Can somebody explain what is the deal with Xenon lights?

[Argo]

Why does everybody want them on their cars? Are they supposed to be brighter? Better looking or is it just a fad.

 

[IronWing]

It's a dick size thing.

 

[deadlyapp]

xenon has more of a blue tint to it, as far as brightness, there isn't a huge difference. Sylvania silverstars are the best non-HID light out there IMO.

It's more of a ricey thing.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

with however many billion people on this earth, people will do silly things to feel different

also, i think they tend to be brighter

 

[0roo0roo]

its like when blue leds came out and everything just had to have them.

blueish bulbs are annoying.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: deadlyapp
xenon has more of a blue tint to it, as far as brightness, there isn't a huge difference. Sylvania silverstars are the best non-HID light out there IMO.

It's more of a ricey thing.

There's a huge difference in light output from Halogen vs Xenon HID from my experience.

 

[ultimatebob]

The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

That is precisely the reason I hate those lights. Oncoming cars blind the shit out of me if they have those blue bulbs. They are just plain too bright. It wouldn't be so bad if people had their lights aligned correctly, but 95% of the people who have them don't.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have HIDs on my vehicle and love them. Drive down a dark road and it's like driving during the day time. Don't think I could go back to a vehicle that doesn't have them.

 

[ja1484]

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

That is precisely the reason I hate those lights. Oncoming cars blind the shit out of me if they have those blue bulbs.

Who the hell cares about you? I can see better.


Note: I do not have HID lights in my POS '92 Accord.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: ja1484

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

That is precisely the reason I hate those lights. Oncoming cars blind the shit out of me if they have those blue bulbs.

Who the hell cares about you? I can see better.


Note: I do not have HID lights in my POS '92 Accord.

You'd be more worried once my car is mashed with yours because I couldn't see where I was going.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: Aflac

Originally posted by: ja1484

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

That is precisely the reason I hate those lights. Oncoming cars blind the shit out of me if they have those blue bulbs.

Who the hell cares about you? I can see better.


Note: I do not have HID lights in my POS '92 Accord.

You'd be more worried once my car is mashed with yours because I couldn't see where I was going.

I think he was being sarcastic, but unfortunately that is the mindset most of those rich fools have.

(note: I say rich because they are more expensive when buying the car, and much more expensive to replace)

 

[Rubycon]

HID lamps (they are actually metal halide lamps not short discharge Xenon lamps ) engineered by the manufacturer are perfectly acceptable. Aftermarket conversions are where the trouble crops up.

explained here

Also current laws limit watts not lumens. A lower Kelvin HID has efficacy of over 3.5 times that of a tungsten-halogen lamp! That will put a LOT of lumens down the road - and when the lamp is installed in a reflector designed for a filament and not an arc tube troubles arise with controlling these lumens. Proper cuttoff control is essential with higher lumen sources to prevent blinding oncoming drivers. Many of the retrofits use offshore components with higher color temperatures which makes the light very blue negating the visibility advantages of HID in the first place. I guess the kids with the farting tailpipes think it's hip.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

I have these on my Saab, factory installed.

And wow! They are super bright and light up the road so much better than my old car with just halogen bulbs.

Problem is those who add these aftermarket kits and proceed to blind people by running different bulbbs and having a light housing which is not conducive to HID lights.

 

[rikadik]

As far as I'm aware, in the UK HID headlamps can only be installed in cars with automatic beam adjustment and headlamp washers. Makes sense.

 

[dandruff]

aftermarket used by dweebs without the right projector whats giving the HIDs bad name ... self levelling HIDs are amazing ... dont go by psuedo HID on chevys and ricers ...

p.s. i will never buy a car without HIDs ... use them and u will see ...

 

[ja1484]

Originally posted by: Aflac

Originally posted by: ja1484

Originally posted by: Canai

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The Xenon lights on my old Audi were awesome, and they worked almost as well as the high beams work on most cars. It's too bad that they cost $1,400 EACH to replace them when I got into an accident

That is precisely the reason I hate those lights. Oncoming cars blind the shit out of me if they have those blue bulbs.

Who the hell cares about you? I can see better.


Note: I do not have HID lights in my POS '92 Accord.

You'd be more worried once my car is mashed with yours because I couldn't see where I was going.

