92Es300 5sPd

Can someone please explain why the hid kits cost 500 bucks and what makes them so good? I love the way they look but I never knew they cost so much so what makes them so pricie?

blux

Becuase its a rip-off PERIOD. HID isnt worth 500 bucks, in 5 years it will be at chekers for 25 dollars...its just way to hyped up now. I mean caman, a couple of LIGHT BULBS, and a special ballast....its not worth 500...dont waste your money unless you have money to waste..

squarehat

True HID systems consist of the bulbs, or "arc discharge capsules" and ballasts, transformers that turn the car's 12V DC power into a higher voltage AC power source for the HID lamps (which actually end up drawing less wattage than conventional halogens, 35W instead of 55W). The capsules have no filament, rather, an arc of light is created by electrifying metal halides in an atmosphere of noble gas (usually the infamous Xenon). While drawing less power, they put out close to three times the light (lumens) of halogen, and a whiter light that is closer to sunlight (higher on the color temperature scale, measured in Kelvins. 4300K is the optimal color, and used by cars with factory HID systems. Some aftermarket systems use bulbs that go past pure white into purples and blues.
Factory HID systems are usually auto-levelling, to minimize glare, one of the reasons optional factory HID systems are so expensive. This involves a computer, sensors in the suspension, and stepping motors moving the headlight reflector or projector.
Standalone HID retrofit kits, while technically illegal (for having a beam pattern not designed to work in optics intended for less bright halogens, and for lack of self levelling, can be had for around $450.
Look for kits that use Philips and Osram components, those are the brands used in factory systems. The bulbs themselves should be clear, dyed bulbs will put out less light, look ricey, and draw attention to the fact you're running illegal headlights.

92Es300 5sPd

Thanks boht of you for the input it sounds like they are ahead of their time. dont know if I could afford such an expensive mod but it is probably a great investment.

LexFather

HID is the real deal. If you have the money, it's the way to go. The bulbs are okay, but anybody can buy a bulb. The other good thing about the kits is ANYONE can install them in 10 minutes.

THe difference is HUGE, period. Check this link to see the difference (thanks Manaray for the useful thread dude)

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...threadid=48111

This thread has EVERYTHING YOU NEED about HID vs bulbs.

amrit50

Shop around, kits are in the $400 range. The one i have has beam pattern exact bulbs, which is the most important thing. I recommend 4100-5600 K. Anything higher, and you're not helping the lighting much. The difference is phenomenal. Anyone who doesn't have the best eyesight or who is aging will notice the benefit right away. Everything is brighter, and sharper, and the light color is more pleasing to your eyes.

I don't think HID will ever be $25 a bulb. This technology is about 8 years old now, and the price was about $2000. It will prob. level out at about $250-$300.

Lvangundy

Going to HID is probably one of the better things you can do improve your car. Besides giving your car an updated look, the light output is superb compared to standard halogen. If you do alot of night driving HID's are also reccommended.

McCulloch makes a good quality conversion kit for most cars. From what I've heard they have a good cutoff line for an aftermakret system.

Kits run about $350-450 I think..

PhoenixGoldLex

I got the 8000K kit (highest available)

for $359 Brand new.

You can the old 3-4K set for around $250 on ebay.

The 3-4 set is very blue, while my 8K is more purpleish.

It's more of a perference than anything.

Just my .02 cents!

amrit50

i wouldn't buy 8000k or anything off ebay. 4100k is the whitest, and most efficient light. Get a kit from a reputable place online w/ a waruntee and make sure you get "beam pattern exact" This is the most important thing.

squarehat

I agree totally with amrit50. Beam pattern-corrected bulbs are a must, or you risk being flashed by irate drivers, or even worse, being flashed blue and red lights in your rear-view mirror.
OEM type 4100-4300K bulbs put out the most useable light, and don't draw attention to one's non-DOT spec light setup (especially on a Lexus, where 4100K don't look out of place, provided that the beam pattern is proper and there are no "halos".

Johnny Mo

I'd agree that HID is the *****, but it all depends on what you want/need. Personally, as soon as I found out that I could get HIDs for my Expedition (Sylvania/OSRAM) aftermarket I went and did it. I got too used to having them on both my and my wife's Lexus'. It was about 900 when I got them and I recently saw almost 1 year later the price starting to drop to about $600 on the same set-up. The problem people are going to start having is with the new "proposed" legislation requiring HID systems to have a self leveling mechanism which will make aftermarket kits cost prohibitive and not DIY friendly. squarehat makes very good points about making sure you are getting DOT legal stuff if you are worried about the flashing "cherries" in your rear-view.

AS far as the temperature of the lights, there's alot of hype around the color and temp on the lights, but if you ask me anything that claims to be hotter than the color of sunlight...c'mon who has ever seen anything that bright and would you really know if it was that color. Its a bunch of marketing hype to appeal to people who want the most extreme item they can get i.e. if 4600k is good 8100K MUST be better. Not slamming anyone who gets the 8100K, but at what point is there no point in a "hotter" burning color that it actually remains a visible difference. Beam pattern and length must remain within a certain spec in order to be DOT compliant, temperature (color) becomes meaning less after a certain point.

amrit50

sulvania's xenarc line is DOT approved, and at our local advance autos. There is no selfleveling or anything like that.

Johnny Mo

amrit,

you are correct, and the way they the Sylvania Xenarc's circumvented the self-leveling requirement was by changing the reflector pattern to not blind oncoming traffic. The fact that my headlights are at most people's forehead height while sitting in their cars is a whole other issue. My understanding is that these existing systems would be grandfathered in, and that any newly produced systems sould have to include a self-leveling feature. This is not a law yet, but it is being discussed.

amrit50

do you know how the self leveling works? Does the light actually stay at the same level no matter what the car is doing?

squarehat

From www.lexussafety.com :

Dynamic auto leveling (included in HID headlamp option) helps maintain correct aim of headlamps for better nighttime visibility when acceleration/deceleration or vehicle loading (such as rear-seat passengers or heavy cargo in trunk) alters suspension ride height. It also helps prevent excessive glare to oncoming traffic

I believe their are sensors in the suspension, at each of the four wheels, that detect how much the car is pitching, and send data to an ECU that sends instructions to stepping motors that move the reflector or projector assembly.
Additionally, when the lights are first turned on, they move up and down once until they reach the proper level for the way the car is loaded. I've been in an IS300 many times at night, I know for sure they do this when the car is stopped and the lights come on, I don't know about what happens when the lights are turned on while in motion.

An aside about Sylvania Xenarc, are you referring to the modules for large domestic SUVs/pickups (Expedition/F150, Yukon/Suburban/Sierra), that swap out the optics as well as the lighting, so the beam pattern is perfect?