poohlikeshunny

OK...I have heard many times that our xenons turn more blue and start to resemble 6000k bulbs when they are on their way out...however, I have a friend with a 99TL that has never had the xenons replaced and they are pinkish. I have a 2000, and my headlights seem whiter (until they are on for like 30 minutes or more, then they start to seem more pinkish white.. )...so what is the truth behind this? Are his headlights not working properly (ie not enough power to the bulbs???) or do they really turn pink when old as opposed to blue like most people have stated?

hzm82

As HID age, they will go from around 4100k to 4300k so they do tend to get a little bit more blue. You will never ever see anything close to a 6000k blue tho. Normal use HID should last the life of the car, they should never need replacing.

If your friend's lights are pinkish, it's could be because they are dying.

poohlikeshunny

So you think the pink color means they are drastically close to the end of their life? He DOES do a lot of night driving. So I know he's put his bulbs to use. He's the type that never turns them off, he just lets the auto-off turn them off for him...so I dunno...you think that would help shorten the life?

hzm82

Yes, based on my experience and others. going pinkish usually means the bulbs are near the end of their life. I really don't believe the auto off feature will shorten the life of the bulbs because I have a 99 TL and I have never turned my lights off since I bought it 5 years ago.

How many miles does your friend have on that car? Did he ever have a slight collision that could have shaken the car? Have water condensed in the headlights? Is the light output still good?

poohlikeshunny

My friend's car has 102,000 miles on it and it's never been in an accident. As a matter of fact, it;s been babied very VERY well. Looks new still. And the headlights do not leak. The light output is still good...on the ground it is still considerably better than halogens, but when compared to mine, it seems a little more yellow and mine seems more white....so you have a 99 too and you do the same thing with your headlights...so yeah...guess that's not a problem. I wish I knew...I almost want to get some new bulbs, but aren't sure if mine are bluer because they're going out too..or if mine are fine and it's his that are dying out...

BlackShadow

When it turns pinkish, not bluish, it usually means that it is going to die soon.

IMO, buy the 6000K HIDs cause the stock HIDs will cost you a pretty penny at the dealer. The 6000K will definitely look bluer but will have less light output on the road, but not by much. Plus it is much cheaper.

fsttyms1

mine have over 154,000 miles on them now ant they are not any where near as bluish white as before. they are starting to resemble halogens after extended use.(kinda yellowish in color)

mrsteve

iTrader: (1)

Blue would be the early signs of decreased performance and life.

Pink would mean they are gonna die out fairly soon. Also, the light output for a pink HID is less than desirable.

poohlikeshunny

Yeah, the pinkish of my boy's lights is really bad...it actually seems almost dirty orange on the road. It's a shame. But I think I will take blackshadow's advice and grab up a pair of 6000k's and just leave my 4300k's sit around until I need them..would you guys say that 6000k's are still considerably brighter than halogen? I would like to upgrade, but not if it starts getting comparable visibility to a halogen. I like the bluish white output.

cubanlinx

6000 k are still bright but have a little less output then 4300k and also have a blue tint to them but are still HIDS so they are still much brighter then halogens.

hzm82

You won't be able to detect any decrease in lumes with your eyes. 6000k is a good upgrade.

poohlikeshunny

Cool, that's very reassuring to know....lots of people talk about the decrease in lumens so much on this board I thought it was a significant drop...THANX EVERYONE!