Prejudice against HIDs
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Mike D from Ohio
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Prejudice against HIDs
Has anyone noticed that lots of people are bitter about HID headlights? Someone said the other day that "you people just get HIDs because of the 'coolness-factor' regardless of the improved visibility." I would agree and disagree. I think they look real cool, but I like the output as well. What are people's problems with this? What if I did get HIDs for the coolness factor? There's no problem in that. I think maybe they want HIDs themselves but can't afford them? Or maybe they're sick of being 'blinded' by us... Here's my problem with that issue though: I DON'T get blinded by other drivers' HIDs at all. It doesn't hurt my eyes one bit. What do you think? I think people are full of shit. I also live in a city where a bunch of pissy, lower-functioning shit-talkers reside anyway... I just ignore these people, but this HID prejudice really catches my attention.
#4
#5
I am Ahab!
Yeah they're idiots. I'm willing to bet most of them actually just stare at the lights which of course makes them seem brighter. Soon enough all cars will have them then they won't bitch anymore.
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#9
I like HID's on my vehicle. I don't like them on other vehicles. They are prone to blinding other drivers when the car that is the source of the light is not on a level surface (like going over a hill), when the lights are placed high off the road -- making them shine directly into the rear glass (like on a truck or an SUV), and when they are not properly aligned (or even worst when they shift, usually up-and-down, and cause distracting flicker).
It has been more than once that I have pulled off the road to let someone with HID's get in front of me. I like it better that way.
One thing that young folks need to know is that older folks generally wear eye glasses or contacts, do not see as well at night, and are more sensitive to bright headlights. Lights that now bother me, and interfere with my vision to the point of reducing safety, would likely not have bothered me when I was 25 years old -- and HID's are the prime offenders.
So, I very much like having HID's. I often wish others didn't. The last car that I can recall that had really bright headlights happened to be another TSX -- that was heading in the opposite direction. I suspect that the lights on the car were not adjusted to specs.
So, HID's can be a benefit to the driver of a car. They can be a nuisance, and an annoyance, to the drivers of other cars. When it is feasible to do so, I always leave enough distance between me and the car in front of me so that the cutoff line, for the light pattern, is below the rear glass and will not shine into the interior, and rear view mirror, of the car in front. This cutoff line can easily be seen. Unfortunately, the vehicles with HID's that are mounted at the height of the rear glass, generally trucks and SUV's, are also those vehicles that tend to ride your bumper (except on curves). I hate it when I get in front of such a vehicle at a drive-through window line.
It has been more than once that I have pulled off the road to let someone with HID's get in front of me. I like it better that way.
One thing that young folks need to know is that older folks generally wear eye glasses or contacts, do not see as well at night, and are more sensitive to bright headlights. Lights that now bother me, and interfere with my vision to the point of reducing safety, would likely not have bothered me when I was 25 years old -- and HID's are the prime offenders.
So, I very much like having HID's. I often wish others didn't. The last car that I can recall that had really bright headlights happened to be another TSX -- that was heading in the opposite direction. I suspect that the lights on the car were not adjusted to specs.
So, HID's can be a benefit to the driver of a car. They can be a nuisance, and an annoyance, to the drivers of other cars. When it is feasible to do so, I always leave enough distance between me and the car in front of me so that the cutoff line, for the light pattern, is below the rear glass and will not shine into the interior, and rear view mirror, of the car in front. This cutoff line can easily be seen. Unfortunately, the vehicles with HID's that are mounted at the height of the rear glass, generally trucks and SUV's, are also those vehicles that tend to ride your bumper (except on curves). I hate it when I get in front of such a vehicle at a drive-through window line.
#10
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HID's are only good when they're in Projector lenses, like our TSX. They may be brighter than halogens, but I they're far more focused than any halogen light. What I hate is when somebody puts HID's in halogen housings so they scatter the light everywhere. You might as well get some good halogens in that case..
