HID Kit vs Bulb Replacement (BRZ only)
 

Just wondering if some fellow users can shed some light (excuse the pun) :s

But since the BRZ comes with Bi-Xenon HIDs, if I want to get that slight tint of blue colour in my headlights, can I do a straightforward bulb swap with some 6000k bulbs? (was considering something like this http://www.streetfx.com.au/product/b...ps-d4s-hi-low/)

I've read many threads about HID kits, but nearly most of them are talking about the GT86, so I'd just like to clarify as to whether I'll need one. Any inputs will be appreciated!

D4s bulb if I'm not mistaken.. I'm almost sure the link you showed are some fake knock offs.. But don't quote me lol.. I'm not sure real Phillips are manufactured in anything other then 4300.. What's the warranty on those..

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...oducts_id=3180

These have a 5 year warranty, real handmade German capsules and the best of the rest from OEM.. Any D4S bulb will work, but I'd still buy a quality bulb.. Even if you don't get a set from TRS, be wary of "Phillips" bulbs in any thing other then 4300

You can just swap the bulbs. No need for an HID kit.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to have another good look around, it has been difficult trying to buy from a reputable dealer since most don't ship outside the US, or shipping fees make it expensive.

Also if anyone knows, will I still be able to keep the Hi and Low beams with a simple bulb swap?

I'm not 100% positive on the BRZ housings, but I believe that the high/low function is just a solenoid driven flap inside the housing. The bulb is on the same for both, high beams just open up the light output above the normal cutoff.

Why do you want a blue tint?

Cosmetic improvements? o.O

This is correct. Xenon headlights have a single capsule, and a shield flips up or down to change the beam pattern. Cars that have xenon low-beams and halogen high-beams, or cars that have xenon low-beams and high-beams (bi-xenon) both use the same type of bulb, the only difference is the shield.

"Bi-Xenon" HID kits are trying to drop into a halogen reflector and replace a dual-filament halogen, so that's where you get the goofy crap like two capsules together or a capsule that slides back and forth or lose your high beams entirely. All aftermarket HIDs are unsafe and illegal, but IMHO these "Bi-Xenons" replacing H4 or 9004 or 9007 bulbs are the worst of all.

Have you considered changing the lens instead?

I noticed our lenses have been "textured" rather than being smooth/clear. I'm considering changing them out for clear one but haven't look into how involved the process actually is.

Having a smooth/clear lens will allow for a sharper cutoff with an aesthetically pleasing color flicker to on-comers while still placing white light onto the road for visibility.

^^ That.

If you want your car's headlights to have that sharp HID appearance and not look and perform like ricer shit, leave your bulbs alone, or at most go to 5000k.

That rich blue appearance is not due to the color of the bulb, but due to diffraction at the cut off. Adjusting the distance between the bulb/cutoff shield and the lens can help, but the biggest improvement is yielded by replacing the stock fresnel style lens with a so called clear lens.

Doing one or more of these steps will sharpen the cutoff, similarly to adjusting the focus on an AV projector, and will tend to change the cutoff from fuzzy and non-colorful to a very sharp deep blue.

I have no experience doing any of this to a BRZ so you're on your own as far as research in parts and instructions, but that is what you need to do.

People that put 6000k or greater bulbs in and think they're fooling people into believing they have high end or properly modified projectors are only fooling themselves. We've all seen them on the road, and know they look like crap.

Some cars have aggressive stock setups with great cutoff out of the box, but unfortunately the BRZ's is not one of them.

Yay someone who gets it.

Although I somewhat disagree with that last statement. The BRZ's cutoff is decent, has color at distance, and isn't too sharp to the point where there is no light bleed to light up highway signs.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/trs...ear_lenses.php

^this will explain lenses further

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...ducts_id=25696

^ these are the lenses for the FR-S but I haven't heard of anyone attempting this yet.

Maybe those who have blacked out their housings can elaborate on install complexity.

Looks like other people beat me to the point :)


If you see blue HID's, they're:
- Old
- Cheap garbage
- Prism effect of the cutoff

I've never thought of it so thanks for bringing it up. It does sound like a job that might take a good weekend compared to a simple bulb swap. But after reading about it, it does sound like something I really want to consider in the future. For the meantime though, I'm just very curious as to how the headlights will look with a 6000k bulb in person. I want to see if they look as crap as everyone is saying.