torn b/w buying a 5000k and a 6000k kit so help me out here

Pictures would have helped but i'm having a hard time finding any!

 

considering that the 5000k has more light out put the the 6000k i would say no.

do your self a favor and get 4300k, retro some projectors or get a set of 02-03 housings

saw a dude in my neck of the woods with 6000k...hella glare...bad driver too

B

 

your going to get glare no matter what..

your going to lose your highbeams.. unless you get a bi-something kit or something like that ..i know when i had my old 00 i had a kit in there where the bulb could move more a high beam...

i would try to get 4300 or at most 5000K ,.. dont go for 6.. too blueish.. less light output..

and.. also.. some people will say rice.. and yes and no.. but it will improve YOUR night driving visability.. but prob reduce that of some others lol..

 

HIDs are not meant to go into a halogen reflector.

The number "6000k" does not mean it's a brighter light. It's a color temperature. In fact, the higher the kelvin rating above 4300-4500k, you lose lumens, which is a visible light rating.

Properly done, either retrofit HID projectors into your current housings, or buy 02-03 housings and have the HIDs that way.

Basically, 4300k will be the brightest, but not bluish compared to 6000k. All of which will glare like a **** in your housings.

 

5000k is a nice even balance between 4300k and 6000k.

However, as others said, you're definitely going to have glare. I've seen guys compensate for this by aiming their headlights slightly downward. I personally wouldn't recommend it but I've been there and it certainly wasn't that bad.

Still, proj's or 5.5s FTW

 

op's signature says it all

temperature has nothing to do with brightness. its all depending on how our eyes receive the light.

 

I vote for projector retrofit. I did that for my wife's SE-R. Before I had 6000k hids in the stock housings, the light was everywhere but the road. After I did the retro, it was a night and day difference. Did FX-R's with 4300k d2s kit.

 

definitely doable, but its going to be a glare nightmare. id definitely pick up some 5.5 heads or retro the current ones

 

Do the 5.5 hids! Easier than retrofitting projectors, but the light output won't be quite as good. Whatever you do, don't put hid bulbs in your stock halogen housings.

 

That's like saying "hmmm I am swapping a new motor, should I do 250hp VQ35 or 190hp VQ30? Oh i'll do 220hp VQ30DEK because it's a nice even balance". It may be an even balance between the two, but it's still 30 less horsepower than the VQ35.

4300k still has more output than 5000k, which in turn has more output than 6000k. So it's a no-brainer - get the brightest bulb in the bunch, the 4300k

 

Actually it's not the same as comparing two versions of the VQ30 to a VQ35 b/c there are numerous other factors involved w/ an engine that do not apply to the simplicity of hid.

I currently have 5000ks (Morimotos) in my retro projectors, I had 4300ks (Philips) and I also had 6000ks. Again, 5000k is a nice even balance between the two ie: the 4300's were brighter but more yellow, the 6000's were too damned blue for my taste (but looked better w/o a doubt).

The 5000's have decent light output w/o the white/yellow look. And as I recall, the OP said nothing about 4300K

 

Nexus- Did you notice any difference in performance (stronger lighting or whatever) in the 5000's vs 4300?

The only reason why I ask is eventually my OEM bulbs will need replacement, and I would like to get something that isn't too blue-ish as replacements.

 

The OP is torn between terrible idea (5000k HID in stock H4 housing) and another terrible idea (6000k HID in stock H4 housing).

Again, I really don't understand how 3,000 lumens is a "nice even balance" between 3,200 lumens and 2,800 lumens.

I really don't understand how people can look at those bluish headlights and feel anything other than "Look at that dumbass ricer with his stupid blue headlights". You're putting in a piece of equipment which compromises the performance of your vehicle on purpose.

5000k bulbs are not "stronger lighting" than 4300k. barrylaud, the best bulb you can get to replace your OEM bulbs will be factory Philips 85122. They're like $70/pair BNIB on ebay.

 

Quite honestly: barely. Sure, 4300k is indeed brighter, but you would notice much more a difference with 4300 vs. 6000. I just wasn't all the way thrilled with the creamy yellow 4300 look (and I didn't want to wait until the bulb aged)

5000 is white w/ a small blue tint. You can try to look in my album, but pictures never capture the light as your eye does. 6000 used to be my standard but it is now much too blue for me.

 

It's already been established that it isn't a good idea for HID to go into halogen housings. But we've told the OP to either go 5.5 or proj retrofit.

Additionally, my headlights are not 'blue', they're 'bluer' than 4300k (which isn't hard to do b/c 4300 isn't blue at all) We're not talking 8000k vs 12000k here. Or worse, those autozone 'like xenon' lights.

With 5000k you don't have creamy yellow look of 4300k, but you're also not sacrificing a whole lot of light output like you would with the 6000k. Hence the 'balance'

 

OP:

I'm guessing you are choosing b/w 5000K and 6000K because 4300K is too yellowish for you. My advice to you is to get the 5.5 headlights (uses D2R HID bulbs for reflector housings) and get the Phillips 85122CM D2R bulbs (Color Shift). They're 5000K, but made by Phillips, so you get pure white light output with slight tint of blue and quality of OEM manufacturer. But they're usually more expensive than 85122 or 85122+ (4300K). I have this setup in my 2000 GLE and can't be happier (except with a projector retrofit, of course).

 

Just 6000k hids are bright white, look great, and are very bright. Going from 8000k to 6000k made a huge difference in how much I can see at night! I also have a bi xenon kit so that helps too.