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HIDs, not very bright!?

B

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Location
Bucks
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Accord I-CDTI Estate
Morning! I installed a 35w 6000k kit a few weeks ago and they just don't seem very bright? I was using uprated h1 bulbs before but the HID's aren't in the same league!?
The beam pattern looks ok and the lights themselves look very bright but they just dont seem to light the road up that well?
Any ideas?
 
Hi Chris
I have hids and they seem fine. What is the condition of the headlamps themselves?
Also are you happy the bulbs are sitting properly?
Maybe get a pic up to show us?
 
That's because you went for 6000k.

The best colour is either 5000k or 4300k for usable light output. The difference between 6000k and 4300k is about 1/3 more usable light.

Our eyes respond to whiter light better in terms of visibility. 6000K may look brighter looking directly at the car but that's because our eyes pick up blue more intensly
 
I've checked the seating of the bulbs and they look ok, the headlamps arr also in pretty good condition (not fogged up etc.) I'll stick a pic or 2 up later. Interesting point about the colour tho!?......
 
Adam is right to bring up the colour temperature issue.

Vision is a very complex thing. If you have two sources putting out the same amount of light but at different wavelengths one source will appear brighter than the other. Colour temperature is a simple way of measuring these differences in wavelengths.The halogen bulbs you had in your lights previously would have had a colour temperature of around 3200K and bright daylight is roughly 4800K. Our eyes respond well to these sorts of colour temperatures. A 6000K colour temperature is far from ideal. You'd be better of with 5000K or preferably 4300K.
 
It's funny when people go and buy 10kK HIDs cos they think they look cool, then would be better off with candles on the front of their car for light output!!

Also, people replace fog lights with 5000K plus, when you need the lowest K possible for fogs, yellow light glares much less and cuts through the fog much better.
 
I got the 6000k kit as I was told it would be a good compromise.........ooops!!
 
4300k absolutely best for usable light output but 6000's should still be giving you better usable light output that conventional Halogens. I ran 8k's on my Accord for 3 years and it was fab.

You might have a rubbish kit, was it a cheapo one?
 
F6HAD said:
4300k absolutely best for usable light output but 6000's should still be giving you better usable light output that conventional Halogens. I ran 8k's on my Accord for 3 years and it was fab.You might have a rubbish kit, was it a cheapo one?
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Good point about the quality of the kit. As to the colour temperature thing it all depends on your eyesight, particularly your colour vision. I'm blue/green colourblind and 6000 or 8000 would be useless to me. I even find 4300 not ideal!
 
Having had both 4300k and 6000k bulbs i would say you are splitting hairs. You would need to be a maniac with some kind of light gauge to tell the difference in output. Both are very similar to the untrained eyes and it really just comes down to preference as to which light output you prefer. Personally i prefer the 6000k bulbs.

One thing I did notice is that a 55 watt kit is a huge difference in light output.

I have used 35 watt kits before and been a little underwhelmed by them.
 
Mine is a 35w hid conversion lot from london colour on ebay, recommended by someone from in here.
 
This is the same ones I have and no probs at all
 
As requested! For some reason, they look far far brighter in the photos but it shows the beam pattern etc.
2012-09-16211958.jpg

2012-09-16213851.jpg
 
Seems ok to me? Maybe your expectation were a little high?
The beam pattern does seems off to me though.

Solution: Drive down a unlite country road and turn them off for 10sec, then turn them back on you'll be amazed at how bright they look.
DON'T do that :D
 
Hi Chris the output looks fine to me. I think maybe you've got a real high expectation in the first place.
Maybe you need to adjust the aim of your headlamps to extend the beam out further but this may dazzle on coming cars though.
 
ChrisS said:
As requested! For some reason, they look far far brighter in the photos but it shows the beam pattern etc.
2012-09-16211958.jpg
2012-09-16213851.jpg
Click to expand...

That neatly demonstrates the diiference between a camera and the human eye in the way that each perceives the brightness. As others have said the light output appears to be broadly what would be expected although the lights seem to be aimed a bit too low. At the end of the day it's up to you as to what you feel more comfortable with. I've changed back from hids to high output halogens because I'm happier with the light they give out but there is no right or wrong answer.
 
I'm going to try 5000 our 4300k bulbs instead and see if that helps, if not, back to halogens I go!
 
Out of interest, what colour output are oem hid's? Think I read 4300k somewhere?
 
ChrisS said:
Out of interest, what colour output are oem hid's? Think I read 4300k somewhere?
Click to expand...
Yes, 4300K. The majority of OEM headlight bulbs are made by Philips and I do wonder if their 4300K is the same as the Chinese clone manufacturers 4300K. Interestingly the LED headlights which are now appearing have a colour temperature of around 5500K.
 
Main problem with HIDs in non-HID designed housings (yes even projector lenses) is the beam pattern isn't quite right. It seems on the Honda at least you get a lot of sideways throw, which lights up the bushes and trees at the side of the road and therefore makes the light on the road ahead 'appear' less. With the lower output halogen bulbs you don't get this bright side output so it doesn't deceive your eyes as much.
 
HuskyMan said:
Main problem with HIDs in non-HID designed housings (yes even projector lenses) is the beam pattern isn't quite right. It seems on the Honda at least you get a lot of sideways throw, which lights up the bushes and trees at the side of the road and therefore makes the light on the road ahead 'appear' less. With the lower output halogen bulbs you don't get this bright side output so it doesn't deceive your eyes as much.
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That is a good point and something that I've noticed. I've ordered some 4300k bulbs so we'll see how I get on with those! :)
 
ChrisS said:
That is a good point and something that I've noticed. I've ordered some 4300k bulbs so we'll see how I get on with those! :)
Click to expand...

Quick update, they are definitely much better with 4300k bulbs, although they are still rubbish compared to the oem ones in my good ladies land rover discovery! Back to Halogen it is for me!
 
ChrisS said:
That is a good point and something that I've noticed. I've ordered some 4300k bulbs so we'll see how I get on with those! :)
Click to expand...

Quick update, they are definitely much better with 4300k bulbs, although they are still rubbish compared to the oem ones in my good ladies land rover discovery! Back to Halogen it is for me!
 
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