6000k HID's

It wasnt directed at you. Some spam Chinese company posted here and 3 other threads with wanting to be friends and they make HID bulbs/ballasts. Wondered if I would get a response from them before they were banned.

Did you get D2S, D2R, D4S, or D4R bulbs? If not, then you did NOT buy Phillips bulbs. Many companies brand their crap as Phillips. You get what you pay for. Phillips does not and has never made bulbs for illegal setups.

 

your probably right I bought crap, but check out this link

http://www.lighting.philips.com.au/v2/automotive/productrange.jsp?id=1012984

 

Yes, you should try better quality ballasts first.

 

I have one main comment that needs review, the 2010 Prius if equipted with halogen lamps is equipted with a H11 55watt bulbs. Using OHMS law where 55 divided by lets say 13 volts is 4.2 amps, a slimline ballast is 35 watts divided by 13 volts or 2.7 amps. I truely believe that a fuse will blow before the wire melts, but we have all see the results of the radiant heating the halogen can inflict on the head light lens and bulb plug. The current draw on the factory wire should not be nor is a problem unless somthing else is going on. There is no real reason from a current required standpoint to worry so much. My experience with the German built "slimline" ballast is that as stated it is well filtered and has not provided me with any interference. The physical temperature of the headlight assembly seems to be barely warm compaired to the heat the halogens produced. I couldn't be happer using the HID 6000K bulbs which now have about 12 hours time on them. Maybe they will change color temp, but even if they don't they appear to be only slightly bluer when parked next to an "05" with factory HID's. The projector used in the 2010 really controls the low beam light pattern better than the "05" system.

 

I was under the impression that 5000k is the optimal kelvin rating for the most lumen power where as 4300k was used to transition from halogen bulbs to Xenon. Either way though, you're not going to see much everyday improvement going with 4300k vs 5000k as the lumen difference isn't enough for everyday drivers to differentiate.

Has anyone had a chance to take apart their headlights yet? I'm curious to see if there's enough room to retrofit an s2k lens in place of the halogen one. Or at least a TSX lens.

 

You could ask Robert, he disassembled and reassembled his headlight unit to install the LEDs:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...difications/75695-my-prius-5.html#post1069551

 

Absolutely no interference! I have tried every band and no interference. The ballast are fitted with a huge line choke or filter between the ballast and the car wiring harness. I really think with the 35 watt slimline electronic ballast the interference is handled. These as previously stated are German not Asian in build and seem to be of a very solid design. HID Kits - Xenon Kit - Car Lights Is the supplier I used but their are no doubt others of equal quality.

 

Yup, I was thinking of a different type of bulb. The stockers are 55W halogen, so 4amps ish.

I am not sure how the prius is wired, but it is common for wires to be shared. So if it has 16awg wiring throughout the hood/bonnet it can handle about 20amps. Well startup is going to be a killer, but then alot of that other circuitry under there could be pulling from the same source. So you have to add it all up. It could get pretty close to the limit if not over. And when it happens, heat + thin wires = less votlage which goes to flickering HID lights, browning out computers, and so on. Also once the HID ballast can't light up, it tries again putting you in a perpetual startup cycle giving you the flickering sometimes seen. This is where the danger is. In a car like the Prius, I don't know why you would use a $5 relay to save thousands in potential repairs.

 

No, 4300K is optimal. However, the human eye perceives slightly blue light to be more aggressive and "brighter". So it may look like it is brighter with 5000K, but it is a trick of the eye. True most people cant tell, and if you live in an urban area where there are streetlights everywhere, it really doesnt make a big difference. That 5000k temperature will standout and make your car attract more attention if that's what you want.

You can't just put a lens in. That is one part of a big equation. It would be like slapping the Toyota logo on a F150 and expecting 50mpg. You need the whole projector, which is called retrofitting. Yes it can be done. No it isnt easy. Yes it gives the best results.

 

^^ Well that's what I meant by swapping the lens. I did a retrofit on my last car with s2k projectors so I'll probably be doing the same thing with this one once I get the funds. Just curious to see if anyone had already done it or had measurements to see if it was an easy swap or not.

 

Well swapping the lens has a different meaning than retrofit. For instance I swapped the lens on my RX350 AFS projectors with TSX lenses.

 

Foiled by those damned double negatives again...

Yes, I don't know why you *wouldn't* spend $5 to save thousands.

Thanks

 

Anywhere that is metal to metal is fine. If there is paint or lubricant, you have to scratch it off completely or wipe it away completely. You want shiny steel.

 

Only if they were touching a voltage source tied to your battery's ground which is no different than now. And even then it wouldnt do much.

Your whole car is grounded through the chassis. Evey car is. That is why when you jump start a car you clamp to the body, not the battery terminal. Same connection, but the spark is farther away from any explosive gases emmited from the battery.

 

They have to share a ground.

Meaning it has to form a loop. So positive of spare 12v, through you, through the car chassis, to... Nowhere. So it's a no go. Same with the pole.

Your car, my car, and everyone else's car all have the negative battery terminal connected to the chassis from the factory. It saves a bunch of wiring when the return feed is the car itself.