My Sport with HID 8000K's

[roamingphantom]

Thanks for the link.

The initial images on that site show a terribly weak light output. Were the bulbs getting old? It's hard to believe that the Limited's HIDs would be so weak.

As for the conversion, how has it held up?

The weak output was with the Philips Ultinon d3s bulbs which I bought in London (original) the Limited HID was weak IMO and the Philips was a slight improvement. I got tired of the OEM and Ultions and did the full retro - couldn't be happier. I've had quite a few explorer owners asking about it.

 

[WinterRaven]

I'll definitely look into the Phillips HID kits.

As for the PIAA Xtreme White bulbs, although they're pricey at around $90, I think they're fantastic. In the daytime you won't see much of a color difference, but once the sun sets there is a huge differentiation. The stock bulbs are much yellower, whereas the PIAA Xtreme Whites emit the same kind of color as a piece of paper. They're still not at the HID white/blue color output, but they certainly are an upgrade from stock. And in addition, they are very strong. Standing outside of the vehicle looking at the projectors on low beam, you'd be under the impression that you have the high beams switched on.

They're perfect for the meantime while someone is looking into getting HIDs, or simply wants to get a stronger, nicer-looking headlamp without going the HID route. Although I'm pleased with the PIAA's for now, I'd like to find a HID solution in which I'll be fully confident in buying and installing.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I've had them installed since early December. They still look nice and they're holding up strongly.

Awesome, I'll keep the PIAA's in mind just in case someone asks me for an alternative to HID's. I had my HID's installed December 2014 too.

 

[Tony407]

Hey Tony,

Since you have experience with HID kits on your Sport, can I ask a couple of questions?

- Did you have to/choose to use a relay harness?
- Does your HID kit work with the AUTO headlamps, or have you had issues?

Thanks,
Kevin

Yes, I used a harness. You don't have to, but I like to make sure I'm getting a decent amount of voltage & current straight from the battery.

I have auto headlamps. Not a single issue, ever.

Tony

 

[KevinJace]

Yes, I used a harness. You don't have to, but I like to make sure I'm getting a decent amount of voltage & current straight from the battery.

I have auto headlamps. Not a single issue, ever.

Tony

Thanks, Tony.

Those Morimoto Elite HID kits you linked look the best out of all I've seen to this point. I've sent them an email with a couple of additional questions.

 

[KevinJace]

While searching, I also found some high quality 9005 LED bulbs. They are "plug and play", meaning they're identical to whatever halogen bulb you'd put in your Explorer - except they're LED.

Is this a good solution to only replacing the bulbs rather than going for HID? The bulb is 5500K, so it certainly would be a huge improvement over the 4300K PIAA's I have installed. Fully DOT/SAE approved, too.

What do you guys think?

The bulb: http://www.carid.com/lumen/lumen-plazma-led-lights-10064403.html

 

[peterk9]

One thing to keep in mind when using LED. They don't produce much if any heat. Many cars coming out with LED headlights have some type of a heating element/system to keep the glass clear of ice, snow etc.

Peter

 

[KevinJace]

One thing to keep in mind when using LED. They don't produce much if any heat. Many cars coming out with LED headlights have some type of a heating element/system to keep the glass clear of ice, snow etc.

Peter

That's a fantastic point. Definitely something to remember. Thank you, Peter!

 

[drewfalk]

LED conversions of that type price wildly less lumens than an HID conversion. The only LED kits that even approach HID lumens require a a dedicated fan to keep the heat sink cool. LED headlights on new cars that offer them use multiple emitters in separate dedicated lenses unlike a halogen or HID bulb. Converting a standard halogen housing to LED doesn't really make sense for a "Main" beam. For an auxiliary beam like a fog light its fine but headlight you will be disappointed.
Andrew
coolbulbs

 

[KevinJace]

Alright guys, I think I'm going to take the plunge and try out a HID kit. I'll see how it works and looks, and if it's not for me, I'll cry over the $150 I wasted.

