The HID Lighting Tutorial

[Orient Express]

Hi-beam HIDs?

Yuck!

The high reflector on the Civic is completely the wrong design for a light that is as bright as a HID lamp.

The only HID high beam that makes sense and is a good design are Bi-Xenon projector lights.

[tda1337]

go with HIR lights (plug and play light bulbs only) for the high beams
youll never be happier 2x the output :-P
im gonna do that soon

[splew]

Does anyone know of any conversion kits that use d2r style bulbs? From reading that article it seems that the reason pnp kits produce so much glare is that they use d2s style bulbs which are designed for use in projectors instead of d2r style bulbs which are designed for use in parabolic style reflectors (like the oem headlights on our cars). So i'm guessing that a pnp kit using d2r style bulbs wouldn't produce much more glare than a retrofit. What do you guys think?

[splew]

Hello? Anyone? Is this thread dead or something?

[Tim]

Originally Posted by splew

Hello? Anyone? Is this thread dead or something?

Regarding the use of D2R bulbs vs. D2S bulbs in reflector housings not already designed for the job:

Originally Posted by si_civic

That is a common misconception.

Excerpt from an HID professional:

In terms of D2S or D2R, [our - xenondepot] HID conversion kits use a D2S bulb. We have done various experimentation over the past year and for a retrofit application or OE application out side of Europe the D2R bulb is not required. The stripe on the D2R lamps helps hide the salts which would appear as parasitic images in the light dark transition area of the European Assymetric dip pattern. On a retrofit or DOT beam pattern (Your headlight) you do not have this light dark transition requirement therefore the D2S bulb is just fine for any application.

[splew]

Thanks.

[FirefighterI]

I am wanting to put HID lighting in my 08 civic si coupe. I have been doing some reading and now have mixed feelings. are all plug and play kits crap and not worth buying unless you are going to do the retro fit to projectors? I just want to spend a couple hundred bucks on some lights that are going to look cool and work fairly well. Any input would be great. If anyone has used a HID kit that they like please let me know

[splew]

Yeah I want to get a pnp kit too but it seems like everyone who has a pnp kit says they work just fine but everyone who has a retro says that pnp kits are s**t and you should get a retro. I've seen pnp kits on other cars and they look fine with only slightly more glare than stock but way more light on the road. From the ones I've seen as long as you get a 4300K pnp kit it looks just like any other car with factory hids but the ones with 6000K,8000K,10000K, and 12000K just look nasty and glaring. If you want the most possible light on the road and the least possible glare then get a retro. Keep in mind though BOTH pnp kits and retros are ILLEGAL.

[FirefighterI]

every HID kit is illegal? they or only if you go higher then 4300k? I was thinking of going like 6000k

[kobel4k3r5]

nice post and link! +1

[splew]

Originally Posted by FirefighterI

every HID kit is illegal? they or only if you go higher then 4300k? I was thinking of going like 6000k

Plug and play kits are illegal for use on the road. Retros are also technically illegal because it is illegal to modify your OEM headlights. I saw both of these elsewhere on this forum and I would give you the link but I'm too lazy to track then down.