[wigga]

Has anybody used the cheap xenon bulbs the you can get from the auto parts store for around $10-20 bucks, how long do they last and what problems could happen

 

[mattgross]

i have one on my 96 mxz 583 and it works good no problems, they have a blue tint ot them, and they dion't look anything like real xenon. but they are a little brighter

 

[Jakyll]

I put one on, but couldn't tell the difference - not even in color.

 

[trailblazer]

Ditto for me.
The only bulbs that I found brighter were ones rated at 90/100 watt halogen bulbs.
They definitely were brighter than the stock 50/60 watt bulbs however they dimmed quite noticeably when I applied the brakes. This was on a 94 Yam. Vmax 600 LE. The newer sleds should be able to handle the higher load on the electrical system.

Jeff

 

[MegaMan]

I work at NAPA Auto Parts during college and the Lazer blue head lights are a popular commodity. Unfortunatelly, people are buying them because they look cool, and they want to immitate the real HID Xenon which is simply absurd. There's several things about new bulbs that some people need to know.

Halogen bulbs are usually the typical equipment in our automobiles and snowmobiles. If you want to upgrade to a brighter, whiter bulb, get the "Brite Lite" version which contains Xenon gas rather than Halogen. These work! I use them in my car and in my snowmobile and they are slightly brighter. These are a good replacement type for average vehicles.

Now, the new thing we all see on the roads is blue headlights everywhere. Why? It originated from what many brand new European sports sedans come with from the factory as an option. These are known as HID lights (high intensity discharge) or some call them HID Xenon. These head lamps do NOT have a filament like a typical bulb does. The light arc is created between two electrodes. The bulb is filled with a mixture of noble gases as well as Xenon gas.

So what's so good about them?
The HID's put out nearly 300% more light than a halogen bulb, while only using HALF the power in watts. HID's only use about 35W and yet they put out the brightest light on the roads today. (with the exception of aircraft lights) You can see farther and brighter.
The problem is that most auto manufacturer's can only implement the HID headlights in the design of NEW cars. I see alot of "wannabees" on the road who would like to have HID lamps, but you cannot just buy the bulb and install it. You need to replace the entire headlight assembly to get true HID's which is VERY expensive! Anywhere from $800-2000 dollars.

There is a high demand for the look, so light bulb manufacturer's have sort of "immitated" the HID's by producing bulbs with a blue coating on them. And, of course, they put them on thier new Xenon gas bulbs so that they can claim to be "brighter" than halogen yet still get the cool blue color. This is where the confusion lies.

Blue-coated Xenon gas bulbs are brighter than typical halogen, BUT, they are not brighter than the CLEAR Xenon gas bulbs. The blue coating fades some of the light. If you want brighter replacement lights, please, buy the clear Xenon bulbs, they are brighter than the blue ones.

If you want the true brightness of the HID Xenon headlamps, such as those found on new BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Porsche, than the only way to get that is to buy the entire headlamp assembly from performance shops and dealers........which is NOT cheap!!!

I'm already despised at seeing these 10 year old trucks drive by with ugly faded blue lights that you can hardly see out of. It's just silly, and the real kicker is that they are usually less bright than what they started with.

I hope this clears things up.

-oh yeah, and to answer your question, the regular Xenon gas bulbs will last just as long as any Halogen bulb. It's just a different mixture of gases to help newly designed filaments burn brighter. The only real thing that shortens their life span is either breaking it, or touching the glass with our oily fingers.

 

[ACEXLT]

Just as a side note: Check your local regulations. In Wisconsin The regulation says the "headlight must appear white." Talked to A DNR officer and he said with the popularity of the blue bulbs, they will be looking for that this year. He also said the tinted light covers are illegal even during the day.

 

[mattgross]

megaman i know exactly what you mean, we have 2 cars with the true xenon lights, and the are very cool light and they have a better qualitly light for driving at night, i laugh everytime i see those import cars with the fake lights. im not sure but arn't doesn't the xenon pack use very high voltage. and what is cool about ours is whan they are turned on they accually focus in. nothing beats the real thing

 

[MegaMan]

I think your right Mattgross. I beleive they only draw about 35W from the car, however, the headlamps have a built-in booster pack, which i believe gives them the needed 100W or so to work. That sounds right, but i'm not positive.

 

[Sno-X-treme]

get the "Brite Lite" version which contains Xenon gas rather than Halogen. These work! I use them in my car and in my snowmobile and they are slightly brighter.

I'll second that! I bought a Xenon non tinted bulb for my sled and noticed at night it really made bumps/trees/deer/water holes visible further away...I like it []

 

[mattgross]

i was just reading my jan 2003 snowgoer, and guess what they have a big artical about different bulbs, i some one want a copy i can post it or email it to you, they have charts on which are brighter and they put the bulbs in different machines, i think they tested them in every major manufacture

 

[ACG]

Originally posted by mattgross
[br]megaman i know exactly what you mean, we have 2 cars with the true xenon lights, and the are very cool light and they have a better qualitly light for driving at night, i laugh everytime i see those import cars with the fake lights. im not sure but arn't doesn't the xenon pack use very high voltage. and what is cool about ours is whan they are turned on they accually focus in. nothing beats the real thing

what kind of vehicles do u have then? i havent seen many american made vehicle w/ the real HID lights that megaman was talkin bout, only the imported cars such as BMW and Mercedes.....and then u say that the imports ahve the fake lights?????

 

[MegaMan]

I think he said that wrong. Mabye he means "rice burners" as imports. Not sure. He posted pics of his cars on the forum and they were both Audi's, which some do have HID's.

 

[mattgross]

i was making fun of those hold hondas that have them. i think ever highschool kid around here drives a honda, i know know some of the honda have the real ones, but most people around here have fake ones, and yes megaman is correct, we have 2 audi's

 

[intendedacceleration]

Originally posted by mattgross
[br]i was making fun of those hold hondas that have them. i think ever highschool kid around here drives a honda, i know know some of the honda have the real ones, but most people around here have fake ones, and yes megaman is correct, we have 2 audi's

Only one honda has the real thing, and that is the S2000. And boy do they rock at night!! I will try to get some pics to show you guys the difference at night, BMW vs. S2000 lights. I have the sylvania cool blue low beams in the BMW and they only look white, no blue.

 

[mattgross]

i know what you mean, i will get some pics of the 2 cars they are very cool

 

[mattgross]

megaman i check on the power thing and there is a sticker on the light and i also have picture of the lights on its hard to tell the differece

/snofan/../images/users/mattgross/DSCN0017.JPG

/snofan/../images/users/mattgross/DSCN0006.JPG

/snofan/../images/users/mattgross/DSCN0007.JPG

 

[intendedacceleration]

Nice car Matt! Gotta love the TT's!