GE HID Installation
#22
Answered my own question...some great instructions for this: http://www.coolbulbs.com/HID-VISUAL-...-PROCEDURE.pdf
*Note - You'll need Adobe pdf reader to view the instructions. (Adobe - Adobe Reader)
Last edited by reako; 12-12-2008 at 11:16 AM.
#24
I know!! That's the first thing I noticed once I fired up the HID's...makes me not want to even use them until I can get em' swapped out!
#25
No it's not. Putting HID in a halogen housing is going to give a terrible beam pattern. I bet the cutoff (or lack thereof) sucks and you're blinding oncoming traffic. There's a reason it's illegal to do so. If you're going to do HID, do it right and retrofit projectors. Still illegal but at least you'll have a normal beam pattern.
But hey, if you like it and don't care about others on the road headed in your direction, sure, why not. Just don't complain about the guy in the lifted truck whose headlights shine right in your eyes, because that's exactly what a stock housing + HID setup will look like.
But hey, if you like it and don't care about others on the road headed in your direction, sure, why not. Just don't complain about the guy in the lifted truck whose headlights shine right in your eyes, because that's exactly what a stock housing + HID setup will look like.
#26
No it's not. Putting HID in a halogen housing is going to give a terrible beam pattern. I bet the cutoff (or lack thereof) sucks and you're blinding oncoming traffic. There's a reason it's illegal to do so. If you're going to do HID, do it right and retrofit projectors. Still illegal but at least you'll have a normal beam pattern.
But hey, if you like it and don't care about others on the road headed in your direction, sure, why not. Just don't complain about the guy in the lifted truck whose headlights shine right in your eyes, because that's exactly what a stock housing + HID setup will look like.
But hey, if you like it and don't care about others on the road headed in your direction, sure, why not. Just don't complain about the guy in the lifted truck whose headlights shine right in your eyes, because that's exactly what a stock housing + HID setup will look like.
#27
Because I'm willing to bet it doesn't.. And if it doesn't, and you have any leakage above that sharp cutoff line, then yes contrary to what anyone tells you you're blinding people. I understand that people spend money on these HID kits and want to justify their purchases because not all of them are inexpensive, and don't want to think of them as a modification that really wasn't something good in the end. I'm just spreading the truth.
If you've aimed them down to the point where you're actually not glaring people, then that's great, but then what you're doing is using the non-focused part of the beam to actually project out onto the road a shorter distance in front of you, thus eliminating the benefit you got from HID in the first place, unless you're just going for color temp. and don't care that you've not really made an "upgrade" overall anyway.
#28
So it looks about like this, right?
Because I'm willing to bet it doesn't.. And if it doesn't, and you have any leakage above that sharp cutoff line, then yes contrary to what anyone tells you you're blinding people. I understand that people spend money on these HID kits and want to justify their purchases because not all of them are inexpensive, and don't want to think of them as a modification that really wasn't something good in the end. I'm just spreading the truth.
If you've aimed them down to the point where you're actually not glaring people, then that's great, but then what you're doing is using the non-focused part of the beam to actually project out onto the road a shorter distance in front of you, thus eliminating the benefit you got from HID in the first place, unless you're just going for color temp. and don't care that you've not really made an "upgrade" overall anyway.
Because I'm willing to bet it doesn't.. And if it doesn't, and you have any leakage above that sharp cutoff line, then yes contrary to what anyone tells you you're blinding people. I understand that people spend money on these HID kits and want to justify their purchases because not all of them are inexpensive, and don't want to think of them as a modification that really wasn't something good in the end. I'm just spreading the truth.
If you've aimed them down to the point where you're actually not glaring people, then that's great, but then what you're doing is using the non-focused part of the beam to actually project out onto the road a shorter distance in front of you, thus eliminating the benefit you got from HID in the first place, unless you're just going for color temp. and don't care that you've not really made an "upgrade" overall anyway.
