Anyone Using HID's With Good Results?

[TexasnativeDRJH]

I got some Anzo clear headlights and a DDM Tuning 55W kit with 5K bulbs. The beam focus isn't great but I know its to be expected without a projector retrofit. Anyone know a good source for info on retrofits? Im new to HID's and should have done more research first.

I dont want to be blinding anyone so they are aimed about six inches lower than recommended using the wall method at 25 feet.

 

[storlied]

I don't think 55W HID's should be used for the street. I use 35w 6000K in my projectors, standard 55w Halogen's for my highbeams and 4x 55W 6000K for auxilary lighting.

 

[98 5oh XLT]

I would recommend getting some projectors asap The headlamp housing for the explorer were designed for halogen output. When using HID there will be light scatter and no sharp cutoff unless you're using projectors. It's possible that HID light will be distracting for other drivers.

The stock wiring harness was designed for halogen bulbs only. So what's the problem when HID only uses 35 or even 55 watts? When you turn on your HID lights, it takes a lot of power to charge up the gases in the bulb. How much? Twice as much. 13.5 (or more depending) Amps rushed in for about 1 second. This kind of inrush WILL take it toll on your headlight switch built into the explorers internals, it might not happen a month or a year from now, but it WILL happen and it's expensive and time consuming to fix.

Further more using HID in stock enclosures may look brighter but with the way HID bulbs are designed the light scatters differently and you are actually REDUCING your night vision. Now im not trying to convince you out of HIDs, im just saying you -really- want to get projectors in there. And cops are starting to crack down on the HID retro-fits. If its aimed properly in a proper enclosure they really dont care but from what I have read HID retrofitting is now ILLEGAL unless if your car came stock with it. So just be careful, fair enough? Again I am not slamming you at all. Further more watch out for those Ebay kits, ive had a couple of friends who went buggy over those 55 buck ebay HID kits and the ballasts were crap, the wiring was crap, and i even had one friend fry his harness and have a electrical wire fire because of it.

Now as far as info, i have learned a decent amount from this site, you can check it out

Click me im helpful!

happy trails

 

[TexasnativeDRJH]

I would recommend getting some projectors asap The headlamp housing for the explorer were designed for halogen output. When using HID there will be light scatter and no sharp cutoff unless you're using projectors. It's possible that HID light will be distracting for other drivers.

The stock wiring harness was designed for halogen bulbs only. So what's the problem when HID only uses 35 or even 55 watts? When you turn on your HID lights, it takes a lot of power to charge up the gases in the bulb. How much? Twice as much. 13.5 (or more depending) Amps rushed in for about 1 second. This kind of inrush WILL take it toll on your headlight switch built into the explorers internals, it might not happen a month or a year from now, but it WILL happen and it's expensive and time consuming to fix.

Further more using HID in stock enclosures may look brighter but with the way HID bulbs are designed the light scatters differently and you are actually REDUCING your night vision. Now im not trying to convince you out of HIDs, im just saying you -really- want to get projectors in there. And cops are starting to crack down on the HID retro-fits. If its aimed properly in a proper enclosure they really dont care but from what I have read HID retrofitting is now ILLEGAL unless if your car came stock with it. So just be careful, fair enough? Again I am not slamming you at all. Further more watch out for those Ebay kits, ive had a couple of friends who went buggy over those 55 buck ebay HID kits and the ballasts were crap, the wiring was crap, and i even had one friend fry his harness and have a electrical wire fire because of it.

Now as far as info, i have learned a decent amount from this site, you can check it out

Click me im helpful!

happy trails

No slam taken whatsoever, I can take constructive criticism. They.were backordered on the 35 watt kits. Looks like retrofits are way out of my price range and skill set so Im probably going to take them off and put them on something else. I should have just got the Sylvania Silverstars and been done with it.

As is, they do fail to ignite the first few attempts which does concern me about hurting my factory wiring. I just had high hopes since my brother in law put them on his stock '08 Tundra housings and they look perfect, not scattered at all like mine.

 

[98 5oh XLT]

I will admit i have noticed some housings handle the HID setup better than others. Your HIDs failing to ignite is probably more due to the kit than the harness (no im not trying to be confusing you still can damage your harness which is why i recomend getting a upgraded one)

Infact i learned the hard way how fragile the explorer lighting harness is

My Whoops

 

[TexasnativeDRJH]

Wow that's a heck of a whoops. I have replaced one of my 9007 plugs that melted from middle of the road quality halogens. Hopefully the Silverstars I just bought don't give me problems.

 

[synyster]

i Just put some 35w 8ks in my stock 02 ex housings and they look fantastic. A buddy and I put some in a 91 firebird. Took about 4 hours but they turned out amazing as well.

 

[storlied]

There's no harm to the harness if you're using a relay with it's own harness. Then at that point your stock harness is only flipping a relay and that's all, using very little power at that point.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

There's no harm to the harness if you're using a relay with it's own harness. Then at that point your stock harness is only flipping a relay and that's all, using very little power at that point.

i agree. i have done both a reto fit, and HID's. my kit came with its own wire harness that plugs into one bulb socket, has its own relay, and draws its own power from the battery.

 

[danwaters]

Ive been running HIDs in my headlamps (35w) for 5 years in my Explorer and have had no problems. Even with the light wondering here and there its still much brighter than halogen bulbs. Just aim them down a tad lower as to not blind other drivers. I can't tell you how many times I've been flashed in the BMW with factory HID headlights. More so than my explorer! To say that an aftermarket HID is more distracting then factory HID is BS. It's all about proper aiming especially on a lifted vehicle.

 

[dreddog47]

Explorer aftermarket housings suck with HID's... I have two friends with PnP kits... One kit is a Hi/Lo in a stock housing, and one is a HID low halogen high in a clear housing... The stock housing puts out way more usable light with less glare and has a somewhat useful high beam, the clear housing hid just sucks ass, you have to aim it into the ground so you dont blind the crap out of people, and the beam is useless......

 

[TexasnativeDRJH]

Yeah im not impressed with the clear housings, should have kept the OEM ones. I did have the relay harness, I think my ground connection wasn't very good which could have been the reason for failing to ignite.
Thanks everyone for the info, learned quite a bit of useful stuff. I've gone back to halogens and will save the DDM kit for my next vehicle.

 

[TexasnativeDRJH]

Ive been running HIDs in my headlamps (35w) for 5 years in my Explorer and have had no problems. Even with the light wondering here and there its still much brighter than halogen bulbs. Just aim them down a tad lower as to not blind other drivers. I can't tell you how many times I've been flashed in the BMW with factory HID headlights. More so than my explorer! To say that an aftermarket HID is more distracting then factory HID is BS. It's all about proper aiming especially on a lifted vehicle.

Do you have stock housings? I think that's my problem, my clear ones have a faceted reflector that is scattering my beam like crazy.

 

[danwaters]

Do you have stock housings? I think that's my problem, my clear ones have a faceted reflector that is scattering my beam like crazy.

I don't have stock housings. I fail to recall the name of the company of the projector lamps i have but I have a nice projected beam that is pretty consistent and focused nicely. I got them years back so I cant remember who made them. Ill see if I cant figure it out.