View Full Version : HID Headlights
Whats the legal limit if there is any? I am looking to pick up a 8000k kit.
EVORSTroy
02-24-2007, 07:55 PM
why do you want purple lights?
legality isn't an issue, you shouldn't be pulled over for them if you didn't have another reason to be pulled over in the first place.
I have HID high and low beams, niether of which were factory.
I just want something brighter with a tint of blue.
transaxion
02-24-2007, 08:50 PM
last I checked its illegal for any hid setup to be put on a civic. I'm going to assume (because you said kit) you do not have hid projectors so your beam pattern will be all over the place which isn't safe for others on the road either. you may think it looks good but your lights can potentially cause accidents because the glare will be bad, although I've seen 8k kits and the light output isnt anything super bright because its such a high color temp.
8000k is going to be harder to see, esp in the snow/rain
AP1Sean
02-24-2007, 11:53 PM
I just want something brighter with a tint of blue.
if you want a touch of blue get 6000K, 8000K will just makeit harder for you too see :)
Mario
02-25-2007, 12:57 AM
BMW's and Lexus and Audi's have the best lights for a reason. Just use those. :)
smithz
02-25-2007, 10:36 AM
Stick to OEM or the OEM replacement bulbs. That's 4300K and 5000K respectively. The higher you go in color temperature, the dimmer the light gets. If you want the blue fringing affect, retrofit with OEM projectors.
If you get those high color temp bulbs you are going to be pissed when you pay for them, install them, and find out that your old halogens were way brighter.
And I'm not speaking out of my ass, I did a lot of research on this a couple years ago. A proper HID retrofit setup is going to cost you 1-1.5K. You will more than likely be disappointed with anything else. /0.02
Mario
02-25-2007, 10:53 AM
Stick to OEM or the OEM replacement bulbs. That's 4300K and 5000K respectively. The higher you go in color temperature, the dimmer the light gets. If you want the blue fringing affect, retrofit with OEM projectors.
If you get those high color temp bulbs you are going to be pissed when you pay for them, install them, and find out that your old halogens were way brighter.
And I'm not speaking out of my ass, I did a lot of research on this a couple years ago. A proper HID retrofit setup is going to cost you 1-1.5K. You will more than likely be disappointed with anything else. /0.02
You can get ballast, projector housings, and Philips/OSRAM bulbs for $300 shipped off HIDPlanet that are slightly used all day long. No need to make it more expensive. :)
smithz
02-25-2007, 10:57 AM
It's not the parts that are expensive. It's the retrofit. Trust me, I've done it. When I did my own retrofit my total was around $700-800. When the insurance company paid someone else to redo the retrofit (because they wouldn't pay me for it directly) it was more like $1300. There is a guy in San Francisco that does all kinds of custom retrofit work.
Mario
02-25-2007, 11:07 AM
Well of course if you don't do it yourself, you'll have to pay for the labor. :) That's to be expected. My bad for making an assumption that people do things themselves here. :)
My headlights are unaligned and I have been messing with the settings to try to get it to be even but just wont'. I think the car isn't sitting perfectly even, and the little bubble gauge isn't visible.
AP1Sean
02-25-2007, 12:00 PM
BMW's and Lexus and Audi's have the best lights for a reason. Just use those. :)
Actually Honda makes one of the best projectors. They're found in the TL, S2000, and TSX. also I've noticed that the 04+ nissan maximas have every nice projectors. IMHO having HID's on a car withOUT projectors is a waste. I had them on my Si and wasnt happy. I like the direct cut-off they make, not the uneven distribution of the light.
Anyone on here have pictures of their cars without projectors with HID?
Mario
02-25-2007, 12:39 PM
Anyone on here have pictures of their cars without projectors with HID?
http://faqlight.carpassion.info/images/1996-bmw-3series-hid-kit5.jpg
Looks pretty doesn't it? :spit: :spit:
Mario
02-25-2007, 12:40 PM
Alternatively, you can just retrofit OEM projectors because you have the PERFECT car to do it with... and get what you really want:
http://img127.exs.cx/img127/2544/img04703rx.jpg
AP1Sean
02-25-2007, 01:19 PM
Alternatively, you can just retrofit OEM projectors because you have the PERFECT car to do it with... and get what you really want:
http://img127.exs.cx/img127/2544/img04703rx.jpg
ahhh nice cut off :)
AP1Sean
02-25-2007, 01:23 PM
Heres and 06 TL with ZKW Lens
http://maxupload.com/img/88403613.jpg
smithz
02-25-2007, 01:34 PM
My retro pics... http://www.cardomain.com/ride/799452/10
When I had the guy out in SF make new ones, he had some way getting rotational adjustment in his mount, where mine was fixed. He also used s2k projectors (which are not made by honda directly as previously mentioned though) where I used valeos which I believe were the ones used in the first Audi's that had them.
