Lighting set ups

[97RioRedV6]

Just curious, what are some of you guys using as a headlight lighting set up? I'm currently running some eGay black housing headlights. I started out running stock halogens, and these deteriorated fairly quickly in quality. I then went to a 'Silver Star' upgrade, and still the light output was terrible. About 4 months ago, I went ahead and ordered a cheap 5000K HID kit. I had installed a few on some guys cars around this area, so I figured, what the hell, lets give it a shot. They have worked fairly well for me. I am missing one of the adjuster clips to really adjust the headlight, but i get a fair amount of light output.

To speed this up and get to my point, one of my factory headlight connectors on the passenger side had a broken tab, so I snagged another, got it wired up, plugged it in, and closed the hood. 3 hours later, I go to flip on my lights, and boom. The drivers side light doesnt come on. So I said hmm, this is weird. I waited 2 minutes, shut them off, and flipped them back on, and voila. they worked. Now this is becoming a reoccuring issue, an issue that is now leaving me with one beam, the passenger side. So i have no drivers side headlight now. Any tips, suggestions, or anything on what has the best light output? any help getting these things running properly?

~Austin

 

[chad5.0]

8k fogs and 6k headlights off hid nation = blinding

 

[97RioRedV6]

8k fogs and 6k headlights off hid nation = blinding

I'm running 5000k headlights right now. I dont have a fog light setup period. I'm kind of on the fence about fogs. I cant decide on a color option bulb wise. I dont wanna rice it out with 3000k yellows, but i dont like matching headlight/fog light setups. so eh....I'll keep arguing with myself over it.:argue:

 

[the5.ohh]

I'm in the process of doing some work to mine. Having some paint work done, and bought new headlights, sidemarkers, foglights and all new bulbs. The headlights are off ebay, clear glass lens with a black housing and single projector. They came with bulbs and a new harness, they're not on the car yet so I can't comment on how they perform, but they look badass.. To get the best output in my honest opinion, is get some depo projector headlights and put a good set of HIDs in, you'll light up the road and won't blind on coming traffic.

 

[97RioRedV6]

I'm in the process of doing some work to mine. Having some paint work done, and bought new headlights, sidemarkers, foglights and all new bulbs. The headlights are off ebay, clear glass lens with a black housing and single projector. They came with bulbs and a new harness, they're not on the car yet so I can't comment on how they perform, but they look badass.. To get the best output in my honest opinion, is get some depo projector headlights and put a good set of HIDs in, you'll light up the road and won't blind on coming traffic.

Ive always wanted to do a retrofit project. Ive just never had the funds (or good enough reason to drop that much cash on a headlight setup) to actually pull the trigger. I really like the setups Yuke puts out. He does some quality work, I just cant afford that. Im poor. lol

 

[ttocs]

I have been rockin some depot projectors and some cheap ebay 6k hids for the past few years. I have been dying to try my hand at a retrofit as they look killer but could not pay the price that is needed to have someone else do it. I am trying something different and trying to make a 1-piece headlight look good for a change. This is the before/after of the light itself but the bottom is not yet fully put together.

I actually painted the HID shroud green to match the car but I don't have a pic of it.

This one actually shows the painted shroud. I left a couple of small spots on the rased dimples on the sides for the next trick.

devil eyes - you can also see the small areas I left open on the shroud to let light through.

I also added some white leds just too see what that looks like. Yea what can I say I love electronics.
and finally I decided too get a good set of hids. Never seen a ballast so small and they are a super sturdy cast aluminum case. Can't wait to hid them! They are just over 4" long with the mounting brackets so it should not be hard to ditch them behind the bumper.

and if anyone cares I used morimoto projectors with graphite shrouds from the retrofitsource.com

 

[97RioRedV6]

I have been rockin some depot projectors and some cheap ebay 6k hids for the past few years. I have been dying to try my hand at a retrofit as they look killer but could not pay the price that is needed to have someone else do it. I am trying something different and trying to make a 1-piece headlight look good for a change. This is the before/after of the light itself but the bottom is not yet fully put together.

I actually painted the HID shroud green to match the car but I don't have a pic of it.

This one actually shows the painted shroud. I left a couple of small spots on the rased dimples on the sides for the next trick.

devil eyes - you can also see the small areas I left open on the shroud to let light through.

I also added some white leds just too see what that looks like. Yea what can I say I love electronics.
and finally I decided too get a good set of hids. Never seen a ballast so small and they are a super sturdy cast aluminum case. Can't wait to hid them! They are just over 4" long with the mounting brackets so it should not be hard to ditch them behind the bumper.

and if anyone cares I used morimoto projectors with graphite shrouds from the retrofitsource.com

I actually read your thread. If you dont mind me asking, how much did your Projector setup run you? Ive got the headlight housings, I just need the projectors. I also read you hadnt mounted them yet to adjust them, has that changed? Im dying to see the end result.

 

[the5.ohh]

Ive always wanted to do a retrofit project. Ive just never had the funds (or good enough reason to drop that much cash on a headlight setup) to actually pull the trigger. I really like the setups Yuke puts out. He does some quality work, I just cant afford that. Im poor. lol

You could just buy some depo projector headlights off ebay, they go for like $120. The projector lights i got were $85. Yukes lights are sick, but im broke too and cant justify that kinda dough on lights

 

[97RioRedV6]

You could just buy some depo projector headlights off ebay, they go for like $120. The projector lights i got were $85. Yukes lights are sick, but im broke too and cant justify that kinda dough on lights

The ones im seeing on ebay are like, dual lights. Theyve got the projector bulb, but also a stock headlight bulb.

