Hid

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kp99

New Member
Does anyone have specs on how much power the clear lens TSX projector uses and how much a 2K8 Honda Civic Hybrid uses? I have this hybrid and my halogens are awful, rain or not. I'm concerned with overwhelming the electrical system which is different than a normal civic if I make the switch. Thanks everyone.
 
Does anyone have specs on how much power the clear lens TSX projector uses and how much a 2K8 Honda Civic Hybrid uses? I have this hybrid and my halogens are awful, rain or not. I'm concerned with overwhelming the electrical system which is different than a normal civic if I make the switch. Thanks everyone.
If I remember correctly, OEM HID's don't go higher than 4300K. Weather it's BMW, Honda, Mercedes, ect... DOT doesn't allow more than 4300K (I think)

HID's actually use less watts than halogens. Halogens=55w and the more common HID kits=35w. I wouldn't worry too much about the electrical system, they re pretty decent and if anything actually goes wrong, that's what your car has fuses for. If you want another layer of protection, you also add what's called a Relay Harness.

12000K on my Mazda...

SP_A0461.jpg


Obviously you can tell which is the HID and which is the stock halogen bulb.

Just remember the higher temp you go, the less usable light you lose. For best visability you want between 4300K-6000K. I went with the 12000K for pure color/looks. The visabilty isn't too bad, but it'll be better if I went down in temp.
 
If I remember correctly, OEM HID's don't go higher than 4300K. Weather it's BMW, Honda, Mercedes, ect... DOT doesn't allow more than 4300K (I think)

HID's actually use less watts than halogens. Halogens=55w and the more common HID kits=35w. I wouldn't worry too much about the electrical system, they re pretty decent and if anything actually goes wrong, that's what your car has fuses for. If you want another layer of protection, you also add what's called a Relay Harness.

12000K on my Mazda...

SP_A0461.jpg


Obviously you can tell which is the HID and which is the stock halogen bulb.

Just remember the higher temp you go, the less usable light you lose. For best visability you want between 4300K-6000K. I went with the 12000K for pure color/looks. The visabilty isn't too bad, but it'll be better if I went down in temp.

Your right, HIDs do use less wattage but i'm concerned with the initial start up needed to kick on the lights. I guess what i'm looking for is ballast info. My plans for the HID upgrade in my 2008 civic hybrid include TSX projectors with a lexus ballast, etc. I spoke to the dealership today and the only info he gave me was that the hybrid headlights operate at 12V. Do I need to know more about my stock halogen headlights to see if matches up to the ballast power required? Where can I find specs about the lexus ballast? Should I use another ballast instead? Thanks.
 
it will work fine. if im thinking right there all 12 volt
 
HID ballasts work off standard 12V car electrical systems. They ramp the voltages up past 10kV, so don't worry- your car wouldn't be able to directly supply the startups voltages anyway.
 
Your right, HIDs do use less wattage but i'm concerned with the initial start up needed to kick on the lights. I guess what i'm looking for is ballast info. My plans for the HID upgrade in my 2008 civic hybrid include TSX projectors with a lexus ballast, etc. I spoke to the dealership today and the only info he gave me was that the hybrid headlights operate at 12V. Do I need to know more about my stock halogen headlights to see if matches up to the ballast power required? Where can I find specs about the lexus ballast? Should I use another ballast instead? Thanks.
Every HID you see out there doesn't have enough power initially for the bulb. That's why you see them all flicker at first, then get brighter.

Think of it this way... The Ballast to the HID bulbs is like an amp to your subs. All it does is amplifying the power to light up the xenon gas HID bulbs.
 
HIDs ramp up the voltage past 10kV??? That's more than 12 V, my hybrid would give out easily.

I understand the idea behind ballasts and the flickering, but I'd like to know that the initial juice to get the lights going is. I just don't want it to more than powering up the halogens. I've been trying to find info about the lexus ballast but haven't been able to.
 
HIDs ramp up the voltage past 10kV??? That's more than 12 V, my hybrid would give out easily.

I understand the idea behind ballasts and the flickering, but I'd like to know that the initial juice to get the lights going is. I just don't want it to more than powering up the halogens. I've been trying to find info about the lexus ballast but haven't been able to.
Why are you worrying about that? That's the ballast's job... Everything is 12 volts. Watts is completely different from voltage. You're wondering and worrying for no reason...
 
Every HID you see out there doesn't have enough power initially for the bulb. That's why you see them all flicker at first, then get brighter.

No, that's wrong.

The initial flicker is the startup "strike." HID lights' starters have to jump an arc across a gap between two electrodes, so they require a very high initial voltage to get started. Afterwards, the normal ballast supplies a constant voltage to keep that arc going. The power is always there- HID capsules (all arc discharge lights) just have to warm up a bit before hitting their nominal output. Street lights do it, fluorescent bulbs do it- HIDs just have a long warmup time that people notice more than others.
 
No, that's wrong.

The initial flicker is the startup "strike." HID lights' starters have to jump an arc across a gap between two electrodes, so they require a very high initial voltage to get started. Afterwards, the normal ballast supplies a constant voltage to keep that arc going. The power is always there- HID capsules (all arc discharge lights) just have to warm up a bit before hitting their nominal output. Street lights do it, fluorescent bulbs do it- HIDs just have a long warmup time that people notice more than others.
That's not what i've read but you may be correct... that makes sense. However, the flicker is always present regardless :)
 
Why are you worrying about that? That's the ballast's job... Everything is 12 volts. Watts is completely different from voltage. You're wondering and worrying for no reason...

When you have a hybrid, everything is different especially the electrical component since there's an additional battery to account for. My dealership basically said the hybrid wasn't designed to be equipped with HIDs and that it wouldn't be a good idea. I'm concerned since the ballast I've been looking at by Lexus operates at 25000V and the post in the forum made mention to 10 kV. I know watts is different from voltage but if everything is 12V, how do you explain the 10 kV and Lexus' 25000V ballast?
 
10kV is just an estimate, not an actual number off a ballast. The ballast uses your 12V line as a source, then ramps that voltage up to the tens of thousands to run the HIDs. You don't need to feed it any more than 12V.

Since you keep asking the same question over and over again about voltage, I really don't think you understand how circuits and ballasts work...
 
kp99,

Keep me posted if you end up, or find out if anybody else ends up making the swap for HID headlamps. I'd like a practical example before I make the investment myself.

I just got my 08 HCH, and am brand new to the Honda community--I never, ever thought I would be referring to myself as a Honda driver. But, $4/gallon made it tough not to bid farewell to my Wrx.

Cheers

P.S. Is anyone here saavy on the wheel weight for the 08 HCHs? I'm looking to swap out to a more aesthetically pleasing wheel with comparable weight--even though I understand I may be sacrificing mpg.
 
Not sure on wheel weight... but it's probably quite significant, considering that the HX Civic had 11 pound wheels, the VX had 9 pounders, and the Insight wheels are barely over 8 pounds.

If you search for "HID conversion" on Honda-Tech or some of the HID forums, you'll find results pictures of proper HID conversions.
 
btw, it's not the ballast that supplies the startup voltage, it's the igniter. the igniter is often built into the ballast in most bolt on kits however, so yeah, we can both be right :p
 
Or you could check my signature for how to do it properly.
 
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