The HID Headlamp Dilemma

[mweiss]

I received a reply from Sylvania/Osram regarding why no retrofit kit is available for the Explorer. I felt the answer was a bit muddled as to why they couldn't come up with a reflector/lens assembly, but was left with the impression that it was market/economics-driven.

Here is their response:

Mark,

Thank you for your inquiry. The only HID Xenarc kit that will fit your
Explorer is the X1010, which is the Low Beam Auxiliary kit. This kit
does not replace your existing headlamps as you know, but instead, works
in conjunction to them. It is a very powerful lighting system that is
mounted under the bumper, and will look like a custom fog lamp
application. That is the only kit we make that would fit your car.

The reason we don't have an HID kit specific to the 98 Explorer is that
your current lighting assembly that is part of your car (the lens &
reflector), is designed around a halogen capsule and you can't put a
Xenarc light source into that assembly without causing problems. Since
your assembly is specific to just the Explorer we would have to make a
kit that fits just the Explorer and at this point in time we don't have
a kit for every vehicle's headlamps. The F-150 kit fits the Expedition
of the same model years because they have the same teardrop headlight
design that the Explorer's do not. I'm in the same boat with my 94
Explorer. I am unaware of future plans to extend the Xenarc line to
include the halogen capsule configurations, but if market demand changes
I believe we may very well explore that option. Tooling costs to switch
the machines and research and development costs alone are very cost
prohibitive with any new product line, they are multiplied exponentially
with a high end line like Xenarc!

Your other option, is using the Silverstar product- 9007ST. While this
is not an HID Xenarc product (it is still a halogen product), it is very
high in color temperature @ 4000 degrees kelvin. The X1010 auxiliary
low beam HID kit is 5400 degrees kelvin, most low beam HID headlights
start around 4100 degrees kelvin and as a point of reference, sunlight
is around 5000 degrees kelvin. Using both the Silverstar product and
the X1010 can create an intense, crisp white seamless look. Both can be
purchased through our website, or you can call 800.729.3777 and I can
assist you with the order as well. Please let me know if you would like
product literature on either Xenarc or Silverstar, I am happy to mail
some to you.

I hope this information helps,
Hannah

 

[mweiss]

Originally posted by Bill Kemp
I too was unhappy with the lighting . HID does not seem to be such a good idea for the 9007 bulbs. I tried PIAA , Krypton Optilux ect. The best solution I have found is a high power harness and 80/100 clear bulbs. Nothing puts out more light. You may have to fine tune the alignment of the lights as I did. But now I will match light output w/anyone & I dont get flashed on the road for the lights being too bright.
Good fog lights also help fill in the low beam areas and driving lights do the trick for hign speed night driving.
Others may have lights that look good. (piaa , silverstars ect) but I have lights that allow me to see good.

Bill, I am reaching the same conclusion. There is no substitute for wattage (all other things being equal), IF the voltage can be made available at the bulb terminals (which the harness should ensure). I will simply have to stop using 'flast to pass' in a continuous manner and burning out the ground terminals of the bulbs.

I am inclined to consider a small aux lamp that fits neatly inside the slot behind the license bracket of the bumper, to be used as fill light for the foreground when high beams are on. Heck, why not have them come on when either hi or lo beam is selected!

The Xenarc aux lamps won't due, as they are intended to mount below the bumper--a very unsafe location for such a costly lamp! They would be the first to go when someone backs into my truck, or if my wife pulls it too close to a curb. Under the bumper is out for me.

JasonF has a good idea with his mounting choice and application. I think I can live with that, if the lamps of that size produce a substantial light output.
I checked autobulbdepot.com and found they have some clear 80/100W (true wattage, not 'equivalent to' wattage, bulbs at reasonable cost ($15 each) and a wiring harness with relays that's plug 'n play for upgrading the feed to these bulbs. I think that, plus the aux lights inside the bumper slot should produce the pattern and light output that will take the discomfort out of night driving.
For snow and fog conditions, nothing can be done with the stock lamps anyway. They scatter light upwards even on lo beams and make it impossible to see the road during a snowfall. The aux lights should at least light up more of the road under these conditions. Now I just have to locate suitably bright and focused lights that are under 3" in height that meet those qualifications.
Thanks to everyone for your contributions. Many ideas and some are suitable for further exploration. The source data is very helpful. I'm doing a lot of browsing at these web sites and finding a number of candidate products I may end up purchasing and installing.

