Blue Headlights

[aLf]

An after-market parts supplier has "BLUE" headlights that are the same size, etc as the OEM that came with my 2005 ES330. Are they as good as HID bulbs? Is there a bulb that comes close to the Zenon that is approved and available for the 330? Is HID and Zenon the same animal? Thanks ahead of time. aLf

[djspawn00]

Do you already have HID lights? If so...

As with all bulbs, brands and quality vary greatly. You can go for a higher color temp, 6000k+ will give you a bluer light, past 8000k is purple, however at the trade off of color you lose the intensity of the light. But if you really want blue lights that are good quality got for the phillips ultinon bulbs... or take your chances with cheaper HID bulbs but be careful to save your OEM bulbs.

If not, chances are those blue light bulbs are just regular bulbs with blue tinting, often running a higher wattage which can cause wires to melt. They don't last too long either.

[SW03ES]

Spend some time doing some research on HID/Xenon lights (same thing, different name). HID is a totally different lighting system than standard halogen and cannot be replicated with a bulb.

[Corsico]

I'm a new ES300 owner ('93) with stock headlights. So....what you're saying is, I can't replace the OEM bulbs with those HID bulbs I see on eBay? I need to get an HID kit of some sort?

[SW03ES]

You can replace them with the fake HID bulbs, but they won't be or look like HID lights.

[homemechanic]

I'm a new ES300 owner ('93) with stock headlights. So....what you're saying is, I can't replace the OEM bulbs with those HID bulbs I see on eBay? I need to get an HID kit of some sort?

Do not buy those HID bulbs from eBay. They are just a bunch of rip off. The seller colors them blue. The only thing that does to you is making your eyes more tiring looking at these lights. HID bulbs are not cheap in the first place, so a few dollar product is simply not the same as the genuine stuff.

Your car is not fitted for HID. You need to purchase an HID Kit. There are couple of factors you need to consider before converting your car to HID.

1. Can the headlight housing handle the extra heat from the HID lights? Note that regular halogens is about 3200K. Depending on the type of HID you want, they can go from 4000K to 6000K or even up to 8000K.

2. Can the headlight housing aim the HID light correctly? If not, your HID light might end up being high beam because the housing is not helping you point the light correctly. I am not sure if adjusting the housing is sufficient enough to correct the aiming problem.

3. If you are in California or some other restricted states, I believe 4200K is the maximum allowed.

[steviej]

1. Can the headlight housing handle the extra heat from the HID lights? Note that regular halogens is about 3200K. Depending on the type of HID you want, they can go from 4000K to 6000K or even up to 8000K.

Please note: 3200K, 4000K, etc is not a measure of the heat the bulb produces. This is the number indicating where on the kelvin scale the color of the illumination is:

3200 is yellowish,

~4200 is that characteristic HID white with a hint of blue

6000-8000 and the light gets into the purple range.

"lumens" are the measurement of how much illumination (brightness) of the bulb.

If you want a measure of heat then check the wattage. The higher the wattage, the hotter the bulb. If you have a harness rated for 55w and you put in a 100w bulb, you will most likely suffer a meltdown of your wires. Don't go over the manufacturer's recommended wattage requirement unless you want to eventually replace some wires and couplings. Insidentally, true HID bulbs are very low wattage, ~35w.

steviej