Poor '08 HID's after change to new bulbs
#1
Poor '08 HID's after change to new bulbs
For the time being, I'm not going to mention the forum vendor I bought these bulbs from, but they're 6000K replacements for my '08 HID's.
They both light fine, and the color looks great - nice, pure white light, which I prefer to the slightly warm 4300K OEM bulbs.
The left light has a large hot spot in the lower middle of the beam pattern, and weak light around that area - not so great. The right light is just plain dim all around, but evenly distributed. Obviously, there's a serious problem here. I drove to work last night, using the headlights for the first time, and I actually pulled over to check if the right side was even still working. The hot spot on the left side falls maybe 20 feet in front of the car, even though the upper cutoff line is at the proper height.
Did I just get a bad set of bulbs - meaning do all this vendor's bulbs suck (as opposed to just my set)? Please share your experiences with replacement HID bulbs for the HR lights, and recommend a reputable vendor. Thanks in advance.
They both light fine, and the color looks great - nice, pure white light, which I prefer to the slightly warm 4300K OEM bulbs.
The left light has a large hot spot in the lower middle of the beam pattern, and weak light around that area - not so great. The right light is just plain dim all around, but evenly distributed. Obviously, there's a serious problem here. I drove to work last night, using the headlights for the first time, and I actually pulled over to check if the right side was even still working. The hot spot on the left side falls maybe 20 feet in front of the car, even though the upper cutoff line is at the proper height.
Did I just get a bad set of bulbs - meaning do all this vendor's bulbs suck (as opposed to just my set)? Please share your experiences with replacement HID bulbs for the HR lights, and recommend a reputable vendor. Thanks in advance.
#2
Super Moderator
MY350Z.COM
MY350Z.COM
iTrader: (8)
Lets see, you went from a high quality OEM bulb to most likely a low quality china bulb and you don't like how they now look. Well at least they are 6k bulbs and look cool. Function is over rataed with most on here, most would be happy with the color.
#5
EDIT: FWIW, the color temp of natural sunlight, on a clear day with the sun at its highest, is between 5500 and 6000K, and a bit higher when the sky is overcast.
Are there any aftermarket vendors which sell a good quality product at less than $200+ OEM prices? Is there no happy medium? For example, when I bought my first M3, years ago, BMW wanted just over $100 per spark plug. I got in touch with Bosch and got the whole set for ~$80. Same plugs, different boxes.
Last edited by dcains; 12-06-2012 at 05:22 AM.
#7
Well, the verdict is in - these bulbs from Diode Dynamics are just not usable, for the issues I described in my first post. The bulbs were definitely seated properly in their sockets, and when I switched them side-for-side in the car, the hot spot in one bulb and dimness in the other bulb switched sides, too. I ran out of time tonight, but tomorrow the old OEM bulbs are going back in the car. I can only guess that production standards/quality control are in play here. I didn't see a country of origin or manufacturer stamped on the bulbs, and they came in an unmarked white box. A waste of money and several hours of my time, but a lesson learned.
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#15
I don't know enough (anything, really) about how the projector lamps work to know why the difference in bulb performance is so pronounced. I can only guess that positioning of the bulb capsule must be very precise for ideal performance, and that the arc the bulb produces must be a specific shape and brightness, as well.
#17
Registered User
iTrader: (7)
Do they look any different than these ones?
http://www.gtrlighting.com/hid-light...bulbs-d2r-d2s/
I'm trying to figure out if these are the same thing as what everybody else is selling.
http://www.gtrlighting.com/hid-light...bulbs-d2r-d2s/
I'm trying to figure out if these are the same thing as what everybody else is selling.
#18
New Member
iTrader: (4)
FYI, When I installed some morimoto 6k's in my 07' I had to physically rotate the bulb assembly while seated in the houseing to get the beams lined up right. For some reason, the morimoto's were off slightly, and need to be readjusted in the housing to correct the cut-off. It looks great, very crisp white, with nice blue cut-off.
These ones herrr
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...oducts_id=1250
These ones herrr
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...oducts_id=1250
Last edited by A-Town-Z; 12-10-2012 at 12:36 PM.
#19
Do they look any different than these ones?
http://www.gtrlighting.com/hid-light...bulbs-d2r-d2s/
I'm trying to figure out if these are the same thing as what everybody else is selling.
http://www.gtrlighting.com/hid-light...bulbs-d2r-d2s/
I'm trying to figure out if these are the same thing as what everybody else is selling.