HID Conversion

[Sirhc]

After I get my headlight issue taken care of I want to change my lights to 6000k HIDs. I am thinking about going through, DDMTuning.com to get all of the stuff I need. What else do I need to get besides the lights and ballasts combination? Do I need a harness for them and how hard is it to do the conversion?

[bonneville dan-o]

you will need the relay harness.

[yourgrandma]

Yep, relay harness and to actually put in the effort to do it right with a retrofit, not just plug and pray.

[bonneville dan-o]

yeah i have the plug and pray right now. its okay. got my buddy that works in a body shop to save me all the projectors that come through for my retrofit. just waiting to get 4 matching ones. i can live with the way it is for now knowing that im getting free projectors

[Sirhc]

What do you mean by with a retrofit? Still new to everything.

[necropentance]

I did this and it was very easy I picked up a 15000k kit off ebay for $40 and had it for six months now with no problem
15000k is the best IMO they go through rain and fog making your brights and fogs just an addon

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-Xeno ... ccessories

Here is a pic of where I mounted the ballasts this is the perfect spot as far as size and placement took me about 20 min to put them in as I had to remove the whole assembly to mount them

[LeSabreUltra]

Allow me to touch base here and note that 15,000K HIDs actually put out less measurable light output than a $3 9005 halogen bulb you can buy at Wal-Mart. It's not recommended unless you want purple lights.

The closer the color temp is to 4300K the brighter and whiter your light output...

Be warned that you WILL lose vision in rain and fog with HIDs, and the higher up in color temp you go the worse it is. I've noticed this in every HID application I've done, whether it was a kit or a retrofit.

To answer your question, a retrofit is a process in which you take an HID projector (part of a headlight) from a car that had them from the factory and install them in your headlights to have true HID light output and performance that a kit cannot provide.

For example:

I retrofitted my Buick LeSabre. You can see the projectors in the headlights.





Compared to an HID kit:





Output:



vs. retrofit:



HID kits are just sloppy...and in the long run you'll realize that everyone who sees them finds them to be cheap and one of those "ghetto" mods...

End point being when it comes to HID you should really do it right and retrofit or don't do it at all. There are other ways you can get brighter lights if that's what you're after.

For example, my truck which I have yet to find a suitable method to retrofit...



low, light you see above the cutoff is being reflected off the dash onto the windshield:



high:



Puts out more measurable light than HID on high beam, but uses a halogen bulb...

You have similar options.
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[BonneMe]

Yeah, 15,000 is TERRIBLE. It'll be bluer than the sky. Get 4300-5000, and as mentioned, put them in a proper housing, which on a bonneville means cutting reflector and adding in a projector or two.

I can guarantee they do not cut through anything like a proper HID setup could.

[yourgrandma]

Im going to buy a pallet of 15000k kits and ship a set for free to every person who posts about it along with a list of all the retrofitters I know of. In addition to the poor choice of color temp, you should note that your ballasts location may be posing a heat issue.

Bear in mind that the bonneville is a tough headlight to retrofit.

[comatoast]

Agrees on the 15000s. Its for looks only. Personally to me 5k hids in a projector has been the best whitest and brightest I've seen. Along with the best visibility.

[RJolly87]

Agrees on the 15000s. Its for looks only. Personally to me 5k hids in a projector has been the best whitest and brightest I've seen. Along with the best visibility.

I also will voice this opinion. I put Silverstars in the Tempo when I had it. I am not sure the exact light temperature of them, but it is pretty close to 4300k I believe. Those headlights were an absolute godsend, until the roads got wet. They were then an absolute curse. If you do get white headlights, I also recommend getting you a set of amber fogs, so that you will not be completely blind when the bad stuff hits.

Remember, I had issue with just Silverstars, your lights will be useless also, even perhaps impairing the usable light even in dry conditions as well.

[00Beast]

4300k is supposed to be the best when the conditions are less than ideal. The higher K you go the worse they are.

[comatoast]

Im surprised nobody has mentioned these yet, since from what I hear they are the best of both worlds.. Being much brighter and lasting much longer than Silverstars, and being the closest thing to an actual HID, and a bright white.. and they are only 3600K

http://hirheadlights.com/

[LeSabre in Buffalo]

X2 for HIR headlights. The HIR2 lowbeams in my Buick are flipping bright. With zero extra glare compared to a regular 9006 bulb. Lots of light on the road, none glaring into oncoming traffic. I haven't been flashed once in the 9 months I've had mine.

Advantages:
Filament in the same position as stock
Is halogen like stock
No glare over stock
Lots more light vs. stock
No ballasts
No extra heat
Color works well in all conditions

Did I mention they work very well in rain/fog?

[charged]

How bout that free 15000k kit? HAHA

[charged]

I got the 8500k purple in ours,and I think it may be the fact that the adjusting screw isnt working on the drivers side but they suck....Maybe if I could adjust them they may work good