 

[DocVijay]

What exactly is this halogen capsule the Sylvania guy spoke of? Also, he said that the lights owuld only fir hte Explorer. Well, there are plenty of Explorers out there, they could easily recoup the production costs if htey actually made them. I may write them and quote this guys letter (if you don't mind), and bring up some of these points.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Hella makes a projector fog light called the micro-de.
I have a set and have put in piaa 85/130 watt bulbs and the light is better than OK but not as good as I would like. Hella makes a HID model of this light but its 700 bucks - too much $. At www.xenon-kit.com you can get a h-3 kit for $319. Normally a h-3 kit produces a terrible beam pattern because of the placement of the hid filliment compared to the h-3 filliment. I think it wouldnt make too much difference in a projector lamp but I have not put up the $ to find out yet.
www.midnightmoose.com has high watt bulbs for 15 per pair.
www.prolightstar.com has harnesses for $25.
The Catz MSX fog lights put out a very good beam with little scatter. All of the dichoric lights I have tryed put out a lot of scatter. Best of the dichoric is piaa 1400 for a fog type. Scatter isnt all bad if you are trying to fill in the area around your low beams just bad in fog or snow. We probably should slow down in those conditions anyway. Probably should.....

 

[RvExplorerRV]

Fellas i have run into the same problem as all of you guys here have. Its kinda funny actually but i have hyperwhite bulbs in my headlights and i have to drive with the high beams on and my clear corners with hyperwhite turn signals light up the road alot better than those headlights. I've also noticed on older explorers that the headlight casing it self becomes a yellowish color. Any one know about that because mine are starting to turn a shade of yellow and i don't really like that to much. I also want know if anyone knows the style of bulb that goes into the top corners of the turning corners. I can't seem to find a hyperwhite bulb to go in there.

 

[Texan01]

My headlights suck as well, I've got probably the original 9007s in mine, and I haven't cleaned the lights out yet, but I did do a custom aim on them and got much better results. But they still leave a LOT to be desired on highs as compared to my old '76 Chevelle and it's stacked quad sealed beams or my 6000 and it's Bosch designed composite quad beams. The Chevelle could light up the road for a 1/4 mile on high with just halogen lows and 20 year old incandescent highs, actually gave it a good color range. The 6000 used 9004s in all 4 positions so I wired the highbeam filamet on the lows in with the highbeam circut and that gave a good account for distance and filler, though not like that Chevelle.

I've been thinking about going to the European housings for the lights, since my housings are getting yellowed and stress checked.

Does anyone have any experience with the Euro lights as compared to the substandard US lights? Howard? Anyone?

 

[mweiss]

I've got a bunch of these laying around since the '70s (they were used in the diffusion process for semiconductor manufacturing). If I were to design a power supply for them, I might be able to create one heck of a lamp system!

Tried them out by putting one in my microwave oven. It illuminated brilliantly and had the same visible energy dominance as a HID lamp (well, because technically it IS an HID lamp, even though it's 30 years old today.

 

[mweiss]

Originally posted by Texan01
My headlights suck as well, I've got probably the original 9007s in mine, and I haven't cleaned the lights out yet, but I did do a custom aim on them and got much better results. But they still leave a LOT to be desired on highs as compared to my old '76 Chevelle and it's stacked quad sealed beams or my 6000 and it's Bosch designed composite quad beams. The Chevelle could light up the road for a 1/4 mile on high with just halogen lows and 20 year old incandescent highs, actually gave it a good color range. The 6000 used 9004s in all 4 positions so I wired the highbeam filamet on the lows in with the highbeam circut and that gave a good account for distance and filler, though not like that Chevelle.

I've been thinking about going to the European housings for the lights, since my housings are getting yellowed and stress checked.

Does anyone have any experience with the Euro lights as compared to the substandard US lights? Howard? Anyone?

I used to have a '73 Olds Delta 88 that I installed Cibie halogen lights in. They were 100W lamps, four of them and boy, they were BRIGHT!

I much doubt we could get european housings for Explorers though, but if the sell this SUV in europe, it probably has a MUCH better lighting system. If the housings are cross-fittable, maybe a friend overseas can arrange a deal. But that's probably more difficult than finding a good HID retrofit.

