP, many people are not responsible when it comes to modifying vehicles and they are selfish and/or will sacrifice function on behalf of form. the internet makes it easier for people to be that way. it is unfortunate, but true.