i need a lighting expert..
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 897
Likes: 11
From: colorado
i need a lighting expert..
i know many of you have swapped out the HIDS and i have told myself why several times, however after almost 1 month of ownership im beginning to have my doubts..
is it just me or does it seem like the low beam of the IS350 with HID's is just weak? ive already adjusted them higher and now i can see a lot more of the road to the point that i cannot easily see where the end of the beam pattern ends on the road ahead, but seriously i can swear my TSX had brighter lights..
maybe it was because they were more blue than thease ones are? i can't help but feel like amongst all the safety features of this car Lexus has again turned what should be a good lighting system into overkill in the safety margin to the oncomming traffic. i am sure is the case based on the fact i used to get flashed all the time by oncomming traffic in the TSX but never in the lex which is consistant with my observations from the cockpit. these HIDS just dont seem that bright to me. i still have trouble lighting up street signs because they are so low and have such an abrupt cut off.
the high beams seem to shine for miles but seem to be pointed too high. it seems like much of the usable light is lost to treetops and is more of a flood pattern than it needs to be.
so my question is for thoes who have done mods to their lights what have you done? did you get an improvement over the stock HID setup?
is there a brighter bulb?
ive thought about going HID with the fogs in the hope that they will light road signs a little better, and ive also wondered if it is possible to run HIDS on the highbeams and i know you would have to turn off the daytime running lamps which is fine with me. if you did a high beam setup is there a warmup time when you turn them on?
give me some ideas and approximate cost involved.
thanks
is it just me or does it seem like the low beam of the IS350 with HID's is just weak? ive already adjusted them higher and now i can see a lot more of the road to the point that i cannot easily see where the end of the beam pattern ends on the road ahead, but seriously i can swear my TSX had brighter lights..
maybe it was because they were more blue than thease ones are? i can't help but feel like amongst all the safety features of this car Lexus has again turned what should be a good lighting system into overkill in the safety margin to the oncomming traffic. i am sure is the case based on the fact i used to get flashed all the time by oncomming traffic in the TSX but never in the lex which is consistant with my observations from the cockpit. these HIDS just dont seem that bright to me. i still have trouble lighting up street signs because they are so low and have such an abrupt cut off.
the high beams seem to shine for miles but seem to be pointed too high. it seems like much of the usable light is lost to treetops and is more of a flood pattern than it needs to be.
so my question is for thoes who have done mods to their lights what have you done? did you get an improvement over the stock HID setup?
is there a brighter bulb?
ive thought about going HID with the fogs in the hope that they will light road signs a little better, and ive also wondered if it is possible to run HIDS on the highbeams and i know you would have to turn off the daytime running lamps which is fine with me. if you did a high beam setup is there a warmup time when you turn them on?
give me some ideas and approximate cost involved.
thanks
Running HID fogs will not light road signs better, fogs are meant to emit more light towards the bottom. If youre looking for a "brighter" light, I could only recommend getting real Philips bulbs. Theres a thread somewhere with a member swapping out OEM 4300k for Philips 4300k and they look a lot brighter!
is it just me or does it seem like the low beam of the IS350 with HID's is just weak? ive already adjusted them higher and now i can see a lot more of the road to the point that i cannot easily see where the end of the beam pattern ends on the road ahead, but seriously i can swear my TSX had brighter lights..
these HIDS just dont seem that bright to me. i still have trouble lighting up street signs because they are so low and have such an abrupt cut off.
I personally think they are bright enough. One thing for you to notice, the TSX are single xenon projectors, not bi-xenon like the IS. So the IS high beams should be substantially brighter.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 11,030
Likes: 7
From: Windward, Oahu
YET 
But i didnt get it for more/less light... everyone else here got them so... i better follow the crowd on this
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the tsx hid's are supposedly one of the brightest out there with an awesome cutoff, thats why so many people like to retrofit tsx hid's into their headlights.
and the stock hid's are already philips bulbs.
and the stock hid's are already philips bulbs.
Thread Starter
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 897
Likes: 11
From: colorado
thanks for the pics, i cannot help but think some light is reflected from the road surface to the street signs with fogs running HID
so what your saying is that just by installing phillips HIDS the lights are brighter? or just more Blue?
ill be really interested to see the difference if you can provide some pics.
so what your saying is that just by installing phillips HIDS the lights are brighter? or just more Blue?
ill be really interested to see the difference if you can provide some pics.
thanks for the pics, i cannot help but think some light is reflected from the road surface to the street signs with fogs running HID
so what your saying is that just by installing phillips HIDS the lights are brighter? or just more Blue?
ill be really interested to see the difference if you can provide some pics.
so what your saying is that just by installing phillips HIDS the lights are brighter? or just more Blue?
ill be really interested to see the difference if you can provide some pics.
I can't take any pix to compare right now because car is at Leuxs and I have a non HID loaner ES. So I will take pix for comparison later tonight. BTW, our bulbs are already philips.
