Hid!? What?!

CROWDA

CROWDA

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Ok help.

Why would I want a HID conversion kit when I can supposedly get the "same thing" for $10 off ebay and all I have to do is pop in a little bulb?

Can someone please explain to me why I don't want to buy the cheap "HID" bulbs? I mean, obviously they're shat, but how shat are they really?


And while I'm here, has anyone else seen these "100HP 30+MPG" chips on ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.ca/PERFORMANCE-SPEE...ryZ33597QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I tend not to trust products that look like I could have made them in my room, but has anyone done any real research into these things?

Thank you LVC, you are a cornucopia of usefulness!
 
CROWDA said:
insightful lol

maybe what I'm looking for is what exactly the conversion kit does compared to the bulbs. lol
Click to expand...


The HID Kit (ballast) is what powers the unit and emits the high intensity discharge of light. If you install just the bulb likely the light output will be much dimmer and the longevity will be short lived. I have heard people buying similar bulbs and going through the frustrations of repurchasing bulb after bulb. After having HID low beams and fog lights I definately recommend investing a little more cash in a kit.
 
alright! cool man thanks. you just saved me like $30... but likely cost me hundreds more down the road lol thanks for the help though.
 
We're talking about completely different technologies here, "HID" halogen bulbs and true HID systems should not even be mentioned in the same breath. As stated already, the cheap "HID" bulbs you see on ebay are just halogen bulbs with a coating on the glass to change the color of light output to simulate HID, while REDUCING the actual amount of output.

True HID systems use a capsule filled with xenon gas (the "bulb"), an igniter to arc/ignite the xenon at extremely high voltages, and a ballast to provide a sufficiently high, continuous voltage to maintain the arc. HID caps (bulbs) will not function without an igniter/ballast. The light output of true HID systems is far superior to anything halogen has to offer, at street legal wattages anyway.
 
moundtown said:
We're talking about completely different technologies here, "HID" halogen bulbs and true HID systems should not even be mentioned in the same breath. As stated already, the cheap "HID" bulbs you see on ebay are just halogen bulbs with a coating on the glass to change the color of light output to simulate HID, while REDUCING the actual amount of output.

True HID systems use a capsule filled with xenon gas (the "bulb"), an igniter to arc/ignite the xenon at extremely high voltages, and a ballast to provide a sufficiently high, continuous voltage to maintain the arc. HID caps (bulbs) will not function without an igniter/ballast. The light output of true HID systems is far superior to anything halogen has to offer, at street legal wattages anyway.
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couldn't have said any better myself. no seriously, i couldn't have even if i wanted to, lol. you get what you paid for is a good phrase in this sitation, but also keep in mind there are kits out there that are cheap (in price) but still perform well compared to the high end HID kits
 
When going with a kit, remember that the lenses and reflectors have a lot of influence on the light actually projected on the road out front. I have factory HID and brighter high beam bulbs on my LSE. I also have E-Code Halogens on my two BMW's, a 1980 635 CSI Euro and a 1987 M6. Both illuminate the road with as much light as does my HID/brighter bulb combo on the LSE.
 
thank you moundtown! that is exactly what i was looking for. lol

So now to round it all off... Should I get em or what? Anyone with HIDs care to sound off on the value of their investment?


(sidebar: still curious about the ebay chips alluded to in post #1)
 
CROWDA said:
thank you moundtown! that is exactly what i was looking for. lol

So now to round it all off... Should I get em or what? Anyone with HIDs care to sound off on the value of their investment?
Click to expand...

I think the answer is quite apparent. No. :D If you don't want to spend the money on an HID setup of some sort, then buy yourself a pair of HIR bulbs. Trust me, they will be much, much better than the stock halogen bulbs. They're now made by Toshiba and are about $25 a piece.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car...arms=39:1|65:1|240:1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Just make sure you get the right one for your low or high beams.

9011 = High-beam replacements
9012 = Low-beam replacements
 
and to answer the other question, those chips dont work this topic has been covered here many times just do a search for them.
 
chocolat1701 said:
and to answer the other question, those chips dont work this topic has been covered here many times just do a search for them.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I kinda figured that, but I thought I would toss it out there anyway.
 
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