I tend to only get flashed when I'm here at home (rural area). If I go to Vancouver or some other big city, I never get flashed. I guess my headlights are aimed a bit high. They are a straight line ahead of me, but not aimed up or down. They don't shine into peoples faces, put it that way
HID's FTW
I tend to only get flashed when I'm here at home (rural area). If I go to Vancouver or some other big city, I never get flashed. I guess my headlights are aimed a bit high. They are a straight line ahead of me, but not aimed up or down. They don't shine into peoples faces, put it that way
HID's FTW
#11
Drifting
When I'm driving to and fro between Socal and Norcal I can't tell you how many times I have people flash their highbeams at me because they think I have mine on
#12
boost owns
I have JDM headlights (with JDM projectors) and in two and a half years of TSX ownership I can count on one hand the number of times I've been flashed. I guess where I live people are just a lot more used to HIDs on cars (Fairfield County, CT - BMW, Benz, Infiniti, Acura, everywhere you look...)
#15
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It happens so often that I usually keep my hand on the high beam level just in case someone flashes me. Usually when they do, I high beam them back, just to let them know that they're not high beams. Then again, that never really fixes anything
#16
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I can see so much better with HIDs that I don't think I can ever buy another car without them. Yes, some other cars with HIDs do bother me, but it is usually brief and they are usually SUVs that are higher and the lights shine directly into your face or side mirrors if they are behind you, which I find extremely bothersome.
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I agree about the suv shinning in your face. Since i lowered the car I keep confusing high beams or regular lights since my car is so low the angle of their lights go directly in.
#18
#19
Admit it guys, our Xenon HID's are very bright. They are brighter than Lexus IS250's HID's.
With that being said, I think people who have not seen them are not accustomed to their brightness. We can make sure that the cut off level is correct and at the OEM level. Besides that, its a safety feature and people who high Beam you will come around sooner or later.
With that being said, I think people who have not seen them are not accustomed to their brightness. We can make sure that the cut off level is correct and at the OEM level. Besides that, its a safety feature and people who high Beam you will come around sooner or later.
#20
Drifting
Agreed. I encounter this almost 70% of the time when I'm driving at night.
It happens so often that I usually keep my hand on the high beam level just in case someone flashes me. Usually when they do, I high beam them back, just to let them know that they're not high beams. Then again, that never really fixes anything
It happens so often that I usually keep my hand on the high beam level just in case someone flashes me. Usually when they do, I high beam them back, just to let them know that they're not high beams. Then again, that never really fixes anything
I do the same thing. I have a TSX and I see them all over the place you would think people would know HID's when you see them.
#21
#22
Ours are really bad because they are not self-leveling.
Sometimes, other drivers freak out when I'm on a slight incline or going over lots of bumps.
Wonder if 2nd gen got self leveling?
Sometimes, other drivers freak out when I'm on a slight incline or going over lots of bumps.
Wonder if 2nd gen got self leveling?
#24
Going to show my age here, but I remember when halogen first started coming out. 1980 something, perhaps earlier. Everybody was saying how bright they were, just like they are saying about the HID's now. Of course there is a bigger difference between halogen and HID's then halogen and the previous lights. When my parents had their first car with halogens (1984 Pontiac Sunbird I think) dad thought the headlights were aimed wrong, as he was getting high beamed all the time.
They now drive a 2009 Acura RDX, and dad LOVES the HID.s
My point being that eventualy, even HID's will become the norm. But it does make me wonder...what comes next? LCD night vision safety glass all the way around, with anti- collision lights like on aircraft?
They now drive a 2009 Acura RDX, and dad LOVES the HID.s
My point being that eventualy, even HID's will become the norm. But it does make me wonder...what comes next? LCD night vision safety glass all the way around, with anti- collision lights like on aircraft?
#25
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Fag? Good God. How old are you? Ten? Get off Mommy's computer now.
As for HIDs, they are the best safety feature on the TSX, but I do get flashed from time to time by oncoming traffic on two lane highways. And I do allow an extra gap when I am following another vehicle. (until I shift into third and pass em!)
As for HIDs, they are the best safety feature on the TSX, but I do get flashed from time to time by oncoming traffic on two lane highways. And I do allow an extra gap when I am following another vehicle. (until I shift into third and pass em!)
#26
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haha you should really see thermal night vision in action at night. One of my dads semi trucks has it. Anything with any heat shows up as bright white, while everything else is black. You just need to keep the LCD screen in your peripheral vision. Its great for dark mountain highways. It showed up deer on the screen when you could barely see them in the trees with the headlights. I think the Caddy DTS has this?? or had? I'm not sure.
As I've heard. See what new features the Mercedes S class has, because those features will eventually migrate into more affordable cars. The S class was the first car to have many safety features including ABS and Airbags.
