Whatever happened to HIDs?

[OpenRoad]

There was a period several years ago, that you saw an increasing number of 'blinding' blue HID headlamps on the road. They were great for drivers, and I would sometimes 'piggy back' with someone with HIDs when necessary (dark highway, rolling hills). However, I have noticed that I now rarely see HIDs. It seems they were a passing fad. Was it due to the lamps costing $500 each?

[tsugsr]

Maybe failing trend in the auto industry from the manufactures point, but not from the do it yourself types that plug 8-10K Plug and play set ups into reflector type housings to blind everyone around them and put off craptastic light output.

I put a pnp kit on my integra which had non hid projector housings factory, they worked great, i made the mistake of putting a pnp kit in my RSX with reflector housings, the lights SUCK! Cant wait to get a retro done.

[Event Horizon]

i gots HIDs but a nice slight blue tone @ 5000K. But I don't know i see lots of rednecks putting 12000K temp lights going to the violet end of the spectrum on their monster pickups here so they're alive and well in FL.

[unmamfqlm]

i gots HIDs but a nice slight blue tone @ 5000K. But I don't know i see lots of rednecks putting 12000K temp lights going to the violet end of the spectrum on their monster pickups here so they're alive and well in FL.

Yup, same here. You would think a Boeing 747 was making an emergency landing many nights around here because of these trucks with the blinding lights all over them.

I personally just have HID fogs on my truck. They are very nice for the backroads with critters everywhere.

[that guy]

i gots HIDs but a nice slight blue tone @ 5000K. But I don't know i see lots of rednecks putting 12000K temp lights going to the violet end of the spectrum on their monster pickups here so they're alive and well in FL.

i see a lot of redneck in their pick ups with purple hids and yellow hid fogs,
i hate those 3000k yellow fog lights

[krypton2]

They're still around...maybe not much but they're still there. I think after people began getting into trouble for them the 'cool' factor disappeared.

A few car manufacturers began selling cars with HIDs/xenons PROPERLY installed...now they're mostly going to LEDs though.

The only ones I see now are on ricers...the same cars which generally have many other problems wrong with them and the personally installed blinding HIDs are just another problem when they get pulled over.

I've told colleagues and friends ever since HIDs became popular...when they're professionally installed (or stock) with all of the proper equipment in, they aren't a bother. When people try installing the kits themselves and buy temperatures that aren't even close to 6000k, that's when you get the purple lights that are brighter than the car's high beams. And that's a problem.

[PMoth]

My friends and myself use 4500K units exclusively on our motorcycles. I've been using oem g35 4300K d2r units on my ninja since 2005. They were unheard of on motorcycles at that time and I had not seen a set on a single bike in CT till the following year. Now they're everywhere with nimrods equipping their Gixxxxxers and Yamahas with 10000K kits. Idiots have basically no light output on the road at that point and that on two wheels is a major no-no. The Duc is equipped with ddm 4500K units and the high beam's in-lens reflector has been removed for increased visibility. All my cars have either OEM 4300 units or in the case of my winter car, DDM 55w 4500K powered from relays. 3000K really does help with fog.

I use to be an HID snob way back when, only sticking to the OEM stuff, but those newer slim-ballast from DDM have been rock solid performers and a great bargain.

[radarrob]

I just sent my headlights out for retro
fit on my 03 vw gti 20th.using h1 bulbs
with 4300k,cant wait to get them back and on the car.

[PMoth]

Are they being retro'd with projectors?

[radarrob]

yes.i had e55's before trying something else now