[Sci-Fi]

quote:Originally posted by Mean Green

I hate seeing those bright blue lights coming at me on the road. It sucks. They are too bright and should be against the law.

Technically the aftermarket "retrofit" HID kits are against Federal Regulations (DOT has prohibited the sale of these HID kits) for road use "IF" the headlights were not OEM equipment or an "DOT approved" aftermarket complete HID headlight replacement assembly. The stock lens can't control the HID light output and it may appear to many that that you have your high beams on or cause excessive glare, esp to cross traffic.

The 4200k hid bulbs/kits actually give out more light without the blue tint and more in line with OEM HID light output which is more on the white light scale. But most buy the 6-8000k kits. If one were to buy one of these HID kits, the 4200k kit would be the way to go and getting a ticket for "illegal lighting" would be less likely. Do a search and you will find many recommending 4000-4800K temp bulbs MAX. Headlight adjustment (lowering the beam) is usually done on almost all HID kit conversions.

Another problem with these aftermarket HID kits is that the HID bulbs are glued into adapters, so bulb replacement is limited to buying from the source or the manufacturer of the HID kit. It's not like you can walk into a parts store and ask for a D2R or D2S HID bulb and plug it into the adapter. Prices are typically $80-90 each for replacements.

That being said, expect to see more cars and trucks being equipped with HID headlights in the future. The lower amp draw (35w vs 55-65w from a halogen bulb) may mean a bit more gas mileage and increased light output can be considered a safety feature. Advanced lens technology can control the light pattern so the glare is reduced or eliminated while improving night visibility. But people have to understand there is a period of time one has to wait if you turn off a HID and want to turn it back on again plus there is a delay before the HID headlights actually turn on or energize (some report 10 seconds or more with their kits) and reach their operating light output. It's similar to the way a fluorescent light reacts when it's being turned on. That's one reason you don't see many HID highbeams, you can't flash the highbeams at somebody immediately because of the delay. Perhaps ballast technology can be improved in the future but what is the cost of these HID systems?