[Z06] HID Lamps - Driving
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 333
Likes: 10
From: Gilbert AZ
HID Lamps - Driving
Ok this is a bit of an ignorant question on my part as I do not know what type of aftermarket set up is in my car. I bought the car with the HID lamps already in place.
They are the bright white/blueish tinted lamps. Inside the engine bay there are two silver boxes zipped tied in. (Ballast?) Both have wiring for each side lamp. The passenger side bulb looks like its running out of juice as it now less bright than the driver side and is turning sort of purplish in color.
Before I take the lamp apart to replace the bulb - can someone offer some insight on what these silver boxes (ballast) do? Is there anything I should know before I replace the bulb?
I can provide pictures on request if needed for clarification.
TIA
They are the bright white/blueish tinted lamps. Inside the engine bay there are two silver boxes zipped tied in. (Ballast?) Both have wiring for each side lamp. The passenger side bulb looks like its running out of juice as it now less bright than the driver side and is turning sort of purplish in color.
Before I take the lamp apart to replace the bulb - can someone offer some insight on what these silver boxes (ballast) do? Is there anything I should know before I replace the bulb?
I can provide pictures on request if needed for clarification.
TIA
Last edited by Drewster67; Oct 13, 2014 at 04:31 PM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 20,030
Likes: 289
From: Wylie TX --> Less is More, except under the hood !
Always replace both HID bulbs at the same time. 
Do you have the stock light housings in your car ?
If you have the stock housing then the HID bulb you want for the LOW beam is a 9006.
EBAY sells pairs of HID bulbs in 9006 for $10 all over the place.
Buy a couple sets just in case.
I always have spares but honestly I have never had a failure yet.
If there is a slight blue tint then they are likely 6000K in color.
I would stick with 5000K (white with very slight yellow), or 6000K (white with very slight blue).
Other colors are just too yellow (under 5000K) or too Blue (above 6000K)
Most ballasts are 35 watt.
Its hard to tell what you have unless its listed on the ballasts.
They may be 55 watt too...
I know from experience that a HID bulb going bad it will start to turn PINK.
It happened on my stock HID bulbs in my old GTI.
Its hard to say if you have a bad ballast or bulb.
I would swap the bulbs from side to side to see if the problem moves (bad bulb), or the problem stays on the bad side (bad ballast).
Toque
Do you have the stock light housings in your car ?
If you have the stock housing then the HID bulb you want for the LOW beam is a 9006.
EBAY sells pairs of HID bulbs in 9006 for $10 all over the place.
Buy a couple sets just in case.
I always have spares but honestly I have never had a failure yet.
If there is a slight blue tint then they are likely 6000K in color.
I would stick with 5000K (white with very slight yellow), or 6000K (white with very slight blue).
Other colors are just too yellow (under 5000K) or too Blue (above 6000K)
Most ballasts are 35 watt.
Its hard to tell what you have unless its listed on the ballasts.
They may be 55 watt too...
I know from experience that a HID bulb going bad it will start to turn PINK.
It happened on my stock HID bulbs in my old GTI.
Its hard to say if you have a bad ballast or bulb.
I would swap the bulbs from side to side to see if the problem moves (bad bulb), or the problem stays on the bad side (bad ballast).
Toque
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
If they are just HID lamps in stock housings, junk them! They are not made for HID output and just put out a glaring uncontrolled bright light. Spend $300 and get proper projectors, they control the beam with a proper cutoff so your not blinding others and you'll see down the road much better. They also look much better then the 70s tech C5's come with.
The lower the Temp the more light they put out and less blue. OEM Hids are 4300. 5k is what I run and its a huge upgrade from the stock lights.
The lower the Temp the more light they put out and less blue. OEM Hids are 4300. 5k is what I run and its a huge upgrade from the stock lights.
Last edited by JETninja; Oct 17, 2014 at 12:31 AM.
8th Gear
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
If they are just HID lamps in stock housings, junk them! They are not made for HID output and just put out a glaring uncontrolled bright light. Spend $300 and get proper projectors, they control the beam with a proper cutoff so your not blinding others and you'll see down the road much better. They also look much better then the 70s tech C5's come with.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 333
Likes: 10
From: Gilbert AZ
If they are just HID lamps in stock housings, junk them! They are not made for HID output and just put out a glaring uncontrolled bright light. Spend $300 and get proper projectors, they control the beam with a proper cutoff so your not blinding others and you'll see down the road much better. They also look much better then the 70s tech C5's come with.
The lower the Temp the more light they put out and less blue. OEM Hids are 4300. 5k is what I run and its a huge upgrade from the stock lights.
The lower the Temp the more light they put out and less blue. OEM Hids are 4300. 5k is what I run and its a huge upgrade from the stock lights.
JETninja - thank you for the feedback and direction. I would love to replace the stock set up with something like yours. Ill have to look into pricing etc .... For now - Ill have to just swap out the bulbs for the same ones, or ones very similar.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
I got mine from CorvetteMods last year, at the time they offered Black or Chrome insides. 35w or 55w setups (I went with 55w - 5000K) and they came with Halo's already installed, but I saw no reason to wire those up, its not like I drive my car with the lamps up but off. The Hi Beams are still regular Bulbs. Some Vendors offer both projectors (Low & Hi) and even Fogs. But I found them not required, the increase in light is huge and its well controlled. My old 95 M3 has a setup very much like this also, and Wife's '08 Audi TTq V6 has stock Zenon's and those are the best in house, but not by much.
The very best lighting for our Vettes is from Radioflyer, but you'll pay big for his stuff, and I'm very happy with my setup. Also CorvetteMods offers lifetime warranty, nice to have with the small ballasts used these days....
It's also very easy to install and wire up, took me a couple hours. You do need to trim a tiny bit from the stock metal base to make clearance for the projectors, so a dremel is handy. But its one of the best mods you can do to your car, the stock lights are too easy to out drive and that is dangerous.
The very best lighting for our Vettes is from Radioflyer, but you'll pay big for his stuff, and I'm very happy with my setup. Also CorvetteMods offers lifetime warranty, nice to have with the small ballasts used these days....
It's also very easy to install and wire up, took me a couple hours. You do need to trim a tiny bit from the stock metal base to make clearance for the projectors, so a dremel is handy. But its one of the best mods you can do to your car, the stock lights are too easy to out drive and that is dangerous.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,943
Likes: 4
From: Lawrenceburg KY
I have the corvettemods lights too and got the 55w high and low beams option for like $400. They're awesome and for whatever reason mine required no trimming to fit - they were a straight bolt-in affair. Amusingly we had the same Audi TT, 2008 V6 quattro with the adaptive bi-xenons. The Z06 with 55w HID's is just as good now IMO - maybe better on the high beams. 55w HID high beams are ridiculous.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 20,030
Likes: 289
From: Wylie TX --> Less is More, except under the hood !
I have the corvettemods lights too and got the 55w high and low beams option for like $400. They're awesome and for whatever reason mine required no trimming to fit - they were a straight bolt-in affair. Amusingly we had the same Audi TT, 2008 V6 quattro with the adaptive bi-xenons. The Z06 with 55w HID's is just as good now IMO - maybe better on the high beams. 55w HID high beams are ridiculous.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,548
Likes: 900
From: Republic of Texas
I would advise 5000K (pure white) color temp for the best color. I found myself getting a little ill after having 6000K for a while.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 333
Likes: 10
From: Gilbert AZ
Thanks for the tip. I was trying to figure out what K it was ... Im going to go with 5000K for the next set.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,855
Likes: 78
From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
Drew, this is the set I got, in black with 5K 55W HIDs.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1588103495
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1588103495