Rev 2 Liv

I just realized that the OEM HID bulbs on my car are 7 years old! They still work fine, but appear more purplish than before.

Is it prudent to replace them? If so, what brand/bulb/temp will fit the C320 frosted Xenon low beam headlamps?

Will higher temp bulbs put more strain on the ballast and electrical system?

thanks,

Also, if anyone in the Boston area has a Carsoft multiplexer, i'd be interested in seeing it in action. I have a few things I want to do.

Also, i've played around with EPC, but not Star WIS for W203. I'd like to see the WIS sheet for lower kick panel(s) for both drivers side and passengers side. Thanks for any help on that!

TemjinX2

Yes i would replace them. Your suppose to replace them every 3-5yrs depending on how much night driving you do.

Hid bulbs uses crystals instead of filaments, so they dont burn out they just color shift and fade.

Color temp has no reference in how much electrical draw it has. OEM hid bulbs use less wattage then halogen bulbs. 35watts vs 55watts with halogen.


I would recommend going with oem philips 4300k, i believe you can buy them for $70-100 shipped.

If you want more blue, you can go with 6000k. I wouldn't recommend going below 4300 and above 6000k.

Moviela

High Intensity Discharge lamps contain two electrodes sealed in a transparent capsule with a gas, usually xenon, and produce light by an electric arc ionizing the gas. The effect is an electron is sent to an outer orbit. When it returns it loses energy and emits a photon.

The color temperature is adjusted by placing metals in the capsule that ionize at different color temperatures. Starting at about 3000 K, the light looks yellow and as the color temperature goes up the light becomes more blue. Since daylight at noon is about 4800 K, anything above that will have a blue look. Humans have rather poor visual acuity to blue light, so stick to stock 4300 K, but never use anything higher unless you are making a fashion statement.

The electronics to operate the lamp are called "ballasts" by a lot of people, but it is actually an igniter and current limiter. It takes about 25,000 volts to start the arc, but only about 8 to 10 volts in automotive systems to sustain it. The electronics are a ballast in one sense that they limit the current to about 4 amps (or 35 watts).

The OEM lamps are rated for 2000 hours, but the real measure of use is the number of starts. Most people figure about 1100 starts. Then the color shifts, and one day it won't ignite.

exanimas

Most informative post about HIDs. Ever.

Rev 2 Liv

I always appreciate electrical and mechanical explanations about engineering, since it helps most avoid getting screwed by the dealer in the name of 'your safety' or my favorite, "it's better for the car/engine."

Does color temp. shift result from a loss in lumen output? Do worn out electrodes increasing the distance between electrodes contribute to loss of light?

Are the ballasts going to break down faster because of the higher voltage/amps req'd to maintain the arc?

Also, should I start with a 5000kelvin bulb and expect it to shift downward in color temp? Arguments aside, after six months, will a 5000k bulb be reduced to 4300k? My thinking is that the 5000k provided it doesn't burn out, will provide a longer optimal lifespan.

HID bulbs are just lik chicks. 4300k gals offer optimal looks and performance. Above that, then the law of diminishing returns set in real quick.

However, 4300kelvin also experience a shift and decrease in lumens as they age. Today's 40 year old gal was much more luminous 10 years ago.

-Shadow-

The reason why your light turns purple is that the vacuum sealing of one of your headlights is broken, if it's only on one headlight you should use something silicone based to seal it up back again and unfortunally you need to replace your HID-lightbulb. If you just replace it without sealing it will turn purple again in no-time.

ChrisBrown

You're definitely moving down the road to a bulb failure. What I find interesting is that in some brands, the color shift in the bulb is different.

We had a 2003 Infiniti QX4. In the manual, it said that the bulb would flicker and start to shift red...I never saw it happen...but red????

Rev 2 Liv

Just pulled out my color wheel and answered my question. Lumen output and color temperature are mutually exclusive in this application.

HID's are way too complicated and expensive. Can't wait for LED based projector lamps. Simpler, cheaper and lighter.

Defiant

Oh, they'll cover the "cheaper" part, especially for the first few years.

I'd just like to see glass lenses come back.