RX300TC

Noo, noo... I guess I didn't explain it well. My bad.

The bulb's ARE indeed very important... and you can buy some aftermarket HID bulbs with the proper ballasts for about $500. But this will not give a TRUE hid SYSTEM. These systems are more standard in Europe than here, cuz the consumers there put more of a priority on safety then the NA consumers.

On a percent basis, things like HID systems, VSC, and other active safety devices are more prevalent and introduced sooner on european models than on the NA versions.

LexRX

CK1_RX3, check out these two threads for reference on a Phillips HID conversion kit on an RX.

one
two

Spinteews and I both have the Phillips kit. He as the bluer looking 6000k kit and I have the more white OEM color 4200k kit. The 6000 and 4200 refers to the lighting color. The larger number is higher in the color spectrum and more of a blue (6000k) or purpleish (7000k) color. All OEM HID's are 4200k - a bright white faintly blue color. The color choice is pure opinion. I think the 6000k looks very cool, but went with the 4200k because it is slighly brighter b/c of the light color.

After having HID's I would NEVER want to go back to Halogens. The amount of light spoils me...PLUS, the system uses 35 watts (vs. 50 watts for a Halogen lights) and produces less heat. $500+ dollars for a Phillips kit can be pricey, but the kits are designed to last 3000+ hours, or the life of the vehicle. HID lights are meant to last a long time. They don't use filaments, but instead burn a Xenon gas via an arc of electricity (which is why they are also referred to as xenon lights). Halogens on the other hand use a filament to produce electric resistance producing heat making the light more of a byproduct.

Check out http://www.autolamps-online.com as a great source for info and quality lighting. They will answer any questions you have. I'm not affiliated with them, but many CL members have bought HID's from them and they know their stuff. Lex400sc also knows a great deal about HID's if you want to PM him.

CK1_RX3

Well, I bought some Super Whites from APC at Advanced Auto last night... 4000k color, 80 watts Xenon looks like 100 watts... VERY happy with the way they look - not as cool and blue as the Philips Ultinon HID kit, but c'mon, they were $25 bucks and look WAY better than OEM. Yes, they are Korean-made and I know that's taboo, but what's the bid deal about that anyways? They look super good and brighten everything up really well...
Now I just need to change the "yellow/horrible" parking lights - I've seen one post with instructions about bending the plastic fender cover off of the sidewall, but I'm not sure if that means from under the wheel well or from outside the body??? Could someone clarifiy?
Thanks!
Ck

CK1_RX3

LexRX

CK1_RX3, be careful with the higher wattage bulbs. They can burn up your wiring harness

LexRX

You got it, it's a 10mm bolt.

Shonuff

thanks nick. i am so bad with nut/bolt sizes.............and i'm an aircraft mechanic doh!!!!

ck: listen to nick. i would definately suggest an aftermarket wiring harness. seen some horror stories on melted wires.

CK1_RX3

LexRX - the store owner at Advance helped me pick them out and assured me the temperature of the 80 watts wouldn't be a problem... he said that the vents in the headlights would allow the heat to dissipate properly so that they wouldn't melt the wiring harness. Do you know something he doesn't? Personal experience with that happening?

RX300TC

What Nick is referring to is the fact that the bulbs you have are less efficient, ie, they use more electricity than normal to make an equivalent amount of light as a bulb that is highly efficient.

More electricity (watts) = more heat through your wires. Many folks have melted their wiring harness (the wires that connect to the back of the lamps) because they replaced their bulbs with ones that use more watts than what the OEM bulbs did.

Hope this helps.

CK1_RX3

It definately helps, but it also obviously concerns me... Anyone know if it will be safe to run 80 watt bulbies on the RX? Should I take them back and get something in an equivalent 4000k color rating that runs more efficiently?
Thanks for the help!
Ck

spinteews

Hey Ck

I have heard someone melting there wiring before on the Rx3 from using a higher wattage bulb. I dont remember who it was but someone did.

Also my friend used similar bulbs before in her accord and twice it has popped and left the bulb shattering all over in her housing which is still there since she cant get it out. I used to use those bulbs in my sisters car and give it about a year or 2 and then it will go out. If your lucky then it'll last longer. Its a cheap effective way to make your lights look and be brighter (i still use it in my sisters car) but i'd rather switch over to HIDS. It will be expensive but well worth of an investment/mod.

I'm running 6000k temp in my car and it looks great. but the higher in temp you go for HID bulbs the more color difference and and less light output you see on the ground. If i went with a 7500k bulb then i woudl have less light output then what i currently have now.

I woudl suggest you go check out and see if you can get any 9006 hid kits that are 4200k or 6000k on ebay. sometimes there are good deals...

HAHA just like Nick, once you go HID u dont want to go back... sometimes driving my sisters car i wonder if the light is on or not LoL

Thanks SHo for the pics... too bad like usual i cant see it at work AHHAH, but i'll check em out when i get home... mabbie that'll be my next project

spinteews

and CK, if you dont want to get HIDS and want to keep those bulbs, try getting PIAA, RAZO, or Raybrig... Those are the more reliable ones. i havn't had problems with those ever since, my friend used HYPER and those were the ones that popped in her housing. My sis used to use some generic crap and that just died early. Now i'm using raybrig and no prob whatsoever. PIAA i installed a while ago cuz i wanted to try those also and those work great.

Like what Sho said, you can also use a wiring harness if you gonna just use those bulbs...

gOOd LucK

ShaggyRogers

Hi all!

CK1, it is best not to use the 80 watts bulbs with your OEM wiring harness. Better be safe than sorry. You can, however, safely use any aftermarket 9006 rated at 55 watts (OEM is @ 51) and 9005 rated at 65 watts (OEM @ 60). There is only a slight wattage difference with these so they won't do any damage.

I, myself, am using these "HID" lights ....for the time being. Don't get me wrong, they look better than the OEM lights, but if you compare them w/ real HIDs, there is no contest. No money right now for upgrading to HIDs (did other mods).

Hope this help.

CK1_RX3

It does help Shaggy - and I will probably decide to play it safe. I have other friends that have these 80 watt bulbs and have for over a year with no problems... their OEM bulbs were also 50-55 watt range (Ford Mustang, Jeep Cherokee) and they haven't had any problems... but you're right, better safe than sorry. Will the 55 watt simulated "HID" be as bright as the 80 watt? If I'm not mistaken, the wattage doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the output of the bulb, but rather the bulbs efficiency as was mentioned earlier.
Thanks for the tips guys!
ck

ShaggyRogers

You are right CK1, the more wattage doesn't always = to more light...it depends on the lumens outage. I would still think your 80 watts would be a little brighter than my 65 watts...but am not positive about this since I don't have any experience with the 80 watts bulbs.

Upgrade to HIDs if you can, otherwise, play it safe. I am going to wait a bit before going with HIDs since I just got the manik side tubes, chrome tailgate handle, and all new lights. Don't want to upset the wife with all this spending...after all, the HIDs would be safer for her to drive, last longer, and be a better investment in the long run Hope she buy into this

Have a good one!