Another piece of advice. Don't get E-code projectors unless you like to blind everyone to your right. They are great on one lane roads, but suck for everyone if you ever plan on driving in the left lane. I always felt like I was driving around with my passenger brights on. The pic shown above is a non E-code cutoff, which are much more useable and what I have now. I like them much better.
velocity
02-25-2007, 01:47 PM
i did a retro on my del sol. retro > kit
transaxion
02-25-2007, 04:53 PM
the new projectors coming out in the new lexus models are arguably better than the tsx and s2000's the honda projectors are much cheaper.
it doesnt matter what car its on its still illegal...going from non hid stock to a hid setup is illegal.
Street_Kings
02-25-2007, 05:35 PM
I've got a JDM ITR conversion on my integra with the factory HIDs, and the cutoff is perfect, besides the fact that they're fucking backwards, which kinda sucks =P
When I drove my friend's non-retro'd DC2 with 8k HIDs in them, they honestly gave me a headache and kind of made me road sick. It really fucks with you kind of, and you really can't see jack.
smithz
02-25-2007, 05:53 PM
it doesnt matter what car its on its still illegal...going from non hid stock to a hid setup is illegal.
Sorry, not true. What is illegal is using a light fixture and a bulb that were not made for use with each other.
Most halogen headlights use parabolic reflection. In order for those to work properly, they are designed very specifically for the point in the halogen bulb where the light is generated, and therefore the brightest. If this light source point isn't exactly where it should be, the parabolic reflector is suboptimal and you get weird glaring beam patterns. This is usually the case with aftermarket HID kits, which are nothing more than a D2S or D2R HID bulb that has been rebased to fit where some other bulb is supposed to. Halogens and xenon arc bulbs generate light in VERY different fashions, and because of that you can get very crappy results from dropping in a rebased HID bulb where it wasn't designed to work. That is most definitely illegal.
If you use a projector, or even a reflector for that matter, that is designed to work properly with a D2S (projector) or D2R (reflector) type bulb, and your retrofit does not destroy the aiming mechanism of the assembly so they can still be adjusted according to the applicable law, it is most definitely legal.
Cliffs: Kits/rebased HID bulbs = illegal, full retrofit with approved HID projector and bulb = legal
smithz
02-25-2007, 05:55 PM
I've got a JDM ITR conversion on my integra with the factory HIDs, and the cutoff is perfect, besides the fact that they're fucking backwards, which kinda sucks =P
When I drove my friend's non-retro'd DC2 with 8k HIDs in them, they honestly gave me a headache and kind of made me road sick. It really fucks with you kind of, and you really can't see jack.
You *might* be able to open up the headlight asembly and reverse the cutoff plate inside the projector housing. But that depends on a lot of if's unfortunately...
floored4door
02-25-2007, 06:37 PM
i Completely agree that Retro is the way to be. But in my case I managed to get away with an aftermarket HID kid with plain ole projectors. If I were to do it all over again, I would have done a Retro. And still plan for it if my heart so desires. One thing that I would have done differently is went with a lower kelvin temp. I have 6000k, should have done 4300K, in the car they look great, but outside they look blue as all hell. I have never been pulled over for them, but have been flashed for them MANY times. I think at this point I finially have them adjusted where they should be. The last two nights of driving I have not been flashed by anyone. I think they still could come up a TINY bit but otherwise I am happy that I am not blinding everyone.
Pic of cut off...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b148/Floored4door/garage5.jpg
velocity
02-25-2007, 07:30 PM
i still wanna redo mine or get better projectors but they still 1000x better than just a kit. Did them nearly 2 years ago. I just cant justify the money into the del slo anymore that I have my other car.
http://www.teamsolcolorado.org/garage/garage.php?mode=view_gallery_item&type=garage_gallery&image_id=24
Street_Kings
02-25-2007, 07:44 PM
You *might* be able to open up the headlight asembly and reverse the cutoff plate inside the projector housing. But that depends on a lot of if's unfortunately...
i hope so. Am going to do some more research before i just go and cut open my headlights =X
smithz
02-25-2007, 08:41 PM
i hope so. Am going to do some more research before i just go and cut open my headlights =X
No cutting... just baking. :D You put them in your oven on low temp for a few minutes to warm up the sealant, then you carefully peel them apart. That was the scariest part of the whole project.
