Here's my car with 6000k HID on the driver's side, and standard halogen on the left. I've seen some posts where people didn't know if they had HIDs or not, or wonder what the comparison is like. This is for you.

 

You dont have projectors do you?

 

looks very nice. forgive my ignorance on the topic. im assuming those are an aftermarket HID setup. did any b5's come stock with HID? how hard of an install was it to rig your car up with HID? id like to do something like that at some point.

 

Im pretty sure only 2000 and 2001 B5 models had an option of Xenon lights

 

Here is another good comparison at night.



P.S. I am not trying to thread jack or anything. Just helping out some. LOL

Josh

 

Now I do

https://www.audiforums.com/m.asp?m=8...age=1&key=

 

It is an aftermarket kit, and the install's simple - the kits are plug and play. Including mounting your ballasts, don't plan on spending more than 45 minutes or so. When you order your kit (the usual vendor for most people here is VVME.com, or you can get them on eBay - their name there is flashplus), specify that you need H7 bulbs in either 4300k temperature (which is pure white and very close to the color of natural daylight - this is what all OEM HIDs are) or 6000k (which is what you see in the picture in my initial post in this thread). Go higher than 6000k and the light gets more blue but you start noticeably losing visibility, which negates the whole reason for getting HIDs in the first place.

 

how long will an hid light last in comprison to standard halogen bulb? i dont want to spend the money on the upgrade if they dont last and i have to keep replacing them..

 

Well the claim is 2500 hours of operation. There's no filament like in a halogen or incandescent bulb, so there aren't the same type of parts that can physically deteriorate - the light is produced by a 22,000 volt arc between two electrodes, which is generated through a globe of xenon gas. However, it seems that they don't quite last that long for most of us. It could be the kits we have bought - I'm not sure. I lost one of mine on Thursday after 16 months. I was expecting it to last at least five years if not more. But it happens. Don't let that be a deterrent though - HID is absolutely worth it, especially at the prices that are charged these days (a complete conversion kit will run you $72 including shipping from www.vvme.com). The difference in light output is dramatic - if you spec a kit with 4300k color temperature, it simulates the color of natural daylight, and the intensity difference is huge. Halogen lights put out a beam with a luminosity of about 750 lumens, whereas a 4300k HID kit will put out 3100 lumens of light intensity. The driving difference is as dramatic as the numbers will suggest. Spend two weeks driving your car with HIDs and then drive/ride in a car with halogens, and you'll swear they're running only their parking lights.

 

i think im going to buy that kit from vvme, but do i nned the new looking light housing? like the clear ones. i have a 99 so it has the uglyreflector ones.