The bulbs just turn on like you would turn on normal headlights. Its a good idea once you get them installed to turn them on and leave them on for a few minutes without turning them off. Sometimes they will flicker when you first turn them on, and do have to "warm up" for a few seconds before they will be at their brightest.

 

I love the way HID's look. However- from what I have read, the stock housings aren't made for those bulbs. Not only do you have to worry about the housing getting too hot, there is no "cutoff" for the light, so the HID's are blinding to people that are in front of you. Housings that are made for the HID's have a "cutoff" so that the light pattern doesn't go up too far, and is directed more towards the ground.

They look pretty good. Glad you didn't go with a higher number on the color. I see some people that are so blue, you look in your rearview and think there is a cop riding your ***!! lol

Get your sunglasses ready!!! lol[sm=coolness.gif]

EDIT- i just read Jason's post....this pretty much adds to what he was saying...

 

there are so many BMWs and Mercedes around here with stock HIDs i don't care if i'm blinding them. i havea hard time seeing at night so thats why i got them, plus i like the way they look. My headlights were aimed a little low to begin with i thought and now with these they really look low, but with the blinding factor thought of i decided to leave it where it is since all of the street around here have street lights.

If i went to a higher number then 10000k they would be purple. Purple isn't my color. lol. The LEDs i have in the headlights and turn signals and inside shining on the floor are blue so might as well keep everything black and blue.

 

I believe the correct term for the cut off is "projection". I still think any vehicle with HID's just look sexy. They provide almost the same light as that of daytime light.

 

Projection is not the word I was looking for...but thanks anyways.

HID's do look sexy. But still, it needs to be done correctly. Putting HID's in a housing that was not made for them, is dangerous.
IMHO, alot of drivers these days have the attitude that they dont give a sh*t about other drivers. Eardrum popping mufflers, eye blinding lights, weaving in and out of traffic while talking on cell phones, etc.... All of these distractions cause accidents. It wouldn't be a normal day if I didn't cut off by someone talking on a cell phone, or some punk kid in a rice burner doing 90 down the highway damn near taking off my rear bumper. Driving these days has become very stressful...and its becuase nobody has courtesy (sp) for other drivers anymore. People pull out in front of other people assuming that they will slam on the brakes to miss them. If I didn't love my truck so much, I would T-bone someone with blinding HID's just to teach them a lesson. "I couldn't see you man, because of your bright-*** headlights!"

Sorry...I'll get off of my soapbox. I just think people need to think about other people on the road.....that's all.

Sorry to rant and rave...

 

actually chris i completely agree with you, i drive into washington DC every day for work and its become a regular thing people cutting eachother off, not paying attention, etc... half the time i will be driving down the HOV lane while traffic in the normal lanes are stopped and ill see some a$$ jump out infront of me without an hesitation forcing me to slam the brakes to avoid hitting them. as far as cell phones go its illegal in DC to talk on them while driving yet is still see too many people doing it. though i absolutely LOVE the way HID's look they were never meant to be on this truck, the housing doesnt have the cut-off to keep em from blinding everything on the road. though i have to say they do look beautiful on the truck 01dakv686.

 

Thanks for saying that. The notion of not caring about other drivers, justbecause they have HIDs also, isn't fixing the problem. It's simply adding to it. By putting HIDs in a housing that wasn't designed for them, you not only add ANOTHER vehicle out there with HIDs, but you're also adding a BLINDING vehicle without the proper installation of HIDs. If you want HIDs, fine. But please consider the rest of us enough to at least put them in a projection-beam housing, or at least a reflector housingwith a sharp upper cut-off (like the '05+ Dakotas likely have).

Factory HIDs are also coming down in color. Most factory installations are under 5000K in color temperature now. Most HID kits are also offered in 5000K and 4300K color temperatures. It's not opinion, but fact, that the bluer ranges of colors are harder for the eye to process, and these super white/blue/purple color temperatures offer an extremely false sense of "good lighting". So they're not only dangerous to others, but they can also be dangerous to the driver -- if they "over drive" for the circumstances because they think they can see better than they actually can. Like the notion of SUV drivers flying through the snow just because they have an SUV.

Thanks for letting me have your soapbox.

 

Thats why I already have the housing on my truck for the HID's to be installed. I see lots of F-150's having them, even in the fogs too. Crazy bright. I heard somewhere that its illegal to put HID's in a housing that isn't mean for them. I have PIAA's in a HID housing and they still look bright. Thats why I made the cut off closer infront of me. I do see alot of ricers with lights like that. Stupid a$$hole kids that think they can squeeze through everyone doing 160.