06-24-2014, 05:55 PM | #1 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT/RS Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 29
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RS HID headlights not bright enough... suggestions?
Hello all, I have a 2010 2LT/RS. I've upgraded the DRL and HID headlights with Oracle P13W DRL LED bulbs (with their DRL harness) and Diode Dynamics RS replacement OEM HID 6K bulbs. While the color of the lights is great, both are whiter than stock, the headlights are NOT as bright as they were before and it makes me nervous driving at night because they don't light up the road as much as they did before. The DRLs give me more light on the road at night than the headlights do! (but they don't project far down the road)
Anyone else have this problem? What do you guys recommend? Do I just have some bad bulbs? I haven't found many options for the HID headlights... I previously bought ones from Gen5Diy, but neither performed any better... and I've just been dealing with it for a couple of months now. I'm thinking the Gen5Diy DRL harness looks more legit than what I got from Oracle... would that affect anything? I'm wondering if it's a power issue, but don't know how to fix it. I need help and/or suggestions. Thanks! |
06-24-2014, 06:25 PM | #2 |
Drives: 2011 CGM Camaro LS A6 Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 10,305
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When you go up the temp scale like you did, you lose some useable light. That's probably what you're noticing going from 4300k to 6k
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06-24-2014, 06:27 PM | #3 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT Victory Red Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 358
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you lost light going up with a 6k hid bulb.
i believe are stock hid lights are 4300k the higher you go the more light output you loose and it starts turning blueish |
06-24-2014, 06:42 PM | #4 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT/RS Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 29
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thanks... I've been learning about that as well... my 6k lights aren't very bluish, but I do understand the whole color wavelength thing... but so then wouldn't it simply be a power issue? Doesn't somebody offer a higher wattage bulb that is also whiter than stock (so above 4300) so you get whiter AND brighter?
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06-24-2014, 07:09 PM | #5 |
Always Workin
Drives: 2021 Mazda MX-5 Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Youngstown, OH
Posts: 1,362
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4300k is pretty white and will give you the most amount of light. The 6000k and 6500k lights do have a blue hue to them and give off less light.
The color of your lights will change depending on what you are used to seeing. You have 6000k now and going back to a 4100k or 4300k may seem yellow to you but its white. If 4300k HIDs are not bright enough for you to see at night you either need to properly adjust your headlights or not drive at nights because your eyes are that bad... Sent from somewhere on the road.
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06-25-2014, 07:55 AM | #6 |
Drives: 2013 Black Camaro 2SS/RS Convert. Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Sauk Village, Illinois
Posts: 506
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I swapped my fog lights to HID's. The HIDS are brighter and throw out more light than the rs halos. Easy fix for your problem
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2013 Camaro 2SS/RS-Smoked tail lights and side markers, HID log lights, & LED lighting inside/outside the car, SJM LED Cupholder, SJM full dashboard ABL lighting, ZL1 Rockers, 1LE Splitter, Showstopper LED Mirrors, Showstopper LED Side Markers, & Showstopper Heat Extractor Hood, 20" Niche Concourse ZL1 Styled wheels 20X8.5 & 20X10 with 275/40/20 & 315/35/20 Nitto Invos, Black Gorilla Lug Nuts/Locks, Black Billet Elite Camaro License Plate Holder, and Hydro Dipped Speedo/Shifter/AC-Heat Bezels.
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06-25-2014, 08:17 AM | #7 | |
Deadlift King
Drives: 2012 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 118
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Quote:
PM me for more info. I'll try to post a picture tonight of the light output. |
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06-25-2014, 09:52 AM | #8 |
Drives: 2014 Z/28 #82+#192, 18ZLE 66Nova Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: By the lake in AZ
Posts: 15,719
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There are higher power HID (stock is 35 watts), but you have to remember more power more heat, we have fixed many RS headlights, where the chrome holder of the bulb has melted or burned, if some of the chrome comes off then you have less light output.
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06-25-2014, 05:31 PM | #9 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT/RS Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 29
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06-25-2014, 05:39 PM | #10 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT/RS Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 29
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Previously I've ordered new bulbs from Gen5Diy and Diode Dynamics... as I look at other various places, like EFX and even Amazon, what is the difference between them? I see prices all over the place for the "same" bulb (D1S, HID, either 6000K or 4300K) - Gen5Diy only has the 6000K, for $50; EFX has both for $60, Diode Dynamics has both for $80, Amazon is offering: Osram Xenarc 66144 D1s CBI bulbs for $230 (!!!); and on and on...
At this point, it sounds like I need to drop back to 4300K, but if there are better bulbs out there that will direct light further down the road than standard, then I'd be willing to pay a premium (though $230 seems a bit outrageous comparatively). |
06-26-2014, 08:22 AM | #11 | |
Deadlift King
Drives: 2012 Camaro SS Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 118
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Quote:
Apex and R2C are also stand out companies to me because they specifically list why their products are better than the competition. They are also affordable and do not list their products for outrageous amounts of money. You are right, $230 for two bulbs is more than I would pay especially when the only upgrade you might be buying is the name. |
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07-02-2014, 02:04 AM | #12 | |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2LT/RS Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 29
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Thanks for your help. I decided to go ahead and get the EFX bulbs; though I got both the 4300 and the 6000, ha! Hopefully that will fix the situation.
Quote:
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12-26-2017, 08:23 AM | #13 |
Drives: 2012 2LT/RS Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Northeast
Posts: 1,443
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How'd this work out?
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12-26-2017, 11:47 AM | #14 |
hates winter
Drives: Black 2010 2SS/RS LS3 Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Doylestown, PA
Posts: 136
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There are a few threads going about this issue but in the end, replacing my entire headlamp assemblies was the fix for my unsafe headlights. The projector bowls can burn off the mirrored reflective coating and cause the lights to hardly light up anything. Nobody sells the projector bowls or can recoat them once they are damaged. You can retrofit new projectors or replace the assemblies. TYC makes a OE quality assembly with clear (not cloudy or fresnel) projectors. That’s what I bought from RockAuto for $385 each.
Here is my experience with taking apart my projectors and replacing the entire headlamp assemblies: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...=491102&page=2 Bulbs were the first thing I tried last year because it’s the cheapest and easiest to try. However my 7+ year old original bulbs were not the problem; there was no color shift indicating they were wearing out and the new bulbs didn’t seem to improve anything. I dealt with it until this month when I really noticed how difficult it was to see at night. These lights used to be very bright so I knew something was wrong. According to what I have read, ballasts will either fire up the lights or they won’t; my lights always came on and stayed on. I wasn’t going to replace the ballasts to test that theory when I could get the entire assembly with bulbs and ballast for $385 each.
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2010 2SS/RS LS3 built October 30, 2009; 416ci/6.8L forged LS3 with 495 RWHP@6k/470 TQ@4.4k; Lunati 235/243 .626"/.634" 114LSA +3; Monster LT-1S twin disc, SLP retro badges, MGW shifter/knob, Hotchkis TVS Stage 1, Pedders Street Z bushings, 3.91 Gear swap, red calipers, Z28 CAI, ZL1 side skirts/rock guards, Kooks 1 7/8" headers, SLP front splitter. |
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Tags |
diode dynamics, gen5diy, oracle lights, rs hid headlights |
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