Halogen for low beam and HID for high beam?

**marv25** · March 7th, 2012 11:37 AM

Hi. I drive a 2004 Civic. It uses HB4 bulbs for low beam and HB3 for high. Im thinking of installing HID but only on the high beam, since I use my high beam often when I drive on dark roads with no other cars around. But in normal streets, I'm satisfied with my halogen low beam.

Would you recommend this? I think HID on high beam would cause glare as the light would spread all around, but I think even the halogen high beam would cause glare too. I normally only use my high beam when I drive on dark empty roads. But I'll leave my low beam on halogen. This way I wouldnt have to worry about glaring other drivers.

Would there be a big difference in brightness? My high beam currently uses the stock 80w bulb. I plan to install the 4300k HID. And would heat be a problem? My headlight lens is plastic and I dont want it to darken like other cars.

Thanks!

**renzo_d10** · March 7th, 2012 12:24 PM

If you use HID on your high beam, you can't use it anymore as your "flasher"

**marv25** · March 7th, 2012 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by renzo_d10

If you use HID on your high beam, you can't use it anymore as your "flasher"

Is that so? If I'm not mistaken, HIDs start up faster than halogens, right?

**yapoy86** · March 7th, 2012 12:36 PM

HID work just like your ordinary fluorescent lamp.. observe which lamp starts up faster compared to ordinary edison bulb

**testament11** · March 7th, 2012 12:37 PM

Not advisable to use HID as high beam. Renzo already answered why. Its because it will just make your HID's life shorter. Much better if you will make your low beam HID and your high beam as is. But I'm advising you to have your headlights retrofitted (install projectors) if you're planning to use HID to avoid glaring other vehicles and improved light spread.

**renzo_d10** · March 7th, 2012 12:39 PM

I don't think so. HIDs take a while before they show their "true color", hence you see your HID going green-ish first, then white when switched on.

Using your hids as flasher would shorten its life span -- that's one reason why H4 equipped vehicles tend to have HID LO/HALOGEN HI combination.

Also, if you use HID of 6000k above, chances are the output would be weak during downpour.

If you want a good lighting source, it's either have your lowbeams retrofitted by GARYQ or install a good set of high-wattage all weather bulbs

But retrofitting really does the job. Worth it, too.

**marv25** · March 9th, 2012 10:30 PM

Thanks for the replies!

Is retrofitting the term for installing a projector lens inside the headlight housing?
And if I do install HID, whether on the low beam or high beam, it would be the same since when I pull the flasher switch, both the low and high beam bulbs flash at the same time. Is there a workaround for this?
And I plan to use 4300k if not 5000k. I want it the output to be as high as possible. I want to be able to see better and I dont care about the color too much.
I dont want to install higher wattage bulbs since they emit so much heat and it might melt or darken my plastic headlight assembly.

How does an HID bulb start up? Is it really very dim in the first few seconds? Or is there at least a little amount of light for it to be noticeable?

**garyq** · March 10th, 2012 12:20 AM

headlamps with separate LO and HI bulbs are the best design sa headlamps.

However you do it or kung kanino mo pagagawa, the best setup is:

hid projectors retrofitted on your LO side (bixenon mas maganda para pag nag HI ka, meron kang Hi cutoff sa hid projector and also the halogen hi)

stock halogen high or Philips XV, Osram NB stock wattage

90% of the time you use the LO bulb when driving. Dun ka dapat mag improve ng lighting output. The above setup is ideal. You get good lighting sa LO and also the ability to flash sa umaga or when you're passing.

There is a way around the ballasts coming ON when you flash. Nagawa ko na sa FD yan. Sa umaga, yung halogen lang mag ON. Best color temp? 4300k, according to science.

**marv25** · March 13th, 2012 05:58 AM

Do you recommend anyone here in cebu who does good retrofitting? Theres no other way of installing HID without projectors right?
and I have a question, what color temperature is the OEM HID of cars like the 2.0 Civic, Camry, CRV, etc? is ti 4300k? And what halogen bulb is closest to that temperature? Thanks!

**onemph05** · March 26th, 2012 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by marv25

Do you recommend anyone here in cebu who does good retrofitting? Theres no other way of installing HID without projectors right?
and I have a question, what color temperature is the OEM HID of cars like the 2.0 Civic, Camry, CRV, etc? is ti 4300k? And what halogen bulb is closest to that temperature? Thanks!

4300K will be best 5k has a hint of blue