What I don't understand it this - look at the picture above, there is a cap over the bulb. Why can't someone engineer a suitable cap, specifically to be used with HIDs, so that HIDs can be used in a non-HID housing without the glare. I'm guessing the reason is that the cap would have to be made application specific, to work with the specific reflector portion of the headlight. But still, seems like something that could be attainable.
I really want HIDs, but I live in an area where a lot of people have HIDs in the wrong housings, and it's really annoying... you haven't lived until you have a jacked up F150 behind you with HIDs pointed over your roofline...
Last edited by tobey457; 12-11-2008 at 12:54 PM.
#29
What I don't understand it this - look at the picture above, there is a cap over the bulb. Why can't someone engineer a suitable cap, specifically to be used with HIDs, so that HIDs can be used in a non-HID housing without the glare. I'm guessing the reason is that the cap would have to be made application specific, to work with the specific reflector portion of the headlight. But still, seems like something that could be attainable
The result is that the output of an HID kit in a halogen assembly is a crap shoot. Some combinations of kits and assemblies may be pretty good. More likely they'll be deficient in some areas (glare, proper light distribution, etc).
#31
I beg to differ on the "blinding people" issue. I pointed mine at my garage prior to install, then after install and the pattern was the same: low on the left side, higher on the right side. Granted, they will be brighter so they will blind people anyway, but the projectors do the same.
reako: How did you get around the "DRL" (Daylight Running Lights) warning light staying on with the headlights off? The "DRL" light goes out when I flip the light switch to either "running light" or "headlight" setting, but otherwise as soon as I put it into gear, it comes on!
reako: How did you get around the "DRL" (Daylight Running Lights) warning light staying on with the headlights off? The "DRL" light goes out when I flip the light switch to either "running light" or "headlight" setting, but otherwise as soon as I put it into gear, it comes on!
#32
reako: How did you get around the "DRL" (Daylight Running Lights) warning light staying on with the headlights off? The "DRL" light goes out when I flip the light switch to either "running light" or "headlight" setting, but otherwise as soon as I put it into gear, it comes on!
Anyway I believe one way to "solve" your issue at hand is to pull the e-brake a bit (it needs to stay a bit engaged) while the key is in the "OFF" position, then start the car and drive normally. Can't say I would do this with MY car but who knows, the e-brake probably doesn't engage at all until you really tug on it. Let me know if this works, never tried it myself.
#35
I just installed... ok tried to install HID headlights from Zenith Xenons. My main question is that I wired and mounted everything. Went to try the lights and only the driver side light worked, both the high and low worked. I switched the ballasts and still the same thing. I plan on switching the bulbs in the morning but other then that, does anyone have any ideas?
Also, did anyone get the rubber gasket back on the HID bulbs? And last question, when you put the high beams on do your fog lights go out?
Also, did anyone get the rubber gasket back on the HID bulbs? And last question, when you put the high beams on do your fog lights go out?
#36
I'm not sure it can go back on with the new bulbs installed....I didn't install them and haven't had an issue..
Last edited by reako; 12-26-2008 at 11:01 PM.
#37
i did put the gasket on mine, i just cut up the hole bigger so it fit the bigger bulb base
I just installed... ok tried to install HID headlights from Zenith Xenons. My main question is that I wired and mounted everything. Went to try the lights and only the driver side light worked, both the high and low worked. I switched the ballasts and still the same thing. I plan on switching the bulbs in the morning but other then that, does anyone have any ideas?
Also, did anyone get the rubber gasket back on the HID bulbs? And last question, when you put the high beams on do your fog lights go out?
Also, did anyone get the rubber gasket back on the HID bulbs? And last question, when you put the high beams on do your fog lights go out?
#38
I got the rubber gasket back on w/o cutting...Dunno how effective it is now though...You know how when you take it off, it's all scrunched up to sit on the OEM bulb? I just stretched out all the folds so it's kind of like a cone-shape...slips right back on the assembly.