2014 Explorer Sport head light upgrade?

[J5781]

Hey guys,

I have a 2014 Explorer sport and my headlights absolutely SUCK so I'm looking for something that would be brighter, OEM or aftermarket. Does anyone have experience with a certain aftermarket brand or even OEM that they've used and had success with? I feel like I'm driving in the stone ages with the headlights that I have now compared to all the newer vehicles out there lol

any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[J_C]

Try polishing out the lenses if oxidized. The stock headlights, in good condition, do not suck. I drive at night all the time in my '14.

 

[peterk9]

Hey guys,

I have a 2014 Explorer sport and my headlights absolutely SUCK so I'm looking for something that would be brighter, OEM or aftermarket. Does anyone have experience with a certain aftermarket brand or even OEM that they've used and had success with? I feel like I'm driving in the stone ages with the headlights that I have now compared to all the newer vehicles out there lol

any help is greatly appreciated!

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Some members changed to using HID kits which are illegal for on-road use. Also, the headlight housing is not designed for the use of HID.
Most newer vehicles use LED headlights.

Peter

 

[mguy13sport]

HID bulbs work great in the Explorer because it has projector style headlights. I am running a Xenon 50W kit with 8000k bulbs. I installed a 30W kit in the fog lamps. LED lights are plug and play while HID kits come with a wiring harness that needs to plug into the OEM headlight wiring to power the ballasts.

 

[J5781]

HID bulbs work great in the Explorer because it has projector style headlights. I am running a Xenon 50W kit with 8000k bulbs. I installed a 30W kit in the fog lamps. LED lights are plug and play while HID kits come with a wiring harness that needs to plug into the OEM headlight wiring to power the ballasts.

Thanks for the info! Do the HID lights produce that blue hue or are they more of just the bright white? Where did you buy your kit from?!

 

[peterk9]

HID bulbs work great in the Explorer because it has projector style headlights. I am running a Xenon 50W kit with 8000k bulbs. I installed a 30W kit in the fog lamps. LED lights are plug and play while HID kits come with a wiring harness that needs to plug into the OEM headlight wiring to power the ballasts.

"Despite using older halogen bulb technology, these headlights often create a more equal beam of light than reflectors, with a sharper cutoff between light and dark. Because HID bulbs are so much brighter, it's almost always a terrible idea to place them in projector housings meant for halogen."

can you put hid bulbs in halogen projector headlights - Google Search

The member would be better off using LED if not upgrading to the other halogen bulbs that were suggested.
"Can I use LED bulbs in my project headlights? The answer is always “YES.” Installing LED headlight bulbs in projector housing will provide you with excellent performance for nighttime driving."

can you put led in projector headlights - Google Search

Peter

 

[mguy13sport]

Headlight Experts LED and HID Headlight Conversion Kits and OEM Ballasts

The Leader in Automotive LED and HID Lighting Systems.

www.headlightexperts.com

Peter you know the Explorer came with HID lights as option right? They are also standard on the 2018 Focus RS and other high end Ford models. They are not going away anytime soon. Its a personal preference and I've seen many cars with aftermarket LED lights that are more capable of blinding drivers versus my HID setup. If you don't want super bright just simply go with a 30W kit. The HID light is only as bright as the xenon gas can heat up. Most HID setups come in three power wattages: 30W, 55W and 75W. The higher watt's the brighter the light will get. The shade shutter in the headlight housing can also be adjusted to properly angle the light beam.

My vehicle is inspected annually and passes state inspection with the HID lights which is part of the safety test requirement.

I also installed HID lights on my 2002 GMC Sierra which even 20+ years ago was also available with HID from the factory (Denali model only). The Denali uses projector style headlights where other models do not. BMW is another prime example that use projector headlights.

Good luck whatever you go with. Removing the entire headlight assembly is not necessary (it is a royal PITA)

 

[peterk9]

Headlight Experts LED and HID Headlight Conversion Kits and OEM Ballasts

The Leader in Automotive LED and HID Lighting Systems.

www.headlightexperts.com

Peter you know the Explorer came with HID lights as option right?

They were standard on my Canadian 2011 Limited.

Peter

 

[DrunkAngryPat]

I support the LED option, they are a direct replacement for stock bulbs, and you can get a good set on Amazon for around $50. I do periodically have people flash high beams at me, due to brightness though.

I used an HID Conversion Kit on my 2004 Explorer, it worked, but there are more parts to install, not as direct as LED.

 

[peterk9]

I have also read that LED is a better option in a projector housing than HID.

Peter