kthlex

Not sure how others feel but the HIDs don't look too good in combination with the standard halogen bulbs. I have been doing some inquiry... read below:

-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel Stern Lighting [mailto:dastern@torque.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 8:58 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Automotive Lighting Query

> Daniel, I found your site very interesting and very informative.

Thanks for your patience. I am working as efficiently as I can to get
caught up on a large backlog of e-mail.

> purchased a 2007 Acura RDX. Love the car but I there are some fine
> details the engineers missed. The car has HID lamps for low beam. I
> feel the bluish tint of the HID along with the yellow tint of the fog
> lamps looks bad.

There is no yellow tint to the fog lamps. The fog lamps have halogen
bulbs, which emit a different sort of white light than the HID bulbs in
the low beams. They are both white, but I agree, the difference isn't
especially visually appealing. Depending on the type of bulb used by your
fog lamps (info not yet in database for '07 Acura, so you'd have to let me
know) this mismatch may be easily remedied. However, most of the time your
fog lamps should be turned off. See
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...fog_lamps.html .

> Also the high beam is a yellow color

Nope, it is not. Different white, but white nevertheless.

> I am looking for bulbs that will look better. I am not concerned about
> visibility.

Aesthetics over life safety...?

> Headlight High Beam: 60W (HB3)

Your headlamps can be made significantly brighter (and thus whiter) with
HIR1 bulbs replacing the HB3 bulbs. These are $27/ea.
Replace the existing 9005 bulbs with 9011. The new bulbs are not some
tinted or overwattage version of 9005, but rather employ a relatively new
technology called HIR, Halogen Infrared. The mechanical dimensions of the
bulb are all virtually identical to the 9005, but the bulb glass is
spherical instead of tubular, with the sphere centered around the
filament. There is a "Durable IR Reflective" coating on the spherical
glass. Infrared = heat, so the coating causes heat to be reflected back to
the filament at the center of the sphere. This causes the filament to
become much hotter (producing more light) than it can by passing
electricity through it, *without* the shorter life or greater heat
production that comes with overwattage bulbs (to say nothing of
overwattage bulbs' incompatibility with stock wiring.)

Here's the comparison:

stock: HB3 , 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours
new: HIR1, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours

These bulbs are spendy - $27/ea - but their cost is worth considering in
context: Any number of companies will charge you more than this for a
tarted-up 9005 with blue colored glass (PIAA and Sylvania Silverstar come
to mind) that doesn't produce more light and has a very short lifespan.

The HIR bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is
to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases.
The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb
fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly
into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on.


There's nothing to be done about the fogs. Trying to color-match the high
beams and fog lamps to the HID low beams is both futile and dangerous.

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Tripp11

I agree with the guy who replied to your email - you shouldn't be running your fog lights 24/7 anyways. Only when the inclement weather requires them.

Plus, safety should always trump appearance.

sasair

So have you tried these HIR1 bulbs in the high beams yet? The guy's website is good, but he obviously is only marketing what he sells. There is no information at all about HID lighting and no mention of specific color temps of the bulbs he sells. I'm guessing the HIR1 bulbs he sells are the same color as the stock halogen bulbs, just brighter.

g0bl0k

I'd like to change the fog lamps too. At least make it whiter than current yellow color. For the high beam, I agree, you shouldnt change it due to safety issue, besides you're not gonna use high beam most of the time anyway.

sasair

What is the safety issue if you change your high beams? A slightly different shade of DRL? I think the only safety issue would be if you changed your low beams, but since we have HIDs for low beams I doubt anyone is going to do that. You could change the color of the lows to 6000k or higher and that would be considered a safety issue.

mickie

Is it possible that the blue light is more clear, and thus low beam, while the yellow light may be more dispersive? We all know that color changes in different light. The night that we often drive in, is often less infused with other light sources using high beams...but we still have to include those who live in the city, where light is still dispersed all around ( I know they can't see the stars like I do).

kthlex

I don't understand the safety factor... I just want a "whiter" color. I drive a lot of back country roads and I like having my fog lamps on as I feel it allows me to see more road.

Fishbulb

Fog lights aren't designed to work as driving lights, which are more focused. Besides a "whiter" colour isn't going to make the fogs work any better.

If its just for cosmetics, then just get a pair of coated hyperwhites. They won't offer as much actual illumination as the standard bulbs, but the kids with the baggy pants on the corner will be impressed.

I drive a lot of rural, back roads as well, and I've never needed more than the standard low-beams. The xenons are phenomenal.

mickie

Oh, you're right, I forgot that you mentioned that "visability" wasn't a concern, just cosmetics...my bad. Well, in that department, I guess I'm of no help.

Personally, I love the lights, kind of a weird, half-closed lid deal, but, I'm used to 'em (but folks driving in front of me may not agree).

neo1738

i get flashed all the time when my low beams are on...ppl dont seem to like the HID's much(those without them on their cars)...hehe

jcct

I've already replaced the 9005 with 9011 HIR bulbs on my RDX, and it does make a nice difference.

However, before you go order a pair and expect them to "bolt right on" besides the tab-trimming the sellers are telling people to do, I found out you also have to file-down the lead-in fillet on the plastic housing of the bulb in order for it to clear the metal collar on the light-housing on the car. Simple tweek especially if you are mechanically-inclined.

Lastly, for the fellow engineers, I have noticed the wires for the high-beam sockets on the RDX are ridiculously thin. So, a wiring harness/relay might be needed in order for the HIR to get enough current to be happy.........

rdxtrme

Hi,
I came across this thread. I put hid's in my fog lights. I used an h11 hid kit with the 6000k color temp. I mounted the ballasts on the fog light housings. Now the fogs are a whiter color than the hid low beams. They almost make the low beams look yellow. I will post a pic later tonight. So that you can see what I am talking about. As far as functionality they are much brighter than the stock fogs and hey what the heck it is just about the only mod that I can find to do besides wheels, rear seat entertainment, and factory acessories. I think that it was definitely worth every it. I mean if you figure go out and buy a set of piaa h11 for about $70 bux including the tax and shipping or get a decent hid kit for about $150 that will last at least 4x longer, give a much brighter light output, and plain flat out just look nice.