My new 300 has HIR headlights

[Hokiefyd]

Good morning,

I assure you, I mirror Meep's comments entirely. It certainly isn't my intent, nor anyone else's I suspect, to make anyone on the forum feel belittled for any reason. I'm certainly not a lighting engineer myself; I certainly don't know it all.

Originally Posted By: Roob
Honestly it would seem though that what's at issue here isn't my lack of scientific data in proving why my setup is good, rather the expectation on this forum that such data is only accepted as proof of a good system. Otherwise its just another bad HID system.


Do understand that HID conversions are almost always illegal, and there are good sound principles behind that. If the flavor of my posts in particular have been that you must have data to prove that your system is good (and by "good", I mean compliant with DOT standards), it's because that's how headlamp systems are certified. And the reasons behind that are many, and have previously been discussed.

I applaud you for not sticking another fleabay HID kit into a halogen housing. As you said yourself, there's a ton of cheap (and dangerous) HID hardware out there. And with new lighting technology on the horizon (reference Audi's new LED-based system that dissolves the distinction between a "high" and a "low" beam), we're certain to see more fleabay kits purporing to replicate it.

Good day to all!

 

[Vikas]

Listen to Hoky! I agree with him.

There was a time, when I really very much wanted the HID and even considered doing illegal conversion. Now that I have one vehicle with real HID projector setup, I'm no longer in love with them. They are good and are better than Halogen but definitely not in every single case. Actually, in inclement weather conditions, a good halogen with warm yellow tint does lot better than the surgical white HID projector.

 

[Smokescreen]

+1 to Vikas....Hokiefyd is right on as well.

 

[rslifkin]

As far as the light right up against the cutoff, my halogen reflector housings definitely get that right. They don't look super-bright due to them not having tons of foreground lighting, but in terms of actually being able to see stuff on low-beam, they're great.

 

[zloveraz]

I'm sorry but I love my HID lights, I'm owned enough cars with and without HID lights I will always make sure it comes with the HID units. It's unfortunate so many auto manufacturers cheap out and supply Halogen light technology from the 70's, so the net result we end up with these made in China illegal HID units which are so worthless and dangerous but a lot of people buy them in pursuit to improve there headlights. Many a thread about HID conversions in my other car forums.

HIR might be a good interim solution but I think LED is the future.

For 2013 165 models have standard xenon high-intensity discharge lights or LED. Another 95 come with them as options, out of 332 models sold in the U.S. this year.

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
As far as the light right up against the cutoff, my halogen reflector housings definitely get that right. They don't look super-bright due to them not having tons of foreground lighting, but in terms of actually being able to see stuff on low-beam, they're great.


Both our cars get it pretty right too. They did need re-aiming. After ditching the OEM long-life/no-light bulbs, they're good enough where I don't see a need for HID's.

The HIR bulbs in my old Buick were similarly good. Those were very bright, and worked very well in inclement weather.

 

[Roob]

Having had halogen in many vehicles and now HID, I find HID superior.
When I selected components I took my time and put together items that would give the warm white/yellow light that is great for bad weather. That is the main reason I chose Sylvanias newest HID bulb, the Osram SVS. It gives a light that is not surgical white at all, in fact it's a light yellow. You can find many videos on you-tube. It operates at 4200k and provides the best warmest light I have ever used. I was using Philips 85122 before and that had some yellow and operated at 4300k. It was good but nowhere near as good as the SVS. The SVS is designed to have a more intense hotspot for distance vision and is wider than the Philips.
So all in all with this professional retrofit I get a great projected light that has the benefits of halogen like colour with HID technology. Light is projected further and wider than most other HID bulbs except CBI, it is aimed/focused according to MOT standards. The added benefits of 2000hr plus bulb life, efficency and sheer robustness of the components is nice to, albeit expensive, although you get what you pay for.
I like it and that's really what counts.

Prost.

 

[bmwjohn]

just for fun, I was at Meijers and they have GE HIR 110 volts halogen bulbs on clearance, these are not for cars, but I have never seen them in stores for home use.

 

[2003GPW]

I discovered today that the 2005-2012 Toyota Avalons with reflector HID low beams have HIR1 (9011) high beams. And get this....they're Toshibas! I checked all three that we had and they were all Toshiba. The only negative is that they list at $66. I'm thinking of getting two of them for the high beams in the wife's 2009 Camry...just gotta trim one of the tabs on the bulb and they'll fit in place of a 9005.

 

[mikered30]

I don't think Toshiba makes them any more. Philips makes them now, but differ in construction than the Toshibas. Amazon has them for around $20 each.