Replacing my factory HID bulbs?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 14
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Replacing my factory HID bulbs?
Hi group,
Just found this site tonight doing some Google searching, and it appears this is the place to be to talk about my Benz.
Anyhow, I just picked up the car a couple of months ago, and I'm looking to do my first upgrade - HID Bulbs. Right now I am running the stock lights that I imagine are about 4000-4500K.
I wanted to upgrade to 6000K or 8000K, and just wanted to know if anyone could help out. Right now I am deciding between VMcCullough and Vision Bulbs.
Seems that Vision Bulbs got really good reviews on some threads I found, and they have a few different color temps to choose from.
If anyone happens to have any info or advice they can share, I would greatly appreciate before I make this purchase.
Thanks!
Just found this site tonight doing some Google searching, and it appears this is the place to be to talk about my Benz.
Anyhow, I just picked up the car a couple of months ago, and I'm looking to do my first upgrade - HID Bulbs. Right now I am running the stock lights that I imagine are about 4000-4500K.
I wanted to upgrade to 6000K or 8000K, and just wanted to know if anyone could help out. Right now I am deciding between VMcCullough and Vision Bulbs.
Seems that Vision Bulbs got really good reviews on some threads I found, and they have a few different color temps to choose from.
If anyone happens to have any info or advice they can share, I would greatly appreciate before I make this purchase.
Thanks!
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 329
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From: Phoenix, Az
02 C32R
welcome to the site, you will find that this site has a TON of info.. As far as I know I am one of the few C32 owners that have a higher temp HID bulb (8000k) but I dont know what company it is from... I have a feeling you might want to post this question to the general W203 section instead of the C32 portion since there arent too many that have done this... good luck on your search, BTW what car did you get?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 14
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Hid
Originally Posted by Dead Ringer
welcome to the site, you will find that this site has a TON of info.. As far as I know I am one of the few C32 owners that have a higher temp HID bulb (8000k) but I dont know what company it is from... I have a feeling you might want to post this question to the general W203 section instead of the C32 portion since there arent too many that have done this... good luck on your search, BTW what car did you get?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,848
Likes: 15
From: Orange County
2005 C Wagon (No snickering please!)
Hi Ron,
If your car has the factory xenon lamps, they are stock at 4100K. As the lamps age their output is reduced by about 25%. If you raise the color temperature of the lamps to 8000K, your light output will be reduced 30% at the gitgo, and the lamps will appear more blue. Some people like that, as a fashion statement, but you will have decreased visibility in inclement weather.
You can increase the the color temperature to 6000K, stand out from "the crowd" with just slightly blue lamps, and not suffer from too low output if you use Philips lamps made in Germany. You should buy them as a matched pair, or the color might be different. There are people counterfeiting this lamp, down to the packaging. They are cheaply made, and only last 300 hours vs. 2000 for genuine lamps.
Early HID lamps on luxury cars had reflectors, rather than todays projectors, and the reflector was the cause of the blueish light from the car. Many people want to replicate that so they like too blue or even purple lamps. I would stick to stock, or the 6000K Philips (which I have measured, and they are closer to 5800K.)
If your car has the factory xenon lamps, they are stock at 4100K. As the lamps age their output is reduced by about 25%. If you raise the color temperature of the lamps to 8000K, your light output will be reduced 30% at the gitgo, and the lamps will appear more blue. Some people like that, as a fashion statement, but you will have decreased visibility in inclement weather.
You can increase the the color temperature to 6000K, stand out from "the crowd" with just slightly blue lamps, and not suffer from too low output if you use Philips lamps made in Germany. You should buy them as a matched pair, or the color might be different. There are people counterfeiting this lamp, down to the packaging. They are cheaply made, and only last 300 hours vs. 2000 for genuine lamps.
Early HID lamps on luxury cars had reflectors, rather than todays projectors, and the reflector was the cause of the blueish light from the car. Many people want to replicate that so they like too blue or even purple lamps. I would stick to stock, or the 6000K Philips (which I have measured, and they are closer to 5800K.)
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2005
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Originally Posted by Moviela
Hi Ron,
If your car has the factory xenon lamps, they are stock at 4100K. As the lamps age their output is reduced by about 25%. If you raise the color temperature of the lamps to 8000K, your light output will be reduced 30% at the gitgo, and the lamps will appear more blue. Some people like that, as a fashion statement, but you will have decreased visibility in inclement weather.
You can increase the the color temperature to 6000K, stand out from "the crowd" with just slightly blue lamps, and not suffer from too low output if you use Philips lamps made in Germany. You should buy them as a matched pair, or the color might be different. There are people counterfeiting this lamp, down to the packaging. They are cheaply made, and only last 300 hours vs. 2000 for genuine lamps.
Early HID lamps on luxury cars had reflectors, rather than todays projectors, and the reflector was the cause of the blueish light from the car. Many people want to replicate that so they like too blue or even purple lamps. I would stick to stock, or the 6000K Philips (which I have measured, and they are closer to 5800K.)
If your car has the factory xenon lamps, they are stock at 4100K. As the lamps age their output is reduced by about 25%. If you raise the color temperature of the lamps to 8000K, your light output will be reduced 30% at the gitgo, and the lamps will appear more blue. Some people like that, as a fashion statement, but you will have decreased visibility in inclement weather.
You can increase the the color temperature to 6000K, stand out from "the crowd" with just slightly blue lamps, and not suffer from too low output if you use Philips lamps made in Germany. You should buy them as a matched pair, or the color might be different. There are people counterfeiting this lamp, down to the packaging. They are cheaply made, and only last 300 hours vs. 2000 for genuine lamps.
Early HID lamps on luxury cars had reflectors, rather than todays projectors, and the reflector was the cause of the blueish light from the car. Many people want to replicate that so they like too blue or even purple lamps. I would stick to stock, or the 6000K Philips (which I have measured, and they are closer to 5800K.)
In the General W203 forum, someone posted photos of 6000K and 8000K and I think I'm really liking the look of 6000K.
The toss up is between McCullough and Vision Bulbs, but I think that I'm going to go with Vision Bulbs based on the reviews I've found and price.
I'll let you guys know.
