Hey all, I have a 4th gen prelude with oem fogs and it utilizes halogen h3 bulbs. Seeing as the fog housing and casting is all metal and glass only, I was hoping I could simply drop some HID bulbs into it without any heat issues (of course properly wired with ballasts and relays, etc).

However, the h3 HID bulb is quite longer than the halogen h3 and it most certainly won't fit my fog housing. Which leads me to the h3c HID bulb. Is this indeed a true HID bulb? The ones I see online don't have that pole next to the lense, which I was under the impression is what actually charges the HID crystals and grounds it? Regardless. They are marketed as true HID bulbs, and im quite dubious of the marketing.

Can anyone shed some facts on that bulb as a direct fit swap in terms of size (or just in general) for the h3 halogen? Information I've found seems to be quite contradictory.

Thanks in advance. Happy wednesday! (If there is such a thing)

 

The H3C without the connector wire looks to me like its just a regular halogen bulb . I am asking my supplier now to see exactly what the difference is and why that have 2 variations.

 

They are not sure about that bulb you are talking about . I wouldn't purchase it unless it has the wire to connect the bulb together to power the gas .

 

H3C vs H3 HIDS?!?!

 

Oh wow, ok I'll have to read that when I have time tomorrow. So I am to understand that there are mini h3 AND h3c HID bulbs that both are the same size as the halogen h3. The HID h3 is a longer bulb that obviously doesn't fit.

So I use my AMP ballasts running off the relay to power the HID bulbs just like I've done with my headlights, but I can use the mini h3 or h3c, which you have in stock?

 

No there are two types, H3 (like you have) and H3C. The HID version of the H3 is too long to be used in most H3 applications because just like all "kit bulbs" they are just re-based and mass produced. The capsule length is far longer than normal H3 bulbs and usually causes a fitment issue and the focal distance is wacked way out causing a poor light dispersment. The H3C keeps the overall length and focal distance unchanged so output is better.

To answer your wiring question, yes you will use normal amp ballasts and should run them with a proper relay harness.

 

i can get a hold of H3C bulbs and they do shorten it up a bit compared to stock . Debating if i should stop stocking the regular H3 bulbs