The ULTIMATE END ALL HID questionare...eh maybe not

[bcjammerx]

I have done MUCH searching...SO I will first post the questions I'm still unsure of then I'll post the questions I found answers to via searching...hopefully this thread will cut down other's search times.

QUESTION SUBJECT 1
H1 H2 H3 H3c H4

:::I've found:::
h4 are high beam HID and h1 are low beam HID...I've seen that h3 are used for running lights...
The higher the number the higher the luminosity.
Someone said that h3 filament is transverse and as a result doesn't project it's light very well...and isn't all that great for anything other than right in front of your car...i.e. running lights.

4100 is the most white
4300 is more common but still white

higher numbers lower luminosity different colors...I like bright white (maybe a hint of blue)

:::Not sure of still:::
Is h7 (found in audi's) the highest luminosity?

Is it true about h3 bulbs and the filament and visibility?

Can you use h2 or h3 for low beams or only h1?

Are there any h2 or h3 bulbs that will fit the low beams on any HID system?

Are these letter/number combos brand specific? IOW (in other words) what do these labels directly apply to and mean as in...is h4 representative of ALL higher luminosity HID bulbs no matter the brand or application?

What is h3c?

If I want just a SLIGHT hint of blue should I use 4300 or higher?

BMW's HID's I've seen on-coming change from blue to white to purple...am I nuts? What bulbs are they using?


QUESTION SUBJECT 2
DDE CCFL
:::I've found:::
Some language in reference to HID's I'm not sure of here...

:::I'm not sure of:::
What do
DDE CCFL mean?
I've seen this on BMW kits and other kits I think.
What does the E36 on the E36 CCFL DDE Halo mean?


QUESTION SUBJECT 3
Halos
:::I've found:::
Halos are found on BMW...and they are that really cool lit up round ring you find on bmw's...you can also make your own.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Are these also called "angel eyes"?
Are bmw's the only ones that have them?
How easy is it to get them to fit into the accord housing?
I've seen the diy setup...but how closely do these come to the luminosity of the real halos on bmw's?


QUESTION SUBJECT 4
JDM housing popularity
:::I've found:::
JDM headlights are one piece (side marker is incorporated)
Many of the HID systems here are with one piece JDM style headlights.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Can you do this with the USDM two piece headlights?
Is there not enough room or has it just not been done with the USDM headlight?

QUESTION SUBJECT 5
JUNK YARDS
:::I've found:::
Everything you need CAN be found in the junk yard.
The most commonly used cars are the acura tsx and the BMW...???

:::I'm not sure off:::
What BMW specifically? Just any newer ones?

Are there any systems that inherently light up the road better?

Are there any systems that retro fit more easily?

Are there any systems that last longer?

Is the junkyard is undoubtably the cheapest rout to go?

How likely am I to find these stuff there?

If I'm going for the BMW style, should I grab the whole unit from that car?

What ARE all the options that are out there for this as far as parts that can be interchanged amongst the different car manufacturers?

Some folks run frankenstein setups...using projectors from one car, bezels from another, and can then encorperate the halos from a bmw as well...
How is is possible to interchange all these parts from so many different cars (I could see swapping electronics but actual pieces of the units)?
Why would you need to do this?
Is it simply cosmetic preference?

QUESTION SUBJECT 6
parts list
:::I've found:::
I'll need to pull the following off any junk yard car in order to do a retro fit;
the projectors, ballast, bulbs, ignitors???

:::I'm not sure of:::
Is there any part name here I've left out?


QUESTION SUBJECT 7
the pre-made kits
:::I've found:::
there are kits available and most include the name "xenon" in them.

:::I'm not sure of:::
They use some names and language for their parts I'm not sure of as to how they relate to the stock parts I could pull from a junk yard.


QUESTION SUBJECT 8
Those yellow low beams
:::I've found:::
Many HID retro'd systems low beams have yellow reflector

:::I'm not sure of:::
I HATE yellow lights...do I have to have that?

Why is the reflector housing painted yellow tint???

Are most factory HID low beam reflectors yellow tinted?

Most of these DIY retro posts cover extinsivly the high beam projector install...but what about the low beam? Do I need to cut out anything for it? What are the considerations for this bulbs placement?

Will it reflect out very nicely with the stock housing reflector surface?



END QUESTIONS


The following are questions I found whilst searching, and subsequently answered while continuing to search.

Question:
What the hell is d2s and d2r?

