This post strike so many chords with me, I don't know where to start. Did a mess of research on LED's and HID's when I got the Genesis and learned there are a lot of myths and misconceptions related to both.
[*]I picked up a pair of
T10 Wedge Item# Goldstar , Color: Super White , Lens: 194 from the world's worst looking and layed out website,
Autolumination and they look fantastic, but one has burned out already (it's only been in about two weeks). I'm thinking I must have ordered the wrong part. What parts are others using (that will presumably last longer?)
First of all, LED's are not necessarily better...in fact, they are often worse than the stock lights when there is a reflector involved. That is because the reflector is designed to work with the incandescent filament location and the LED's are not in the correct location. Also, despite the theoretical long lifetime of LED's, they tend to produce a lot of heat at the element base and if this heat is not removed properly (with a good heat sink) there lifetime is greatly reduced. The heat can also melt/warp the plastic light housings.
Position lights are the type that last a long time as it is and it is usually a false economy to replace them (not to mention the poorer performance of the LED replacements.)
[*]I upgraded my driving lights to HID and had an Automotive Electronics shop install them. I'd read somewhere that I needed to get a relay because the stock fogs didn't produce enough power, but the installation guy said this wasn't necessary? They seem to work fine, but I was just curious if anyone else had this.
The Genesis has fog lights, not driving lights. These are designed to light the road near the car when driving slow under bad precipitation conditions. If you use them when driving they can actually compromise your farway vision because your eyes adapt to the brighter light close to the car. This is greatly exacerbated when using HID's because they are that much brighter and because the light is not focussed well because the reflectors were not designed for HID. Even worse, there is the perception of seeing better because it is lit up so brightly right in front of the car. HID lights higher frequency is also not as effective in precipitation conditions because the bluer light tends to cause focus issues and is more tiring (this is why fog lights are often yellow.)
Here are a couple good references.
HID Conversion:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html
Fog lights, the proper use:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html
[*]I would like to switch out the stock HID lights with some 5000K (or thereabouts) bulbs (D1S is the size, right?) I really hate the dim yellow of my stock HIDs. Does anyone know a a good, long-lasting D1S 5000K bulb?
Higher frequency HID's are less efficient and therefore produce less light. There is also evidence that the bluer light is not as good for night vision, and it definitely is more fatiguing for the driver and more likely to cause glare for other drivers. This is one reason ALL DOT HID headlights in are 4300K. Going to 6000K reduces output about 12-15%, probably more as all of the higher frequency HID's are cheap Chinese lights that do not work as well as the DOT approved better brands.
By the way, the blue light people see, around HID's is most noticeable from the side where the higher frequency light bends around the edges of the projectors. It is also related to the coating put on the reflector...it generally...or at least when lights are legal, not related to the frequency of the light (as all legal lights must be the same frequency.) If you see a really blue or purple light it is probably an illegal modification and subject to ticketing and fines, not to mention hazardous to other drivers.
