first CFL headlight mod attempt

[modmonster]

my bulbs put out 1500 lumens each i think. 30second warm up is usually acceptable for me. i don't think its anything to do with the cheap 100w inverter. i tested it inside on a computer PSU and it didn't flicker. i tested it from the cig lighter socket yesterday when the engine was running and it didn't flicker.

i will try again when i have a slow weekend.

[RobertSmalls]

The computer PSU has enough power conditioning to handle a square wave input. Try running, say, a spiral CFL in a floor lamp off the inverter.

[Niner]

There are also 12V CFLs available. That would probably be a better way to go to avoid flicker. Good luck; I'm not sure how well CFLs will do since they tend towards a diffuse light, when cars need a good focused light.

[NeilBlanchard]

I just had a bad thought: I doubt these will pass inspection, as they will not have low beam patterns...

[basslover911]

I still kinda don't understand why you just dont spend $20 more on a cheap ebay HID kit thats plug and play, looks AWESOME, and gets the road as bright as you would ever want it... literally they go for like $30-40 shipped and come with a warranty (and they do honor it ive had sent a brand new ballast before). Their great ive had them in about 5 cars and cant complain one bit.

[NHRABill]

JUst going to say that what has been said already LED HID kits best way to go and more efficient. i a, planning on swapping out the interior lights of my truck with LED lights. Easy job to do and it is pretty cheap. The HID kits I do not like because they are many times too bright and dangerous for other driver on the road (my opinion)

One quick comment on the flickering, Unless you get a dedicated line conditioner for sure. I had to run them when installing micro ITX computers in cars 10 years ago. if a good condioner wasn't installed it would fry everything in less than a week.

[tumnasgt]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I just had a bad thought: I doubt these will pass inspection, as they will not have low beam patterns...

Not only will they not pass inspection, but they will dazzle other drivers while providing less than ideal illumination of the road.

If HID kits are legal where you live, they are a much better option. Otherwise, replacing interior (eg instrument cluster) and position marker bulbs with LEDs will probably save just as much power without breaking any laws or putting anybody at risk.

EDIT: I see that you are in the UK, where ECE vehicle lighting regulations are in place. Aftermarket HIDs are not legal, as halogen headlamp housings are not set up for auto-leveling which is required for HID lamps. LED bulb replacement (for all but your headlamps) is your best option.

[modmonster]

i just checked the specs on ebay and the low voltage cut off is 10-11V. my battery was at 11.59V i think so its unlikely to be low voltage protection problem.

[Leadfoot]

Originally Posted by NHRABill

JUst going to say that what has been said already LED HID kits best way to go and more efficient. i a, planning on swapping out the interior lights of my truck with LED lights. Easy job to do and it is pretty cheap. The HID kits I do not like because they are many times too bright and dangerous for other driver on the road (my opinion)

I totally agree with you on the HID kits being too bright, even the factory HIDs. 35W HIDs are 3x as bright as 55W halogen lumen wise and 55W HIDs are 5x as bright as 55W Halogen bulbs. I think there needs to be brightness regulations not wattage regulations. If auto manufactures went back to 24W HIDs it wouldn't be as bad. Being "properly aimed has little to do with it, if you are on a shiny wet road or meet a car cresting a hill, you still get the full brunt of the brightness.

I have no idea how you plan to focus CFL lamps, halogen lights are focused well because they have a small filament and HIDs are unfocused in a halogen light housing because the position of the filament is moved... the filament on a CFL is just huge

[tumnasgt]

Originally Posted by Leadfoot

I totally agree with you on the HID kits being too bright, even the factory HIDs. 35W HIDs are 3x as bright as 55W halogen lumen wise and 55W HIDs are 5x as bright as 55W Halogen bulbs. I think there needs to be brightness regulations not wattage regulations. If auto manufactures went back to 24W HIDs it wouldn't be as bad. Being "properly aimed has little to do with it, if you are on a shiny wet road or meet a car cresting a hill, you still get the full brunt of the brightness.

I have no idea how you plan to focus CFL lamps, halogen lights are focused well because they have a small filament and HIDs are unfocused in a halogen light housing because the position of the filament is moved... the filament on a CFL is just huge

In countries that use ECE vehicle lighting regulations (which is pretty well everywhere except North America), HIDs have to have washers and be self leveling (and externally certified as being compliant). While HIDs are still noticeably brighter, they produce a lot less glare than a halogen high beam.

I suspect that retrofitting HID bulbs into halogen lamp housings is illegal in the US as well, because while there is no external certification system like for the E-mark, the D.O.T. has pretty clear rules about what the low beam light pattern should be. Of course this doesn't fix factory HIDs, but if cops pulled over all of the fools with 3rd party kits without proper reflectors, I'm sure the worst of them would be removed.