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6000K Xenon Headlights

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by TimeFor, Oct 23, 2004.

  1. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    Refer to this post on installing Info...

    http://priuschat.com/forums/how-do-i-remov...per-vt5052.html

    And here they are.

    These are warmed up after 1 min. Not just turned on.
    Right side, 6000K xenon… Left.. Stock 4100K bulb.

    http://www.priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.....php?pic_id=938


    Hi res up close image of headlight

    http://www.priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.....php?pic_id=939

    Compared to my 4100K’s in my BMW with 3000K Yellow Fogs.

    http://www.priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.....php?pic_id=940

    http://www.priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.....php?pic_id=941
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    So is there something you like better about the 6000k color temperture? To me the stock look brighter, albeit a cooler temperture light...which doesn't bother me a bit.

    What is your motivation for changing these already expensive bulbs that are amazingly bright and effective?

    I'm a little in the dark (sorry, it had to be said) on this... :pukeleft:
     
  3. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    There is no real advantage to 6000K bulbs. They provide the same amount of light as the 4100K. Its just that they are a different color. And thus, different.

    I like the Prius. But I'll like my Prius a little more if it’s unlike the 30,000 other Prius on the Road. And cost wasn't really the Issue here. I paid $97 shipped for these bulbs on ebay. I could turn around and sale my stock bulbs for 40 - 45$. So it wasn't that they cost me a whole lot. The downside was the install. It took me 3 hours trying to figure out how to safely remove the bumper by my self.

    My next project will require me to remove this bumper again. I wish I had bought the parts to my fog lights before I did this install. I could have done both at the same time.

    Next light upgrade will be 6000K or 8000K Xenon Fog Lights.
    :wink:
     
  4. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    Personally, I find the blue hue of HID headlights of some cars. I am happy with it s color temp.

    I do agree though, the fog lights need lots of help. They seem useless to me as is.
     
  5. mmccking

    mmccking Junior Member

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    I like the 6K look! I've never seen the Prius HIDs before I got mine, and I was a bit disappointed to find them more yellow than I hoped. Having never seriously looked into HIDs, I didn't realize they came in different temps.

    I have a bank of 6ks for our kitchen, we use them when we want it to "extend" daylight for parties and such.
     
  6. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    "More yellow than you'd hoped"?? 6000k is a warmer (i.e. more yellow) temperture than the OEM 4000K. I find the HID's to be slightly blue at start up then almost a pure white within a minute or so. Are you sure you're seeing the HID headlights and not the standards ones?
     
  7. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    Actually the lower the number the more yellow the bulb. Thats why Halogen are around 3200-3500 color temp. The older headlights are even lower. The YELLOW bulbs in my fog lights on my BMW (As seen in the Pictures) are 3000K bulbs.

    The stock bulbs start out Blue and quickly turn White. 4100K’s are just under the color of Sunlight. So they are about the whitest you can get. When you go higher, like my 6000’s, you start to get bluer. There isn’t any purple in them though; purple is created through use a lens like on the newer BMWs and Benz’s. They are really only 4100K bulbs… But they appear dark blue and purple from a distance.

    The pictures I took are a very color correct image of what they look like in real life. Those were taken with the headlights warmed up so that color blue is what they look like all the time.
     
  8. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Ok, I'm sort of thinking in reverse. When I adjust the color temperture for the White balance of a photo and use a higher temperture the color looks more yellow...but that's b/c I'm adjusting to a number over the actual recorded temp. Likewise using a lower number makes an image more blue.

    Infra Red --lower temp (yellower)
    Ultra Violet --higher temp. (bluer)
     
  9. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    For anyone who wants to see a better comparison of the Xenon… I took some photos tonight of my Prius and a Lexus GS430. The Lexus uses D2R bulbs just like the Prius and more than likely are designed exactly the same way. Being both Toyota and all.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=949
     
  10. mmccking

    mmccking Junior Member

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    I understand color temperature just as Timefor explained, however, with sunlight being closer to 6k kelvin, which should be a blueish-white. I agree our 4000Ks look nice and white, however, when compared to sunlight, which was the effect I was hoping to get with the Prius' HID upgrade, they actually are more yellow and a bit of a disappointment to me.

    I didn't realize that the BMWs and MBs got their blue-purple from lenses versus their bulbs, which would be an alright alternative to 6000Ks to me.

    If the do-it-yourself-upgrade wasn't so involved I'd be doing it to :)
     
  11. roger

    roger New Member

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    but... you never look at your own headlights..

