Xenon "effect" bulbs

stoofa

stoofa

stoofa

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Do any of these really give that "Xenon" effect or are they pretty rubbish and simply look cheap?
Obviously bulbs alone will fool nobody during the day.
But at night, driving with lights on, do bulbs such as the "Philips Blue Vision" give good performance and a satisfactory "Xenon" effect or do they really look cheap/nasty/naff/insert your description here?

Honest replies please - no talking about "chavving" :)
 
Pretty rubbish if the effect you are after is HID-like, and no even the "philips blue vision" don't look like HID's at night.

They don't look nasty though, and the light is better than that from a standard (more yellow) bulb.

Just don't buy cheap bulbs that claim to look like HIDs, get decent ones that actually put out more light rather than more colour.
 
Im my experience, your better off buying bulbs that do what they say on the tin.

For example, brighter, whiter light. If you buy the HID effect bulbs, usually they are just painted so thickly with blue paint, they actually produce less light on the road.

The likes of Osram Nightbreakers, Phillips Vision Plus, don't claim to be HID's, just claim to be brighter than ordinary bulbs, which they are :)
 
Phil W said:
Im my experience, your better off buying bulbs that do what they say on the tin.

For example, brighter, whiter light. If you buy the HID effect bulbs, usually they are just painted so thickly with blue paint, they actually produce less light on the road.

The likes of Osram Nightbreakers, Phillips Vision Plus, don't claim to be HID's, just claim to be brighter than ordinary bulbs, which they are :)
Click to expand...

Agreed. If you want more light on the road use some decent bulbs. Any/all HID "effect" bulbs just won't really do much more than "look" a bit blue.

You can however get conversion kits which work really well. :)
 
Freefaller said:
Agreed. If you want more light on the road use some decent bulbs. Any/all HID "effect" bulbs just won't really do much more than "look" a bit blue.

You can however get conversion kits which work really well. :)
Click to expand...

This thread's going to turn into 3 pages of arguments about HID bulbs... i can see it now :D
 
The general consensus on the conversion kits is that basically - they are illegal.
The numerous forums I've visited seem to agree and even most places that sell them don't claim they are actually road legal.
Maybe I'm just mis-informed?

I want to throw as much light onto the road as I legally can - do like to see where I'm going at night.
If there is a bulb out there that throws out plenty of good clean light onto the road but gives that "little blue sparkle" as well....?
 
Its a grey area and has been for a long time (as far as i know).

Its not illegal to retro-fit HID's, but it is rather dangerous for other road users (blinding them when oncoming). The use of projector lenses helps filter and disperse the light evenly, and reduces drastically any glare than a conventional headlight would produce (light rays shooting off left, right and centre etc.)
 
Phil W said:
This thread's going to turn into 3 pages of arguments about HID bulbs... i can see it now :D
Click to expand...

Possibly! :D ;)

I have to say that a decent bulb like nightbreakers do put out a slightly whiter light anyway and work much better.

If you want to add a bit of "cool" to your car you can get the HID effect lights, they just won't be as a good at lighting the road as decent bulbs.

Argument or not about retrofitting them - who cares? :p (oops what have I done?! :o )
 
I think I'll steer clear of the after-market HID kits.
At the end of the day, in 16 months time I'll need to get an MOT on the car.
Sure it'll probably go straight through - but if it didn't....
 
Firs things first . . first post so virtual drinks on me all round!


Phil W said:
Its a grey area and has been for a long time (as far as i know).

Its not illegal to retro-fit HID's, but it is rather dangerous for other road users (blinding them when oncoming). The use of projector lenses helps filter and disperse the light evenly, and reduces drastically any glare than a conventional headlight would produce (light rays shooting off left, right and centre etc.)
Click to expand...

Also as far as I am aware they must have a self levelling system to be legal.

Tried Philips Vision plus on my motorcycle and car and found the life of them to be rubbish compared to standard halogen bulbs. As in halogen would last god knows how long but the Vision Plus lasted less than a year. Something to do with the coating keeping the heat in. I was told there is a disclaimer on the packaging about it but never bothered looking as just put in higher wattage bulbs in the end.
 
I had aftermarked HID's on the Fiat Coupe. They were awsome compared to the stock bulbs.

However the coop is fitted with projector lenses as standard, so they had a prefect beam cut off.

Most the time I drove with them aimed as low as possible. Only on an unlit, clear road would I aim them up to 'normal' (0) setting.
 
just get real HIDs, single best upgrade I've done to my bike... all of mates so impressed they all got them now also. (very few bikes have HIDs and certainly no stock bikes)

I like 6k temp bulbs as the blue / white is deffo nicer at night and things seem to show up better at a distance...ended up with 35watt kit, but m8 got a 50watt unit, and it's like another sun :). Also then got some 9 LED cluster sidelights, they give off similar temp colour to match.

have noticed people on road who have HIDs on non-projector lights and they are quite dazzling though as you need good focusing with so much light at a guess.


these people are real good http://www.hids4u.co.uk
 
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stoofa said:
Do any of these really give that "Xenon" effect or are they pretty rubbish and simply look cheap?
Obviously bulbs alone will fool nobody during the day.
But at night, driving with lights on, do bulbs such as the "Philips Blue Vision" give good performance and a satisfactory "Xenon" effect or do they really look cheap/nasty/naff/insert your description here?

Honest replies please - no talking about "chavving" :)
Click to expand...

Xenon filled halogen bulbs still look like halogen bulbs, just “whiter” because they don’t have a central point the light is coming from and being out towards like Factory fit HID Xenons do – I had Xenon filled halogens on the old car and whilst they looked white and had a nice bluey twinkle from various angles actual Xenon bulbds don’t twinkle, they’re just a ball of light which shines ahead with no glare from any other angle!

Normal halogen:
globalautoshop_xenon_premium_bulbs_2.jpg


Xenon filled halogen:
globalautoshop_xenon_premium_bulbs_3.jpg


Proper Xenon:
hid.jpg


Still, the Xenon filled halogen was brighter I suppose so they do do their job of being 50%/90% brighter "white" light !
 
something sounds wrong about 'Xenon filled halogens' ;)

'halogen bulbs' = glowing filament (through some inert gas, with a halogen added to increase life)

'HID' = arc (through xenon gas)
 
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