ANSWER:
D2s blind people...why? Because they do not have a shield on them.
I don't know what this "shield is" but that's all I need to know.
Apparently these were designed to be put into a housing much like halogens...I'm assuming this "shield" is not unlike that cap on our halogens...or something...I don't know. Either way...the point I got is DON'T USE THEM!!!

D2r are the ones to use...because they are actual projectors WITH the shield


Question:
What is h1, h2, h3, h4???

ANSWER:
HELL I STILL DON'T KNOW...but from what I gather high beam HID are h4 and low beam HID is h1...so I gather that h4 is brighter than h1.
I've also seen that running lights often use h3 bulbs.


Question:
What parts are available for this?

ANSWER:
If retro fitting then go to junkyard and pull either bmw setup, S2000 setup, audi setup, acura tsx...or any other car with HID system can be used...just grab all the parts...

If you want a plug in play...kits are made through various companies...phillips is one.

DO NOT USE THE EBAY HID KITS...unless you are going to CUT OUT their setup and only use their asthetics...in other words you install proper HID projetors and only use the ebay piece cause it looks cool.

[birdmanCB7]

I have done MUCH searching...SO I will first post the questions I'm still unsure of then I'll post the questions I found answers to via searching...hopefully this thread will cut down other's search times.

QUESTION SUBJECT 1
H1 H2 H3 H3c H4

:::I've found:::
h4 are high beam HID and h1 are low beam HID...I've seen that h3 are used for running lights...
The higher the number the higher the luminosity.
Someone said that h3 filament is transverse and as a result doesn't project it's light very well...and isn't all that great for anything other than right in front of your car...i.e. running lights.

4100 is the most white
4300 is more common but still white

higher numbers lower luminosity different colors...I like bright white (maybe a hint of blue)

:::Not sure of still:::
Is h7 (found in audi's) the highest luminosity?

Is it true about h3 bulbs and the filament and visibility?

Can you use h2 or h3 for low beams or only h1?

Are there any h2 or h3 bulbs that will fit the low beams on any HID system?

Are these letter/number combos brand specific? IOW (in other words) what do these labels directly apply to and mean as in...is h4 representative of ALL higher luminosity HID bulbs no matter the brand or application?

What is h3c?

If I want just a SLIGHT hint of blue should I use 4300 or higher?

BMW's HID's I've seen on-coming change from blue to white to purple...am I nuts? What bulbs are they using?


QUESTION SUBJECT 2
DDE CCFL
:::I've found:::
Some language in reference to HID's I'm not sure of here...

:::I'm not sure of:::
What do
DDE CCFL mean?
I've seen this on BMW kits and other kits I think.
What does the E36 on the E36 CCFL DDE Halo mean?


QUESTION SUBJECT 3
Halos
:::I've found:::
Halos are found on BMW...and they are that really cool lit up round ring you find on bmw's...you can also make your own.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Are these also called "angel eyes"?
Are bmw's the only ones that have them?
How easy is it to get them to fit into the accord housing?
I've seen the diy setup...but how closely do these come to the luminosity of the real halos on bmw's?


QUESTION SUBJECT 4
JDM housing popularity
:::I've found:::
JDM headlights are one piece (side marker is incorporated)
Many of the HID systems here are with one piece JDM style headlights.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Can you do this with the USDM two piece headlights?
Is there not enough room or has it just not been done with the USDM headlight?

QUESTION SUBJECT 5
JUNK YARDS
:::I've found:::
Everything you need CAN be found in the junk yard.
The most commonly used cars are the acura tsx and the BMW...???

:::I'm not sure off:::
What BMW specifically? Just any newer ones?

Are there any systems that inherently light up the road better?

Are there any systems that retro fit more easily?

Are there any systems that last longer?

Is the junkyard is undoubtably the cheapest rout to go?

How likely am I to find these stuff there?

If I'm going for the BMW style, should I grab the whole unit from that car?

What ARE all the options that are out there for this as far as parts that can be interchanged amongst the different car manufacturers?

Some folks run frankenstein setups...using projectors from one car, bezels from another, and can then encorperate the halos from a bmw as well...
How is is possible to interchange all these parts from so many different cars (I could see swapping electronics but actual pieces of the units)?
Why would you need to do this?
Is it simply cosmetic preference?

QUESTION SUBJECT 6
parts list
:::I've found:::
I'll need to pull the following off any junk yard car in order to do a retro fit;
the projectors, ballast, bulbs, ignitors???

:::I'm not sure of:::
Is there any part name here I've left out?


