FYI: Higher Kelvin rating does NOT mean more light output!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 15,682
Likes: 2
From: VA
Rep Power: 436 
FYI: Higher Kelvin rating does NOT mean more light output!
Here is what I'm talking about:
4100-4300k is what OEM car makers use in their cars. Manufacturers such a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, etc. They will stay with 4100-4300k and never go beyond it, with the exception of BMW. BMW has a seperate "color-matched" bulb that you can buy which is essentially a 5000k HID capsule. It mimics a properly color-shifted HID capsule while losing some lumens.
5000k is getting on the bluer side. While you can still see [almost] perfectly fine with these, you are sacrificing lumens. Less lumens = less visibility.
6000k is worse.
8000k is even worse.
12000k - hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahha. Don't even bother with that unless you like having black lights for headlights.
4100-4300k is what OEM car makers use in their cars. Manufacturers such a BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, Honda, etc. They will stay with 4100-4300k and never go beyond it, with the exception of BMW. BMW has a seperate "color-matched" bulb that you can buy which is essentially a 5000k HID capsule. It mimics a properly color-shifted HID capsule while losing some lumens.
5000k is getting on the bluer side. While you can still see [almost] perfectly fine with these, you are sacrificing lumens. Less lumens = less visibility.
6000k is worse.
8000k is even worse.
12000k - hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahha. Don't even bother with that unless you like having black lights for headlights.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 15,682
Likes: 2
From: VA
Rep Power: 436 This next part I'm going to be taking from HIDPlanet.com/forums
Bulbs
Ok, first off, lets start with the bulbs. The common mistake some people here is that all these high kelvin rated bulbs are the shizzle. Well, they couldn't be more wrong. The higher you go in kelvin, the less light and lumens you'll have. Pratically anything over 6k is really a waste if your at all concerned with your safety and brightness of lighting. So what is the best bulb out there then you ask? 4100-4300k. It has the most lumens out of all the HID bulbs produced. Thats why car manifacturers still use them today. Below is a graph showing you the variances of the light spectrum. As you can see, 4100k would be right where the "sweet spot" is on that chart. It produces near to the suns same kelvin thus giving you daylight-like output. Think of it like this, high kelvin bulbs would be like being out in the sun with sunglasses on vs a 4100k being in the sun w/o glasses on.
Also here is another good thing to know taken from the FAQ:
Yellow:
1500 k Candlelight
2700-2900 k Yellow painted fog halogen bulbs
-------------------------------
Yellowish white:
3200 k Sunrise/sunset
3200 k Premium H7 non painted halogen bulb
3400 k 1 hour from dusk/dawn
-------------------------------
White:
4100 k Philips/Osram OEM HID D2S
5500 k Bright sunny daylight around noon
----------------
Blueish white
5500-5600 k Electronic photo flash
6000 k Philips Ultinon HID D2S
6500-7500 k Overcast sky
-----------------
Blue:
9000-12000 k Blue sky
-----------------
Purple:
28000 Northern sky
12000-30000 k Ultra Violet light (black light)
Some important terms to know:
Watt- Measure of electrical power (w)
Volt- Measure of electrical charge (v)
Kelvin- Measure of color temperature (K)
Lumen- Measure of light brightness (lu)
Candela- Measure of light intensity (cd)
Ampere- Measure of electrical current
Cut-off- A distinctive line of light produced by the shield in a headlight that blocks light above a certain height in order to prevent blinding of other motorists.
Beam Pattern- The pattern of light that is projected onto the ground which includes angle of lateral dispersion, width and depth of illumination.
Capsule- Another term for an HID bulb. Some refer to HID bulbs as gas discharge capsules.
Optics- The lighting control assembly structured around the bulb, which effects the dispersion of light and it's characteristics to a great degree.
HID (High Intensity Discharge)= Gas Discharge
Halogen= Incandescence
Ok, first off, lets start with the bulbs. The common mistake some people here is that all these high kelvin rated bulbs are the shizzle. Well, they couldn't be more wrong. The higher you go in kelvin, the less light and lumens you'll have. Pratically anything over 6k is really a waste if your at all concerned with your safety and brightness of lighting. So what is the best bulb out there then you ask? 4100-4300k. It has the most lumens out of all the HID bulbs produced. Thats why car manifacturers still use them today. Below is a graph showing you the variances of the light spectrum. As you can see, 4100k would be right where the "sweet spot" is on that chart. It produces near to the suns same kelvin thus giving you daylight-like output. Think of it like this, high kelvin bulbs would be like being out in the sun with sunglasses on vs a 4100k being in the sun w/o glasses on.
Also here is another good thing to know taken from the FAQ:
Yellow:
1500 k Candlelight
2700-2900 k Yellow painted fog halogen bulbs
-------------------------------
Yellowish white:
3200 k Sunrise/sunset
3200 k Premium H7 non painted halogen bulb
3400 k 1 hour from dusk/dawn
-------------------------------
White:
4100 k Philips/Osram OEM HID D2S
5500 k Bright sunny daylight around noon
----------------
Blueish white
5500-5600 k Electronic photo flash
6000 k Philips Ultinon HID D2S
6500-7500 k Overcast sky
-----------------
Blue:
9000-12000 k Blue sky
-----------------
Purple:
28000 Northern sky
12000-30000 k Ultra Violet light (black light)
Some important terms to know:
Watt- Measure of electrical power (w)
Volt- Measure of electrical charge (v)
Kelvin- Measure of color temperature (K)
Lumen- Measure of light brightness (lu)
Candela- Measure of light intensity (cd)
Ampere- Measure of electrical current
Cut-off- A distinctive line of light produced by the shield in a headlight that blocks light above a certain height in order to prevent blinding of other motorists.
Beam Pattern- The pattern of light that is projected onto the ground which includes angle of lateral dispersion, width and depth of illumination.
Capsule- Another term for an HID bulb. Some refer to HID bulbs as gas discharge capsules.
Optics- The lighting control assembly structured around the bulb, which effects the dispersion of light and it's characteristics to a great degree.
HID (High Intensity Discharge)= Gas Discharge
Halogen= Incandescence
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51,241
Likes: 20
From: NV
Rep Power: 813 Yea those kelvin temperatures are actual temperatures of stars in space that emit a certain color. That's where the color scale came from. That's why if you have halogen bulbs, stock is brightest (clear bulb), but coated bulbs that make the light whiter actually filter out some of the visible light.
Thread
Thread Starter
Honda Civic Forum
Replies
Last Post
97-DX-Lover
Mechanical Problems/Vehicle Issues and Fix-it Forum
5
Jun 14, 2015 06:07 PM
PimpBot5000
I.C.E. (Audio) & Electrical Upgrades
1
Nov 26, 2001 07:15 PM
