deepwater

Looking at HID lights - what do you think about these
http://www.dashzracing.com/Lighting-...-p8275492.html

Spr

I have those exact ones here is how they look

but they are not for HID lights. The light scatters like crazy and does not look good with HID bulbs and conversion kit. I like the lights though they look nice and have good high beams.

jetmechG550

Is there any video of these lights taken from in the vehicle going down a country road at night?

Dogheaddave

I think those lights look great, which bulbs did you go for? which bulb would be best for snow/fog conditions?

Spr

There are some pic of it that I have seen but not videos

https://www.f150forum.com/f38/2009-p...-41652/index2/

Spr

The bulbs I use are the ones it comes with but I a thinking of changing them soon but haven't come around to it. Not really sure which ones would be great for fog/snow but I have seen some good things about the PIAA bulbs.

This is from a MBworld Forum:

Here is a comparison test of different bulbs and compare them to the PIAA extreme white bulbs:
http://users.skynet.be/fa491791/headlight%20test.htm

Models tested:
1) Sylvania standard bulb (factory installed)
2) Philips Blue Vision
3) PIAA Super White Premium (55/110W) model H82E
4) PIAA Xtreme White (55/110W)

Description of test:

- 3 series of observations :
- test A :looking at the car, from the front. First from about 5m away and then really close to the headlamp unit for details.
- test B :looking at beam projected on the wall, sitting inside the car and standing next to it. Car is at about 2 meters from the wall (white wall, clean, no marks/posters, and colors on it). Marked the standard bulb area limits on the wall for comparison with the others
- test C :looking at the illumination from the inside of the car (test performed in a forest path (very dark; almost scary..). the street is closed to traffic at night and has trees on each side, parallel to each other. The car is positioned exactly at the same spot each time (tape on the road for tyres positioning)
- During the whole test, Main beam & front foglight were off to avoid biasing the tests.

RESULTS
Comparison always in terms of replacement option versus standard equipment:

1) BLUE Vision by Philips :
These bulbs are one of the most distributed bulbs and are available at most car stores ; they cost about a fraction of the PIAA.
Test A : ok, to be honest I don't see the big deal of the bulbs. Looked long at the bulb and so no difference from the std bulb. If you look REALLY close, you can see that the wall of the headlight is slightly bluish with a very light veil of celestial blue. Friend has installed them in a normal squared headlamp (fitted with HB4 bulbs) and the effect is slightly better, maybe because the illuminated space is bigger (5x10 cms square shape vs our small circular holes for ellipsoidal lamps)
Test B : The beam is exactly the same as the standard bulb. Only difference for the picky people is the slightly more noticed "rainbow" effect at the hedge of the beam
Test C : Again, no real difference. The beam really close to the car is slightly brighter ; Depth of illumination is the same and the same amount of trees on the side of the path are illuminated. 4 rows of trees illuminated

Conclusion : a cheap and ineffective attempt to create HID look . Popular among kids with small budgets.
Scores : HID effect : 4/10. Illumination (6/10 ; same as standard bulb).
For people seeking a powerful bulb from Philips, maybe try the "premium"; with Philips claims has 30% more light output. Don't know if they make it in the GTV size tough (HB3/9005)

2) PIAA Super White :
First thing you notice is that the bulb is slightly longer than the standard and the Philips bulb. It's a bit more tricky to slide it in the hole but still doable. Compared to the Philips, the PIAA S-W has a slighter more purple coating compared to the truly blue Philips. The PIAA is using a patented technology whereby the 55W bulbs emit the power of a 110W (rally) bulb.

Test A : Again, the HID effect is not there. No sights of "cold blue"; effect ; the bulb looks REALLY white and almost blinding to look at. Reminds me of lights used in stadiums for evening matches.

Test B : Must say a big improvement from the standard bulb. The beam on the wall is wider and taller and the area with 100% light is about twice as large as the standard bulb and extends more on the side. Big improvement, for a fraction of a second I thought I had the main beams on

Test C : Probably due to the 110W technology, but the beam illuminates an extra row of trees and a second on behind them (though not perfectly). 6 rows of trees visible. The illumination right in front of the car is very bright and the side of the road is very visible. White marking on the road are illuminated as if they had a fluorescent paint.

