Quote:
Originally Posted by Obsidian  HIDs can and are used as high beams all the time. Generally inside the HID housing there is a mechanical reflector/screen that blocks light above a certain point. When high beams are used the reflector angles up, allowing additional light to leave the housing. This requires a more expensive housing containing this mechanical reflector and that's why a lot of cars come with HID low beams but halogen high beams. BMW Technology Guide : Bi-xenon lights
Also, the biggest reason that HIDs can be blinding is because they require specialized housings. HIDs create a LOT more light than halogens and, if they are not in a proper housing that focuses the light, they simply throw all that additional light out onto the road and into people's eyes. In many less expensive cars that come with the option for HIDs you'll see the company simply throw HIDs into the standard halogen housing in order to reduce costs, thus causing this problem. The same issue arises when people purchase aftermarket HID kits and install them into their standard halogen housing. Finally, a lot of people with their blindingly blue lights are not actually using HIDs at all, they are simply using cheap tinted blue halogens. Blue light is significantly harder on the eyes than white light and these crappy blue halogens are marketed as "xenon" halogens and scooped up by people trying to make it seem like their cars have real HIDs. |
Oh well nice info to know.
When I was reading info on HIDs I was on mainly tC specific enthusiast forums, and tCs come stock with projector headlights (the type needed for HIDs, I would guess) but no HIDs. . .and I guess these people don't know/can't find a place to buy/ignore completely the use of highbeam HIDs
