Headlight Lighting Options?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,037
Likes: 0
From: Alameda CA
Headlight Lighting Options?
Is there any other options beside HIDs and the stock low beam lights. I have had to many problems with HIDs over the last several months and want to know if there is any thing similar to HIDs in terms of brightness but as easy as stock light bulbs? My HIDs do not work at times and my driver side seems to have a mind of its own, works when it wants to and does not other times. Now it just flickers and turns off after 20 seconds.
Now i am back with stock light bulbs which are really horrible compared to HIDs.
Now i am back with stock light bulbs which are really horrible compared to HIDs.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
Well having tried all the options over the years here is my opinion:
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
Last edited by jrprich; Jan 27, 2011 at 07:57 PM.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,429
Likes: 19
From: Northern CA
St. Jude Donor '10-'12, '25
Well having tried all the options over the years here is my opinion:
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
I received my HID's from JWMotoring and they work great! No issues what-so-ever. Contact JW he'll set you up. 
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 18,681
Likes: 47
From: Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks , State Of Confusion
St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14
Not sure what HID units you have, I have seen quite a few and have found that most of the time when they flicker it is because of a bad connection in one of the plugs, You might try to clean all the connectors and try that, I have run HID for a couple of years now with no issues, I month ago I upgraded to ACA Prtojectors with HID's and they work great.
I 2nd JW for your lighting...
Mr.Bill
I 2nd JW for your lighting...
Mr.Bill
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 97,155
Likes: 1,471
From: Calgary, AB. There's a reason why white was the only color offered on every year Corvette. Proud Canadian German Jamaican!
St. Jude Donor '09, '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
That's funny you mention that because my D.S HID is sporadic too (not lately though) when my automatic headlights are activated (Canadian model) so all I do is turn the car off and turn them on manually then start the car again and it works fine. I already replaced the ballast on the D.S and so far everything is back to normal. I don't know if HID's are worth the trouble but they do look good. Maybe just replace them with Sylvania Silver Stars, I hear good things about them.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,367
Likes: 0
From: East Oakland CA
ACA nuff said, check your relays. one of mine got wet and was making my pass side flicker. if i tap it, it will light up the bulb but i had to do it every time i turned the lights on till i got a new relay
Last edited by mickey_7106; Jan 28, 2011 at 04:19 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 4,062
Likes: 103
From: Southeast, Tennessee
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
Well having tried all the options over the years here is my opinion:
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
There is no halogen bulb that can match the light output of an HID.
The halogen bulb with the greatest light output is the Toshiba HIR but these are hard to find and you will have to buy them online.
HIDs in the stock C5 lamp housings are a waste as the reflectors and lens will just scatter the light and annoy oncoming drivers.
If your not willing to spend $300 or more on a quality Projector/HID lamp assembly then skip HIDs in your main lights and just go with the Toshiba HIR bulbs. Put your current HIDs in your stock fog lamps.
BTW, if you did not install a battery based relay wiring harness with your HIDs.......that could account for most of your failure to fire and flickering issues.
If you want quality lighting assemblies and hardware, try contacting JW@JWMotoring.com
in addition you might check out the offerings by radioflyer. they certainly aren't your "change the bulb" type things, but they are really good products that do what they are supposed to. no cheap, but well worth the money. i put a set of his projector assemblies in over the holidays and have been very pleased with the difference.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
WWW.FINEMOTORING.COM
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 902
From: Republic of Texas
Once you go Light cannons, you'll never need anything else. They're a 1 - hour project that's simple bolt-on.
Light Cannons 2.0 - Pop up projector headlights: $800 Shipped for base kit
- The ultimate lighting solution for those who want to keep the pop up look with an easy installation and many options. Customized Hella 90mm optics coupled with a 55w HID low beam give the driver longer range night vision for safer driving with a unique aftermarket look when opened and a smooth OEM look when closed.
Shoot me an email if you're interested: radioflyer97@gmail.com
Light Cannons 2.0 - Pop up projector headlights: $800 Shipped for base kit
- The ultimate lighting solution for those who want to keep the pop up look with an easy installation and many options. Customized Hella 90mm optics coupled with a 55w HID low beam give the driver longer range night vision for safer driving with a unique aftermarket look when opened and a smooth OEM look when closed.
Shoot me an email if you're interested: radioflyer97@gmail.com
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,520
Likes: 5
From: Long Island NY
I had the same intermittent problems with my HID kit too. One light would flicker and eventually go out all together and then work OK the next day and go out again, even the color of the light changed compared to the other one. So after some troubleshooting it turned out to be the resistor for the buckets. After I replaced the resistor they have been working great. May or may not be your problem but if the light in question is the one with the resistor it may be worth a look at. Good luck bro!
