American's and xenon

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

And you paid that? Shoulda just replaced the ballast with a new one. Woulda cost about $100. These Honda/Acura dealerships just LOVE their customers because they know they can screw them over like that.

The dealer told me that the entire front bumper had to be removed and that it was dangerous for a novice to replace. It is a reputable Acura dealership, they have never screwed me before on anything.

[ANova]

You can get replacement converters for $200 and the bumper is no big deal to remove. Sorry but you got taken.

[MR_Candyman]

ya, sorry but labor only woulda been an hour...

[QuarterSwede]

I have yet to see a car with HID lights that didn't annoy the crap out of me. The aftermarket kits do suck since no one gets them realigned but the BMWs, Mercs and Audi's that have them factory installed annoy me just as much. They are just plain too bright. Although, trucks in my side view mirrors are FAR more annoying and can almost give me a headache.

HID lights may be bright but I can see quite well with just regular halogens and factory fog lights on (not those LAME aftermarket kits).

[Wannes]

It's just because you're not used to it. Here in Belgium we start seeing all the time. I don't get annoyed by it and nor does someone else. At first, in the real early stages of xenon, a lot of people flashed their lights because they thought I was driving with my big lights but now ... now they're used to it. Everyone is.

[afuchi]

Xenon is super.

I changed my headlights to xenon and more than tripple times better seeing range at nights was available for me and i really like it when i can see where i drive.

And you get really quickly used to it when anyone else have them. I usually don't nottice it at all.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

I have yet to see a car with HID lights that didn't annoy the crap out of me. The aftermarket kits do suck since no one gets them realigned but the BMWs, Mercs and Audi's that have them factory installed annoy me just as much. They are just plain too bright. Although, trucks in my side view mirrors are FAR more annoying and can almost give me a headache.

Huh? They're less bright than regular halogen lights, above the projector cut-off.

Normal or "reflector" style headlights, as seen on most vehicles, disperse light in all directions. Because typical halogen bulbs aren't terribly bright, they aren't regulated in any way that requires more controlled projection. There are several variations of the pattern seen against a wall for these, but they're often something like:

When these are retrofitted with HID bulbs, the result is illegal and dangerous.

HID (or "xenon") lights almost always are used exclusively with "projection" style headlamps. These include a lens that focuses most (if not all) of the light down toward the ground. When you're inside, or even behind a car with HID projectors (like a BMW / Audi with a factory Xenon option) you will very clearly see the cut-off line either on the road or a wall in front of you.

It is usually shaped like _____/???????

The lower part on the left is designed specifically to not project light at incoming traffic. Because incoming traffic is above the cut-off, you actually see far less light than you would from normal halogen lights. If you're below the cut-off, the light is very bright, very focused, and very white. Above the cut-off, it can be hard to even tell the headlights are on.

Here's an Audi factory xenon setup pointed at a wall:

Here's an Toyota Scion tC with retrofitted HIDs:

Unfortunately, the US DOT specs do not allow for as sharp a cut-off as the European specs do. My old car from several years ago had euro-spec HID projectors, and they looked especially dim if you were coming toward me (basically it looked as you'd expect a bright light pointed directly at the ground to look - you can see it, but since it's not pointed at you it isn't bright to look at in the slightest).

The "blue" that people see from HID lights is actually due to the cut-off. The light that is allowed to spill above it (as I said, a larger amount in the US than in Europe) is mainly the blue component of it. There are several reasons for this, one of which is simply aesthetics. But there are also lots of studies that show blue/white lights are less fatiguing to oncoming traffic than the yellowish color of typical halogens.

HID technology has also improved quite a lot. Most HID-equipped vehicles from Audi come with headlight washers, which prevent dirty lamps from dispersing excess light above the cut-off line. All factory Audi HID packages include auto-levellers, which adjust the height of the beam based on how the car is sitting on the road (going up or down hill, accelerating versus braking, etc) to limit the effect to traffic going the other way in those situations (although you're still going to get more light when passing while going up or down a significant hill).

Going around curves or approaching an HID-equipped vehicle from the side will also more likely expose you to the bright part of the pattern, but even this is being helped by cars like mine which actually direct the beams to the left or right as I go around turns. This was another Audi lighting technique, and is being copied by others (BMW, Lexus, etc) because of the obvious benefits both to the driver and to oncoming traffic.

I find that most people complaining about HID lighting are upset about:

A) Aftermarket kits which fit HID bulbs and ballasts into non-projector lamps

B) Kits with "upgraded" projectors designed to show "more blue" or other ridiculous, usually illegal modifications.

C) HID lights which are misaligned, dirty, or coming at them from an usual angle

D) Their own negative reaction to anything that sticks out as being more expensive than they can afford, and often a petty and immature "if I can't have it, no one can" attitude.

Unfortunately, this distracts from the real problem headlights which aren't HIDs, but rather SUV and truck lights which are always mounted far higher than is necessary. In a small car like mine, an Escalade or something behind me will flood the interior of my car with brighter-than-daylight illumination. It will blind my mirrors (without dimmers, I'd likely have crashed because of this by now) or my entire vision if I pass in front of them at a close intersection.

They should be much more heavily regulated, and required to place the lights at the same height as other vehicles if they're going to be driven on public roads and highways. That they are not is a danger to everyone driving a normal-sized car.

Edited May 12, 2008 by Brandon Live

[kombolcha]

great post^

[rathefeare]

Great post, Brandon Live. I have been using "E-Code" or European style halogen headlights from Hella in my car for the last year and the difference between that and the DOT approved lights is just amazing. They put so much more light on the road where I want it and less light spills around the edge. As stated most of the problem seems to come from people that have their HID's mis aimed.

Also try dealing with those jacked up trucks while driving a small convertible. We really need a law for maximum headlight height.

[recursive_action]

EPIC WIN

Wow. You pretty much raped everyone in the "HIDs suck" camp; much like Gary7 got raped by his Acura dealership.

[Wannes]

It will be probably be a negative sentence as the word is negative but what do you mean by "raped"? He explained the usage and goal of xenon as he should have.

[Wannes]

@Brandon Live:

I had a discussion about xenon at work today and used your post. Thanks! :)