i was gonna post this on the lighting section but it doesn't have much posts in there. anyways, i want some hids in my 99 si, mainly just for visibility. i'm thinking of 4-5k. i'm also thinking of getting dual beam hids.

my question is when i turn on highs, will i be in total darkness for 2-3 secs.
if that's the case, then i'd go with just the single beam.

i have hids on the sienna and mazda3 which have individual lights for lows and highs. it'd take at least 5 secs or more for the highs to completely lit up when it's turned on. but, then again...the lows are still on.

feedbacks/inputs are much appreciated for those of whom have had experiences with dual beam hids. thanks

 

What HIDs? The crappy plug-n-play kits or a real retrofit?

Be specific.

 

No. In a proper retrofit, the only difference between high and low is a shutter that opens to allow more light through.

If you're just doing a PNP setup (which you shouldn't do, and you would know this if you actually read the stickies in the lighting section), you would know that HID kits for our cars are single bulb, dual "filament", and there is no problem with down time.

 

just the crappy pnp hids. so, when you turn highs on...lows still on...right? i thought that when you turn highs...lows turn off.basically, one of the filament just turn on/off. i know there's relay you can install so lows will stay on when highs are on.

 

HID's don't work the same way standard halogens do. You have some research to do. In a shrouded bulb, the brightness never changes - a shroud in the projector moves to allow light out in expanded directions. In a reflected bulb, the bulb just gets brighter.

Just go ahead and stop right now, though. If you aren't doing a proper retrofit, you obviously aren't willing to spend the money on a good set of HIDs. Buy some Phillips XTreme bulbs. Just as bright as a PNP HID kit, cheaper, less obnoxious to oncoming drivers, and 50 state legal.

 

i know they're different. maybe i wasn't been clear or something. but here's again.
i have pnp hids( lows and highs) in my sienna and mazda. they have individual single filament bulbs for lows and highs. when i turn on highs...it takes like 5 or more seconds for them to heat up/completely lit up. while it's heating up...my lows are still on so i can still see the road.
with the civic, it used single bulb with dual filament for low and high. my question is if i get bi-xenon...dual beam...dual filament whatever you want to call it. will low beam/filament turn off when high is turn on? if it does turn off then...like i said i might just get the single filament bulbs because i won't have lights while the highs are heating up.

i'm guessing u said that dual filament works pretty much the same as the dual beam/headlights. instead of switching individual headlights...with the civic's dual filament..you're just switching the 2 filament back n forth...right?

hope this kind of make sense.

 

It's that simple. Nothing turns off.

 

To reiterate, when you switch from low to high beam nothing turns on or off. When you flick the lever all it does is activate a flap that adjusts a beam pattern, the bulb stays on the entire time. While we're on the subject I'd recommend getting some mini projectors. I had the "crappy" PNP kit installed for awhile but finally did a proper retrofit not too long ago. It's stupid easy and the difference is substantial.

 

I bought an older retrofit off of a guy that he did before there were kits. Can't wait to slap it on. Just have to make it plug and play at the connectors.

 

Bulb just moves up in the housing to re-direct the light act as highs..... it kills me to see how complicated people make things seem to be.

 

alright, got it now. i always thought that when you turn high on, it switch to the high filament and the low turns off.
thanks a bunch guys.

 

This is so true, I got some of these and they're just awesome. People sometimes flash me thinking my brights are on.
Then I turn on my brights, and their faces melt like the ***** looking at the Arc of the Covenant