Bi-Xenon Headlights change colour

DennyCrane

Member
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2012 Mazda 3 GT Sedan
Is it normal that the Bi-Xenon lights in my 2012 Mazda 3 GT are really blue they first fire up, but then they change to more of a white colour once they're warmed up? I really wish they'd stay the blue colour.
 
Yes it is normal as the bulb warms up and the ballast volatge stabilizes. You could change the bulbs to a more blue color but light output will suffer and the quality of the bulbs will generally be poor.
 
as already stated, yes it is normal. If you wanted a deeper blue you can changed it to a different kelvin rated bulb. But as already stated your vision will suffer.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. It's unfortunate because at first it gives a blue that in my opinion is comparable to high-end vehicles such as BMW and Mercedes; but after they're warm they're really not that blue at all. Do you know what the Kelvin rating is for the stock GT bulbs? It must be like a 4000k or something like that.

Just to clarify, when you say change the bulb, do you mean just the bulb? Or do I have to put in a whole new aftermarket HID kit? I am not so concerned with vision, but I am concerned with the quality of the bulb. I know with my previous aftermarket kit, the lights were very bright for oncoming traffic, so I really don't want to go down that path again. If there is a way to keep the same level of quality I have now but add some more blue, I'd definitely be interested in learning more.

To summarize: I want more blue, but don't want it to look cheap. I am not so concerned with my own visibility, but I am concerned with blinding oncoming traffic. I don't want to install a whole new kit (just bulb if possible).
 
the actual bulb quality is good, and if the bulb company and temp has not changed between generations you have 4300k. generally, that is the highest useable light output color temp you can get. anything more or less and the actual usable light suffers

the best thing that guys have done to improve light and look as been getting trs clear lenses and adjusting them to their liking. those are the same lenses you will find on acuras. you will get a much crisper cutoff line, and much clearer light. that company should also offer different color choices
 
Now I'm even more dissapointed in the colour. Previously I didn't use the fogs because I felt they were too yellow in comparison to the HID's. But yesterday I replaced the stock halogen fogs with some beautiful LED's; now the HID's look quite yellow in comparison.

Now I'm even more motivated to get my headlights more blue. It's too bad Mazda doesn't make a stock 6000k or 8000k HID bulb. Any suggestions?

LEDFogs.jpg


oaklandopen said:
the best thing that guys have done to improve light and look as been getting trs clear lenses and adjusting them to their liking. those are the same lenses you will find on acuras. you will get a much crisper cutoff line, and much clearer light. that company should also offer different color choices
I really like this suggestion, and am interested in learning more about it. I did a google search and found a site, but they only seem to offer the lenses for the 1st generation Mazda 3.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=150

Do you know of any site that sells them for the 2nd generation? I read a bunch of reviews on that site and everyone gave those lenses 5 stars.
 
As of right now there are no clear lens options for 2nd Gen 3's. My only recommendation for a bulb of higher kelvin rating is the Osram 66240 CBI bulbs which are rated at 5000K so it will be whiter, not necessarily bluer. They also have awesome output. Other than that, higher temp bulbs will be from aftermarket suppliers so again quality is in question. And just for the record, ALL OEM HID's are 4300K. The blue you see coming at you is the color flicker at the cutoff. They see the same thing from you. Older HID's like from D2R Maximas and Mercedes and older projector D2S and D1S might seem a lot more blue since they have colorshifted from age. Output starts to suffer once they colorshift.

EDIT: Here's the link to the Osram CBI's
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=10591
 
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That's great info, and clears up a lot for me. Thank you!

I actually ended up putting in a pair of 8000k HID's which match the LED fogs almost perfectly in colour. I thought it might a little much, but I actually really like it. I love the blue reflection off of signs and cars in front of me.
 
I'm glad I could help. Hopefully you'll still be able to see in rainy conditions. Blue light disappears a lot easier on wet pavement than white or yellow.
 
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