HID Bulbs for C5?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
HID Bulbs for C5?
Has anyone upgraded the stock headlight bulbs to a brighter light? I looked on the PIAA site and there seem to be plenty of choices available, but I'm not sure which one is best. Also, they don't seem to be vehicle-specific so I would not know which part number to order for the C5.
I'm not interested in changing out the entire light ... just the bulbs.
I'm not interested in changing out the entire light ... just the bulbs.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 11,651
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From: HOW FAST WAS I GOING OFFICER? Los Angeles Hating GM Dealership Service Dept.'s Since Sept. 2004
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
The only way to get true HID performance is to go to a real HID system. Take notice that most HID "bulbs" only will say, "HID Look" or something. It just means the bulb is tinted blue or purple.
Higher powered bulbs are available, but keep the heat they produce in mind. Your stock housing and reflector were not designed to accommodate these upgrades.
True HID's run on 35W, cooler bulbs (temp. wise) and last longer since there is no filament. Hope this helps.
These are Hella ballists, and 9006 bulbs (forgot what company). It was an simple bulb exchange, add and connect the ballist deal.
Higher powered bulbs are available, but keep the heat they produce in mind. Your stock housing and reflector were not designed to accommodate these upgrades.
True HID's run on 35W, cooler bulbs (temp. wise) and last longer since there is no filament. Hope this helps.
These are Hella ballists, and 9006 bulbs (forgot what company). It was an simple bulb exchange, add and connect the ballist deal.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
MyVette ... did you notice an improvement over stock?
Speedy ... you're right.
Plenty of information there.
Thanks to both of you.
Speedy ... you're right.
Plenty of information there. Thanks to both of you.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 25,340
Likes: 222
From: Frisco, TX
Lots of debate on this.
The stock C5 light housings are plastic and do not have a good pattern etched in the front to diffuse lights with the intensity of HID. Nonetheless, some folks have gone with a kit that adds those bulbs in place of their low bulb -- so, your high beams will remain stock, and of course look terrible as compared to the HID low beams if you go this route. Originally the HID kits of this sort were in the $700+ range, but not too long ago there was a group purchase for a kit that I think was about $350-$400.
True HID systems use an entire different housing, that includes a "reflector." They also have a special system for creating a bright light, typically my moving a structure inside the light housing.
European C5's use a glass housing, which you can swap into your stateside C5 -- it's called a T84 housing and it uses an H4 bulb. The housing has a much better defined etching on the front that cuts off the light horizontally as it passes through the glass lens. So, some folks, including myself, go with these and the higher wattage halogen bulbs. Unlike the US housings, the H4's use only a single bulb per housing, and that bulb will use one wattage on low, and one on high. On my car I have 100/130 bulbs, and I am quite pleased with the result. However, to make this work well, you need a kit or self-made wiring to provide power directly from the battery (or alternator) through relays; if you just use the factory harness, chances are you'll get insufficient power and poor light performance; I tried the latter first, and it was disappointing.
If you really want to go nuts, you get get the T84 housings and HID H4 bulbs. Because the T84 uses only a single bulb per housing, you will not have hi beams, unless you get special bulbs that emulate both a low and high beam, which I've not seen reported here as to success, but I've seen available on the net.
Good luck.
The stock C5 light housings are plastic and do not have a good pattern etched in the front to diffuse lights with the intensity of HID. Nonetheless, some folks have gone with a kit that adds those bulbs in place of their low bulb -- so, your high beams will remain stock, and of course look terrible as compared to the HID low beams if you go this route. Originally the HID kits of this sort were in the $700+ range, but not too long ago there was a group purchase for a kit that I think was about $350-$400.
True HID systems use an entire different housing, that includes a "reflector." They also have a special system for creating a bright light, typically my moving a structure inside the light housing.
European C5's use a glass housing, which you can swap into your stateside C5 -- it's called a T84 housing and it uses an H4 bulb. The housing has a much better defined etching on the front that cuts off the light horizontally as it passes through the glass lens. So, some folks, including myself, go with these and the higher wattage halogen bulbs. Unlike the US housings, the H4's use only a single bulb per housing, and that bulb will use one wattage on low, and one on high. On my car I have 100/130 bulbs, and I am quite pleased with the result. However, to make this work well, you need a kit or self-made wiring to provide power directly from the battery (or alternator) through relays; if you just use the factory harness, chances are you'll get insufficient power and poor light performance; I tried the latter first, and it was disappointing.
If you really want to go nuts, you get get the T84 housings and HID H4 bulbs. Because the T84 uses only a single bulb per housing, you will not have hi beams, unless you get special bulbs that emulate both a low and high beam, which I've not seen reported here as to success, but I've seen available on the net.
Good luck.
