Headlight bulb replacement?

[snowtrooper]

Hey forum,

 

I'm looking to change the headlight D3s bulb to a 6000k output. I was wondering if changing the bulb itself would do the job?

 

Getting my 12 SEL in the next few days, I'm guessing it comes with factory HIDs?

 

 

Thanks,

Veli

[TheWizard]

No, chances are that a 2012 does not have factory HIDs. HIDs were optional equipment even on the Limited so it is more likely that your SEL will have halogen headlights.

 

You probably know this but just to be sure... 6000K is the color ("colour" in Canada) of the light and has no direct relation to the output (brightness) of the light produced. In fact, 6000K capsules produce less usable light than lower color temperatures because they are more blue and the human eye does not process blue light well. That's why factory HIDs are always in the 4100K - 4300K color temperature range. They want effective lighting not just someone's idea of a preferable color.

Edited September 29, 2015 by TheWizard

[snowtrooper]

No, chances are that a 2012 does not have factory HIDs. HIDs were optional equipment even on the Limited so it is more likely that your SEL will have halogen headlights.

 

You probably know this but just to be sure... 6000K is the color ("colour" in Canada) of the light and has no direct relation to the output (brightness) of the light produced. In fact, 6000K capsules produce less usable light than lower color temperatures because they are more blue and the human eye does not process blue light well. That's why factory HIDs are always in the 4000K - 4200K color temperature range. They want effective lighting not just someone's idea of a preferable color.

 

So what would you suggest in my case? An HID kit? Which one would you recommend? (Looking for under a $100)

[TheWizard]

Well, first you want to see if it has factory HIDs. If so, problem solved. If not, an aftermarket HID kit is an option although I would not buy a sub-$100 kit, especially in Toronto (because everything is so much more expensive in Canada). There are some really good HID kits available and then there are inexpensive kits such as sold by DDM Tuning or eBay. You can get a quality kit from daytimebrightlites.com for only $119 US - not that much more than what you were looking to spend. Get a 5000K kit to get white light without tending toward the blue end of the spectrum.

[snowtrooper]

Edit

Edited September 30, 2015 by snowtrooper

[snowtrooper]

Well, first you want to see if it has factory HIDs. If so, problem solved. If not, an aftermarket HID kit is an option although I would not buy a sub-$100 kit, especially in Toronto (because everything is so much more expensive in Canada). There are some really good HID kits available and then there are inexpensive kits such as sold by DDM Tuning or eBay. You can get a quality kit from daytimebrightlites.com for only $119 US - not that much more than what you were looking to spend. Get a 5000K kit to get white light without tending toward the blue end of the spectrum.

Yeah a few extra dollars won't be an issue being it lasts me longer. So this plug and play kit on daytimebrightlites.com will good enough?

Also I read somewhere where they conflict with the LED strips. What's that about?

Thanks in advance

[Nick Halstead]

I wouldn't recommend a DDM kit to a member of ISIS! Do not buy from DDM! Get Dans kit from DriveBright or buy quality HIDs from www.theretrofitsource.com

[TheWizard]

I have not heard of any problems with HIDs interfering with the LED accent lighting. I can't think of any reason why they would - there's no connection between them... the LEDs are on the parking light circuit not the headlight circuit.

 

One thing you will have to watch out for in Canada is your DRLs. Assuming the vehicle has halogen headlights from the factory (it's a moot point if it came with HIDs already), the headlights are used at reduced voltage for the DRLs. HID ballasts won't work properly in that situation so you'll have to find an agreeable dealer who will switch your DRLs from the headlights to the parking/turn signal lamps (it's done through programming).

[enigma-2]

I have not heard of any problems with HIDs interfering with the LED accent lighting. I can't think of any reason why they would - there's no connection between them... the LEDs are on the parking light circuit not the headlight circuit.

 

One thing you will have to watch out for in Canada is your DRLs. Assuming the vehicle has halogen headlights from the factory (it's a moot point if it came with HIDs already), the headlights are used at reduced voltage for the DRLs.

I could be wrong but I thought that the way the DRL's work is to switch the FETS in the lighting circuit rapidly and thereby causing the lights to be switched on and off, with a 50% duty cycle for DRL, resulting in less output. The lights are seeing full voltage however. Edited October 2, 2015 by enigma-2

[TheWizard]

Almost... a technique called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is used to create a square wave signal of rapidly cycling full voltage and zero voltage. This cycling happens too fast for an incandescent (halogen) bulb to react (about 120 Hz or cycles per second) so it "sees" the average of the voltage and current provided. That average is controlled by the duty cycle - the ratio of on-time to off-time of the square wave signal. The bulbs don't actually turn on and off that fast, they just produce lower output because they aren't receiving full power all the time.

 

PWM is used as a replacement for resistive dimmer circuits because it is more efficient. Resistors dissipate the unneeded power by generating heat, effectively wasting that power. PWM uses essentially no power at all during the off portion of the cycle and full power during the on portion so there is no waste.

 

Unfortunately, digital circuits like LEDs and HID ballasts react fast enough to "see" the pulses rather than reacting to the overall average so they don't work well on PWM circuits. Basically, PWM is a digital technique designed to produce analog results and it doesn't play well with digital devices attached. Of course there are exceptions... if the modulation frequency is high enough to be faster than the attached load can react then the technique can be used with digital equipment (this is how class "D" amplifiers work).