Installed 8000k bulbs on 05 TL and lost about half visibility. Did I install them wrong or are the bulbs that much less brighter than the stock?

 

yes

 

the Higher the Kelvins the Lower the Lumens...

It's a color trade of vs light output. I never go above 6000K.

Your stock is optimal light output, if you want to stay as close as possible to stock output but with a whiter hue go with 5000K-5500K

8000K is pure blue, nice-yes, useful-no

Also what brand did you go with? Was it D2S or D2C? Did you install them right, not upside down? (if the notches fit perfectly, then it's good, you'll see a short silver pin at the 2'oclock position and big a fat square tab at the 12 o'clock position)

 

But you'll be the only one on the highways with purple/blue light on the ground.

 

^ Wrong... you'll get confused with a Civic or Teg

 

well... not ENTIRELY true

yes, cheap higher K bulbs will lose light output (8000k vs 4300k)

BUT, you actually CAN install the bulbs wrong... the bulbs can be installed upside down and still function.. the best way to tell, is pull up a couple of feet away from a white wall... if you get the two "Z" patterns, one for each headlight, they are installed correctly

if you see a U pattern from each headlight, the bulb is upside down

I have 8500K up top, and 8500K in my lower fogs... light was lost... but i wouldnt say 50%.. i lost about 20% visibility on the headlights, but gained about 15-20% from increasing the power of the foglights.. pretty much , i broke even.. and i can see just fine at night with my setup

Also, I am using Kaixen & Texon... well know HID brands... not some $35 ebay bulbs