Are these actually HID lights?

[gusu]

So my passenger side fog burned out and I had been wanting to switch to something better for driving in the fog we have nearly every morning here in Oregon. I have super bright white fogs from the previous owner right now.

So I found some 2500k "HID" bulbs on Ebay for 10.99 shipped. I figure for 11 bucks I'd give them a shot, but I'm not sure if they are actually HID bulbs or not.

It says they are HID in the description but then later goes on to say they are Xenon gas.

Here is the Ebay listing H3 12V 55W 2500K HID JDM XENON FOG LIGHT BULBS YELLOW - eBay (item 180690412952 end time Aug-01-11 14:08:15 PDT)

I know HIDs take roughly 20,000 volts to ignite, but I've never researched Xenon bulbs and can't really find any good information on them.

I don't believe they require a ballast or a relay (although I've known lots of people who have gotten away with out using a relay on HID kits), but I'd like to make sure.

Has anyone else used this deep of a yellow in heavy fog? We get it pretty regularly and I am usually driving home at the peak of the fog unfortunately, so lights that are worth a crap are pretty valuable to me.

 

[dsmpat95]

I don't think they are HID. HID need a ballast.

 

[AwD4g63TsI]

I didn't even look at the link, but I can tell you that if they are new-they are not real HID's. High Intesity Discharge is a term regular bulb makers are using now for anything from different colored HID looking lights, to bulbs that shine just a little brighter than stock. They are not however "real" HID's.

 

[project_skyline]

Those are just regular bulbs that are called "hid" in style. HID bulbs are really long and have a wire running parallel to the element. They usually got like $50 for a cheap pair not including the other stuff.

 

[KazooGS-T]

Here, go to www.DDMtuning.com they offer real HID kits with a lifetime warranty, for cheap. I have used several sets and had one ballast go bad, they warrantied it immediately.

 

[gusu]

Thanks for the info I was 90% sure they were not actual HID lights and honestly I don't feel like wiring up a balast for fog lights I may have to remove when i get a fmic. Though I'd love to be able to see in fog with a fmic its a trade off I can take.

 

[KazooGS-T]

Thanks for the info I was 90% sure they were not actual HID lights and honestly I don't feel like wiring up a balast for fog lights I may have to remove when i get a fmic. Though I'd love to be able to see in fog with a fmic its a trade off I can take.

You shouldn't have to? My fog lights as well as headlights were plug and play... The headlights you originally asked about are indeed not hid's. I can understand not wanting to buy hid's for fogs especially if you are going to remove them possibly but at that price, you can easily sell them for what you spend on them (the ddm kit)

 

[vr4scott]

Being that they are yellow, I'd say HID has become a regular term to be associated with the JDM look of yellow fog lights.

 

[Puscifer]

HID Xenon conversion lighting kits

Just ran across this thread and figured if anyone wanted decent, reliable easy to install / setup full true HID systems. (I purchased mine last year when they were ~$30/pair. Took less than an hour to install and haven't blown a bulb yet or overheated wires) Figured I'd throw that in there since it's one of the typical issues most people have after upgrading lights.

 

[other whitcomb]

see some badass hid setups go to hidplanet.com that site has insane amounts of great info on hids and how to retrofit, all the proper ways of actually going with a hid setup. theretrofitsource.com is where everyone on that site gets all there hids and projectors.

 

[Boostinsideways]

Sharphid is awesome. I have a one of their hid setups on the eclipse. Only complaint is that I payed for 3 day shipping it took 2 weeks to get them. They didn't ship them until the end of the day on a friday, a week after I ordered them (I ordered on a sunday, didnt ship till next friday) and the apparently drop ship from china so it took them a week to get here.

I have the 12k 55w kit, and the cutoff is great, the area that is lit is clear as day however I don't get many people flashing their highbeams at me. And the ones that do are usually in very low to the ground cars. Sucks for them I get bright lighted by bmw suvs all teh damn time with their low beams.

 

[FearlessNick]

Those just put out the same color, not the same brightness.

 

[other whitcomb]

Higher the K the less light output

 

[CLeMMeR]

Higher the K the less light output

Therefore more color involved too bad legal limit here in PA is 12k. Want those 15ks

 

[other whitcomb]

why in the world would you want 15k????? you mind aswell paint your headlights solid whatever color 15k is cause that is just pointless. wont see shit at all and you'll save money buyin the rattle can paint to do your headlights instead of waisting it on a pointless hid kit

 

[Boostinsideways]

Reference

The difference between the optimal Lumens (4300k) and the highest one (12,000k) is negligible when you compair the difference between any of them and standard halogen bulbs.

Your standard headlight probably produces 1200 or less lumens. These produced from 2920-3250 (35w) or 4500-5000 (55w). A 330-500 difference in lumens is going a lot less noticeable than a increase of over 200% (35w) or nearly 400% (55w).

So for some people its as much an aesthetic mod as it is a functionality mod.

 

[other whitcomb]

i like to think different. you will have horrible vision in the rain. ive had 8k and seen 10k's, i now run 4500k and can see a million times better than anyone with a kit 8k or higher. cool beans to you if you are just simply wanting a pure look thing but if you are wanting to get the best light output and be able to see to see something before its too late...id recommend doing it right and retrofitting your headlights. heres some reading material

HID Newb Crash Course
Everything you ever wanted to know about HID bulbs..
in that last link you can see that the 9k bulbs were around 2300 lumans as to where the 5k bulbs are around 3400 lumans.....huge difference...hidplanet.com is a whole forum about hids and retros so the info there i feel is better than a website tryin to sell the product...they'd say anything to get you to buy it in my opinion.
watch this video of a guy from hidplanet with proper retro with fx-r projectors and hids. again just stating my opinion not tryin to start an internet war

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Driving around at night

 

[CLeMMeR]

why in the world would you want 15k????? you mind aswell paint your headlights solid whatever color 15k is cause that is just pointless. wont see shit at all and you'll save money buyin the rattle can paint to do your headlights instead of waisting it on a pointless hid kit

I get that alot haha. Idk just a personal look preference, but I'll just stick with the 10ks as of now. Getting Purple 10k's soon too! Hoping not to be pulled over alot though

 

[Boostinsideways]

other whitcomb I've been driving in the rain with them The are bright enough to see the light out put on the road even during the day.

Anyways here is the math, You can beat raw math with well this is soooo much brighter because I said so.

So assuming a stock output of 1200 lumens (New bulbs clean housing and just sheer luck) you can see that the brightest kit available has 416% as much light output as stock.

Now the dimmest kits are only 375% as bright as stock. Sounds like a drastic difference right? Nope. Your talking a actual total light output difference of 10%.

So... when your measuring in percentages, Comparing the 2 different HID kits is a 10% difference in light output. Noticeable but not enough to ruin anyone's day. But when comparing either to stock your talking about at a minimum of 275% brigther. Is a 275% increase in light out put worth about 60$? Yes.

 

[other whitcomb]

ok and throw in different halogen housings and the fact that any hid system in a halogen reflector housing and even in a halogen projector and you are not getting the full potential of the kit and blinding ppl at the same time. so ill stick with my extra "10%" of better vision then multiple it by a million cause i will have proper retrofitting of a hid projector to each of there own right....agree to disagree on opinions like i said not tryin to start an internet war. put your 12k hids in the projector fx-r from theretrofitsource.com and you guys will love the output....id also be curious to see what the cutoff line would look like cause they are usually an awesome blue!