Best HID ballasts?

[stamar]

If you really wanted city lights, you could put led "bulbs" in. they "should" never need replacing.

or ccfl

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/216788347/CCFL_Angel_eyes_kits_for_BMW.html

would not last forever like an led but much cheaper.

Been done obviously but a reasonable project with drills. I would like that someday, seems like 20$ plus the wiring and drilling seems reasonable.

[bmwguy325is]

So, regarding looking cool....

Are you suggesting that rebased 4300k HID bulbs in US ellipsoids are not an improvement over my stock sealed beams? Because let me tell you what....when both of my bulbs actually fired with the shitty ballasts I had the light output was pretty impressive. Reflective signs would light up hundreds of yards away. However, my sealed beams put out about as much light as an oil lantern on a windy day.

With that said - what do you mean by "looking cool"? Does it look cool to have improved vision? I don't get your point.

I had real Hella ballasts dont rember what kelvin bulbs i had. Yes the are bright as hell cause the light emitted goes everywhere. It has no real good focus. Plus bottom line its illegal do the swap. Yes I know who has been caught? Try driving in Arizona LOL. The laws will catch up sooner or later. The other thing is the lack of focus is so annoying to on coming traffic. (insert) I have swapped HIDs I dont get flashed comment.
My real test was my favorite set of back roads on a moonless night. I almost wrecked from my lack of vision with HIDs. I swapped to high end hella bulbs and they worked 10xs better. A reflector is not a great thing to judge off of. My euro beams and Hella bulbs light up road signs before other cars on the road. How bout some animal in the road with no reflective paint on?
Oh and to answer your question go to the junk yard and get some ballasts from a euro car that had phillips or hella ones. Than cut the pig tail like the sweat shop kids do to work with your bulbs.

[nando]

The light doesn't "go everwhere". The cutoff is sharp and well defined. And no, i do not get flashed, not once in 5 years.

Now you're going to talk about legality? Weak argument.

[Turf1600]

Yeah - when mine worked the cutoff was pretty sharp - especially compared to sealed beams. This is with cheap 5000k bulbs. Later replaced with morimoto 4300k bulbs.

[bmwguy325is]

The light doesn't "go everwhere". The cutoff is sharp and well defined. And no, i do not get flashed, not once in 5 years.

Now you're going to talk about legality? Weak argument.

Ya its only weak cause its no enforced. My friend fails cars for inspection if they have HID swapped.

Yeah - when mine worked the cutoff was pretty sharp - especially compared to sealed beams. This is with cheap 5000k bulbs. Later replaced with morimoto 4300k bulbs.

I know what they look like Ive had some. Either way you guys will do what you will and think what you think.

Thought I will add this. If its such a legal better way to do lights than answer me this. Why does Hella and or Sylvania, two of the largest light makers, jump on the bandwagon? Oh wait your going to say thats what after market is for. Well I know for a fact that Hella will not sell its products to any vendor that sells HID kits that it knows of.

[stamar]

My 35 w hids are so much brighter and reach so much further than my old 9006 bulbs that if anything was even half that much brighter than they are now...

IE 50 w and better projectors....

They would be blinding.

I would like them a bit brighter someday. But I think anyone who does this upgrade will be ecstatic.

Truly bright halogen bulbs are probably close. I wont do a comparison. But they cost nearly what my set cost or at least half what my hid set cost, and they CLAIM they last 10% as long. so that is just too expensive.

When I find some realie projectors in the junkyard someday Im taking them believe me. If I had a figure like...30% brighter or something itd be easier to walk down that road.

ALSO, im not interested in hid brights at the moment. Halogen brights are still meeting my needs.

[nando]

Ya its only weak cause its no enforced. My friend fails cars for inspection if they have HID swapped.

you'd better not lower your car, or install a chip (emissions tampering), remove an airbag wheel, swap motors, put on aftermarket rims, because it could be ILLEGAL!

come on.. that has to be the lamest argument ever. also, we don't have inspections here. I've had numerous state patrol/sherifs/local cops see my car and never say anything about the lights. one even stopped me to tell me that one was out (the plug had come loose, I knew it but it was in the middle of my drive to work and I was almost there). never said anything about the lights themselves.

Hella projectors (and all "euro" ellipsoids) are illegal in the first place. So is using your fancy FXR projectors with a lense meant for a different projector. Whats your point? does it make you feel mightier because your friend will let your car pass inspection, but not mine? who cares?