#28
#29
I take it that you live in the Northern U.S. It is common practice in the South for an oncoming driver to flash his high beams if he believes that you have your high beams on. It is generally considered a polite request -- and a nod to safety. We have many rural roads -- and it is not uncommon for a driver to forget to switch to low beams when approaching an oncoming vehicle. Now, driving behind someone with your high beams on, or flashing them from the rear, will not be received as well.
#30
it's a car-drive it
I take it that you live in the Northern U.S. It is common practice in the South for an oncoming driver to flash his high beams if he believes that you have your high beams on. It is generally considered a polite request -- and a nod to safety. We have many rural roads -- and it is not uncommon for a driver to forget to switch to low beams when approaching an oncoming vehicle. Now, driving behind someone with your high beams on, or flashing them from the rear, will not be received as well.
#31
Senior Moderator
Happens here all the time. Yes, we still have a lot of rural roads in Jersey.
#32
Mike D from Ohio
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How are your teeth by the way?
If you're thinking about starting to say these remarks somewhere outside of the safety of anonymous internet threads, watch out for somebody knocking your teeth out (for your own safety). But you're probably a p***y in real life and wouldn't even think about it anyway.
I don't know why I'm even bothering to argue, but I'm kind of getting sick of genetically compromised people.
I don't know why I'm even bothering to argue, but I'm kind of getting sick of genetically compromised people.
#33
Mike D from Ohio
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#34
Mike D from Ohio
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haha you should really see thermal night vision in action at night. One of my dads semi trucks has it. Anything with any heat shows up as bright white, while everything else is black. You just need to keep the LCD screen in your peripheral vision. Its great for dark mountain highways. It showed up deer on the screen when you could barely see them in the trees with the headlights. I think the Caddy DTS has this?? or had? I'm not sure.
As I've heard. See what new features the Mercedes S class has, because those features will eventually migrate into more affordable cars. The S class was the first car to have many safety features including ABS and Airbags.
As I've heard. See what new features the Mercedes S class has, because those features will eventually migrate into more affordable cars. The S class was the first car to have many safety features including ABS and Airbags.
#35
Has anyone adjusted the level of their HIDs? After a recent two week cross-country road trip, it got very annoying how many people kept flashing me with their brights.. felt like I was going to wear out the high beam lever flashing them back.
I'm curious if the luggage shifted the cutoff line a little higher than it is normally-if that's the case, I'm thinking it might be helpful to load the luggage and readjust the cutoff line just for the trip. By the way, no, we didn't pack the kitchen sink.. just enough gear and food for two weeks of camping and hiking.
On another note, does anyone know if the TSX (1st gen)/Accord in other parts of the world ever came with auto-leveling headlights? If so, I'd be curious if it is possible to order the parts and retrofit them.
I'm curious if the luggage shifted the cutoff line a little higher than it is normally-if that's the case, I'm thinking it might be helpful to load the luggage and readjust the cutoff line just for the trip. By the way, no, we didn't pack the kitchen sink.. just enough gear and food for two weeks of camping and hiking.
On another note, does anyone know if the TSX (1st gen)/Accord in other parts of the world ever came with auto-leveling headlights? If so, I'd be curious if it is possible to order the parts and retrofit them.
#36
I was on my way home the other night from workd and some guy in a Scion Tc Flashed and flipped me off for nothing. My car was lowered about 2 inches all around and had some 8000k hids, it doesn't blinds anybody in a stock cars.
#37
At least those people high beaming you cared enough to let you know thinking you had High beams on when it was just your HID's.
I just pretend that they are TSX fans, and are just saying "Hi!"
Who can blame them, our TSX's are super sexy!
I just pretend that they are TSX fans, and are just saying "Hi!"
Who can blame them, our TSX's are super sexy!
#40
heel/toe is my specialty
My HID's are stock and I get flashed a fair bit as well.
I have drawn a crude sociological reason for this though. I have noticed that in more affluent areas or areas where there is a larger younger (>40) population I get flashed less. This is usually do to more cars in the area with HID's or more people who have been exposed to them and know that they are not in fact brights.
I have drawn a crude sociological reason for this though. I have noticed that in more affluent areas or areas where there is a larger younger (>40) population I get flashed less. This is usually do to more cars in the area with HID's or more people who have been exposed to them and know that they are not in fact brights.