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Advice on headlights..

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Old March-26th-2010 | 01:02 PM
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Advice on headlights..

Im changing my headlights and fogs on my mazda3 hatch and I need some feedback..
Should i stick to the 6000k bulbs for more clarity or go a bit bluer?

Also should i do the same color bulbs on top and on the fogs?
Old July-27th-2010 | 12:20 PM
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you talking HID's or halogens that tell you what color temp they are by placing a tint on the bulb?
I assume halogen - blue lights in halogen are accomplished by blocking yellow (pretty sure that's the filter color) and this is actually making the light dimmer. It appears brighter since your eye doesn't respond as much to blue so your iris stays open - which blinds oncoming drivers more than a plain lamp would.
So your post was like 2 months back, did you make any change yet?
Old July-29th-2010 | 10:27 AM
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because human eyes at night behave differently in the day, blue tinted bulbs/HID is not a good solution. rods and cones in human eyes are more active in the night, and have higher sensitivity to red and green wavelengths. blue wavelengths are actually worse and blue bulbs/HID will not illuminate the road safely. part of the reason people perceive blue light to be brighter is because it is closer to pure sunlight on the Kelvin scale. but color temperature is not the same as luminosity and as i mentioned before at night your eyes operate differently than during the day where natural sunlight fills your entire visible scope.

the safest and most legal recommendation for HID is 4300K. it provides the most on-the-road illumination. for halogen your best value is a +50 bulb. they are DOT legal and provide more illumination while retaining some what decent bulb life. if you notice high-wattage PIAA bulbs last for a few months at best, and even Sylvania Silverstars barely last a year.

also you can try hoen-usa.com for HID-look matching bulbs. they offer a line of bulbs that are slightly higher wattage (~70w), but not excessively high (~80w or over). due to this, the blue tint in the bulbs do not rob the light as much. they have a line of bulbs that will match most existing HID systems. for fogs i tend to favor yellow/all weather bulbs. the purpose of fog lights are not to illuminate the road for you, but to indicate on-coming traffic to your presence in adverse weather. yellow bulbs are contrasting wavelength to your headlamps and the idea is to be more visible to others.
Old September-28th-2011 | 12:01 AM
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Will putting a 70w bulb overheat and damage the bulb socket since the stock wattage is 55w?
Old September-28th-2011 | 12:09 PM
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I wouldn't take the chance, that's a lot more heat and the headlight housing (70/55 = 27% increase), and the housing is expensive to replace (parts + labor). Add driving lights in place of your fogs if you need that much light.
Old October-9th-2011 | 02:52 AM
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it provides the most on-the-road illumination

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