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HID cutoff not as good as I thought?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by F8L, Apr 24, 2012.

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  1. sfv41901

    sfv41901 Masta S

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    Post #24 is talking about the Harley light......unless I mised something :confused:s
     
    #41 sfv41901, Apr 24, 2012
  2. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I am concerned more with the left. I edited my post though so re-read it. I see the upward bow on your left-side beam as well. :)
     
    #42 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I think I see what you're talking about...
     
    #43 Tideland Prius, Apr 24, 2012
  4. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I realize it looks like no big deal in the pictures you provided but check it again at night and let me know what you think. Also watch passing cars as you drive through neighborhoods or city streets. Are you lighting up their interior or their heads as you make turns? lol
     
    #44 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  5. wotcher

    wotcher Member

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    thanks a lot F8L! i was about to buy some xenon depots and my prius this week. i guess ill have to wait for the results before buying one or the other.
     
    #45 wotcher, Apr 24, 2012
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    No problem. I think. :)

    We'll get this figured out within a few days. I will need to have someone drive my car in the opposite direction of a vehicle I'm driving so I can determine if the glare is unsafe or if lowering the beams will fix the problem if one exists.
     
    #46 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  7. wick1ert

    wick1ert Senior Member

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    Wow, I had typed up stating that I was going for pictures, and then left without posting lol. Anywhere, here's some pictures with the Morimoto's....There's one from about 15 foot and another about 25 foot. Either that, or I'm really bad at judging distance.
     

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    #47 wick1ert, Apr 24, 2012
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  8. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Thanks, brother!

    Yours has the bow but it doesn't look as drastic. I'll try and take more pictures tonight but I'm sitting at a 58.9mpg tank right now and that short trip might ruin it. :p

    If they all look like yours then I would say we are likely not blinding other drivers as long as the headlights are aimed correctly. Nice blue cutoff btw.
     
    #48 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Ok I see the slight bow in his pic (the middle one that's the farthest away from the building).

    As far as I know, I've never gotten flashed and my hot spot is below the top of the trunk of a sedan and just at the lip with two people in the back. I mean you can eyeball it from that pic above and use the Cobalt on the right as a marker, right? I've driven behind police cars and they never pulled me over.
     
    #49 Tideland Prius, Apr 24, 2012
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  10. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I agree. His beams do not appear to have much of a bow. I will check mine again in a different location and see what's up. Good to know the older models look fine with HIDs. Well, I'm still waiting for your night time shots... ;)
     
    #50 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    And I'm desperately trying to think where I have a flat wall and a flat ground to go against (also doesn't help that I'm gaining daylight rapidly so I have to do it quite else I end up waiting til midnight before it's pitch dark lol)
     
    #51 Tideland Prius, Apr 24, 2012
  12. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    L
    O
    L

    I've spent many evenings searching for a good wall. Cops have stopped me for looking suspicious. :D
     
    #52 F8L, Apr 24, 2012
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    You owe me a warm-up cycle :p.

    And yes, they bow out but I've never noticed it until now when I pointed it against a large, flat wall. It's so far out (at least 3 or 4 parking stalls over)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     

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    #53 Tideland Prius, Apr 25, 2012
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  14. realbug

    realbug New Member

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    I just installed a plug n play HID kit tonight and noticed the exactly same problem. Mine came from xenon supply and costed me around $100, which shouldn't be cheap bulbs I assume. I think it's the light housing causing the problem.
     
    #54 realbug, Apr 25, 2012
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  15. massparanoia

    massparanoia Active Member

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    I agree, I think it is the optics that are the problem. They were designed for halogen bulbs, and the HID bulbs probably throw their light around inside there differently than the halogens do.

    Do the make a light fixture that is specific for the HID application?
     
    #55 massparanoia, Apr 25, 2012
  16. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    You're using bottom of the barrel HIDs, right? Could just be due to the different HIDs.
     
    #56 32kcolors, Apr 25, 2012
  17. wick1ert

    wick1ert Senior Member

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    I was worried if I went somewhere with one of the rent-a-cop security people, that I'd get hassled. Luckily, that building was 1/10th mile up the road from me at a small medical center. The ground wasn't perfectly level, but it was pretty darn close!

    Those are the 5000k bulbs in mine.
     
    #57 wick1ert, Apr 25, 2012
  18. sfv41901

    sfv41901 Masta S

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    Not for the gen3........its either halogen or LED.
     
    #58 sfv41901, Apr 25, 2012
  19. sfv41901

    sfv41901 Masta S

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    At this point I'm not convinced that its the HID bulb.
    Yes cheap bulbs mess up the output.
    Yes HIDs have different optics.

    The problem is not the HID bulb or even the optic of the projector. The problem with this specific issue is the cutoff shield. Here is a pic I took this morning leaving for work. The street light was throwing the amber look but you can still see how the left side of the cutoff bows up & I still have the halogen bulbs in. For some reason these projectors were designed with 2 steps in the cutoff. The bowing that we are seeing is a direct result of the 2nd step.

    [​IMG]
     
    #59 sfv41901, Apr 25, 2012
  20. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Sort of. They are DDM bulbs. As usual these bulbs put out more blue-tinted light than I care for but I expected it with these bulbs. When cash is available I will try a better bulb that better represents the 5000K rating. :mad:

    it's ok if the ground isn't super level. As long as you capture the full spread then you can visually compensate for that. Maybe just tilt your head. LOL

    I should have taken a picture on my garage door this morning when I left. Like yours, it makes the bow appear amplified because it is closer to the car. It looks like a big smile. :)

    I'm very interested in seeing what the cutoff shield looks like. This seems like such an odd design but I'm sure it makes sense to the designer.
     
    #60 F8L, Apr 25, 2012
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