As long at the project assembly comes apart, the cutoff plate would be really easy to make a reversed one if you can't just flip it (ie. non-symmetrical shape/hole pattern). Generally it's a thin piece of sheet metal, so it would cheap to make one too. But I only have reference to how the valeos were put together, which would have been super easy to make a new one. I just didn't know how annoying the ECE beam pattern was until I had them all done and back in the car.
Street_Kings
02-25-2007, 08:51 PM
No cutting... just baking. :D You put them in your oven on low temp for a few minutes to warm up the sealant, then you carefully peel them apart. That was the scariest part of the whole project.
As long at the project assembly comes apart, the cutoff plate would be really easy to make a reversed one if you can't just flip it (ie. non-symmetrical shape/hole pattern). Generally it's a thin piece of sheet metal, so it would cheap to make one too. But I only have reference to how the valeos were put together, which would have been super easy to make a new one. I just didn't know how annoying the ECE beam pattern was until I had them all done and back in the car.
Yeah, i've read bake them to pull them apart, the housings are fucking expensive though, would be a costly mistake if i turned the heat up too much or baked em for too long =X
My bad dude, sorry to thread jack, will make my own post =X
i Completely agree that Retro is the way to be. But in my case I managed to get away with an aftermarket HID kid with plain ole projectors. If I were to do it all over again, I would have done a Retro. And still plan for it if my heart so desires. One thing that I would have done differently is went with a lower kelvin temp. I have 6000k, should have done 4300K, in the car they look great, but outside they look blue as all hell. I have never been pulled over for them, but have been flashed for them MANY times. I think at this point I finially have them adjusted where they should be. The last two nights of driving I have not been flashed by anyone. I think they still could come up a TINY bit but otherwise I am happy that I am not blinding everyone.
Pic of cut off...
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b148/Floored4door/garage5.jpg
he helped me with my setup, which is almost identical. i was very pleased with mine.
AP1Sean
02-25-2007, 09:13 PM
i still wanna redo mine or get better projectors but they still 1000x better than just a kit. Did them nearly 2 years ago. I just cant justify the money into the del slo anymore that I have my other car.
http://www.teamsolcolorado.org/garage/garage.php?mode=view_gallery_item&type=garage_gallery&image_id=24
You must have used Dot Projectors when you did your retrofit. some cars have regular projectors which have the straight linne ,,,,,,,,,,,,/''''''''''''''''''''' then theres the dot projectors which have the rounded line such as yours. either way theyre better then regular non-projection headlights lol
Nick_S
02-25-2007, 09:48 PM
What rims are those on that civic ^
floored4door
02-25-2007, 09:57 PM
What rims are those on that civic ^
Maxxim Tequila - they are black now. ;)
velocity
02-25-2007, 10:07 PM
You must have used Dot Projectors when you did your retrofit. some cars have regular projectors which have the straight linne ,,,,,,,,,,,,/''''''''''''''''''''' then theres the dot projectors which have the rounded line such as yours. either way theyre better then regular non-projection headlights lol
they are e55 bi-xenon projectors
Nick_S
02-25-2007, 11:22 PM
Maxxim Tequila - they are black now. ;)
Those are bad ass!
AP1Sean
02-26-2007, 12:03 AM
they are e55 bi-xenon projectors
Close.. there are some that are called dot.. though. anywho they still look nice :)
floored4door
02-26-2007, 09:20 AM
Those are bad ass!
Thanks man!
nxbrennan
02-26-2007, 09:42 AM
I'm quite the noob at this, and I was wondering what the difference is between retrofitting and, say, tossing something like these (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/92-95-HONDA-CIVIC-2D-HALO-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHTS-HEADLAMP_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQihZ004Q QitemZ140088947535QQrdZ1) on?
velocity
02-26-2007, 10:30 AM
those arent designed for anything but halogens so putting a kit into it is somewhat better but they not designed for HID like bmw, lexus ,stanley,or valeo projectors.
smithz
02-26-2007, 10:52 AM
True, those are cheap ass halogen projectors, and as I mentioned before halogens and HID bulbs have different light source points. The optics of those projectors are made specifically for a halogen bulb, and putting a rebased HID bulb would yield only minor improvements.
But those cheap aftermarket assemblies are a damn good place to start a retro from, because they are at least already designed for a halogen projector. That's exactly what I did with mine. I bought cheap aftermarket headlights, opened them up and figured out how to mount an actual HID projector in there. I think you end up with a nicer look than trying to wedge a projector into an OEM housing. That can be done nicely as well, but you have to have certain plastic/CF skills I don't have.
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