I plan on going for the Morimoto Elite kit. From all of my research, this kit is the highest quality one I've seen. http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-9005.html#.VQi_NWTF_UA

However, I do have a couple of final questions for drivers with HID kits installed on their Explorers.

1) When you went into your dealership for service, did anyone notice your HID kit? Did they say anything about warranty being voided? My service advisor mentioned this to me previously, but I understand we have some reinforcement from the Magnuson-Moss act of 1975.

2) Did you have any issues with passing your state inspection? Did anything pop up on the garage's computer that there's an electrical problem?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Jvallejo22]

Alright guys, I think I'm going to take the plunge and try out a HID kit. I'll see how it works and looks, and if it's not for me, I'll cry over the $150 I wasted.

I plan on going for the Morimoto Elite kit. From all of my research, this kit is the highest quality one I've seen. http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid-systems/morimoto-elite-hid-system-9005.html#.VQi_NWTF_UA

However, I do have a couple of final questions for drivers with HID kits installed on their Explorers.

1) When you went into your dealership for service, did anyone notice your HID kit? Did they say anything about warranty being voided? My service advisor mentioned this to me previously, but I understand we have some reinforcement from the Magnuson-Moss act of 1975.

2) Did you have any issues with passing your state inspection? Did anything pop up on the garage's computer that there's an electrical problem?

Thanks,
Kevin

Last week I brought in my car to have a wheel re-aligned and fix my driver side door (squeaking noise)
Personally, I took out the hid Kit before going into the dealership because I know they usually check the battery and everything else anyways. So I know they would have noticed. So I didn't want to risk it.. Better safe than sorry and I can avoid a huge headache if they want to avoid my warranty. Obviously I could bring a lawyer to fight that but I'd rather just avoid it.

 

[KevinJace]

Last week I brought in my car to have a wheel re-aligned and fix my driver side door (squeaking noise)
Personally, I took out the hid Kit before going into the dealership because I know they usually check the battery and everything else anyways. So I know they would have noticed. So I didn't want to risk it.. Better safe than sorry and I can avoid a huge headache if they want to avoid my warranty. Obviously I could bring a lawyer to fight that but I'd rather just avoid it.

I've read that quite a few people take out their kits every time they visit the dealership. Taking it out between oil changes doesn't sound like much of a hassle, but if I installed it and got it working perfectly, I'd prefer to leave the kit in there.

My service advisor already knows I'm interested in HIDs, but my only concern is a mechanic seeing them installed and making a note on the system. And then in the future if I have any kind of issue on the inside, they'll probably attempt to blame it immediately on the aftermarket kit without doing any digging.

I'll have to think about it. Thanks for your input.

 

[Tony407]

To each their own, but unless you have a problem that can be shown to have been caused by the aftermarket HIDs, you're pretty well protected. That's not to say you're guaranteed not to be hassled, but I can think of many other aftermarket modifications that are potentially "warranty-unfriendly." Honestly, all you're doing is disconnecting and removing the stock bulbs and then everything else is plug-and-play.

I did opt for the 50-watt ballasts for my install. The lights don't seem much brighter than any other car I've owned with factory HIDs, and other drivers don't seem to mind.

Tony

 

[KevinJace]

Hi guys. Long time no posts. Sorry to dig up an aging thread .

I finally decided to take the plunge after months of internal debate and I purchased the Morimoto 9005 HID kit from The Retrofit Source. The kit looks great and the bulbs seemed to very strangely be at operating color and temperature after just about 5 seconds when I plugged them in for test (not complaining - very pleased).

The only question I have now - should I stick with the canbus' that I ordered with the kit? I've read mixed opinions on canbus vs relay and posts about wires being fried. Do you think the Explorer's stock wiring will manage just fine with the canbus system?

Thank you.

