HIDs
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22,260 Posts
Sorry. You're not going to find any. My friends with less expensive cars have been attempting to get bulbs that look like my HID.
Me personally. I like PIAA. They're considered one of the best lighting companies available for cars.
Their bulbs are expensive. If you can get them, the Super Plasma is very nice (purplish tint) but i'm not sure if they come in 9006 style bulb.
The platinum series is also very nice. I have them for my RX but the difference in color is very very minimal. They do light up the road much better though.
If you want to go for a cheaper brand and don't care about visibility.. (PIAA not only makes good color tints, it considers driver visibility) then there is a bulb called the MAX Blue made by I think Rabrig or Polarg. These are very very blue and you may be pulled over for these.
Do not buy bulbs you see in Pep boys or Auto Zone that are the "Cool Blue". These do not work well at all. If you buy a bulb for $12. You're paying $12. Our HID systems cost well over a grand. $12 will buy you nothing.
I have an RX and have been looking for bulbs. I actually don't even use my PIAA Platinum anymore. I'll sell them real cheap. They go for about 90 or so. Sometimes more expensive. I'll give them to you for...let's say 30 if you want. You pay for shipping. They both work, I'll test them myself.
To be honest with you, I've tried many many including, MAX Blue, PIAA Platinum, PIAA Super Plasma, ? Extreme, Raybrig somethings...
I like the Super Plasma the best. It's hard to get. The others will make only a slight difference in tint.
I'm always on this site so if you have more questions, just post.
Me personally. I like PIAA. They're considered one of the best lighting companies available for cars.
Their bulbs are expensive. If you can get them, the Super Plasma is very nice (purplish tint) but i'm not sure if they come in 9006 style bulb.
The platinum series is also very nice. I have them for my RX but the difference in color is very very minimal. They do light up the road much better though.
If you want to go for a cheaper brand and don't care about visibility.. (PIAA not only makes good color tints, it considers driver visibility) then there is a bulb called the MAX Blue made by I think Rabrig or Polarg. These are very very blue and you may be pulled over for these.
Do not buy bulbs you see in Pep boys or Auto Zone that are the "Cool Blue". These do not work well at all. If you buy a bulb for $12. You're paying $12. Our HID systems cost well over a grand. $12 will buy you nothing.
I have an RX and have been looking for bulbs. I actually don't even use my PIAA Platinum anymore. I'll sell them real cheap. They go for about 90 or so. Sometimes more expensive. I'll give them to you for...let's say 30 if you want. You pay for shipping. They both work, I'll test them myself.
To be honest with you, I've tried many many including, MAX Blue, PIAA Platinum, PIAA Super Plasma, ? Extreme, Raybrig somethings...
I like the Super Plasma the best. It's hard to get. The others will make only a slight difference in tint.
I'm always on this site so if you have more questions, just post.
Joined
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6,381 Posts
if ur wanting just bulbs then get Polarg or hybrig...those are the two best bulbs. if u want units..and cant afford the real deal catz zetas are very good looking and extremely bright. i u can afford the real deal, than get Phillips
Thanx for the feedback guys, How about the Solaris bulbs, are they good, and how much do the Philips cost and where can I get it? I saw a picture of the Pihilips bulbs and they look great. Kind of sucks that these bulbs cost so much. Thanx guys
About $800 for the kit from Phillips.
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
Joined
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105 Posts
I have to agree with Sophie. PIAAs are just hands down the best bulb out there. I had them on my 4Runner before I got my IS3. Took them out and sold them on EBay and got almost full $ for them. They were 1 yr old. Stupid people will buy anything on EBay.
Same thing, different people just use different terms.
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
Joined
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689 Posts
However, but i notice that BMW using Xenon headlights are brighter than of the IS
??
??
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22,260 Posts
HID and Xenon are completely different topics. You can have both in the same. I think our HID are also Xenon filled.
The HID system works by sending current without a filament through a gas tube. Xenon is the type of gas in the tube. This gives an extremely bright light. The way our light looks is not the color of the light, it is the intensity. You simply can't duplicate it with color.
