Bah, HID colour temps!!! Too confusing....
Bah, HID colour temps!!! Too confusing....
The IS300 uses D2R bulbs which are the ones made for reflectors, they have blanking in specific positions on the bottom of the bulb to prevent light travel downwards which bounces off the bottom of the reflector and then upwards.
Similar to the anti-glare bulbs that Chris linked to above, I have these in my IS and although the cut-off isn't perfect (as the bulb doesn't sit perfectly straight in the headlight) it's a lot better than nothing.
Had my HID's in for almost 2 years and I've run 8000k and 3000k bulbs and never once had anybody flashing me.
I think having the headlight insert painted makes a big difference in terms of glare. Not as much reflective surface for the light to bounce off.
Be careful with those anti glare bulbs, because as you can see on Parthiban's (his aren't too bad actually) they don't give you a level beam pattern. And like the wiring, Lexus just have to be different, in that the 3-slotted ring that the bulbs twist into seems to be about 1/3 of a turn different to every other manufacturer.
So when I tried them, instead of the bulb cutting off the upwards glare, it cut of the light spread to the outer edges of the reflectors. So I basically ended up with a rectangle of light in the middle of the road, and no light at the edges.
Matt_C New 5k bulbs arrived today, only had a chance to run them for a few mins and it's raining, but you can see the difference straightaway (new 5k on left, old "5k" on right)
Matt_C New 5k bulbs arrived today, only had a chance to run them for a few mins and it's raining, but you can see the difference straightaway (new 5k on left, old "5k" on right)
These are 35w, so maybe that's why they are a little blue.
Just took a little run up a local country, unlit, lane, and there is a definite difference - the road signs (town name and the triangle warning signs for bends etc) used to look blue (almost turquoise) with the first set of "5k" bulbs, but they are now much more neutral and white. Still a little tint to them though. Stopped in a churchyard, which is completely black in the dark, and snapped these;
Dipped beam only;
Dipped + fog;
And dipped + fog + main
So still a little blue, but hopefully they will settle in. I don't think I'm gonna get a perfect "brilliant/snow" white without either more expensive bulbs, and probably projectors, as I'm sure the actual lens in the end of a projector plays a part...
Matt_C New 5k bulbs arrived today, only had a chance to run them for a few mins and it's raining, but you can see the difference straightaway (new 5k on left, old "5k" on right)
Matt_C New 5k bulbs arrived today, only had a chance to run them for a few mins and it's raining, but you can see the difference straightaway (new 5k on left, old "5k" on right)