HID brightness..
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 848
Likes: 10
From: NJ
OK so let me break it down for you guys really quickly because I hear a bunch of nonsense. First of all, Factory HID's are about 4100-4300k. Majority of them are 4300k. Anything higher than that reduces light output and increases the hue or color. Than theres different wattages. 55w or 35w. this determines the brightness. Factory HID's are 35w. 55w are not necessary by any means. You have to upgrade your factory housing for 55w to work as it will blow your current ballast if its too weak.
Get a DDM tuning kit, they have a 4500k 35w kit for less than 50 bucks with lifetime warranty. Ive had them for a year and had no complaints.
Get a DDM tuning kit, they have a 4500k 35w kit for less than 50 bucks with lifetime warranty. Ive had them for a year and had no complaints.
I swapped my d2r with McColloch 12k for the headlights. To offset lack of brightness from going with 12k's i put a matching McColloch 12k 9006 set for my fogs. Having both really lights up the road and suprisingly the color is a bright white/blue with a slight hint of purple. Not all purple like the ebay crap.
Please refrain from putting hid bulbs in the stock non-hid low beam bowls. The pattern and glare is terrible and your just causing a nuisance to the opposing drivers on the road. Although your eye will perceive it as brighter you really aren't seeing better. I understand if your not in for a full retrofit, but you should just run some silverstar or piaa halogen bulbs which can be had with a whiter look and actually will put out better lighing. Or get the HID low beam bowls from a HID-GS and install them in your housings and use the proper D2R hid bulb.
The high's and lows are not such a big deal, since the high's shouldn't be on with oncoming traffic anyway, and the fogs cut-off pretty low..
HID bulbs and Halogen bulbs have different focal points, and they way they disperse light is different. This is why they will not reflect properly in a non-hid bowl.
If you are not a member of hidplanet you should defiantly catch up on the site..
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/cont...b-Crash-Course
The high's and lows are not such a big deal, since the high's shouldn't be on with oncoming traffic anyway, and the fogs cut-off pretty low..
HID bulbs and Halogen bulbs have different focal points, and they way they disperse light is different. This is why they will not reflect properly in a non-hid bowl.
If you are not a member of hidplanet you should defiantly catch up on the site..
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/cont...b-Crash-Course
I've got three sets of DDM tuning 6000K 55w HIDs in my NON OEM housings (and fogs) and they are AMAZING.
Do it, you will be happy. Oh, and the low beams have a perfect cutoff.
Sure, some cars this doesn't work on, I've put HIDs into the 7" conversion housings in my miata, and they were simply abusive. The GS housings are great for HIDs.
OK so let me break it down for you guys really quickly because I hear a bunch of nonsense. First of all, Factory HID's are about 4100-4300k. Majority of them are 4300k. Anything higher than that reduces light output and increases the hue or color. Than theres different wattages. 55w or 35w. this determines the brightness. Factory HID's are 35w. 55w are not necessary by any means. You have to upgrade your factory housing for 55w to work as it will blow your current ballast if its too weak.
Get a DDM tuning kit, they have a 4500k 35w kit for less than 50 bucks with lifetime warranty. Ive had them for a year and had no complaints.
Get a DDM tuning kit, they have a 4500k 35w kit for less than 50 bucks with lifetime warranty. Ive had them for a year and had no complaints.
From DDM, by the way I was a dealer for them, the bulbs are the same for wattage, changing for color temp. The Ballasts control the wattage. You can't put "55w" hid bulbs into a 35w system, that's basic electricity.
White looks best, from DDM the 5000s look white at 35w and a little yellow at 55w. The 6000k look perfectly white with both.
OK so let me break it down for you guys really quickly because I hear a bunch of nonsense. First of all, Factory HID's are about 4100-4300k. Majority of them are 4300k. Anything higher than that reduces light output and increases the hue or color. Than theres different wattages. 55w or 35w. this determines the brightness. Factory HID's are 35w. 55w are not necessary by any means. You have to upgrade your factory housing for 55w to work as it will blow your current ballast if its too weak..
To the poster who stated he will put a hid kit in a non-hid housing....just prepare to blind the heck out of everyone on the road. These are the type of people that I turn my highbeams on just to blind them back. I would love hid's in my car but since I don't know how to retrofit or know anyone in this area who will, I plan on just placing HIR bulbs in my car due to them producing more lumens than halogen bulbs.