 

[Sgt1411]

bmmz, your dealer is absolutely correct. HID and halogen OEM lamps have different housings. This was confirmed by Ford technicians. When converting to HID to do it properly you must also change the housing. There are several posts on that. Here is a copy of a reply I posted in the thread; http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=397670
********************************************************

gwesam, you are absolutely correct about requiring the correct housing to have proper HID lighting.

From; http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html

HID headlamps are terrific, and they can offer significant and substantial safety performance advantages over halogen headlamps, but only if they're designed and built as HID headlamps from the start. Installing an "HID kit" in a halogen headlamp isn't an upgrade, it's a large and serious safety downgrade.

In Canada, Transport Canada states;
If you wish to have HID headlights on a vehicle that was not originally equipped with them (ie: came from the factory with incandescent bulb headlights) you must replace the entire headlight assembly, bulbs and lenses, with HID equipment that meet the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (used to be CMVSS) Standard 108 and 108.1.

Halogens and HID bulbs have different focal points and the housings for each are designed with that in mind. This difference cannot be corrected by 'aiming' the lights.

Peter

Do you have the name of the technician who you quoted in this post or a reference article where this is mentioned?

My contacts in Dearborn would like to know who this technician is so he can be updated.

 

[thefranchise713]

That's Daniel Stern, he's a lighting consultant out of (I believe) Toronto, or somewhere in Canada in any event. I spoke with him a couple years ago via email, awesome professional to deal with.

What is his error that Dearborn is trying to correct? Is his regulatory interpretation wrong/out of date?

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

Email link for him at the bottom of the page.

 

[Sgt1411]

That's Daniel Stern, he's a lighting consultant out of (I believe) Toronto, or somewhere in Canada in any event. I spoke with him a couple years ago via email, awesome professional to deal with.

What is his error that Dearborn is trying to correct? Is his regulatory interpretation wrong/out of date?

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

Email link for him at the bottom of the page.

Thank you I will email him.

His page is actually very educational, lots of good info.

 

[peterk9]

Do you have the name of the technician who you quoted in this post or a reference article where this is mentioned?

My contacts in Dearborn would like to know who this technician is so he can be updated.

My info about the Ford Techs was base on another post of mine http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...id-read-this-first.397670/page-3#post-3304887. Unfortunately I can't remember the original one. It may have been from a Ford Rep who checked with the techs but I can't be sure. It was more than 2 years ago. There are however a few posts by different members confirming that the projector are different. I know that member tonystewart opened both types and confirmed that. Also a post by Dynamikillu51ons mentioned that you can't just put HID bulbs in projectors designed for halogen bulbs. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...51ons-new-customized-headlight-design.412384/

Peter

 

[MnGolfer]

Hi All- I'm new to this forum and wanted to weigh in on this HID kit thread.

I purchased my '15 sport last Monday and because of this thread ordered an HID conversion kit from coolbulbs.com last Thursday. Within 2 hours, Andrew from coolbulbs called me to review my order and asked if I had any questions which I thought was great. My kit was delivered on Saturday and the install was very simple & straight forward (for a guy who doesn't do much of any work on cars). Within 30 mins I had both HIDs mounted & the ballasts secured. As I read on this thread and echo that if you have bigger hands the install could get a bit tricky but other than that they installed easy and I was able to put the rubber dust cover 90% back on after securing the bulbs. As for mounting the ballasts, I leveraged a pre drilled hole on a metal plate above the light housing area. I was able to find a decently long screw that fit in the pre drilled ballast mounting holes which secured the ballast to the metal plate by using a nut on the underside of the metal plate, this was done on both the driver and passenger sides. The rest of the wires were twist/zipped tied and secured under a plastic piece on each by the fender. All said and done, the customer service was great, install simple, and I really like the color of the 6000 bulbs. If you want a solid HID kit, go with Andrew from coolbulbs.com. I will try and figure out how to attach images and attached some pictures of the finished product & of how I mounted the ballasts.