Thought I will add this. If its such a legal better way to do lights than answer me this. Why does Hella and or Sylvania, two of the largest light makers, jump on the bandwagon? Oh wait your going to say thats what after market is for. Well I know for a fact that Hella will not sell its products to any vendor that sells HID kits that it knows of.

I don't even know what this paragraph is trying to say? They won't do it because it's illegal. Nobody was arguing otherwise.

[nando]

My 35 w hids are so much brighter and reach so much further than my old 9006 bulbs that if anything was even half that much brighter than they are now...

IE 50 w and better projectors....

They would be blinding.

I would like them a bit brighter someday. But I think anyone who does this upgrade will be ecstatic.

Truly bright halogen bulbs are probably close. I wont do a comparison. But they cost nearly what my set cost or at least half what my hid set cost, and they CLAIM they last 10% as long. so that is just too expensive.

When I find some realie projectors in the junkyard someday Im taking them believe me. If I had a figure like...30% brighter or something itd be easier to walk down that road.

ALSO, im not interested in hid brights at the moment. Halogen brights are still meeting my needs.

here's the secret: the 55w kits aren't any brighter (at least not significantly). None of the OEMs make 55w HIDs, it's an aftermarket thing. heck, my new 35w kit is brigher than my 55w kit, because they just burn out the bulbs faster.

[bmwguy325is]

you'd better not lower your car, or install a chip (emissions tampering), remove an airbag wheel, swap motors, put on aftermarket rims, because it could be ILLEGAL!

come on.. that has to be the lamest argument ever. also, we don't have inspections here. I've had numerous state patrol/sherifs/local cops see my car and never say anything about the lights. one even stopped me to tell me that one was out (the plug had come loose, I knew it but it was in the middle of my drive to work and I was almost there). never said anything about the lights themselves.

YA im not saying I have not done illegal things to my car. Ive even had HIDs. OOPS No cat and a MAF swap. I have smoked tails and have been ticketed and than one cop asked why? It just depends on the cop. The less crap they can pull me over for the better.

Hella projectors (and all "euro" ellipsoids) are illegal in the first place. So is using your fancy FXR projectors with a lense meant for a different projector. Whats your point? does it make you feel mightier because your friend will let your car pass inspection, but not mine? who cares?

Actually you are wrong about the lights. Euro lights and other euro lights are approved by most states and some even are DOT approved. All E30 euro head lamps are legal I looked it up. One case the lights I bought for my Jeep from Hella. Euro cut off DOT stamped right on them. As for inspections ya jut depends on the station doing them. He fails cars cause he has to his boss makes him cause the Utah law out laws them. Do they make it on the street yes. Subarus get failed here cause any AWD or 4WD vehicle that has an altered ride height has to have mud flaps LOL.
Im not trying to pick a fight just educate and tell people my experiences.

[nando]

Actually you are wrong about the lights. Euro lights and other euro lights are approved by most states and some even are DOT approved. All E30 euro head lamps are legal I looked it up. One case the lights I bought for my Jeep from Hella. Euro cut off DOT stamped right on them. As for inspections ya jut depends on the station doing them. He fails cars cause he has to his boss makes him cause the Utah law out laws them. Do they make it on the street yes. Subarus get failed here cause any AWD or 4WD vehicle that has an altered ride height has to have mud flaps LOL.
Im not trying to pick a fight just educate and tell people my experiences.

Euro projectors (including Hella) do not have a DOT stamp on them. thus, they're illegal. so it follows, it really makes no difference if your HIDs are illegal, because the lights were illegal in the first place.

[bmwguy325is]

Euro projectors (including Hella) do not have a DOT stamp on them. thus, they're illegal. so it follows, it really makes no difference if your HIDs are illegal, because the lights were illegal in the first place.

If I wanted I could find the document that says euro are. Try the NTHSA web site. Its boring as hell.

[nando]

yeah, I'm sure "on the internet somewhere it says they're legal" will pass inspection or satisfy a cop. :p

[bmwguy325is]

yeah, I'm sure "on the internet somewhere it says they're legal" will pass inspection or satisfy a cop. :p

Ill drink to that...

[stamar]

Ok I dont want to enter this discussion.

No stop.

In cali there are no safety inspections. I have always thought it would be a good idea, it doesnt happen unless you are applying for plates to a salvage vehicle.

In Oregon there are safety inspections, by the government actually I forget what its called.

Even so, if my car was getting inspected, I could put in my 9006 halogen bulbs. Probably leave the hids right there. Its not like an inspector sneaks up on you from behind one day.

How could you fail a safety inspection unless you forgot?

[Turf1600]

I got my morimoto stuff in the mail today. I'm going to install it all tonight.