Hid

[GXE10]

hi, i want to know, is there anyone here got 8000K HID kit?

is it really blue? will i get into troble by police since the light is blue?

what should i buy? 4500K or 6000K or 8000K?

[HK_Altezza]

Well, 4300- 4500K is what the original Lexus HID are. They are the brightest.

6000K/7000K is in my opinion the nicest.

Anything above like like 8000K /10000K is oversell. It not only blinds the other cars, but also gives less usable light.

[Hawk Man]

Could someone explain HID to a total novice please, for an IS200 is it merely a case of buying the bulbs and swapping them or is more involved than that.

[ColinBarber]

HID kits cost around £500+. New bulbs + starter + control unit + self leveling unit are required.

There are 'blue' bulbs available which are direct replacements for normal bulbs which give the appearance of HIDs.

[Zee007]

HID FAQs:

1) What does "HID" stand for?

"HID" stands for "High Intensity Discharge." The High Intensity Discharge lighting technology is considered by many the next step in car headlight technology from the now standard halogen bulbs.

2) How does HID work?

An electric arc is zapped between two electrodes within a bulb which is typically filled with Xenon gas. The interaction between the electricity and the gas ignites a type of metallic salt which causes a light discharge. This discharge is significantly brighter than a the discharge of a standard halogen bulb while requiring a substantially smaller amount of energy.

3) How does HID lighting compare on the road?

The light that is created by the HID bulb is best described as a bright white, and resembles standard daylight. It offers greater visibility on the road. HID technology headlights are considered the safest headlights currently available and are now standard equipment on many luxury cars such as Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

4) I have heard of HID and Xenon technologies. What is the difference?

HID and Xenon are the same thing. Xenon is the component gas of HID technology bulbs. The terms are actualy synonymous and are often used in place of one another.

5) Why should I use HID lighting instead of another technology?

There are three major reasons why you should consider upgrading to HID technology headlights.

HID bulbs are known for increasing driving comfort and safety.

HID bulbs create a brighter light while using less power.

HID bulbs last three to five times longer than standard halogen bulbs.

6) What about the so called "blue bulb" technology I have heard about?

The blue bulbs on the market today are a cheap imitation of the HID technology. Blue bulb systems typically use Halogen gas or a Halogen/Xenon gas mix that does not create the brightness and intensity of a true HID bulb. Some "Xenon" bulbs actually use a Xenon/Halogen mix. A true Xenon/HID bulb needs a ballast and an igniter, due to its requirement of 25,000 volts to light. The imitation "blue bulbs" will function without these because they are not true Xenon/ HID technology bulbs.

7) What precisely is the difference in the power draw between HID and Halogen?

HID bulbs use 20 amps for startup and subsequently drop to a 3-5 amp draw. A standard (55 watt) halogen bulb has a continuous draw of 10-15 amps.

8) What is required to convert a vehicle to an HID system?

2 HID bulbs, 2 ballasts (amplifiers), 2 igniters (unless these are already built into the ballast) and 20 amp fuses. All these items are typically included in an HID conversion kit.

9) Can all vehicles be upgraded to HID lighting?

Almost all vehicles can be converted.

10) Are HID systems difficult to install?

HID conversion kits typically take less than an hour to install. You replace the factory bulb with the HID bulb, plug the HID ballast into the bulbs and connect the ballast power wires to the original wiring harness in the car. Then mount the ballast and cover the wires and you are done.

11) Do I need to modify the Halogen headlight housings for HID bulbs to fit?

Typically not. The HID bulbs are designed to fit the Halogen housings. Occasionally some vehicles have factory-made adaptors that require minor modification to ensure a snug fit.

12) Are there any issues that can occur post installation that I should be aware of?

Retrofits can occasionally have issues with glare. This can sometimes happen to retrofits without self-leveling housings and automatic head-lamp washers.

13) Are HID bulbs street legal?

HID conversion kits ar only legal with auto levelling and headlamp washers installed. Otherwise, they should be for off road use only.

[Hawk Man]

WOW

Many thanks to Zee for that.

[kev dood]

Zee - you sure about the 10-15A draw of a 55W standard bulb?? Thats a bit high! Using a basic equation P= IV leads to a current of about 4A!!

I wouldn't have thought the current would be that high!! Dunno though, I could be wrong, whats the rating on the bulbs? Come to think of it, maybe they do say similar current!

