For the glare police

[Ursae_Majoris]

Really? I was followed by lifted up truck last evening, that had aftermarket HIDs in headlights and foglights. They were all on, at 5 o'clock at night with no hint of fog in the air. (BTW, the sun does not set until 10 in the evening at this time of the year in AK, in case you are wondering) I turned my rear view mirror on the night mode, and it still was bright.

I wish people like that would end up on the receiving end of a million candle-power flashlight, just so they could suck it up themselves. But then I do not think they would learn anything, their IQ is already in double digits and dropping rapidly.

 

[Russell]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Really? I was followed by lifted up truck last evening, that had aftermarket HIDs in headlights and foglights. They were all on, at 5 o'clock at night with no hint of fog in the air. (BTW, the sun does not set until 10 in the evening at this time of the year in AK, in case you are wondering) I turned my rear view mirror on the night mode, and it still was bright.

I wish people like that would end up on the receiving end of a million candle-power flashlight, just so they could suck it up themselves. But then I do not think they would learn anything, their IQ is already in double digits and dropping rapidly.


Plus one. Here in KY many pick up truck drivers WILL NOT turn their lights on at dusk or even later. Must be a macho thing. Prehaps the Alaska guys and the KY drivers are anti-relatives

 

[ItsuMitsubishi]

See, that's the thing guys... once again it's those monster truck morons giving HIDs a bad name. I run 4200K HIDs in a halogen housing, and it's beautiful- nice low cut off, no intense ellipsoid focussed laser beams, none of that 12000K Ultraviolet A "for show" colour temperature lamps that are 5 feet off the ground. That would annoy anyone! So I do sympathize with you.

 

[Hokiefyd]

It's not just trucks. I had the displeasure of driving to work early this morning, and was caught at the gate with all of our nation's heros going to morning PT. God bless them, they're out fighting for our freedom, but when they're in garrison, they love their HID retrofits. It's hard to look into the driver side rearview mirror and see someone's retrofit glaring into your eyes. I don't even like factory HIDs that have a high flare to the right, because even that will blind you.

ItsuMitsu, I'd love to see a photograph of your HIDs in a halogen housing up against a garage wall. I'm not arguing with you, but yours would be the first and only halogen retrofit that I've seen that retained a good cutoff with no glare.

 

[NightRiderQ45]

When I see idiots with HID's in reflector housing blinding the heck out of me, I make sure I turn on my lights on bright to give them a dose of their own medicine. What I really hate when when they put them in truck and they are behind me at a light blinding the mess out of me!!

 

[countryboy9799]

Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
Really? I was followed by lifted up truck last evening, that had aftermarket HIDs in headlights and foglights. They were all on, at 5 o'clock at night with no hint of fog in the air.


If its not foggy out maybe you gotta replace the o in fog to an a and that will tell you what kind of lights they are!

I talked to a sheriff a month ago and before I even finished my first sentence he interrupted me to say we hate them. These morons are finally taking it to far and hopefully law enforcement will get rid of it like they did to those blue lights from years ago.

I have just gotten to the point where if they are bad enough I just dont dim my lights when they are lighting signs up a half a mile away. Yeah I know two wrongs dont make a right, whatever. At least I am not an a hole blinding every single person coming at me!

 

[exranger06]

My mother's 2005 BMW 330ci came from the factory with HIDs. After riding in her car at night, I can honsetly say they are the best headlights I have ever seen. However, the headlight housings were DESIGNED for HIDs. I am fully against just throwing an HID bulb in a reflector housing designed for halogen bulbs. For this reason I will not install HIDs in my Ranger until I can find some suitable aftermarket housings.

If you're gonna modify your vehicle, do it right, and have respect for other drivers as well as your local laws.

 

[Colt45ws]

I was behind a Cobalt last night that had HIDs. The light was so purple it had to be borderline UV. Im going, how is this useful? Glad I was not going the other way.

 

[milwaukee]

Along the lines of headlight stupidity.....
why do some idiots drive at night with parking lights and fog lights only? with the headlamps off?

I know they must think it looks cool along with the Browning deer head stickers and the UFC [censored] plastered on the back glass but why on God's green earth would you not turn on the headlamps at night?

 

[Hokiefyd]

You forgot the Realtree stick-on camo.

 

[Inliner]

I just ordered a new VW with the bi-xenons. I've only been on the receiving end of Chevy trucks and old Hondas sporting HID kits with wheels that eclipse the value of the vehicles they are on.

I think police should have the authority to stop people, ticket them for reckless driving, and confiscate their bulbs on the spot. Let these idiots walk home! They can read their ticket on the way and rethink their recent "mod". Who, in my local legislature, can I write to on this? I'm sick of starring at the white line until they pass by and I can see again.