 

[ttocs]

projector assemblies were morimoto H6 bi-xenon that I ordered from Theretrofitsource.com (TRS.COM)
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=3181 =$120
The HIDs themselves I decided to get something good that will last. I got them from http://spencershids.com/ but for some reason I can't get into the premium hid kit area to show those but I think they were = $80. Spensor is a great guy that has any info you might need.


on top of that the devil eyes I ordered a small kit from amazon that I think cost $20 or something... All they are is wide-angle leds that reflect off the light.

as you noticed before, I am aiming mine differently beause of the one piece design. This is the way TRS recommends and that most people do.
[video=youtube;ysryIgg4blw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysryIgg4blw[/video]

the reason I am doing mine differently is because the 1-piece lights have some issues on our cars shining the lights where you want them aimed, and keeping the parking/turn signal lights crammed up in some strange way(normally facing down). Because the parking lights move while you are aiming the headlights in the correct place I am aiming mine very last just before I seal them back up. Right now the lights are done with the exception of the lenses glued in. Once I get the bumper painted back on my car and everything put back together I will then slap the lights into their place. Rather then using the factory aiming points to get the light where I want It too shine, I am going to use them just to get the light(mainly the parking lights) too look straight. Once I have the lights looking straight in the holes, then I will finally turn them on and aim so the HID assembly so the lights shine in the correct spot to maximize the light output and not blind anyone in front of me. Once I get the HIDs aimed correctly I will add some screws and small dabs of glue to lock the HID assembly in the correct place. After that, I can then take them off, clean/mount the lenses and then finally I will be able to throw them in , lock the clips in place and rock on.

Make sense? Questions?

 

[ttocs]

You could just buy some depo projector headlights off ebay, they go for like $120. The projector lights i got were $85. Yukes lights are sick, but im broke too and cant justify that kinda dough on lights

Those are the lights that broke in my wreck. I liked the general style of them but never really loved them(like I do my new ones). The light output wasn't bad as far as for you too see but they were a pretty sloppy hid assembly/lens and didn't have the cleanest cut-off like everyone loves.

 

[OnyxCobra]

I'm running HIDs in my headlights and fogs, the light output is very good considering my smoked headlights.

as far as your question goes from what I've seen when only one bulb is lighting it has been a grounding issue, that is assuming they each have their own ground. It would depend how you wired them but for my fog lights one side wasn't lighting at first and it was because of an inadequate ground.

 

[97RioRedV6]

I'm running HIDs in my headlights and fogs, the light output is very good considering my smoked headlights.

as far as your question goes from what I've seen when only one bulb is lighting it has been a grounding issue, that is assuming they each have their own ground. It would depend how you wired them but for my fog lights one side wasn't lighting at first and it was because of an inadequate ground.

The only thing i did, was clip the headlight connection, wired it to a new connector just like the old one. that was it. and now im having issues with the opposite light coming on. it kinda throws me off since the issue light is not the replacement light.

 

[the5.ohh]

The ones im seeing on ebay are like, dual lights. Theyve got the projector bulb, but also a stock headlight bulb.

Yep those are it. Projector towards the outside of the lens, than next to it regular bulb but those would be your high beams.

 

[ttocs]

do you have relays hooked up to drive the ballasts or do you have them hooked up to the lights power? Relays are always recommend to help solve issues like your flickering as well as to keep any abs lights from coming on. The HIDs I just repalced were really cheap and even with relays, and making sure all the connections were solid(soldered and heat shrinked) sometimes one would not come on. Turn the off, right back on and then it came on. Double check all your wiring next time one is off. pull/tug/manipulate the the hrns's going to the ballasts and the bulbs too see if they will come on and show if there is a bad connection

 

[CC'S95GT]

I dont wanna rice it out with 3000k yellows, but i dont like matching headlight/fog light setups. so eh....I'll keep arguing with myself over it.:argue:

ouch. that hurt.

6k HID headlights, 3k HID fogs

 

[DropTopPony]

ouch. that hurt.

6k HID headlights, 3k HID fogs

I have the 3k fogs also.

Not for looks but because they work better in bad weather.
My Lexus had them from factory and when it was nasty outside the yellow fogs really worked well to illuminate the road.
The white light works great when the ground is dry but the yellow beam really is best option on wet road.

 

[OnyxCobra]

Yeah I'd really recommend running a relay with them as they draw a lot of power on initial start up, sometimes more than the stock wiring can supply which causes random issues. Relays are cheap and allow the HIDs to get their power straight from the battery.

 

[ttocs]

Yeah I'd really recommend running a relay with them as they draw a lot of power on initial start up, sometimes more than the stock wiring can supply which causes random issues. Relays are cheap and allow the HIDs to get their power straight from the battery.

The relay has NOTHING to do with them drawing too much power. The HIDs actually draw significantly less power then halogens. Can't remember the exact numbers but I though my 35watt kit while the ballast was arching/charging would draw up too 11 amp of current until it settles down and then it is normally in the 7-8 amp range(and this is high honestly) for the rest of the time its on. Most halogen bulbs will draw 15-20 amps with out much trouble at all, all night long.

The relays are important because of that voltage shift. The change in current on that circuit can trip the ABS warning light to come on but when you wire the relays up, they go too the batters so the change in current there is not an issue.

for example a 35 watt system at 14.4 volts right? The power output of the system is 35 watts. You can solve for the current draw(average current draw we are ignoring the extra current needed while charging) a few different ways.

P = V x I(current)
35 watts = 14.4 votls x I
I = 35/14.4 = 2.45 amps

Like I said this is an average so real world #'s might vary by a little but not much.

 

[OnyxCobra]

That could be true, I've always read that upon ignition the HID ballast pulls a significant amount more power but once the HID is on they do use less power. Either way you're probably better off running them off a relay vs the stock wiring harness.