[ColinBarber]

About 10A. 2 x 55W. Much higher than HIDs, which is why HIDs are better for fuel economy.

[dlayen]

Zee - you sure about the 10-15A draw of a 55W standard bulb?? Thats a bit high! Using a basic equation P= IV leads to a current of about 4A!!

you are correct 9.1666667 amps

for two 55w lamps @ 12v

and only 8.333333 amps @13.2v nominal Battery voltage

[ColinBarber]

If the voltage goes up so will the Amps, not down. 10.08 A @ 13.2V

[dlayen]

If the voltage goes up so will the Amps, not down. 10.08 A @ 13.2V

perhaps you would like to explain how you came to that theory?????

[ColinBarber]

It's not my theory. Voltage = Current x resistance. As the resistance of the bulb does not change if you increase the voltage, you increase the current.

You can see this by varying the voltage on a bulb. The brightness will go up and down, if power remained constant so would the brightness.

If you have 110w bulb (two headlights) @ 12v then current = 9.166 amps as already stated (Power= voltage x current). Resistance of bulb is 12/9.166 = 1.31 ohms. Increase the voltage to 13.2v and the current = 13.2 / 1.31 = 10.08 amps. The power now is 10.08 x 13.2 = 133W

[dlayen]

It's not my theory. Voltage = Current x resistance. As the resistance of the bulb does not change if you increase the voltage, you increase the current.

You can see this by varying the voltage on a bulb. The brightness will go up and down, if power remained constant so would the brightness.

If you have 110w bulb (two headlights) @ 12v then current = 9.166 amps as already stated (Power= voltage x current). Resistance of bulb is 12/9.166 = 1.31 ohms. Increase the voltage to 13.2v and the current = 13.2 / 1.31 = 10.08 amps. The power now is 10.08 x 13.2 = 133W

sorry mate this is not correct .if you increase the voltage the current actually decreases.

if power remained constant so would the brightness.

the power of the lamps is constant but as the voltage changes so does the resistance.

on your second calculation you have entered the resistance of you first calculation (12V )as the the resistance for (13.2v) when infact you do not know what it is.

you can transpose ohms law as long a you know two factors

if you want to know the power indeed you can use P=I x V but as we are calculating (I) the current and we know the power(p) 110W and the voltage 13.2V you simply divide one by the other

I= P/V

so 110/12 =9.1666

110/13.2 =8.3333

i hope this clears this up for you

[kev dood]

I agree with Mr Johnson - give the guv a hurrumph!!

I was talking about a single bulb by the way - hence being out by half. Also just assumed 12V rather than the proper 13.2V.

[ColinBarber]

sorry mate this is not correct .if you increase the voltage the current actually decreases.

This has all got a bit but I believe that to be completly incorrect. The resistance is the same as it's the same bulb which is why the current increased. Are you saying that if you connected a 1.2v Battery to a headlight bulb that it would try and draw 45Amps to get it's 55W?

we know the power(p) 110W and the voltage 13.2V you simply divide one by the other

You don't know the power is 110W because the power is only stated for 12V and not 13.2V. The only constant is it's resistance.

[kev dood]

I don't want to add another spanner in the works, but.....the resistance will not be constant. It will infact vary with heat! Sorry!!

[ColinBarber]

Indeed, but only by a small percentage. Trying to make it simple by keeping it totally constant.

[dlayen]

i've quoted tried and tested theory. practise is never the same.

Indeed, but only by a small percentage. Trying to make it simple by keeping it totally constant.

surely this is a contradiction of words ...it can't be totally constant if it changes even by a small percentage

[kev dood]

ha ha, calm down guys. Yep it will be only a small percent - i.e. not really worth worrying about!!

[dlayen]

final bell :D

back to hid.

ive got a set of is300 headlight's just trying to source selfleveling ecu and sensors form scrap yard in the states.

can't waiting to get them in .

[ColinBarber]

i've quoted tried and tested theory. practise is never the same.

Theory is P = V x I and V = I x R. Practise is the same.

I have connected a 21W bulb across my car Battery. Engine is off, Voltage 12.15v and current 1.78A.

Turn on the engine and voltage is now 13.66v. Current increases, because resistance of bulb is still the same and V = I x R, to 1.90A

Wattage of a bulb is stated for a specific voltage and for car bulbs that is 12v. Increase the voltage, you also increase the current and the wattages goes up. In this example the 21W bulb is now drawing 26W from the Battery when the engine is running