HID FAQ

i currently put the PIAA replacement bulbs, the light out put is alot better than stock..

i want retro's but cash is tight, and i would rather spend on other mods... BHLM im thinking. if i grow a set to put them into the oven

 

Well if you were thinking about putting however much towards ebay lights, save yourself the trouble and invest it in proper projectors and save yourself in the long run. Plus you can do the Retrofit and bhlm all at the same time and save you some baking trouble.

 

so ive been reading and saw that retrofit kits are shit. theres so much info on hid's i dnt know what kit to get for my truck lol i heard great things for that morimoto elite kit but then what are projectors for? would i still need to buy those for the mori kit?

 

It depends if you wanna do a proper retrofit or if you just wanna run HIDs?

 

Visit hidplanet.com

 

i want to do a proper fit. i like quality. what does a proper fit consist of?

 

Proper RETROfit... not just proper fit.

A proper retrofit entails opening the housing up and installing quality projectors like the Morimoto D2S or H1 and re-sealing the housing.

The "plug-in" kits that only replace the lamps glare badly and will blind other drivers.

 

WOW all of this is very confusing. I would like HID lights in my truck but have no clue if it is worth it or which ones are best. What do you guys recommend? I have to replace my headlights do to an accident, but I don't know if I should go stock smoke with a brighter bulb or HID. I had HIDs in my last two cars and really like them. If you suggest a brighter bulb for the stock housing what bulbs do you suggest?

Thanks

 

Did your last two cars have projectors?

 

My Mazda had just aftermarket HIDs put in and My 2011 Camaro was stock, so sad to say I'm not too sure what it had beside HIDs... I don't think they were projectors

 

Well if you run HIDs in our trucks stock headlight, you will produce a bad glare for other drivers, If you install projectors to your stock headlights it will focus the HIDs light into a clean cutoff and will have the best light output. This http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=227 is the best place to get your HIDs, Ballasts, Harness, Projectors and shrouds from. If you already have HIDs, then you can just buy the projectors, harness, and shroud.

 

If you got the skillz to pay the bills lol..

 

I WISH I could lol....I have self confidene but just not the oven skills and electro know how....

 

I have been askin this guy to help me for ages ......BUT he is a busy man

 

You better be good at bakin muffins..

 

This is helped me a lot! Thank you!

I'm curios about two different products. One is a single unit piece and the other is the two pieces just like what I already have. Is it better to have the single contiguous piece?

Also, the link provided above suggests that there is no high beam with the standard HID purchase and is an additional option. Does that mean it's an additional set of lights? Does that mean it requires another set of starters and ballast? The information says that without the high beam option they include standard halogen bulbs for the high beams.

http://www.xtralights.com/01-04toyo...orner-pairchromehidxenonlightskitpackage.aspx

http://www.xtralights.com/01-04toyo...erreflectorspairhidxenonlightskitpackage.aspx

 

Do not run HID in those housings.
They were not designed for HID and will glare badly (CHP is cracking down)... those are just (poor quality) stock replacements. The first one combines the turn signal housing with the headlight housing. Those housing will fog up the first time it rains.

The HID/Halogen combination lights are VERY old (like 2004) style. Even on the cheapass "plug and play" kits, the 9003 replacements have a solenoid that moves the burner to change to high beam. Looks like Xtralights is trying to move some old inventory with these packages.

HID are not practical as a separate lamp for high beam, which is why Extralights uses a halogen. HID requires about 5-10 seconds to settle in to full brightness. When first turned on, there is a quick "flash" as they ignite, then they slowly come up to temperature.
Also, rapid turn-on/shut-off of an HID lamp (like flashing your high beams at an oncoming driver or to indicate passing) will degrade the burners and significantly shorten their life.

Yes, every HID burner needs to have it's own ballast.

 

Thank you for your thorough response. It is most helpful. AS with all good answers though, I have been inspired to ask more questions.

Thank you for the heads up on the housings and that CHP is cracking down. Where would I find high quality HID designed housings? Is it worth the effort/expense?

I can't pretend to know what you're talking about here. I think you mean that the element is mechanically moved to change the beam pattern of the light for high and low. Is there anything other than old inventory for a 2002 Tacoma?

I'm not a huge fan of flashing my lights at people. So if I do it's incredibly rare. If the low beams are HID, what exactly is the advantage of having HID? I'm starting to be confused as to why anyone would spend nearly 1k (and frequently more) to achieve a "brighter" low beam.

So, and this is guessing anything is even available that has four bulbs in the shape of housing I'd need, there would be four bulbs and four ballasts... for both high and low and I shouldn't flash my lights if I want them to last.

So, let's say you've talked me out of HID at all. What other options to I have. I'd prefer a glass lens but I can't find one. I like bright but I can't stand glare or those colors. Where would I find a high quality replacement light set that was relatively indistinguishable from stock for a reasonable price?

Thank you again.

 

if not wanting to go hid, you can get these bulbs from Osram...Hella makes them too, Osram's are cheaper....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-OSRAM-B...Parts_Accessories&hash=item257fc6ecd2&vxp=mtr

flat out, about the best you can do with a standard lense...they do put out a much higher light output, I use them, they significantly improve the headlight beam intensity...they are marked offroad, but I have never been flashed using them on the street...

and a whole lot cheaper....

get a set, then tinker on making your own projectors later when funds dictate...I have been the route of just adding hids to standard lenses, boy, I could really see but oncoming was flashing me all the time, even aimed low....wasn't in a Toyota, but the same light pattern blindness happens if no projectors are used to focus the light beam...

 

The best way to go is to retrofit projectors into the stock, or stock style housings.

Not just HID burners, which is what those kits are, but actual projectors.
They are still technically illegal, but stick with a 4300k burner, 35 watt ballast, and aim them properly and you'll be fine.
It's the blue/purple (and yellow) lights that are blinding people that are getting tickets. I haven't seen yellow or purple on the 60/10/210 in a year or two.

Correct. One one design, the bulb is pulled back so it clears a shield which exposes the arc to the full reflector and changes the focal length.
Another design simply causes the shield to flip out of the way.

Projectors have a "fence" in front of the reflector, and a solenoid drops the fence.

The advantage (with projectors) is a much more coherent beam. There is more light in the near field, while not losing light in the distance.

BTW: Also avoid the projectors sold on eBay. Their patterns are horrible.
With HID they are worse than stock... with halogens they are terrible.

Here's my D2S projectors in stock housings:




Projectors are around $300 from theretrofitsource.com
They have an ongoing group buy.