QUESTION SUBJECT 7
the pre-made kits
:::I've found:::
there are kits available and most include the name "xenon" in them.

:::I'm not sure of:::
They use some names and language for their parts I'm not sure of as to how they relate to the stock parts I could pull from a junk yard.


QUESTION SUBJECT 8
Those yellow low beams
:::I've found:::
Many HID retro'd systems low beams have yellow reflector

:::I'm not sure of:::
I HATE yellow lights...do I have to have that?

Why is the reflector housing painted yellow tint???

Are most factory HID low beam reflectors yellow tinted?

Most of these DIY retro posts cover extinsivly the high beam projector install...but what about the low beam? Do I need to cut out anything for it? What are the considerations for this bulbs placement?

Will it reflect out very nicely with the stock housing reflector surface?



END QUESTIONS


The following are questions I found whilst searching, and subsequently answered while continuing to search.

Question:
What the hell is d2s and d2r?

ANSWER:
D2s blind people...why? Because they do not have a shield on them.
I don't know what this "shield is" but that's all I need to know.
Apparently these were designed to be put into a housing much like halogens...I'm assuming this "shield" is not unlike that cap on our halogens...or something...I don't know. Either way...the point I got is DON'T USE THEM!!!

D2r are the ones to use...because they are actual projectors WITH the shield


Question:
What is h1, h2, h3, h4???

ANSWER:
HELL I STILL DON'T KNOW...but from what I gather high beam HID are h4 and low beam HID is h1...so I gather that h4 is brighter than h1.
I've also seen that running lights often use h3 bulbs.


Question:
What parts are available for this?

ANSWER:
If retro fitting then go to junkyard and pull either bmw setup, S2000 setup, audi setup, acura tsx...or any other car with HID system can be used...just grab all the parts...

If you want a plug in play...kits are made through various companies...phillips is one.

DO NOT USE THE EBAY HID KITS...unless you are going to CUT OUT their setup and only use their asthetics...in other words you install proper HID projetors and only use the ebay piece cause it looks cool.

answers most of my questions.. thanks man

[Camurai]

I have done MUCH searching...SO I will first post the questions I'm still unsure of then I'll post the questions I found answers to via searching...hopefully this thread will cut down other's search times.

QUESTION SUBJECT 1
H1 H2 H3 H3c H4

:::I've found:::
h4 are high beam HID and h1 are low beam HID...I've seen that h3 are used for running lights...
The higher the number the higher the luminosity.
Someone said that h3 filament is transverse and as a result doesn't project it's light very well...and isn't all that great for anything other than right in front of your car...i.e. running lights.

4100 is the most white
4300 is more common but still white

higher numbers lower luminosity different colors...I like bright white (maybe a hint of blue)

:::Not sure of still:::
Is h7 (found in audi's) the highest luminosity?

Is it true about h3 bulbs and the filament and visibility?

Can you use h2 or h3 for low beams or only h1?

Are there any h2 or h3 bulbs that will fit the low beams on any HID system?

Are these letter/number combos brand specific? IOW (in other words) what do these labels directly apply to and mean as in...is h4 representative of ALL higher luminosity HID bulbs no matter the brand or application?

What is h3c?

If I want just a SLIGHT hint of blue should I use 4300 or higher? Yes.

BMW's HID's I've seen on-coming change from blue to white to purple...am I nuts? What bulbs are they using? Same bulbs, but the visible color can change depending on the angle of view. It has to do with the change in reflectivity of the glass of the projector as the light moves out from the center.


QUESTION SUBJECT 2
DDE CCFL
:::I've found:::
Some language in reference to HID's I'm not sure of here...

:::I'm not sure of:::
What do
DDE CCFL mean? Cold Cathode Flourescent Light.
I've seen this on BMW kits and other kits I think.
What does the E36 on the E36 CCFL DDE Halo mean? E36 is the chassis code for the 1991-1999 BMW 3-Series.


QUESTION SUBJECT 3
Halos
:::I've found:::
Halos are found on BMW...and they are that really cool lit up round ring you find on bmw's...you can also make your own.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Are these also called "angel eyes"? Yes, as well as "Devil Eyes."
Are bmw's the only ones that have them? No.
How easy is it to get them to fit into the accord housing?
I've seen the diy setup...but how closely do these come to the luminosity of the real halos on bmw's?


