kreuznach

Does Honda make HID highbeams or are there aftermarket lights available?

XclusiveAutosports

I'm almost positive that honda doesn't make HID highbeams, but you can still get an aftermarket HID bulb and ballast kit for a few hundred. I know from my previous car though that when you want to upgrade from halogens to HID's its a PITA to mount the HID bulbs. Good luck installing them.

oakfloor

Isnt there a brighter bulb that will "drop in" to replace the OEM hi-beam bulbs?

xviper

oakfloor

Thank you once again Xviper, now.. where to get them?

bax4bux

don't get the ones that have the blue tint... the tinting cuts down the lumens (or whatever it's called) output

JAXrsx

...and shortens the life of the bulb.

Also, do not use bulbs with a true wattage rating higher than whatever is stock. By doing so you run the risk of damaging your housing and/or wiring.

Craig

CaptKirk

I also have thought of getting a HID high beam set up, but when I actually thought about it, functionality-wise I dont think its a good idea...

For me, HIDs in any kind of wet conditions (whether it currently is raining or just that the road is wet) really SUCK. Like they aren't too visible and don't really illuminate as much as I'd like. Halogen on the other hand is yellower so it reflects better. As a result you can see whatever it is reflecting off of. After thinking about it, I'd like to keep my high beams halogen simply so I can see better in situations that HID isn't as useful.

The other reason I decided against thinking about an HID high beam set up is the fact that it would involve getting another set of ballasts and bulbs. The way OEM bi-xenon works on Mercedes and other high end cars is that there is a reflector that moves to aim the light higher when the driver activates the high beam. This means that the ballast isn't turned off or on, and neither does the bulb. The only thing that changes is a reflector within the projector set up that simply aims the light from low beam to a higher level.

If you set up another set of ballasts you have to deal with the warmup phase that is associated with HIDs. This usually lasts anywhere from a few seconds up to a min or two depending on the system. That really isn't the best thing for high beams, because you want full output RIGHT away when you hit the high beams. Most people use high beams in situations where they have to keep turning them off and on constantly or in situations where they need more light right away. Besides this warmup phase, the constant on off would put stress on the ballast itself because it wouldn't be given ample time to do what its supposed to and furthermore I believe it would cause damage to the ballast itself. Especially if someone were to flicker the high beams in quick succession the way we do sometimes to signal other cars...

Just my .02...