HID problems in JDM's - Honda Prelude Forum

TrustJDM · 11-03-2003, 08:35 PM

Hello everyone,

I did do a search and couldn't find any solutions to my problem. I am currently running JDM headlights w/a Catz 5500K HID hi/lo kit. The problem is that my beam pattern is pretty piss poor. The beam pattern on the ground looks like several bright spots. I've tried adjusting them the best I can, but pretty much when you look directly at the head lights they look like " / / ". This is unfortunately visible on the headlight more so than on the road. Is anyone else running an HID non/retro fit (non projector upgrade) in their JDM's and getting a different result? I am tempted to just cut the shield on the piece close to the bulb because I know the headlights themselves have a shield already there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

JC

prelude styl · 11-03-2003, 09:03 PM

my beam pattern is different than yours, but that's due to a few things. First, I'm using D2S bulbs, but rebased bulbs with a shield on them, so the beam patters will be different from that. Also, I removed the shields in the headlights, as HID bulbs are longer than halogens and the bulb would push against the shield, so I took them out.

TrustJDM · 11-03-2003, 10:22 PM

thanks for the response. what hid kit are you running? from what I see, my Catz hid capsule is the same length as the H4 bulb which is why my capsules are not touching the headlight shield. i am sure my bulbs are also d2-s because it says so on the base of the bulb and bulb is completely clear. i was wondering where your ground wire is pointing? mine is pointed towards the right when looking directly at your headlights.

thanks,

JC

prelude styl · 11-04-2003, 01:47 AM

you have rebased bulbs.. they aren't 'real' D2S bulbs. They're D2S bulbs that have been taken off thier OEM base and put onto an H4 base to make it a plug and play deal. True D2S bulbs aren't plug and play for our cars. They're the bulbs exactly as they're used in Audi/BMW/Mercedes etc... They're much cheaper, and better quality that way. As for the ceramic ground pole that you're talking about, I have them pointing down, but it does matter which way I have them it doesn't change my beam pattern any.

KW93Lude · 11-04-2003, 02:10 AM

kinda off the topic but whats the highest power hid system can u have till it starts to melt the housing...?

prelude styl · 11-04-2003, 02:34 AM

HID's burn cooler than halogens man... you don't ever melt anything. And burning hotter doesn't mean burning brighter either... it's actually the opposite.

yohan420 · 11-04-2003, 10:27 AM

I wish there were some pics so hid ****s like me could tell what yer talking about.

MidNiteMysT · 03-03-2004, 05:34 PM

i took off one of my headlight shields today and im going to see how much of a difference it makes between the two and if theres more glare. the bulb has a shield on it so im thinking the stock shield is unnecisary. althought the stock shield makes the headlight look better instead of just a bulb in there. ill let you guys know how it goes.

yohan420 · 03-03-2004, 06:08 PM

Holy **** dug up from the dead !*#%
But I love HID threads

MidNiteMysT · 03-03-2004, 07:16 PM

i just dont wanna be slapped with the quote "DO A SEARCH!"

Si_g · 03-04-2004, 08:06 AM

^^^ anything ? i ve been wanting to take out my reflectors, but havent have a chance. i feel like my low beams are just there for looks. i wired my h1s as daytime running, so they are contantly on when the car is runnin, and at night time, i can drive without turning on the low beams. When i do, its just for the instruments. Another thing i noticed is that with the h1s on, after u turn on the h4s lows, all they do is really fill up the spots around the h1s pattern which is not a lot, so they bearly look like they are on. Only reason why i can tell they are on is cause they are blue, and the h1s are a bit more of a bright white, so i see shades of blue around the pattern of the h1s. i hope takein the reflectors off will make some kinda of difference so met me kno how it looked.

Thx

G_Loc · 03-04-2004, 02:40 PM

You drive with the H1's constantly on at night?

You're blinding everyone like that

FullyLudedSi · 03-04-2004, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by G_Loc
You drive with the H1's constantly on at night?

You're blinding everyone like that

Im think his H1's act more as fog lights than high beams, like the 2nd gen integra that had their fog lights next to the headlights.

Si_g · 03-04-2004, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FullyLudedSi

Im think his H1's act more as fog lights than high beams, like the 2nd gen integra that had their fog lights next to the headlights.

he is right, the h1s do act as fogs,if not why would they make a wider housing for the h4 which is using highs and lows on the same bulb ? You guys do notice how the h1 housin is a lot smaller compared to the h4. If the H1s were meant to be used at high beams, then tell me why they would bother to use a h4 bulb for the low beams? for the fun of it ? and no i dont blind anyone, they might look bright when u r standin next to em. I drive with my friends all the time, and noone has ever complained about my light blinding em. The thing about my euro lights is, there is no way to adjust them, they are made to point in a precise direction, which makes it imposible to blind anyone. When i have h1s on, h4s lows and highs, all at once, and lets say i was drivin behind aprelude, all those lights on, would light up the from the ground til the end of the bumper of the car in front of me, it doesnt get to the trunk, so thats why noone has complained. There is noway to adjust my lights, they point perfect, so i dont have to mess with em.

G_Loc · 03-04-2004, 10:29 PM

Well I don't know how they are used in Europe, but the H1's in JDM's are used as high beams over in Japan.

Si_g · 03-04-2004, 10:53 PM

i see, so what do they use the high beam part of the bulb for ?

G_Loc · 03-04-2004, 10:56 PM

for nothing, it goes unused. The harnesses that come on JDM headlights don't have a connector for the high beam portion of the H4.

Si_g · 03-04-2004, 11:26 PM

oh ok, i see. that sucks. a lots filment i guess. I like my set up, so i guess its not about what they do with it, but what you do with what u got.

PRelude787 · 03-04-2004, 11:58 PM

Is it worty removing the shields on the lights? I definitely noticed that when I had HIDs on my USDM housings they seemed brighter than in the JDM housings. But there was also more glare.

MidNiteMysT · 03-05-2004, 12:16 AM

well i tested it out, and i concluded that its not worth to take off the stock shield. im not sure but i tried adjusting the headlight with out the stock shield left and right, and it wouldnt move. my other headlight with the shield would move. im not sure if the headlight adjuster thing is broken or the stock sheild helps adjust the light. hopefully, the headlight adjuster isnt broken. it seems i get some more light on the headlight with the shield while the other headlight has more glare and shoots out a little more. almost no difference tho. but im gonna put my sheild back on. so the stock shield helps reflect the light coming out back onto the reflector to shoot the light in the places that its supposed to go. now my question is, on my h4 xenon bulb, theres a shield that gaurds the side, then theres this little shield that goes kinda on top of the bulb. should i cut off that shield part that goes on top of the bulb so that it can hit the stock shield and reflect the light in the right places?