Is it worth doing HIDs without projectors? A lot of people say you need them, but a lot of people are happy without them, so I am confused. I've done a ton of reading, but can't get a consensus.

I'd be interested in doing the to my Integra, 03 G35 Sedan, and SV650 (single headlight naked bike).

Thanks!

 

basically you get light that's comparable to that of a low resistance high wattage bulb but end up pissing me off when you're driving behind me and i get your blue 8k light in my mirrors.

 

NO!!! PLEASE do not use a cheap@$$ POS HID kit.

Do an HID projector retrofit, or nothing at all.

For the Integra, 9011 HIR bulbs in place of the stock 9006 should give you a nice increase in light output without drawing more current www.hirheadlights.com

As for the G35, HID is even worse in a stock halogen reflector housing than it is in a halogen projector housing. You will get massive glare everywhere, and it won't put the majority of the light where you need it, that is, 50+ feet out in front of your car down the road.

See my stickied thread above showing why HID kits are crap.

 

Thanks for the info, especially on the G35 housing. A few days ago I thought "that's a project (not a reflector) so a PnP kit would be perfect for the G35." Somehow I missed your sticky (i've spent many hours reading), thanks for directing me!

I'll go ahead and admit that it's not just light output that I care about on my cars (on my bike I do). I the look of luxury color temp of the road is cool too (i know, i know, go ahead and call me a ricer; i'm not though). I think the HIR's would be GREAT for my bike. I'm usually driving my G35 and integra in well-lit suburbia, so lighting isn't that big a deal. I'll definitely think about picking up a bulb for my bike. For anyone's reference, here is a great thread comparing stock halogens, HIRs, and HIDs:

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread/t-164266.html

I know a couple cars came from the factory with HID's, but without projectors (acura TL). Do these perform okay just because the housing is designed for that bulb? In other words, is putting a PnP kit on my vehicles a bad idea solely because the bulb sits in a different place in the housing, which shines the light in different places?

Bonus question: My friend has a '01 TL with HIDs (without projectors) and the light output kinda sucks for HIDs. He bought some bulbs that someone on the acura forums recommended and they are worse. Does he need new bulbs? or is this a OEM design problem and he needs projectors?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

 

Let me summarize what you still havent understood.
A) Your headlights are meant for halogens only, so stick to them.
B) There are projectors for halogens only, which is why if you put a pnp kit in them, they will have a narrow beam distribution

C) Older TL's, older G35's, Lincoln navigators, older Cadillacs, etc. use HID reflectors, not halogen reflectors. They are not the same design, which is why they pass DOT specs and are LEGAL.

 

First, thanks for not answering any of my questions, but starting off with a gratuitous insult. I did understand A & B by the way.

My question is that a light source is a light source. Is it because of the position of the bulb (the actual filament) that the light is reflected into different areas? In other words, it doesn't matter what brightness a light is, it will still be reflected off a mirror at the same angle, so why don't PnP kits work?

I take it my older G35 (with halogens) does not have HID reflectors and they made separate reflectors for halogens and HIDs.

 

You are very welcome, and will gladly do it again

[QUOTE=Cyphear;37604367
My question is that a light source is a light source. Is it because of the position of the bulb (the actual filament) that the light is reflected into different areas? In other words, it doesn't matter what brightness a light is, it will still be reflected off a mirror at the same angle, so why don't PnP kits work?
[/quote]
pnp kits do not work because,
A) even though the bulb base is the same as a halogen bulb, the optics are VERY, and by very i mean night and day, different.
So, while one is optimized for filament light distribution, the other is optimized for saltine/mercury light distribution.
As a result, the position of the bulb to aid for filament distribution should be in the middle and have reflective mirrors on all sides to reflect the light off of them and going towards the road.
However, if you do the same with an HID bulb, the bottom reflector will reflect the light from an HID bulb upwards. Also, an HID bulb is more intense, so you would need to make the reflector wider, so you can get an even distribution of the extra brightness that halogens do not have. As a result, there is a nice beam distribution and no glare. Also, notice how most HID reflectors lack a huge reflective part on the bottom and the bulb is positioned higher than a halogen bulb.

G35's came with reflective HID's(reflectors). I'm not sure if they ever came with halogen low beams but most i know, they have xenon low beams and halogen hi-beams.
The newer G35's(06+) and g37's come with xenon projectors.

Here is what a true HID bulb for reflective headlights(reflectors) look like:
Notice the shield built into the bulbs:



Now look at this bulb specifically for projectors:


HID kits come without the shield built into the bulb, thus they will cause MORE glare.
Even if you get rebased D2R bulbs, like the first two pictures i showed you, the optics for which a halogen housing is designed will not accomodate the extra brightness of an HID bulb.