Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

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Xaccers
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Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by Xaccers »

I've seen many cars with these and their beam looks great, brilliant white and very bright.
My question is what causes HIDs to be dimmer than this? Is it the bulbs on their way out?
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by CitroJim »

Potentially although they either seem to be good or dead...
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by Stickyfinger »

Xaccers wrote:I've seen many cars with these and their beam looks great, brilliant white and very bright.
My question is what causes HIDs to be dimmer than this? Is it the bulbs on their way out?
Most likely the cause is Hal(screw-you)fords....and the "Super Bright Whites" they sell for off road use :)
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by Xaccers »

Stickyfinger wrote:
Xaccers wrote:I've seen many cars with these and their beam looks great, brilliant white and very bright.
My question is what causes HIDs to be dimmer than this? Is it the bulbs on their way out?
Most likely the cause is Hal(screw-you)fords....and the "Super Bright Whites" they sell for off road use :)
Alas not the same bulbs. It really didn't help that normal bulb manufacturers started mentioning xenon with theirs.
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by daviemck2006 »

The factory fit ones are usually ok. My C5 had good lights and I never got flashed by oncoming traffic which suggests they did not dazzle other cars. It's the stupid aftermarket blue ones that are a pain. I hate them with a passion now after being blinded by them and writing off the c5 because of them.

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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by Stickyfinger »

daviemck2006 wrote:The factory fit ones are usually ok. My C5 had good lights and I never got flashed by oncoming traffic which suggests they did not dazzle other cars. It's the stupid aftermarket blue ones that are a pain. I hate them with a passion now after being blinded by them and writing off the c5 because of them.

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This :) 100%

then there is the extreme
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by KP »

The colour of the light usually helps a little but as i have learned, they can go a bit weak when they are about to fail as i have had one fail on me... the day before it died it went purple-ish and then nothing...
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Re: Factory fitted HID headlights (Jim's favourite)

Post by Xaccers »

KP wrote:The colour of the light usually helps a little but as i have learned, they can go a bit weak when they are about to fail as i have had one fail on me... the day before it died it went purple-ish and then nothing...
Funny you should mention that, the ns had a pink tinge.
Most websites say Monty takes D2R bulbs which I ordered as replacements. Although a bit brighter they were still poor.
Another site said Rs are for reflectors, S are for projectors and Monty has projectors so I took a chance and ordered a pair of proper D2S bulbs (ie not cheap Chinese) for £20 and they work great.
Looks like the previous owner fell into the same trap and fitted the wrong type.
D2Rs have the cut off painted onto the bulbs while D2S are clear with the cut off being part of the projector, so half the light from the D2Rs was being blocked twice.
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