I just was talking to a Mercury Mountaineer leasee a few minutes ago on the phone. His previous lease car was a Mercury Marquis and he related the story of how bad the lights on it were and that he actually complained to the dealer the first week he had the car! The dealer checked the lights and found 'nothing wrong' and he was told it's just the way the lights are. The Mountaineer is much better, so he claims, but I can't tell that it's any brighter. In fact, long before I bought the Explorer, he had me drive his Mountaineer shortly after he got it and one occasion was nighttime, and I found it rather hard to see with those lights, compared to the Mitsubishi that I was driving back then. I think it's an issue with all the single-bulb systems. There's just not enough filament power to really light up the road.

 

[Texan01]

My friends '79 El Camino has single H6054s (single rectangular sealed beams) and has the Sylvania Xtravision bulbs in it, that thing can light up the road.

Even my dad's 94 and 87 Dakota (9004s and some funky sealed beam) light the road much better than the Explorer can, must be a Ford thing though

 

[expo5.0]

i can vouch that the escape which has ford's new style clear (whatever you want to call it, not fluted) lens doesn't make any better light than my explorer, and thats with the silverstars in it (which were a huge improvement over stock) and hipers in mine.

 

[soupbone]

The CATZ HID Conversion Kits are interesting. They even have a upcomming 9007 application. I dont think the solenoid (hi beam) would be problem. HID bulbs dont have a filament. Porsche HID have similar systems that also auto level the light. Should be as reliable as auto door locks heh. Dont think anybody will be making redesigned headlamp assemblies any time soon for us so it might be your best bet for $630. I must admit the mountaineer or maybe even 01 ranger front end would be trick.


who has the part number for euro EX headlamps??

 

[edlmann]

<edited just because I felt like it>

Originally posted by Texan01
I've been thinking about going to the European housings for the lights, since my housings are getting yellowed and stress checked.

Does anyone have any experience with the Euro lights as compared to the substandard US lights? Howard? Anyone?

Over a year ago, I was trying to get a set of housings bought in Germany and shipped to me. The European spec housings take H-4 bulbs, and are, apparently, made of glass.

I was never able to pin down a source I could deal with directly. Anyone here got a connection with a parts guy in Germany?

 

[Black Magic]

mweiss Here is the pic you tried to post:

 

[mweiss]

This morning, my 3-1/2 year old Motorcraft battery in my Explorer was utterly, totally dead when I went to start it up. It was so dead that the clock had lost it's time settings!

I took the wife's car and went to work and on the way home bought the biggest battery for SUV's that Sears sells --875 cold cranking amps, brought it home and installed it. Took the wife out for dinner this afternoon about 3:30 and on the way home at dusk, used the headlights. They were just a bit brighter and whiter than they have been in weeks prior. The whole electrical system seems a bit more energetic than before. It's still not good enough lighting, but an incremental improvement that I noticed.

On Wednesday night, I had the serpentine belt replaced, as it was fairly cracked in a lot of places. Altogether, the electrical system in my Explorer should be running up to factory spec.

Now it's time to order that harness and bulb set...

 

[Matte]

Hi, maybe I can help you if you are interested of the
euro spec hedlights. I can check prices and partnumbers
and post it here tomorrow. The headlights we use over
here has a asymetric lowbeam, lighting up the right side
more than the left.

 

[Matte]

I have some information for you guys. I called my local
Ford dealer today and asked for prices an partnumbers
for the headlights. we are talkin about 280$ each side.
The partnumbers are Right: F57D13005AJ
Left:F57D13006AJ. The guy thoght that the socket that
hold the H4 bulbs are included and some assembly
details. The headlamps have plastic lenses here in
europe also.
Maybe the prices are lower in Germany, but I´m not
sure about that.

 

[DocVijay]

Are the lenses clear or the same frosted plastic we have in the US?

 

[mweiss]

I think it might be very helpful if you could take a photo of the beam pattern on the road, as seen from the driver's seat, with those euro-style headlamp units. That after all, is the result we are looking at, not so much the lamps themselves. Maybe if I post a photo of the horrible Ford US beam pattern, we can compare and see whether it's worth the expense of conversion.

 

[Heath]

I'd actually like to see a pic of the lamps if at all possible...

 

[magnetic1]

Sending this one back up.. I talked to a Corvette owner w/ H4 Dual Beam CATZ

THe solenoid is pretty loud, but having both high and low beams is definitely a plus.