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HID Install +Pics - Step by Step

I have read all of it and its awesome information but just to clarify as of 07/27/14 I would like a more updated recommendation:

I have 3 days with my 15 Limited 301A but came with regular bulbs and looking forward to change to hid, I like the 6000K, and what I have read is Coolbulbs is good, others have recommend DDM which I used but in my experience DDM after a few years, colorization of the bulb was different from the other one, plus including flickering and one light being off and the other on. Also I see Diode dynamics... so which one would be top?

I would like to install it in both head and fog lights, also I would like to know if having it in auto mode will hurt the kit and also would like to know the best way to keep the fog lights on always even when changing to high beams... One more thing, do these kits support low/hi beam in the same headlights?

Thank you.
 



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To do a proper change, you must also replace the headlight housing for one designed for HID. That is the only correct way to do it. Also, I believe Diode Dynamics no longer manufactures HID kits. They don't appear in their latest catalogue. If you are replacing the fogs with 6000k, they will no longer be of any use as 'fog' lights. What you will have in fact are actually 'driving' lights. You would have to change the wiring if you want them to work with the hi beams since fog lights are designed to turn OFF when hi beams are used.

Peter
 






Here is the link to Diode Dynamics...

http://www.diodedynamics.com/store/led-bulbs/listed-by-vehicle/ford/explorer/2011-2014-ford-explorer-low-beam-hid-conversion-kit.html

I've been very happy with my HIDs since the install. As I said in the reveiw, I was impressed with the overall quality of their components. I have had no flickers or hesitation in striking at all. As for pattern control and blinding other drivers, it has not been my experience. The cutoff pattern against my garage door is virtually identical to the OEM halogens. I don't use the fogs often in the summer months so we'll see if there are issues this fall and winter. I have not had the first oncoming car flash me. I will also say that any HID system that uses a shutter for low cutoff can be an issue if the oncoming car is below you. For example if you live in a "hillly" terrain area as I do. Sometimes you are coming up to the crest of a hill and an oncoming car tops the hill, you are below their shutter so it is very bright for a second. My wife's car with OEM HIDs will do this. I've met her coming home so I know firsthand. I will admit putting HIDs in some housings can be worse than others, but the projector system in the X is a very good match for conversion. I would certainly not go back to the crappy halogens that come with the XSport.
 






Here is what I posted in another thread concerning Diode Dynamics.

"From a post I read by Diode Dynamics in the ToyotaNation Forum, they are getting out of the HID conversion business. Their new 2014 Summer catalog no longer carries them.
Another statement in the post by Diode Dynamics that I found interesting; "Keep in mind your retrofit is no more legal than an HID conversion, as pretty as it may be.
"

Peter
__________________
 






Since we were not pleased with the inability to aim left and right with these headlights ,We took apart the lights this weekend.
Added two small washers to the drivers side headlight hid projector mounting points inside the housings. Four Torx screws hold the projector in place, the washers were added to the inside two torx screws, this caused the beam at 100 meters to move towards the center line about 8 feet. Further testing and results soon.
 






I got this back from Paul at Diode Dynamics ..

"Indeed, as we develop new products, we are focusing specifically on LED lighting, rather than HID conversions. We do not want to make HIDs the primary product for our business, as we expect demand to slow over the next 5-10 years for HID conversions.

However, we do plan to continue offering and supporting our premium HID conversion, which is by far the most user-friendly and best-performing kit on the market.

I hope that clarifies some of the information you've seen."
 












That was an excellent write up but PLEASE take 5 mins and learn how to focus your phones camera. Its hard to follow along when 1/3 of the pics are blurry.

I just completed another retrofit and have replaced blurry with clearer of same components.
 






Another complete Hella EVOX-R retrofit
IMG_20140809_211320_zpsc2qjyuxa.jpg


Low Beam at 45 feet
IMG_20140809_211407_zps7q4rndds.jpg


High Beam at 45 feet
IMG_20140809_211529_zpsvvmunh2k.jpg
 
























Since you are opening the headlights any way , it's a chance to buy Halo rings and install it at once .
 