Many bulbs today are filled with Xenon, Halogen, Argon, stuff like that. These are bulbs which have a filament. These change the intensity somewhat but mostly change the color.
The HID system works by sending current without a filament through a gas tube. Xenon is the type of gas in the tube. This gives an extremely bright light. The way our light looks is not the color of the light, it is the intensity. You simply can't duplicate it with color.
Many bulbs today are filled with Xenon, Halogen, Argon, stuff like that. These are bulbs which have a filament. These change the intensity somewhat but mostly change the color.
Different companies have different reflector patterns that make them different shades and intensities. The basic system is all the same though.
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
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Stephen Withrow
[email protected]
98 Lexus LS400
97 Ford Explorer Limited
Actually, I think BMW just points their light higher than others. I have notice when a GS400 w/ HID was behind me and hit a bump, the light was about as bright as the BMW's HID, but when it is on level ground it seem dimmer. Someone correct me if I am wrong on this.
Joined
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105 Posts
The way that a cars headlight assemblies reflectors are desighned has nothing to do with the color of teh light or the intensity. All the reflectors do is make the light more focused and aim the actual light onto the road.
The difference between HID and Zenon Gas is big. Zenon is typically much more blue is in the color like the BMW. OUr HID units are much more of a higher intensity thus giving the HID name. Go back to see what Sophie said. Also try parking your in front of a wall and turn on your headlights to see how razor sharp our light line cuts off. That has to do with the desighn of the reflectors inside the acutal headlight assembly.
Daniel, I am sorry but BMW does not aim their lights higher. No offense, and all due respect but all car companies want to make sure that the light is properly hitting the ground.
Just my 2 cents worth. I have done some research on these lights before with my 4runner and when i got my IS cause I wanted to know the diff too.
The difference between HID and Zenon Gas is big. Zenon is typically much more blue is in the color like the BMW. OUr HID units are much more of a higher intensity thus giving the HID name. Go back to see what Sophie said. Also try parking your in front of a wall and turn on your headlights to see how razor sharp our light line cuts off. That has to do with the desighn of the reflectors inside the acutal headlight assembly.
Daniel, I am sorry but BMW does not aim their lights higher. No offense, and all due respect but all car companies want to make sure that the light is properly hitting the ground.
Just my 2 cents worth. I have done some research on these lights before with my 4runner and when i got my IS cause I wanted to know the diff too.
Joined
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154 Posts
There's a company called MacNeil (they also make the WeatherTech floormats) that sell what they claim is a near-HID bulb from PIAA called the XTRA Halogen Bulb starting at $68.95/per pair and up. Don't know anything about them...they were just listed in a flyer they sent me.
BTW, HIDs are now optional on the 2001 RX300, but you have to get the wood/leather steering wheel as well.
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Bob
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2001 Graphite Gray IS300
2001 Millennium Silver RX300
BTW, HIDs are now optional on the 2001 RX300, but you have to get the wood/leather steering wheel as well.
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Bob
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2001 Graphite Gray IS300
2001 Millennium Silver RX300
Joined
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154 Posts
And while we're on the topic of HIDs, what do you all really think of them? I think they're great, as long as the car is on a level road. But I've noticed that I get some wierd shadow effects or black spots out front if I'm on an unkighted road coming down a slight incline. Then, once the road levels out I've got great forward coverage again. Don't know if this has somthing to do with the "directionality" of the light beams or not. It would be neat if the headlight levelers worked continuously instead of just when the lights first come on.
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Bob
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2001 Graphite Gray IS300
2001 Millennium Silver RX300
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Bob
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2001 Graphite Gray IS300
2001 Millennium Silver RX300
There is not a difference, Xenon is actually just one type of HID lamp. Ever see the street lights that are yellowish colored? How about the ones that have almost a green tint? Those are all HID lights. The yellowish ones are called mercury-vapor lamps, and the greenish ones are sodium-metal halide lamps. Then you have the bluish xenon lamps, first used in sports stadiums because of the fact that they closely resemble daylight, and then later adapted for automotive use.
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Patrick
1989 Camry 5-speed
Mods: Suspension, intake, exhaust, stereo, interior
The ImportMania Performance Page
http://importspeed.net/importmania
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