If your car didn't come with xenons then buy a new car with proper lights. If you can't afford one, then suck it up, and wait like I did. If your factory lights suck, then slow down! Have some flippin' respect.

 

[Russell]

Originally Posted By: Inliner
I just ordered a new VW with the bi-xenons. I've only been on the receiving end of Chevy trucks and old Hondas sporting HID kits with wheels that eclipse the value of the vehicles they are on.

I think police should have the authority to stop people, ticket them for reckless driving, and confiscate their bulbs on the spot. Let these idiots walk home! They can read their ticket on the way and rethink their recent "mod". Who, in my local legislature, can I write to on this? I'm sick of starring at the white line until they pass by and I can see again.

If your car didn't come with xenons then buy a new car with proper lights. If you can't afford one, then suck it up, and wait like I did. If your factory lights suck, then slow down! Have some flippin' respect.


I agree to a certian extent. The ricemobiles and trucks are a problem.

However my low beam lights were terrible. I needed a solution as I use my old BMW for a daily commute on mostly two lane roads. No interstate type roads. No desire to spend money for new vehicle. Fortunatly the BMW has projector headlights with sharp cutoff. 4500k 55w HIDs work very well for me and I believe have no impact (no more than factory HIDs)on other drivers as the lights have been carefully aligned. No one flashes me on my 2-lane commute route. I believe I have been responsible.

 

[cbear]

I debated long before I went and converted my Harley Sportster to bixenon HID. I can say it's saved me from 2 deer collisons so far. I also have less people randomly pulling out in front of me. I spent several days adjusting the aim so low beam didn't blind my wife as watched my pass. Personnally I think the stock Harley lighting should be outlawed, it's so pathetic. I wish ALL motorcycles came with factory HID.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Russell

However my low beam lights were terrible. I needed a solution as I use my old BMW for a daily commute on mostly two lane roads. No interstate type roads. No desire to spend money for new vehicle. Fortunatly the BMW has projector headlights with sharp cutoff. 4500k 55w HIDs work very well for me and I believe have no impact (no more than factory HIDs)on other drivers as the lights have been carefully aligned. No one flashes me on my 2-lane commute route. I believe I have been responsible.


Thank you.

I have 4300K 35w HIDs. No frou-frou purple or pink color.
The cutoff line on my projectors is identical to an factory Acura TL's HIDs.
I've been high-beamed once but that guy also high-beamed every other HID equipped vehicle on the road.
I've run the "drunk gauntlet" (high DWI enforcement section of road near a large honky-tonk)@ 2:00am.(FTR: I was 100% sober. I just picked a bad time to come back into town) Cops willpull you over for anything. Probable cause for a DWI-stop. The 2 cops I saw (and probably 4 I didn't) ignored me and my HID conversion.

My car had H1s originally. A design that dates back to the early 60's. They were abyssmal.I actually got high-beamed often with my halogens because I hadto run my fog/driving lights just to see and they are integrated into the headlight housing. Not under the bumper. People see 4 lights in the headlamp housing on and assume that it's your brights.
I tried all kinds of H1s, PIAAs, Silverstars, etc... shudder to think of how much money I wasted on bulbs that are an almost 50 year old design. They were just inadequate.

 

[rslifkin]

Poor bulb design can definitely be a problem. Fortunately, for my Jeep, I can upgrade from the [censored] stock 9004s to a set of glass-lensed (rather than plastic) ECE spec headlights that use better H4 bulbs. The other benefit is, by most accounts, this improves the beam pattern and visibility greatly, with a proper dipped cutoff, rather than just a blob of light tossed ahead.

 

[Vikas]

Glass Hella H4 would be great if you can fit them there. You can also get Osram Ralley or similar bulbs for that light.

 

[rslifkin]

Mine aren't sealed beams, so I can't just use a standard conversion. However, the factory european-spec lights are glass H4s, so they're a huge upgrade.

 

[Drew2000]

There's a company that offers "capping" for the HID bulbs to reduce forward glare. Their kits aren't cheap, but appear to be high quality and not too glary with the caps.

http://www.retrosolutionsllc.com/servlet/the-288/HID-BULB-COAT-CAP/Detail

 

[Smokescreen]

glare cap....that's a good one. Less than 1% of the light comes through the end of that thin bulb....its the entire not-made-for-HID bulb optics that the enclosure produces as glare.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Smokescreen
glare cap....that's a good one. Less than 1% of the light comes through the end of that thin bulb....its the entire not-made-for-HID bulb optics that the enclosure produces as glare.


+1

Additionally, the glare caps in OEM reflector housings are designed as an integral part of the housing. The optics depend on a precisely-shaped cap to work. Sticking a hat on the tip of the bulb will most likely be ineffectual. But my mind is open if the company could produce any before/after pictures.