QUESTION SUBJECT 4
JDM housing popularity
:::I've found:::
JDM headlights are one piece (side marker is incorporated)
Many of the HID systems here are with one piece JDM style headlights.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Can you do this with the USDM two piece headlights? Yes. Several people on the forum have done a retrofit with HIDs in USDM housings.
Is there not enough room or has it just not been done with the USDM headlight?

QUESTION SUBJECT 5
JUNK YARDS
:::I've found:::
Everything you need CAN be found in the junk yard.
The most commonly used cars are the acura tsx and the BMW...???

:::I'm not sure off:::
What BMW specifically? Just any newer ones?

Are there any systems that inherently light up the road better?

Are there any systems that retro fit more easily?

Are there any systems that last longer?

Is the junkyard is undoubtably the cheapest rout to go?

How likely am I to find these stuff there?

If I'm going for the BMW style, should I grab the whole unit from that car?

What ARE all the options that are out there for this as far as parts that can be interchanged amongst the different car manufacturers?

Some folks run frankenstein setups...using projectors from one car, bezels from another, and can then encorperate the halos from a bmw as well...
How is is possible to interchange all these parts from so many different cars (I could see swapping electronics but actual pieces of the units)?
Why would you need to do this?
Is it simply cosmetic preference?

QUESTION SUBJECT 6
parts list
:::I've found:::
I'll need to pull the following off any junk yard car in order to do a retro fit;
the projectors, ballast, bulbs, ignitors??? Correct.

:::I'm not sure of:::
Is there any part name here I've left out?


QUESTION SUBJECT 7
the pre-made kits
:::I've found:::
there are kits available and most include the name "xenon" in them. That's because HID lights use Xenon gas instead of a filament. This explains the popularity of Xenon halogen lights, where the bulb is filled with Xenon gas in an attempt to mimic the look of HID lighting.

:::I'm not sure of:::
They use some names and language for their parts I'm not sure of as to how they relate to the stock parts I could pull from a junk yard.


QUESTION SUBJECT 8
Those yellow low beams
:::I've found:::
Many HID retro'd systems low beams have yellow reflector

:::I'm not sure of:::
I HATE yellow lights...do I have to have that? No.

Why is the reflector housing painted yellow tint???

Are most factory HID low beam reflectors yellow tinted?

Most of these DIY retro posts cover extinsivly the high beam projector install...but what about the low beam? Do I need to cut out anything for it? What are the considerations for this bulbs placement? Most retrofits on this board are for the low beam projectors. Actual projector retrofits include the appropriate projector, which (when installed properly) will have an internal shield to create the proper (and legal) low-beam cutoff. For high beams, you can simply install an HID conversion kit with the appropriate bulb style, e.g. 9005 bulbs for the stock CB7 high beams. When approaching an oncoming car, you're supposed to turn your high beams off, so cutoff isn't a concern.

Will it reflect out very nicely with the stock housing reflector surface? Conversion kits will reflect well. An HID retrofit kit bypasses the reflectors and projects the beam directly out of the lens.



END QUESTIONS


The following are questions I found whilst searching, and subsequently answered while continuing to search.

Question:
What the hell is d2s and d2r?

ANSWER:
D2s blind people...why? Because they do not have a shield on them.
I don't know what this "shield is" but that's all I need to know.
Apparently these were designed to be put into a housing much like halogens...I'm assuming this "shield" is not unlike that cap on our halogens...or something...I don't know. Either way...the point I got is DON'T USE THEM!!!

D2r are the ones to use...because they are actual projectors WITH the shield


Question:
What is h1, h2, h3, h4???

ANSWER:
HELL I STILL DON'T KNOW...but from what I gather high beam HID are h4 and low beam HID is h1...so I gather that h4 is brighter than h1.
I've also seen that running lights often use h3 bulbs.


Question:
What parts are available for this?

ANSWER:
If retro fitting then go to junkyard and pull either bmw setup, S2000 setup, audi setup, acura tsx...or any other car with HID system can be used...just grab all the parts...

If you want a plug in play...kits are made through various companies...phillips is one.

DO NOT USE THE EBAY HID KITS...unless you are going to CUT OUT their setup and only use their asthetics...in other words you install proper HID projetors and only use the ebay piece cause it looks cool.

I only answered the questions for which I know the answers. There's a lot I don't know about HID lighting and retrofits. Hopefully the people with the appropriate knowlege will reply and fill in the gaps.

[The G-Man]

H1, H2, H3, H4 are not grades of HID bulbs. They are halogen bulb sizes. H1 fits the JDM high beam, and H4 fits the JDM low beam. H3c are the stock CB7 fog light bulb size.