As someone who tried 2 hid kits and a retrofit I concluded no conversion kit can give you same as oem except retrofitting conversion and not cheap kit

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Forum Runner
 






As someone who tried 2 hid kits and a retrofit I concluded no conversion kit can give you same as oem except retrofitting conversion and not cheap kit

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Forum Runner

I concur, Truth comes from experience
 






As someone who tried 2 hid kits and a retrofit I concluded no conversion kit can give you same as oem except retrofitting conversion and not cheap kit

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Forum Runner

Except the drop in kits offer a massive improvement over the stock halogens for a relatively low cost, while providing essentially all the functionality of the Limited with HID. Some members have mentioned that when they parked next to a Limited that came with HIDs, there was essentially no difference in light pattern. A friend recently got a Limited Explorer as a Loaner while her C-Class was in the shop. My wife and I rode in her car, and I couldn't tell the difference between the cutoff in her loaner or our Sport with the HID upgrade. So while the difference may be there, the drop in kit is close enough to a stock HID setup, and is so much better than the stock halogen, that most wont notice.

Also, if you look closely, several of the people saying that there's no comparison between the Limited HIDs and the drop in HIDs drive a Limited (or the MKT) with the HIDs, or paid big money for new projectors. I suppose if someone came out with a drop-in turbo for the base V6 that offered comparable performance to the Sport for a fraction of the price, I'd be a bit jealous too.
 






The fact remains that the reflectors are different. This is what is used to focus the light and why each (halogen & HID) bulb has to have the one designed specifically for the bulb because each produces light in a different manner. It is impossible to get the correct focus if you don't have the right reflector. It is also likely why in Canada it is illegal to drive on roadways with HID lights that were not installed at the factory as OEM.
It's a little like wearing another person's glasses. You can see but the focus isn't perfect.

Peter
 






The fact remains that the reflectors are different. This is what is used to focus the light and why each (halogen & HID) bulb has to have the one designed specifically for the bulb because each produces light in a different manner. It is impossible to get the correct focus if you don't have the right reflector. It is also likely why in Canada it is illegal to drive on roadways with HID lights that were not installed at the factory as OEM.
It's a little like wearing another person's glasses. You can see but the focus isn't perfect.

Peter

Its like wearing another persons glasses... If that person has a remarkably similar prescription to yours, and otherwise you would have such horribly blinding, comically bad eyesight without glasses. The drop in kits are a massive improvement in light output, and the pattern is essentially indistinguishable from a factory HID setup. Thankfully America doesn't have such draconian enforcement over minor modifications that make driving and visibility much safer +1 USA :usa:
 






Folks swap bulbs and add ballasts because it's cheap and easy.
They attain a brighter foreground, leading them to falsely believe they have improved their night time vision, which they haven't because their pupil closes to the increased glare of the foreground, limiting their ability to see detail at distance. and let's not forget oncoming traffic and the glare to the rest of us.
Please claim it's just as good as the Factory HID Projectors.
Same thought pattern as "the world is flat"

This forum thread is circular . There are those who can't or won't come to grips with their lighting inexperience or their fears of doing a proper retrofit. I understand it's not for everyone but bashing accurate statements from a retrofitter with FORD experience is ludicrous.

No glare here
IMG_20140809_212045_zpsqdkqubhy.jpg
 



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"Thankfully America doesn't have such draconian enforcement over minor modifications that make driving and visibility much safer +1 USA :usa:"
******************************************************
The California Vehicle Code states it is illegal for anyone to replace the lighting equipment of a car. This means that non-factory installed HID lamps are illegal under California law. However, if your car came with manufacturer-installed HID lights, they are legal.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/facts_7554731_california-law-hids.html

From another U.S. site; http://orca.st.usm.edu/~jmneal/tiburon/hids.htm
Are HID's legal?
Installing HID's into a vehicle not originally equipped with them from the factory is technically illegal. Practically speaking, you stand little chance of being cited for them provided you educate yourself on the requirements of HID lighting and take the necessary steps to ensure you have the right equipment and adjustments to keep it safe. That is, make sure your vehicle's headlight assembly uses an appropriately designed projector lense (as opposed to a reflector), and of course that your headlights are properly aligned after installation. Many newer vehicles use projector lenses because stock halogen bulbs also benefit from the "light shaping", but having just any old projector lense does not necessarily ensure that the beam pattern will be correct. It is absolutely essential for HID's to give the light output a sharp cutoff line to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. As HID's become more popular, aftermarket projector housings are being produced for some vehicles.
UPDATE 01/29/04: I received the following email from Richard <last name omitted> of the NHTSA:
SUBJECT: Why don't you tell the truth about the 'HID ban'
No HID retrofit kit can be legally sold. It is that simple.

From; http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

Some "HID kit" marketeers will try to tell you that the kits are technically illegal only because the US headlamp laws are stuck in the past. That's wrong; the world's experts and regulators all say the same thing: Don't!

Peter
 






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