Looking to switch factory "yellow" headlights bulbs for "white" lights.

Hey Folks...

Im looking to switch my factory default halogen "yellow" lights(you know the ones, 90% of the cars have this) for whiter looking lights.

Im looking for a NON-HID(High intensity discharge) Lighting, because most cars headlight housing is not equipped for a HID set up, plus its too much hassle to install with ballast and everything etc.

im looking for simple plug and play bulbs.

So far with Google and car forums, my options i have are..

- Sylvania Silver-Star Ultra. - Durability looks like 1 yr, cost 60 bucks/pair

- GE Xenon - durability is a bit less than 1 yr, cost 70 bucks/pair.


Anyone else have any other NON HID options for whiter lights?

reply to post by luciddream


I just installed HID on my Nissan Maxima and the were a breeze. Many HID kits nowadays ARE plug and play. The only other option for a true white light would be LED, and that tech. is not really ready for headlights.

i know you said "other than HID", but i think you should reconsider. My install took 20 mins, and i couldnt be happier, and the extra visibility is really stunning.

Oh yeah: got em on ebay for like 30 bucks

Originally posted by emaildogs
reply to post by luciddream

 

I just installed HID on my Nissan Maxima and the were a breeze. Many HID kits nowadays ARE plug and play. The only other option for a true white light would be LED, and that tech. is not really ready for headlights.

i know you said "other than HID", but i think you should reconsider. My install took 20 mins, and i couldnt be happier, and the extra visibility is really stunning.

Oh yeah: got em on ebay for like 30 bucks

edit on 23-5-2013 by emaildogs because: (no reason given)

Awesome!

How long you had it?

Does your housing(im assuming made for a simple halogen lights) heat up? melt? battery drain issue? any detrimental effects?

reply to post by emaildogs


Like you many people i asked the question told me to consider HID, because the technology is advanced that it is easy to install.

Does the ballast gets attached to like outside of the housing?(inside the hood)?

reply to post by luciddream


No heat, no battery drain. I've had mine for about 6 months.

Yes the ballasts are outside the housing. The only thing other, installation wise, than plugging them in will be that you have to find somewhere to mount the ballasts. They are a little smaller than a pack of cards. I just zip tied them to the highest and coolest thing possible.

Dive in, you won't be upset. That is unless they are illegal in your area. If your car model offers hids but your particular option did not include hids than you can legally upgrade.

reply to post by emaildogs


I see, what do you think is the best color temperature? i think 6000k(light blue tint) is good.

What about projectors? do you have them? i heard its dangerous to have it without projectors because it scatters lights and blinds drivers, but at the same time, some saying just adjust the aim lower so it does not do that.

My low beam housing has a reflector cup in front of the bulb, does that need to be removed for HID bulb?

Thanks for the info so far.

reply to post by luciddream


I ordered 8000k because the spectrums I saw on the web looked to me like that is where the blue started to show. But when I installed them they looked more white. I dunno? in the end I loved the color anyway.

The trick to not blinding people is to mark where your original headlights hit on a particular surface
Iike the driveway. Don't move the car, install HID, then adjust Hid to marked spot.

I do not have projectors, and I did not have to remove the reflector.

So...

What are you going to do?

reply to post by emaildogs


I definitely thinking about getting an HID, talked to some of my friends who are seriously into cars, they said they will try to find an authentic kit, instead of the ebay ones.

I also thought about HIRs, but not much is really known about them.

reply to post by luciddream


I'm an ase certified technician.. What do you drive? I drive a 2007 Acura Tl with factory hid's and projector housing. I'd also recommend staying around 4500 to 5500k lights. That is what all bmw mercedes etc use. That's the truest "white" range. Anything above that is kind of known as "cheap" lighting.
I'm 100% with your friends on staying away from cheap kits. You don't want to cut corners on the ballast or projector. Make sure you look up reviews on the projector you use. You want something with a sharp cut off.

Depending on what you drive, there probably is a pretty close to "plug and play" quality kit available.

H.i.d's are welll worth the $$ for the light that's produced. Not to mention how good they look

Replacement bulbs aren't going to do for you what you're looking for.

HIDs are awesome, but you're going to have to spend some money to do it right. There's a lot of bad info out there and often what looks good doesn't actually function well.

What year and make vehicle do you have? One option would be to join a forum dedicated to your car, most will have a lighting section where you can get good info and look at pictures of what others have already done.

It's been awhile since I looked into it but I seem to recall it was about $200-$300 for a good kit on my old car. I ended up popping those Sylvanias in, and while they looked better than stock were in no way coming close to my new cars HIDs. I'm also pretty sure they didn't actually increase my visibility at all. I love having the HIDs and driving at night is a pleasure now.

reply to post by sefhinny

reply to post by Domo1


I drive a 2012 Civic 4 door, sadly my OEM housing is not build for HID, fortunately and i just found out there is an after market HID, Projectors housing for it(released May), going for about $350, it might be my best option.




But only problem is the durability.... some say it might fog up due to not a genuine Honda parts. So gotta wait and see...

reply to post by luciddream


Check out acurazine.com and search for h.i.d uprgrade. To upgrade acura's factory headlights and h.i.d system takes some serious quality parts. There is a ton of great info there.

Ugh, I hate those stupid blue-white headlights.

They kill my eyes when cars are coming in the opposite direction on the two-lane highway at night... way way worse than the standard amber headlights.

reply to post by CranialSponge


Those blinding lights are for people who install the system incorrectly. They cut corners to get the HID "look".
Usual problems with those are the Aim of the bulb, improper housing and or lack of projectors.


In order for HID lights to be clean, bright and safe, you need all the components. HIDs last a long time(10 fold +) without dimming or losing brightness like the halogens do.

reply to post by sefhinny


Thanks for the link, bookmarked for later viewing.

Originally posted by luciddream
reply to post by CranialSponge

 

Those blinding lights are for people who install the system incorrectly. They cut corners to get the HID "look".
Usual problems with those are the Aim of the bulb, improper housing and or lack of projectors.


In order for HID lights to be clean, bright and safe, you need all the components. HIDs last a long time(10 fold +) without dimming or losing brightness like the halogens do.

Some one is learrrningggg lol

Sorry ATS is literally the first forum I've ever belonged to that wasn't an automotive forum. Can't help but lurk in this section!!!

Please don't! I personally think they should be illegal. I can not see when an oncoming vehicle has these. The yellow is so much easier on the eyes.

Edit, I posted before I read the responses.Well, maybe there should be laws on proper installation then.

Decided to stop being lazy.

Here is a thread with some good definitive answers to heat range of different bulbs with pics. Also can give you an idea of what quality brands there are out there when it comes to choosing bulbs!