Are the high and low beams different between the generations? My prior car ('05) had brighter low beams and the color was more blue. My '08 low beams aren't as bright and are more of a white color. The high beams are the same.
Headlights gen 3 vs gen 4
- Thread starter rut44
- Start date
Allan
Enthusiast
I thought they were the same.
Maybe the bulbs were changed on or the other cars before you got them.
Maybe the bulbs were changed on or the other cars before you got them.
I think I know what you might mean. One of the gen 4's I drive with seems to have much bluer lights than I think mine has, but then again I never really see mine from the front to know if it's just a lens effect. From the driver's seat mine sure seem a lot more white/slightly yellow on the pavement.
mjorgensen Woodhouse
Enthusiast
There have been numerous updated part numbers for the headlights themselves, but the bulbs available seem to be all the same.
The headlights are the same, either someone swapped the bulbs or Chrysler used a different supplier for the actual bulbs. OEM HID bulbs tend to have temp rating of about 4000k which borders yellow and white and is the most effective visibility wise. If it bothers you, just swap the light bulbs to a temp that suits you better, pretty simple to do.
One thing, on their way out, HID bulbs tend to wonder toward purple/pink part of the spectrum, blue is on the way to those colors, maybe the bulbs were reaching their life expectancy?
I think some of it does have to do with the lens too. A lot of times you'll see it when a car with HIDs is coming at you on a bumpy road. Straight on they'll be more white, but as they move around sometimes they have a bit of blue tint to them.
I have 6000k on my car, they seem very white to me, however, I do not have an opportunity to watch them while the car passes me by, I am pretty sure I never will, LOL. The only way I can see lens affecting the light color is if for some reason the lens became hazy and plastic started to get yellowish tint to it, I have seen it on a few cars but seriously doubt anyone would let this happen to a Viper.
It's more the actual glass lens that the light is projected through. If I shine my lights on a wall, at the cutoff I can see a line of definitive color. This is what I'm getting at. When I see some cars coming at me on the highway and they hit bumps I can see a color change that I think is more or less just this ring effect. It's not the main portion of the light changing, just a bit of the effect through the lens that gets transferred.
I bought the '05 with 1700 miles and it was all stock so I doubt the bulbs were changed. The difference is huge, especially when I turn the headlights on in my garage. The '05 were blue, the '08 are definitely white. Maybe the previous owner changed the bulbs in the '08. I'll check the bulb number.
Regardless, the '05 lit up the road better. I've had both cars' headlights level tested by dealers so I know that isn't an issue. Are there different part numbers between the years? How about a recommendation for best performing bulbs while we're at it? Thanks!
Regardless, the '05 lit up the road better. I've had both cars' headlights level tested by dealers so I know that isn't an issue. Are there different part numbers between the years? How about a recommendation for best performing bulbs while we're at it? Thanks!
Steve M
Enthusiast
The OEM bulbs should be 4300k color temp...if they were more blue, they likely changed them out to a 6000k (or maybe 8000k if they were really blue).
Well, you do not know if the bulbs on your 05 were stock unless you bought it brand new. Many people swap their bulbs as soon as they buy their car (do not look at me though
). Not to argue with you but yellowish white should light up the road better for you to see, with blue you actually see less, you just think you see more. I run 8000k on my vette, blue light seems sharper but apparently is not as effective, I like it though. My Viper has 6000k, the light is pure white. I bet someone swapped the bulbs on your 05 to 8000k.8000k is not deep blue, it is cool blue
Ok I'll pick up a couple different bulbs and see what I like best. There's 6000k, 8000k and 10000k. Does a higher number mean more blue but less light? I also see HID bulbs that are labeled "blue". Are these any different or are they using the "blue" as a sales gimmick?
I've run 5000k and 6000k is two of my cars and couldn't tell too much difference. The 5000k is a nice upgrade to just get rid of that last bit of yellow over the typical stock 4300k that a lot of automakers use. There's maybe just the slightist hint of blue to it, but overall very pleasing. The 6000k are really hard to tell the difference on over the 5000k, but if I had them side by side you could probably notice it. Still very white, but a little more color noticeable on the road surface as you're driving along.
4300 is yellowish white, 5000 SHOULD BE pure white, 6000k is white with blue tint, 8000k is very light blue. Based on personal experience, interpretation of colors and temp ratings varies among vendors. If you want to maximize your night vision, around 4k is the optimum since your eyesight utilizes the most of the light produced in that region. As the temperature rating goes up, you end up with less light you can actually use to distinguish objects and colors. Vendors with some integrity stop around 6k, others keep going, LOL. This is my opinion but anything above 8000k is ghetto, in addition to being less effective.
I think there is a lot of variance in quality among bulbs. I can tell a difference between 6 and 8000K but I doubt there would be a difference between 5 and 6000k, for most bulbs.
Agreed. I think it mostly falls into the tolerance of the lighting and manufacturers. I bought both kits from the same place, but one was an older analog ballast and the other was a newer digital one. The power output can tend to wash out the color a little too I've heard, so if one setup has a little more efficiency and "oomph" then the color would likely be less noticeable. Either way I loved them both. They were way better than the candles in jars that the cars had before. The 6000k set went in my 67 Dart with a sealed beam conversion kit, the 5000k went in my XKR when I had it. I couldn't believe the factory halogens that were in that car. They were literally flashlight sized.
I hope you do realize how obsolete HID lights are these days, with LED lighting taking over
ohlarikd
Enthusiast
I hope you do realize how obsolete HID lights are these days, with LED lighting taking over
I am sure I will someday jam a million LEDs into my headlight!
But really I have been planning on 5K HIDs but just haven't gotten around to it. I hate the stock 4300 in my 05. And as you have said, one manufacturer's 5K may be another's 6K. There are variances, and the aging factor makes them go blue.
I hope you do realize how obsolete HID lights are these days, with LED lighting taking over
Haha, when an LED conversion kit is $40 I'll think about it. The ridiculous pricing on the first LED sealed beams that started showing up was out of this world. Was something like $400 a light I thought. The HID kits are all over the map on price. I know mine are el-cheapo brand, but they seem to hold together well and others have had good success with them. I'm doing LEDs in my dash on my Dart though
. Some of that is also based on the fact that I'm really trying to cut down on power draw. The old wiring doesn't like all that current so much anymore.You do not have to use many of them, LED bulbs come these days in 30, 50 and 100 watt variety...