[bcjammerx]

Thanks for the replies!!!

Still a lot I'm not sure of. I think I'll keep doing more searching on other forums before I go parts buying though.

I don't know if I'll find much...cb7tuner has been the only forum I've been on for a while due to the large amount of info I've been learning/refreshing on...great site. The other sites I've been on...not so great.

If anyone can add to the unanswered questions PLEASE DO!!

another question...I imagine I couldn't find HID bulbs in the parts store because they last so long and are kinda expensive. So...where would I buy them...and how do they refer to their bulbs as to sizes...say for the bmw for instance (since I'm really leaning towards that style)

devil eyes eh? didn't see anything on this with a quick search here...Are they the same effect as angel eyes just red lighting?

[TypeG]

the best hid thread i've seen is right here. later.

[Accord R33]

I have an HID writup on my blog too..

http://www.hondahacker.com/hh/?p=48

[Blk EX Coupe]

another question...I imagine I couldn't find HID bulbs in the parts store because they last so long and are kinda expensive. So...where would I buy them...and how do they refer to their bulbs as to sizes...say for the bmw for instance (since I'm really leaning towards that style)

You can buy HID bulbs at any dealership with HID equiped cars. The most common HID bulbs used right now are D2S and D2R. D2R is meant to be used with reflectors on OEM hid equiped cars(2nd gen 3.2TL/Prius). D2S is meant to be used with hid projectors(TSX/S2000/E46/Audi).

[bcjammerx]

most eggsalad...I will read those links later tonight thanks a lot everyone!

[SSMAccord]

In reference to the D2S bulbs causing glare its b/c those bulbs are intended to be used in projector setups and aren't normally found in reflector HID setups. The D2R bulbs are used in reflector based HID systems like the 2nd gen Acura TL. The little shield blocks a small amount of light and reduces glare, but it isn't a big difference and the D2R can still be used in a projector setup with little adverse effects.

[bcjammerx]

awesome...that cleared up some more stuff...this site (linked from the others)
http://intellexual.net/hid.html
seemed to explain a lot.


hmmm...now I gotta figure out what look I want.

still wondering though what cars I should make my donor...be cool if there was a step by step bmw retro...oh well...I like how they look so I'll go with them...play off of the other retros I've seen so far that I like.

[bcjammerx]

In reference to the D2S bulbs causing glare its b/c those bulbs are intended to be used in projector setups and aren't normally found in reflector HID setups. The D2R bulbs are used in reflector based HID systems like the 2nd gen Acura TL. The little shield blocks a small amount of light and reduces glare, but it isn't a big difference and the D2R can still be used in a projector setup with little adverse effects.

BUMP for more questions

So which will give better light output, the D2R reflector style or the D2S projector style?

I would think the projectors would put more light out, and look more awesome...less...stockish [if retrofitted INTO the light housing]...thoughts?

[Jpluck09]

Thanks this cleared up alot of ?'s i had.

[MikeW]

1. Can regular H3 bulbs be used in fogs, or do they have to be H3c?

2. How hard is it to convert H3c fogs to utilize H4?

3. So if i just want to use plug-n-play HIDs in my OEM CB7 headlights --WITH NO PROJECTORS-- do i use D2R or D2S?

[bcjammerx]

Glad this thread helped some other folks!

1. Can regular H3 bulbs be used in fogs, or do they have to be H3c?

H1, H2, H3, H4 are not grades of HID bulbs. They are halogen bulb sizes. H1 fits the JDM high beam, and H4 fits the JDM low beam. H3c are the stock CB7 fog light bulb size.

So i would assume if they are different sizes then no, though you may be able to modify, if the connector is different you could splice it.
...I'm not 100% sure though on any of that there.

2. How hard is it to convert H3c fogs to utilize H4?

I have no clue, not sure if that is an upgrade either...how much more light does the h4 put out over the h3/h3c is another question. Also is the color different?

3. So if i just want to use plug-n-play HIDs in my OEM CB7 headlights --WITH NO PROJECTORS-- do i use D2R or D2S?

d2r I believe, but from what I understand you will still need to install a shield...uh don't quote me on that. You would need the same setup as the reflectors they came out of, I think they are a little different from regular non-HID headlights

So which will give better light output, the D2R reflector style or the D2S projector style?

I will assume the projectors will give an overall better appearance, being non-stockish and better light output...corrections anyone?