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35w or 55w HID kit?

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Old 03-25-10, 07:33 PM
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dealer374
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Default 35w or 55w HID kit?

So I have a 35w 6kk in my fogs and want to get the 5kk upstairs for the low beam. Should I go with 35w or the 55w for the low beam? What do you think, would I be ok without running the harness for 55w kit? Is the 55w going to be overkill and do you think the 35w will do the job fine? Any pics of a 35w vs. 55w would be really helpful. Thank y'all
Old 03-25-10, 07:36 PM
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carbongs
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i think the 35watt will do fine. the 55watt is what i upgraded to. it is much brighter and i found that i had to lower the light angle to compensate but the 35 will def get the job done.
Old 03-25-10, 08:07 PM
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sam430
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I recommend 35w if you don't have projectors.
Old 03-25-10, 08:12 PM
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shvc1991
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^ +1

The beam pattern would be scattered everywhere and that's just asking for trouble from other drivers.
Old 03-25-10, 08:22 PM
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mikevanle
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HIDs are designed to run around 35w anyways. You might damage the ballast or heat up the wires over time with the 55.
Old 03-25-10, 08:24 PM
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carbongs
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Originally Posted by mikevanle
HIDs are designed to run around 35w anyways. You might damage the ballast or heat up the wires over time with the 55.
yeah the 55w ballsts are usually slightly longer and do compensate for the power difference. i think it makes the output look more like the oem acura, merc, bmw...
Old 03-26-10, 02:08 AM
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JeffTsai
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I run 55w in my car for the extra light output. It really helps if you drive around dark and unlit areas at night.
Old 03-26-10, 09:40 AM
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shvc1991
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What's the highest wattage you should be able to safely go to? 55?
Old 04-28-10, 11:24 AM
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SpeederRea
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Originally Posted by dealer374
So I have a 35w 6kk in my yellow fog lights and want to get the 5kk upstairs for the low beam. Should I go with 35w or the 55w for the low beam? What do you think, would I be ok without running the harness for 55w kit? Is the 55w hid kits going to be overkill and do you think the 35w will do the job fine? Any pics of a 35w vs. 55w would be really helpful. Thank y'all
Just go with 35w, more efficient. you won't have to worry about melting also.
Old 04-28-10, 11:45 AM
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TopRamen
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i run the 55w upstairs and downstairs.

it runs the same voltage as the 35w during driving, so no need to worry about a harness or melting.

start up is 2 volts higher, still in a safe range.
Old 04-28-10, 11:52 AM
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CK6Speed
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Originally Posted by TopRamen
i run the 55w upstairs and downstairs.

it runs the same voltage as the 35w during driving, so no need to worry about a harness or melting.

start up is 2 volts higher, still in a safe range.
What about the current? Can't be running 55W output without drawing much more current than 35W.
Old 04-28-10, 12:07 PM
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Rich23
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Run 35w... they serve me very well... Dispersion of light on the roadway is good too. No complaints here...
Old 05-03-10, 10:55 AM
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mowmow
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OE hid is 55w, most aftermarket kits are 35w since 35w ballast and bulbs are cheaper
than 55w. According to some of the hid vendors, 35w hid kit is no more than 15% less
brightness than the 55w kit. ( I forgot which vendor it was, I read about this long time ago )
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