    I don't get it. like, what's the point? it's not like it is something that other road uses would care about, or notice, or admire.
    Headlights just let you see things when the sun is below the horizon, so you dont hit them. And that's it.

    Oh, and TimeFor, for a real comparison, you need to take the photo squarely in front of the middle of the vehicle, taking it from the side of the new one is of course going to make it look brighter, because you are more in front of it than the other one.
     
  12. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    They ARE NOT BRIGHTER! I never said they were.
    And the 4th photo is "squarely in front" of both cars. It idea was there is less glare if the photos are taking from the sides. Its also much easier to see the color differences from an angle.
     
  13. roger

    roger New Member

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    not saying they are or that you said they were, just saying it's harder to compare when one is so much brighter in the photo than the other one...

    No need to shout.. sorry if I upset you. Was just offering advice
     
  14. justwatchme

    justwatchme New Member

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    i dont really see why you guys are questioning his motives for upgrading his headlights, its one of the most common nonperformance modifications. And its a functional upgrade not like vanity plates, i know im going to upgrade my halogens to HID's 8)
     
  15. roger

    roger New Member

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    how so?
    The ones that came with my car work wonderfully.
     
  16. Quickster

    Quickster Junior Member

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    TimeFor, regardless of the reason you changed your headlight bulbs, I for one greatly appreciate your taking the time to post the details, and pictures, of the process you went through to accomplish the task.

    And BTW, I will be replacing my OEM lights when my new ones arrive, and I am back in Orlando to do this.

    Thanks again.
     
  17. rydot

    rydot New Member

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    So, for those of us with HID Prius models; what's involved in changing our foglamps to match them?
     
  18. Vernon

    Vernon New Member

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    And why the heck must the entire bumper be removed to change a lightbulb? Doesn't seem like a very good design.
     
  19. flareak

    flareak Fleet Captain

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    HID's are supposed to be very expensive. aka 1000$ or more. Xenon is not the same as HID. (Just explaining to those who didn't know) I also thought that bluer lights were detrimental to visibility whenever it rains
     
  20. TimeFor

    TimeFor New Member

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    1st, Xenon ARE HID. They are the same thing. Many people think Xenon mean painted blue halogen bulbs with xenon gas. "Ricers" and people like that came up with the painted blue bulbs and learned if they filled them with xenon gas they could market them as xenon. And the bulbs are xenon bulbs.... However. Xenon gas in a halogen headlight does nothing. They are still a blue painted 80w halogen headlight bulb. They paint them blue so the color is kind of close to xenon... Again... Those are not HID or real xenon bulbs. You can tell by the price. If they are under 90$ for a pair. They are not real xenon HID bulbs. Second, Those fake xenon are indeed not as bright as non painted ones. The fake xenon have less light because they have a coat of paint on them.... duhhh.. Xenon HID Headlights come in either D2S or D2R bulbs that require a Ballast to generate aprox 25000 - 30000 volts. They are costly. But not 1000$. They will run you 400 to 500 for a set of the ballast and bulbs.

    If you want your fogs to match, you have two choices. Cheap and expensive. Cheap... Buy fake xenon 9006 fog light bulbs painted blue. They are not going to be bright... But maybe bright than the cheap stock bulbs... And they will be blue... But not your headlight color. The color is never that close.. Its always way off and anyone can tell they are not real HID xenon. The expensive way is to buy a real HID xenon D2R kit. Which is what I'm planning on doing next. Make sure you buy D2R as they are reflective lights, not focused through a lens.

    Plus side to HID xenon fogs... A lot. They will be as bright as your headlights! They will match perfectly... Because they are headlight bulbs. They will not melt your fog lights. HID don't get as hot as even 50w 9006 bulbs. They draw less power than 9006... they are only 35w each. Xenon fogs are a great upgrade if you want more light on those dark roads. But you need to understand you will also be losing the point of fog lights. Fog lights allow you to see in the fog. They should work in place of your normal headlights in really thick fog. But HID fogs will not help you because they are the same as your normal headlights. If you truly want to see better in the fog... Yellow is the best color for that. So invest in some cheaper... 55-60$ for YELLOW 9006 bulbs.

    For more info....

    The real deal on Xenon HID
    http://www.howstuffworks.com/question387.htm

    The cheap knock off Xenon
    http://store.yahoo.com/mobile-emotions/xenhead.html

    On that 2nd site they are even advertising the knock offs as HID... So who knows... Looks like they are going to get away with calling them HID's too!