Conclusion : By PIAA own admittance, the super white technology is not really aiming at reproducing the HID look, but rather to deliver a professional and more powerful illumination. I must say they are quite excelled in their effort.
Scores : HID effect : 5/10 (though not the result aimed for). Illumination : 8.5/10. Strong improvement from standard bulbs. I noticed cars in front of me pulling aside as I come behind with the S-W on ; maybe it's the look of a red GTV coming towards you, or maybe it's the bulbs that perform like high beam lights.
Nobody's perfect though : the PIAA S_W are quite expensive (almost 3x the Philips) and are quite fragile. If you buy them, remember to switch them on AFTER the engine and off BEFORE you shut down the engine.

3) PIAA Extreme White
Based on and using the "superwhite" (TM) technology, PIAA developed a professional bulb to attack the market of HID looking bulbs. Compared to the normal S-W , the X-W bulb has the tip of the bulb cover with a silver coating (the S-W is glass all round) and the color of the glass itself is much bluer (even a fraction more than the Philips blue vision). The X-W emits a beam at a temperature of 4150° Kelvin or about the same as the Xenon 1 bulbs (new bi-Xenon bulbs are at about 4500° K).Like most PIAA bulbs, the X-W uses patented technology to produce a 110W beam from a 55W bulb . The same defects of the S-W apply here : it is expensive and fragile.
Test A : OK, pinch me and tell me I'm awake. My car has Xenon lights ! ! ! ! ! ! I must say I was skeptical. Turned the engine on, lights on, walk in front of the car and look at my little baby. She is radiant. No need to get closer. The look even from the distance is quite impressive. The immediate impression is that of a a very powerfull bulb, with a total beam of Xenon light. Like the say you need to see it to believe it.
Test B : The wall test. The beam is about the same as the S-W, maybe a fraction less towards the side. Still, much better that the Sylvania and the Philips. Theirs is a strong rainbow effect on the hedge of the beam, something which the S-W did not have (they had a purely white homogeneous snow-white area).
Test C : Again, the 110W technology pays here too. The rows of trees are as the S-W (i.e. more than the standard bulbs). The beam is slightly more present and there're a strange atmosphere out there. Seems like I'm in the new Harry Potter movie. The air out there is like "magic"
Conclusion : Was optimistic with a pinch of salt, but the Xtreme whites meet their goal. While projecting a powerful beam like the S-W sister, they add a touch of special color to the headlight making people wonder what it is and probably go for HID lamps conclusions . Professionals will still identify that they are not Xenon systems, but normal people will say those are definitely not standard lights, probably Xenon.
Score : HID effect : 8/10. Illumination : 8.0/10. Gave it ½ point less than the sister as I have the opinion that the tinted glass of the X-W slightly blocks the powerful beam.

OVERALL :
Forget the Philips, throw them away, they look cheap (and are cheap). If you are not in the business, just stick to the standard bulbs. The only gain you'll have is having to get your hands dirty and being humiliated at any attempt of"bar chat"; Your beam will not hold the comparison.

If you don't care about HID, but want more light and a more professional installation, go for the Superwhites. Remember that they are expensive (about 80GBP/100EUR for a pair) and they will last about 1.5/2 years, IF you follow the light-engine on/off rule.

If you want a True HID look, coupled with a quality illumination, then the Xtreme whites are the ones for you. Again here too, they are expensive (about 85GBP for 2 single units) and they will probably last less than normal bulbs (no experience with these, but I expect to have the same as with the S-W's).

Spr

oh yeah and Sylvania SliverStar

jetmechG550

Thanks for that. They seem more white than stockers and brighter. I'm assuming those pics are low beams?

Spr

At jetmechG550

Yeah I believe one is low beam and the other is high beam. Whenever you have the highbeams on the lowbeams turn off just to let you know. They are not true HID projectors they are halogen projectors only.

jetmechG550

Thanks, I figured at that price they were true HID's. I may just try the PIAA Xtreme White's