Its time to replace a xenon bulb in my MCS.

I see the xenon bulbs are available in 4300K , 5000K , 6000K.

I'm not sure if the Mini uses 35 watt or 55 watt bulbs ?

Also, I don't want to melt my headlight housing so what
do I select ? 35 Watt or 55 Watt ?

And is it OK to go higher than the 4300 K OEM bulb ?

Please let me hear what you selected .

Thanks !

 

35w is standard output on the OEM ballast. You won’t get any more out put from a 55w HID bulb without upgrading the ballasts.

Also, I wouldn’t go higher than 5000k color. Light output goes down with an increase in color temp.

 

I recommend replacing them in pairs. I know it's a lot of money, but the color of the bulbs will not match between an old one and a new one. If you are replacing in pairs, you can go with whatever color temp you like.

 

Here's the deal with HID bulbs, the "K" (Kelven) number is for the most part simply going to reflect their color when it comes to automotive use, so you simply have to choose the color you like, but the higher the color value, the dimmer the bulb will shine, I wouldn't recommend anything over 8000K for sure.
And as mentioned above, unless you don't mind them not matching, replace them in pairs, different mfg's Kelvin values will actually have a slightly different perceived color.
Also, with HID bulbs, there it's no such thing as 35w or 55W "bulbs", the bulbs are the same, the ballasts that power the bulbs are what determine the different outputs, and what will also determine the amount of heat generated.
Since you're only changing the bulbs, the 35w or 55W issue won't even come into play. Just choose the correct plug type and you'll be good to go.

I've had really good luck with the ddmtuning bulbs, great quality at a really good price.

Oh, for reference, most factory hid bulbs range from 4000k-4500k, except for Cadillac, I think those are closer to 5000k.

 

Electrically, it's OK to go higher. As the K gets higher, the color will become more blue, less yellow. Some people choose a bluer light for styling/cosmetic reasons, but yellower light is actually superior for nighttime vision and causes less glare for oncoming traffic. That is the reason why BMW/MINI use 4300K for the OEM bulb.

In many cases the higher K bulbs get their color from a blue tinted coating on the bulb, rather than the element actually emitting that color. The tinted coating cuts light output.