HIDs on a budget

[96limitedX]

I prefer to do it my way.

Besides, who's truck has the electrical problems.

idk..whos?

Adam, i'm not planing on changing anything. i'm very happy. i just dident understand why some feel the way as Todd(about leads off the battery) and i wanted to know if there was some awsome reason to running leads off the battery thats all.

 

[celly]

And i use 12000k because
1) One reason I went HID was to get the very nice colors you can acheive from HID lighting
2) Its really not that bad at 12000k with projectors. 12000k is still brighter and lights up the road a lot more than halogen. However, when it becomes the rainy season...4300k are going back in
3) Why not, I got 4300k and 12000k...takes 5 mins to change bulbs. Ive also gotten numerous compliments on the 12000k bulbs

I'm thinking of getting a set of 6000K or maybe 6500K for something different and a bit less yellow (but 4300K really is pretty white as you know). Like you said, takes 5 minutes to swap out. I'm not a big fan of too much colour myself. I see them on too many JDM out there, but as long as you like it, that's all that matters.

 

[celly]

idk..whos?

i just dident understand why some feel the way as Todd(about leads off the battery) and i wanted to know if there was some awsome reason to running leads off the battery thats all.

The wiring harness I have seems to be of better construction that OEM. Just like the SUVlights harnesses out there, it can't hurt.

 

[justin146]

The wiring harness I have seems to be of better construction that OEM. Just like the SUVlights harnesses out there, it can't hurt.

The stock wires are perfectly fine- you are talking LESS current draw than stock bulbs. Why add more components if you dont need them? The only reason anyone would need a wiring harness w/ relays is if they have daytime running lights that dont supply a full 12V to the bulbs(like on my F150). There is no other reason for them. The extra wiring is a waste of money/time/energy...and leaves more active components to possibly cause problems.

 

[celly]

The stock wires are perfectly fine- you are talking LESS current draw than stock bulbs. Why add more components if you dont need them? The only reason anyone would need a wiring harness w/ relays is if they have daytime running lights that dont supply a full 12V to the bulbs(like on my F150). There is no other reason for them. The extra wiring is a waste of money/time/energy...and leaves more active components to possibly cause problems.

Hey good arguments. I have DRL and actually disconnected them because I was concerned there might be an issue with the lower voltage and HIDs. I got tired of DRL anyhow and I've read many articles that refute the safety element of them. The harness added little cost to my setup. I paid a premium price for Philips ballasts and bulbs which seem to be better than most components in the no name kits out there. I got the harness, so it can't hurt. I don't see it as something else to go wrong necessarily. Pretty much a no brainer install. If anything, the stock harness seems a bit on the flimsy side. I do not see a harness as a waste myself. If I was doing a HID kit just to save money, then I'd consider no name components and no harness, but I've always subscribed to the "you usually get what you pay for" philosophy.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Here is a real good description of why you should have a harness w/HID. http://faqlight.carpassion.info/headlamp-harness.html
I had changed computers and lost info and just found this.

Enjoy...

 

[96limitedX]

interesting..i've heard otherwise..but i'm gonna look into this more. not saying i'm gonna change anything w/mine. but its interesting...

btw any update on this Todd. did you pull the trigger or not?

 

[IAmTodd]

No, I'm still selling a few things on ebay to get the savings up.

 

[celly]

interesting..i've heard otherwise..but i'm gonna look into this more. not saying i'm gonna change anything w/mine. but its interesting...

What have you "heard"? I'd be curious to know. The place I scored my set from sells harnesses on their own if you ever "hear" otherwise. He told me a lot of people score just the harness from him to put on other kits.

 

[96limitedX]

well Celly, ask andy...

 

[celly]

well Celly, ask andy...

Why do I have to ask him? I asked you. I don't post on his site anymore and he doesn't post here (at least not often if any).

Once again, what have you heard? Let's hear it here.

 

[DirtyDog]

Come on guys fight nice

 

[celly]

Come on guys fight nice

I'm being serious. He "heard" that harnesses suck. I just want to hear why. I'm not going to another site which gets a handful of hits a day to get an answer. Andy's got some good opinions, some questionable. Hey, I took his advice and replace my Volant air filter with a "Green". I had been looking for one for a while and he steered me the the model #. Would have even given him my money to get one but he won't return my PMs.

Howzit, Gary?

 

[96limitedX]

well celly, i cant really repeat it all cause i dont have it wrote down....geez

now i never heard they "suck" what i heard..and i quote..is they are "unnessisary". an that artical was the first artical i read saying otherwise. to tell you the truth it makes sense to me that its unessisary...and i'll continue to run my kit the way it came.

 

[celly]

well celly, i cant really repeat it all cause i dont have it wrote down....geez

now i never heard they "suck" what i heard..and i quote..is they are "unnessisary". an that artical was the first artical i read saying otherwise. to tell you the truth it makes sense to me that its unessisary...and i'll continue to run my kit the way it came.

OK, I can respect that, but what is the gist of the argument why they're not necessary?

 

[96limitedX]

well if your stock bulbs pull at a max 65w.(high beams) and the HIDs pull at a max 50w or so(give or take)at start up...that..where's the problem. now that link gave a arugment i'd never heard before. so thats why i wanna research it some more.

 

[celly]

Fact still remains, the wiring harness that came with my kit has heavier duty wiring (or at least appears to be of much higher quality) than OEM and may not be necessary, but can't hurt either. Aldive scored a SUVlights wiring harness for his halogens and reported good results. I'm just assuming it certainly can't hurt for HIDs either.

That's why I went with the kit I did. Those kits Andy sells are definitely a good buy, but I decided that since I'm spending the money, I may as well go full out. I'm a firm believer in that you get what you pay for in the long run.

 

[jester6]

Todd, you do realize that kit is only a Low beam. Doesnt have a high beam.

 

[IAmTodd]

Todd, you do realize that kit is only a Low beam. Doesnt have a high beam.

I realize this. Which is why they'll be wired up to be always on. No matter the position of the stalk and my Daylighters mounted to my front bumper will by my "high beams". Thanks though.

How hard is it to fit an H4 bulb in our housings?

 

[edlmann]

How hard is it to fit an H4 bulb in our housings?

You'd have to get a set of e-code housings from Europe. The bulb requires a much larger hold than a 9007. If someone wanted to get some of my money, they'd make a diamond clear housing for the 95 to 01 Explorer, but set up for H-4 bulbs. I'd buy those in a heartbeat.