Oh Fricking NONSENSE...
I've got three sets of DDM tuning 6000K 55w HIDs in my NON OEM housings (and fogs) and they are AMAZING.
Do it, you will be happy. Oh, and the low beams have a perfect cutoff.
Sure, some cars this doesn't work on, I've put HIDs into the 7" conversion housings in my miata, and they were simply abusive. The GS housings are great for HIDs.
I've got three sets of DDM tuning 6000K 55w HIDs in my NON OEM housings (and fogs) and they are AMAZING.
Do it, you will be happy. Oh, and the low beams have a perfect cutoff.
Sure, some cars this doesn't work on, I've put HIDs into the 7" conversion housings in my miata, and they were simply abusive. The GS housings are great for HIDs.
Last edited by SaiyanGS3; Oct 17, 2011 at 01:42 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 24
From: IL
Personally, the farther from 4300 you get the dimmer the bulb's output will be at the same power level. You need the yellow in there. I have some 5000's in my Buick, wish I could get a mix of the 5000's and 3000's.....
Are there specific items I should be looking for when buying HID kits? There are the new "slim" ones. 55w, 25w, 100w ones. Color, I'm set on 8000. I'm most interested in lumen output. Brightest they can be. Keeping in mind that 6000 Kelvin is the brightest and 12000 Kelvin (purple) has very low output, 8000 is bright enough and not so blue (10000) that looks rice.
Suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: NJ
If you are not a member of hidplanet you should defiantly catch up on the site..
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/cont...b-Crash-Course
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/cont...b-Crash-Course
GINTER - If your Lexus is equipped with a factory installed HID headlamps you will need to swap out the bulbs for D2R bulbs. I would not recommend going higher than 6000k because you will sacrifice more light output. I would stay away from 8000k.
If your car does not have a stock HID set up you will need to get an HID kit. For your GS you will need a 9006 HID kit to upgrade the low beams.
We have been selling HID kits since 2001 and have literally sold thousands of HID kits to Lexus customers. We have been an active vendor on the forum since 2004. We also offer a $25 discount to Club Lexus members. Just enter "CL" as the discount code upon checkout
A few pics...
If your car does not have a stock HID set up you will need to get an HID kit. For your GS you will need a 9006 HID kit to upgrade the low beams.
We have been selling HID kits since 2001 and have literally sold thousands of HID kits to Lexus customers. We have been an active vendor on the forum since 2004. We also offer a $25 discount to Club Lexus members. Just enter "CL" as the discount code upon checkout
A few pics...
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 848
Likes: 10
From: NJ
35w will do you just fine. 55w HID's are almost lik driving with highbeams especially if your putting them into a non HID housing
55W HID kits do offer slightly more light output than 35W HID kits however the increased light output usually does not result in actual useable light output. We have had many customers go from a 55W HID kit to a 35W HID kit as 35W HID kits provide a more even light spread. Furthermore, 35W HID kits will have significantly less glare than a 55W HID Kits.
Many companies sell 55W HID kits comprised of 50W ballasts and 35W HID bulbs. They tell you that the HID bulbs are capable of handling up to 60W which is why it's "ok" to use them. In essence, you are overdriving a 35W HID bulb with a 50W ballast. This will result in the bulb burning much hotter (potential damage) and burning out quicker.
Steve
Many companies sell 55W HID kits comprised of 50W ballasts and 35W HID bulbs. They tell you that the HID bulbs are capable of handling up to 60W which is why it's "ok" to use them. In essence, you are overdriving a 35W HID bulb with a 50W ballast. This will result in the bulb burning much hotter (potential damage) and burning out quicker.
Steve
Driver
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
From: ma
Oh,u know that keyboard karate.....
LOL.. I gotta check my paypal, but I think you sold me these housings guy. ask me before bashin' me.......Anyway Einstein, My early 98 GS"300" did not come equipped with the HID's.....so I installed an aftermarket kit with OEM housings....why .....cause unless I missed sometihng, there isn't a factory headlight harness to plug into. Yah, I know 4300k's have the most light output, but I just like the look of the 5000k's. Is THAT alright with u? In fact, Ive done a couple retro fits with TSX projectors and I am thinking about doing it to my halogen housings.....at least lube it before tryin to stick it in........k sweetie?