Pfft. Your insurance payin', not mine.


Note: Canai seems to actually have perceptive ability. Aflac's is in question.

 

[shocksyde]

Do not confuse shitty after-market fake xenon reflectors with OEM projector xenon lamps.

 

[zerocool84]

I HATE HATE HATE those damn blue lights. I get blinded all the time. ESPECIALLY suv's with them and they are behind you. If you need to see better in a really dark area, use your damn high beams. That's what they're there for.

 

[thomsbrain]

projector lamps blind the crap out of you just as bad as the fakes.

the problem is they squeeze all that brightness into a super focused narrow range. So when the car hits the tiniest bump or climbs the tiniest grade, the range aims up into oncoming traffic and SLAMS everyones pupils tighter than Borat's anus. The lumen output might be the same as a regular setup, but if I'm getting 75% of it direct to my retina instead of only 10%, it is definitely going to blind me more.

 

[TimeKeeper]

Originally posted by: Argo
Why does everybody want them on their cars? Are they supposed to be brighter? Better looking or is it just a fad.

Actually they are better compare to Halgen!
However, I meant the OEM HID, not after market retro fit kit or bulb.
OEM HID use 4300K (true white) which truely enhance the performance, but not the case of most you see on the road w/ bluish 6000K or higher.

Real HID set up has V-shape cut-off light pattern, where plate designed into either the reflector or projector.

http://home.comcast.net/~passion4gps/Cutoff.jpg

Light pattern can be very easy identified not just forward but side way as well.

http://home.comcast.net/~passion4gps/15feet.JPG

W/ non-OEM HID, one may think it is "not that bad" but for incoming traffic, however, retro fit could really put some strain into their vision specially when it rains.

Real HID actually produce less glare than regular halogen, that's why if you have use retro HID kit, then you really should adjsut the Headlight aim to much lower position.

http://home.comcast.net/~passion4gps/30feetfront.JPG
* as you can see, it actually produce little glare w/ camera setting @1/30 shutter speed 60 app. to simulate human eyes under night situation. *

I have seen many using retro projector lens.
(you can tell which one is retro fit either reflector or projector when they pull up in the traffice where light reflect on trunk of the car in front.)

But if those projector wasn't designed for HID w/ Cut-off, then it will still be the same effect as regular reflector housing.
( such so many BMW 3 series w/ bluish retro fit HID )

 

[amdhunter]

I have NEVER seen an aftermarket HID kit on ANY car that I have really liked. Original Factory HIDs look very nice though. I love the ones on my Jetta GLi (my model has actual HID lamps, and not Halogens behind a reflector) and the ones on my friends RX-8. They both project white light after they warm up.

BUT, the absolute best headlights I have seen recently are the ones on the newer Civic's. Even though they are halogen, they are extremely clean, bright and pleasing to the eye.

 

[exdeath]

Same reason people want things like sunroofs and chrome rims and more letters on their trunk lid. It's another acronym and buzzword to say they have that someone else doesn't.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Rubycon
HID lamps (they are actually metal halide lamps not short discharge Xenon lamps ) engineered by the manufacturer are perfectly acceptable. Aftermarket conversions are where the trouble crops up.

explained here

Also current laws limit watts not lumens. A lower Kelvin HID has efficacy of over 3.5 times that of a tungsten-halogen lamp! That will put a LOT of lumens down the road - and when the lamp is installed in a reflector designed for a filament and not an arc tube troubles arise with controlling these lumens. Proper cuttoff control is essential with higher lumen sources to prevent blinding oncoming drivers. Many of the retrofits use offshore components with higher color temperatures which makes the light very blue negating the visibility advantages of HID in the first place. I guess the kids with the farting tailpipes think it's hip.

QFT.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: exdeath
Same reason people want things like sunroofs and chrome rims and more letters on their trunk lid. It's another acronym and buzzword to say they have that someone else doesn't.

Having had cars with sunroofs, I have to say that they do a magnificent job of increasing airflow through the cabin. I can double the flow-through by venting sunroof, or at least it feels that way.

Yes, you can say to just put the windows down, but then you can't have anything loose in the car or it gets blown everywhere and you end up with much more wind noise, especially on the freeway.

Anyway, while they are hardly a "must have", sunroofs are quite functional.

ZV