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35w or 55w HID kit????

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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 09:21 AM
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c300
35w or 55w HID kit????

Hey guys, im ordering a HID kit from DDM tuning, but i cant decide if i should get the 35w or the 55w. I am going with 6000K, so whats the difference in the two. Please give me your input.
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by mrao
Hey guys, im ordering a HID kit from DDM tuning, but i cant decide if i should get the 35w or the 55w. I am going with 6000K, so whats the difference in the two. Please give me your input.
These produce so much dazzle anyway, if you could find something less than 35W, I'd prefer that (and everyone else driving the opposite direction to you). If you want good lights, buy the OEM xenon head light units.
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 10:40 AM
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i got 35w its pretty good
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 11:03 AM
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55w lights give off a lot more light. With that said they are pretty much overdriven and no OEM application uses them.
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 12:06 PM
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Merc C300 sport, arctic white, P1, MM/Navi, iPod kit, 20% Tint, C63 Grill, X-Pipe, HID DDM Kit
35 watt. 55 could get to hot and melt something, thats a no-no!
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 12:27 PM
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I use 35W DDM in the low side and the 50W DDM in the high beams.
Be careful the 50-55W will cause eye damage, don't look directly at them when illuminated. At night the reflectors on the street, are so bright they hurt your eyes, but on a dark highway nothing is better.
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 07:12 PM
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i am using the ddm 55w with no problem and it projects more light.
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 09:46 PM
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09 white c63
hey does anyone know what kinda bulbs i would need for the top and bottom i want to make them purple thanks
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Old Jan 17, 2009 | 11:21 PM
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just updated my ballast to 55w from 35w....
Much brighter and better...
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 05:26 AM
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e350 09
55w hids are more bright than 35w hid but generate more heat so 55w Kits are not recommended for smaller fog light housings because they tend to concentrate a large amount of heat in a small area.. and might melt your bulbs....

if you install 35w bulbs on 55w ballast, no doubt your bulb will be burnt...


55w kits tend to wash out some of the color of the HID bulb due to the light output
so that a 55w 8000k will look similar in color to a 35w 6000k kit...

i highly recommend you to read the difference between them before you get the right hid kit

http://www.vvme.com/page.html?chapter=1&id=33
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by crazyfunny
55w hids are more bright than 35w hid but generate more heat so 55w Kits are not recommended for smaller fog light housings because they tend to concentrate a large amount of heat in a small area.. and might melt your bulbs....

if you install 35w bulbs on 55w ballast, no doubt your bulb will be burnt...


55w kits tend to wash out some of the color of the HID bulb due to the light output
so that a 55w 8000k will look similar in color to a 35w 6000k kit...

i highly recommend you to read the difference between them before you get the right hid kit

http://www.vvme.com/page.html?chapter=1&id=33
I am pretty sure that whether you get 55w or 35w kit, it is only the ballast that changes, the bulb stays the same and is always rated for use at 55w... I could be wrong but I am 90% sure. I am 55w 8000k and I wouldn't go back for a 35w if I could do it again. Our headlights have built in lens and projectors, so if adjusted right, nobody gets blinded... I will say though that because I have 55w, some of the blue color is washed out and I would not say it is as drastic as 6000k, but it doesn't perfectly match 8000k LED I have. But I doubt anyone would ever realize and it looks far from stupid. If I had to guess I would say 7500k.

That said, 35w bulbs *SHOULD* theoretically last longer, but I would rather sacrifice some of the longevity (35w bulbs have been known to last for 4+years) for extra brightness, these bulbs are very cheap to replace too, and they have a lifetime warranty... So why not go 55w? I have the tint color lamin-x on my headlights and the output sucked on stock bulbs, no I see great and shines right through them. The heat "misconception" is a non-issue. The lamin-x film on my headlights is never more than warm to the touch after 2-3 hours of nighttime driving. As opposed to the stock halogens that would get the film so hot I would be concerned about cracking of the glass...

Just make sure you get the digital slim ballast kit, and not the apexcone. It is $10 more, but it is worth it. My friend had the apexcone and his flicker and throw errors. My digital slim ballast are really small, never flicker, always turn on the first time and I don't need the relay harness or error canceler as it is 55w.
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Old Oct 21, 2010 | 09:54 PM
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e350 09
Originally Posted by jctevere
I am pretty sure that whether you get 55w or 35w kit, it is only the ballast that changes, the bulb stays the same and is always rated for use at 55w... I could be wrong but I am 90% sure. I am 55w 8000k and I wouldn't go back for a 35w if I could do it again. Our headlights have built in lens and projectors, so if adjusted right, nobody gets blinded... I will say though that because I have 55w, some of the blue color is washed out and I would not say it is as drastic as 6000k, but it doesn't perfectly match 8000k LED I have. But I doubt anyone would ever realize and it looks far from stupid. If I had to guess I would say 7500k.

That said, 35w bulbs *SHOULD* theoretically last longer, but I would rather sacrifice some of the longevity (35w bulbs have been known to last for 4+years) for extra brightness, these bulbs are very cheap to replace too, and they have a lifetime warranty... So why not go 55w? I have the tint color lamin-x on my headlights and the output sucked on stock bulbs, no I see great and shines right through them. The heat "misconception" is a non-issue. The lamin-x film on my headlights is never more than warm to the touch after 2-3 hours of nighttime driving. As opposed to the stock halogens that would get the film so hot I would be concerned about cracking of the glass...

Just make sure you get the digital slim ballast kit, and not the apexcone. It is $10 more, but it is worth it. My friend had the apexcone and his flicker and throw errors. My digital slim ballast are really small, never flicker, always turn on the first time and I don't need the relay harness or error canceler as it is 55w.
that is good write-up to share here.........dude,

yep, whether you use 35w or 55w has nothing to do with your bulbs....

as for most cars , if 35w can work well , then 55w can work on your car lights too and 55w make your headlights more brighter .....
however, it only matters that you choose 55w ballast but not you must choose digital ballast... anyhow, 55w digital ballast is better choice, i think..

if your car has auto computer system (can-bus system), and some can-bus system restrict you only can install 35w kit, then if you install 55w kit the system will send out error info... if your can-bus system doesnt have limit about 35w or 55w, you can choose 55w kit with 55w digital ballast to make ur headlights more bright......

that is my idea...sorry, it seems a little mess.....
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Old Dec 20, 2010 | 10:45 PM
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i guss i will stick with 35w HIDs .i dont want to risk of melting my housings or bulbs if i go to 55w HIDs.....
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Old Dec 20, 2010 | 11:19 PM
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2009 c350 arctic White pano. MM HK
hmmmm i like the 55w but im afraid the head light will melt
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Old Dec 20, 2010 | 11:37 PM
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08 C300
I use the 35w and is good with the CAP on.
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Old Dec 22, 2010 | 08:42 PM
  #16  
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From: US DE Lewes
e350 09
35w HID is enough for your driving if you dont need maximum light output, if you dont drive on very dark road for longer time.....

anyhow, if u want to experience 55W HID kits for more lighting power, just go in for it with a relay harness or capacitor...

what the capacitor do is store energy and help to regulate the voltage. So when you connect the capacitor in parallel with the relay it regulate the current and stabilize the voltage allowing the
relay to get a stable 12V voltage.....

Relay harness for direct connection between the ballast and the battery so that the HID conversion kit draws power directly from the battery to protect the stock harness...
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