HID's anyone?

[AceX]

I was looking at my latest LMC parts catalog and found a set of "Euro" headlights for $60 a set.

I have a buddy who converts standard bulb units to HID's all the time for MR2's and I figure it wouldn't be that big of a transition from those headlights, to our trucks.

Anyone interested in a set?

[Thealien]

At $60 a set they are not real HID. Real High Intensity Discharge lighting systems have a ballast to light theb gas in the lamp. Real HID will cost hundreds of dollars.

Some of those lamps are brighter but are a higher wattage (more amp draw) and can really test your old wiring.

Not trying to discourage you, just giving some information.

[cell]

I think what he is referring to is the idea that you can get "Euro" headlights which accept a H4 bulb, and there are now HID retrofit kits which fit into H4 sockets, which would cost another $200 or so.

So it would be a double-retro-fit. AceX, this is on my list of things to try, but it will probably be a few months before I get around to it. I certainly hope it works.

[knightlife]

mine have almost completely drained my battery while driving all night...I almost wish I could read japanese to install that harness

[87 STEPPER]

Ya mean like these i also sprung for the chrome bazels I think i did that about 4 or 5 mo's ago.




Oh Yeah did i mention there BRIGHT!

[ocbaud]

please no one get hid's on these trucks!

they will look like ASSHOLE and will blind every other driver on the road.
now dont get me wrong , i LOVE HID's, but if you do not have the proper housing(ai a proper projector lense with the right angles) it will just be like one huge bright light that goes everywhere. the projector lens angles the light to the correct patten.

[Russell]

However, you don't need to spend hundreds of bucks on special HID only lenses. The important part is that the lenses you use have a clear front face, and projects it's light entirely by using the backing. It should have a round cover overtop of the bulb for the low beam drivers.

I've changed lots of trucks over to HID, and as long as you have clear faced lenses, you will not be annoying other drivers any worse than a factory HID rig.

The lighting improvement from HID is simply phenominal. I personally run 4300K bulbs since they are a far whiter light than the 6000 k and above bulbs.

[ocbaud]

Originally Posted by Russell

However, you don't need to spend hundreds of bucks on special HID only lenses. The important part is that the lenses you use have a clear front face, and projects it's light entirely by using the backing. It should have a round cover overtop of the bulb for the low beam drivers.

I've changed lots of trucks over to HID, and as long as you have clear faced lenses, you will not be annoying other drivers any worse than a factory HID rig.

The lighting improvement from HID is simply phenominal. I personally run 4300K bulbs since they are a far whiter light than the 6000 k and above bulbs.

WRONG

if you do not have the correct housing with an HID projector lens, it WILL be illegal and it WILL blind everyone else on the road. clear front lenses will not matter.

yes, if you put some h4 housings and hid's in them, it will be bright as ****. but the light will be all over the place. a properly setup aftermarket system and a factory system should not blind other drivers. the angle of the projectors help with that. with out a projector housing, you just blast the light straight ahead and anywhere else the house reflects it to.

[Pyrotechnic]

Sylvania Silverstar bulbs are pretty damn bright. Then, wire the low beams to stay on with the high beams. That combo is VERY bright.

[ocbaud]

Originally Posted by Pyrotechnic

Sylvania Silverstar bulbs are pretty damn bright. Then, wire the low beams to stay on with the high beams. That combo is VERY bright.

exact setup i have on the truck

[AceX]

Originally Posted by ocbaud

WRONG

if you do not have the correct housing with an HID projector lens, it WILL be illegal and it WILL blind everyone else on the road. clear front lenses will not matter.

yes, if you put some h4 housings and hid's in them, it will be bright as ****. but the light will be all over the place. a properly setup aftermarket system and a factory system should not blind other drivers. the angle of the projectors help with that. with out a projector housing, you just blast the light straight ahead and anywhere else the house reflects it to.

I didn't hear any mention of legality.

Reguardless, how many HID conversions have you done?

EDIT: Here is a sample of Tommy's work. This is the conversion that he has done to several MR2's, including his own.

http://www.norcalmr2.com/dwoo-bixenon/dwoo-bixenon.html

[ocbaud]

Originally Posted by AceX

I didn't hear any mention of legality.

Reguardless, how many HID conversions have you done?

EDIT: Here is a sample of Tommy's work. This is the conversion that he has done to several MR2's, including his own.

http://www.norcalmr2.com/dwoo-bixenon/dwoo-bixenon.html

i havent done any conversions, athough i did stay at a holiday inn express last night

haha, but seriously, i've read up on it a lot. i wanted to on my old mustang, but never did because i couldnt find a projector housing i liked. and i've thought about doing one to my passat since the W8 passats and the euro ones come with HID's so the factory housings exist.

now its hard to tell from those pictures for sure, but it looks like that mr2 a projector beam for the bulb. it may not be the greatest quality housing, but it does cut down on the stray light from the bulbs.

in a correct HID setup, you should have a very nice clear light cut off. pretty much light and then no light at the cut off, no dimming as the beam angle goes higher.

like this picture

[Russell]

I've personally converted at least 5 trucks to HID, 4 99+ Chev / GMC trucks, and my 96 GMC. The 99+ trucks which have the clear faced lenses didn't wind up with messed up light patterns, it looked exactly the same when I finished, as when I started, except was wayyyy brighter.

My 96 has a set of European type lenses where all the aiming is done with the glass. I tried a set of HID in it, and as you said, the low beam aiming was horribly messed up, light all over the place. The high beams worked like normal though.

I now run 125 / 85 watt PIAAs in my 96 so I don't annoy other drivers. I have heard of a set of hybrid drivers, where it has an 85 watt PIAA low beam, and a 4300K HID high beam. If I can get my hands on a set (haven't seen them anywhere) I'll be putting them in my truck right away

Up here we live in a heavily forested area, and frequently travel through lonely gravel back roads alone. Its really important to have very good headlights up here. We also have very little day light in the winter, the sun rises at 8 am, and sets by 4:30 pm on the shortest day of the year.

[liljon285]

You can get em for $150 off ebay!

[G-old]

I have HIDs in my truck and I love them. Here's a pic of mine, it the first from the left