4 questions re: HID headlights

So...they're not fake? They are real HID bulbs? I guess you were wrong. That was the claim I was addressing. Wait, are you STILL saying they are fake bulbs? Halogens masquerading as HID bulbs? You're very confusing. If you think they are low quality HID bulbs, fine, but don't confuse people by claiming that they are 'fake bulbs'.

As far as quality, time will tell. The vendor has excellent feedback, which says more to me than a brand name sticker on a package.

Is this paint of which you speak visible? Because the bulbs look identical to the OEM bulbs I took out of the car...but they are brighter. What happened to your 'reduced light output'? The difference from my OEM bulbs is obvious. Maybe my OEM bulbs were never as bright as they should have been- they were always very poor performers. So much for 'brand name OEM bulbs.'

You're pretty sure a bad bulb is going to cause all that damage, huh? Well, you just write your big checks if it makes you feel smarter. Maybe I should start taking my Prius to the dealer for TOYOTA BRAND SERVICE at $50 per oil change. When I do it myself, it costs HALF as much. It CAN'T be as good, right? I'll add a corollary to your "too cheap" law...if YOU didn't think of it or discover it, it just CAN'T be any good. We're all just suckers. You're the one savvy one out there.

 

UPDATE: The replacement 'cheap' HID replacement bulbs are still working perfectly, having just passed the 2 yr. mark.

 

Drat -- they're up to $54.99 a pair now.

 

I never saw your response back in 2008 or I would have responded. I'm glad they're still working, but that doesn't change the fact that 12000k HIDs have less light output and are illegal for use on the roads in the US. Perhaps the bulbs you got were not 12000k, but the link you provided back in 2008 were for 12000k bulbs. These are "ricer" bulbs that kids put in Honda Civics, etc.

This is very good, and is not from a vendor:

http://orca.st.usm.edu/~jmneal/tiburon/hids.htm#9

Like I said before, its great they were cheap and still working. But, if you have 12000k lamps like what was listed in the link you provided, you have less light output than OEM and you are dazzling oncoming drivers...thats just a fact. They may "look brighter" to you, but they actually produce less usable light output. Again...thats undisputed fact. Google it. You will not find anyone reputable who will make the statement that higher kelvin bulbs produce more lumens than lower kelvin bulbs.

You obviously thought I was trying to be a "smarty pants", but thats not the case. I've done an HID conversion before, and I know what I am talking about here. I would not put those bulbs you provided the link to in my vehicle or my family's vehicle...even if they lasted 20 years. They're just an inferior product. The brand isn't so much the issue as the 12000k color temp of the bulbs. Now, what should I have done? Just said nothing?

I don't want things that "just work", I want things that work the way the manufacturer intended them to work, work within the confines of the law, and keep me and my family safe. Oftentimes this involves research...and not just buying the cheapest thing I can find.

Now, its been 2 years and like everything else related to technology, prices have come down. You can now buy name brand, DOT legal high quality HID bulbs for $150 for two.

I'm not pretty sure, I know it will because its happened to me. They can also melt the wiring in the wiring harnesses and ruin those too. Again...I know...its happened to me. Lots of heat in a bulb...and when they fail they can explode, and when they explode inside the lamp housing...it ruins the housing.

 

$229 a pair for bulbs only here: http://hidbulbsource.com/HID-D4R-Bulbs.html

How do I tell whether my 2008 Prius has HID or Halogen?

 

If you don't know...they're halogen. I believe the package 3 has halogen.

HID headlamps are the intense white/blueish lights you see on upscale cars...well now on a lot of cars but it used to be you only saw them on high end cars.

 

pick your package.
https://priuschat.com/forums/knowle...andard-optional-equipment-some-countries.html

 

I am trying to buy some D4R headlight ballasts and have found some at Sonic Tune for $55 each. Anyone ever hear of Sonic Tune and can vouch for their product? I have a 07 Prius and it has the famous headlight flicker on and off and going out all together.