this is something i have always wondered about myself...
i always was under the impression that the ideal conditions would be if it was REALLY REALLY foggy out, like 100% humidity.
then the moisture in the air would cool off the combustion, similar to running meth injection, allowing more boost in a diesel or more advance in a gas engine.

but i was never sure if the extra "thickness" of the air would override this enhanced combustion... i am sure it would though...
air resistance increases with the square of speed, so even a minute increase in air resistance would be a big increase in resistance.


as for the headlights, they simply use less energy (watts) than standard headlights.
if you drive exclusively at night, you might consider them, but if they cost more than a few bucks more than regular bulbs, i'd forget it...

normal headlights are 55w on low and 60w on high
1 watt = 0.00134102209 hp
do the math based on how much watts you save on your bulb type.
then take your horsepower savings, multiply by hours used, and you get hp-hr. convert this to BTU.
then divide by 114,000 to get gallons of gas saved. there are 114,000 BTU/gallon of gasoline.
EDIT: this is 100% gas, for 15% ethanol, it is more like 111,000 BTU/gallon


on their chart, it says you can save $6 with the 9004 bulb... is this over the lifetime of the bulb? per year?

not worth it
you'd save more money using 35w HID bulbs, but then you have to buy the kit... and the weight will reduce your mileage...

your best bet is not to drive

 

BINGO!!!

i have never gotten more than 1 year of life out of SUPERSTAR bulbs. but they claim to be like 50% brighter

either way, when you attempt to get more light from less power, your lifespan is affected.

in the words of admiral Ackbar,
ITS A TRAP!

 

That's what I thought; my 2000 F250 still had the original bulbs in it when I traded it 10 years later, the only bulb that burned out on that vehicle was the third brake light. My 2 1/2 year old 2010 has not burned out any bulbs yet.
I think I will stay with the OEM, cheaper in the long run and from what I've read the yellow light from a halogen bulb penetrates darkness further than the blue/white light from an HID bulb. That seems to be the case when comparing night driving between my truck and my wife's car with factory HID headlights.

Mike

 

I think I got it...and I'll say it as simply as I can.

The Alternator ( A ) is spinning along at x rpm and is capable of producing 100 units of energy ( E ).

Then a device is turned on and it wants 50 units of that E.

A obliges, but works harder to maintain that 100 units of E.

That work becomes more magnetic drag on A. A becomes harder to turn.

That extra E means the engine must work harder.

Right????

 

That's pretty much it. The alternator only puts out as much electricity as the voltage regulator asks of it. And the magnetic drag increases with demand for electrical output, and the engine has to work harder to overcome that drag.

The voltage regulator simply measures the current voltage and requests more or less electrical output to maintain the battery voltage between about 13.2 to 14.1 volts.

 

Thank y'all.....now I understand.....

 

Being lower wattage, these bulbs should last LONGER than OE style bulbs.

Bling bulbs are usually higher wattage, so they do not last as long.

 

Don't forget to factor in energy conversion efficiency losses!
I am too lazy to do the actual math, but using some guesstimations, I think their claims are quite feasible.

On the humidity: Yes, more compression is possible, so more efficiency is possible. But the air density will more than offset the gains.

 

25 years in aircraft avionics backing up this opinion:
Used 2 wing flood lights from a DC10 on an 89 Jeep Cherokee. FYI they are great for off roading. They are 250 watts 13 VDC each. At idle the 4.0 Cherokee with an RPM of 700-800 when the DC10 wing flood lights were turn on RPM would drop 200 RPM. You can purchase those, by the way from AirCraft Spruce and they are really resonable. I used relays and switches due to the amp draw, they would melt the switches otherwise. GE-4313 Expect $25. each 250W divided by 12/14 Volts = 20 amps.
"HEADLIGHTS WILL LOAD DOWN AN ALTERNATOR." Loaded alternator = loading up the eng. Nothing is free. Takes power to make power.
The nice part is that hibeam runners would dim their lights when I threw those switches on.

 

I would say low wattage for the size, as those low wattage bulbs in powerful flash lights don't last long at all.
A technical marvel from my area. Light bulb that is on constantly for over 110 years. Can you imagine all the billions of $$$ we spend in those 110 years buying short lived light bulbs?
Centennial Light - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

the wattage is only part of the equation.
if they have lower wattage but generate more light, then they must have a thinner filament. the higher resistance would generate more heat and therefore burn out faster.

if by "bling bulbs" you mean HID bulbs, they are usually 35w or 20w less than standard halogen bulbs.

the other kind of "bling bulbs" are high wattage halogens, and pull something like 100 watts on occasion.
they not only burn out quicker, but can melt your wiring in your car.

 

Yup, just going to get HID's and be done with it. 30MPG here I come!

 

dont forget the flowmaster stickers that make your truck louder

 

correct me if i am wrong but isnt 750 watts one horse so really it would prob take a lot for the excursion to see any notice different. i am almost all led bulbs every where in the X and i still havent seen any.

question what would u think if you put a compasitor on would that do anything?

 

That's the only bulb I've replaced on my 2004 and that was in 2011, I don't have daytime running lights, but I always turn my lights on, basically because I haul a construction trailer and having the lights on let's me know if the lights on the trailer are working. Trailer lighting is not too reliable when you haul one all the time.