Yep.

Unfortunately, he stole that from me! And NO credit given

 

Hi folks, I'm new around here, but with over 20 years of automotive lighting experience (and having worked closely with Daniel Stern on several projects), I might have a few things worthy of hearing about.

Regarding HID "conversions", the post by BlueSteel is a glaring (pun intended:-) example as to just why every country on planet earth outlaws converting halogen housings to use HID capsules.

In the US-of-A, making such a conversion is in violation of at least 2 federal laws (remember, federal always trumps state/local laws):

1- FMVSS - 49CFR571.108 -
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_20...cfr571.108.htm

2- NHTSA - 49CFR564 -
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_20...49cfr564.5.htm

I'm not posting this to be a smarta$$, just hoping someone doesn't get nabbed unsuspectingly

The factory HIDs rock, however. I swapped a pair out on my '10 Taurus. What a difference!

Best

 

Good info here!

 

I need to replace my bulbs (my high beams are out) and want to go with ones that are called "Hyperwhites" or something along those lines. Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks in advance...

 

I'd only suggest Sylvania Silverstar Ultras or Philips XtremePowers

 

wow, thanks Raptor, it sure must be neat knowing what you know. I'm 56, and just wish I had a good trade these days. I live in southern Oregon and it's all hwy miles for me. I live in the upper rogue area and we don't have much fog. it snows when it's cold enough. I had HID's that were already hooked up on an older f150 but I no longer have it. those HID's had an xtra power battery and those lights were so sweet, I hated to get home and turn the truck off. Wow were they nice. A young kid had a great job and had them installed.

I want to buy HIDs for my '96 F150. the plastic lense covers I have on the truck now are of course probably the same stock covers. they do really need to be changed. So, if I decide to get a set of HID's do I need to also purchase special lense covers that can take the heat? I'm sorry if I didn't read all the way through.

I read much of what Raptor said, but Can I get a decent HID system for under 200.00? If so please recommend which brand and or extra parts (if any) should I get. Do HID's come with new lense covers? sorry for being lame and not reading all the way through.

A lot of deer here and I really enjoy driving at night with these things. gotta get me some.

 

Grizz, I replied in your other thread.

 

Bump. I've added some real FAQs (hence the name of the thread) in the OP. I will be fixing image links when I get home. If anyone has any other additions you think will help, please PM me.

 

heres my question... without going FULL HID (Cant afford, and dont wanna cut up my headlights) would a projector housing with matching bulb be the best route for the absolute brightest light i can possibly get without going HID...? and the way i understand it, Xenon's ARE HID's..? how does that work as a direct replacement like the Xenon zXe's that i see at advanced... or is that just marketing and those zXe's are better on the shelf than in my Heads/Fogs because i was seriously thinking about getting the zXe H13's for the dual beam heads and the 9012 zXe's for the factory fog housings... Any insight would be GREAT before i go shelling out all these frogskins when there is a better, BRIGHTER option.... Great write up BTW... Love this site and extremely glad i joined up... Gunna be a contributor in the next month or so... thanks again fellas.. and please anyone let me know as soon as youre able... up for inspection next week... Thanks again... Sorry if i missed something that answered this, but im always very short on time when it comes to visiting and i come here for all youre wonderfulo expertise in every area i have found and in desperate need of answers... budget for the brightest possible lights i can put in my 2001 Screw is gunna be around 250.00 max and thats for all the lights, Heads and fogs. Would love to go HID but like I said, cant afford the full HID conversion, unless someone knows of a direct replacement HID setup... or is that what the whole DDM HID "Demotivator" is for, because honestly as long as I can see in these back country roads, that glare for someone else isnt my problem, they do it to the wife in her 01 taurus all the time.. PAYBACK...! just kidding but someone PLEASE HELP...!!! sorry... and thanks yet again...

 

^^^ No. They will still be utter crap.

Get Lightning / clear lens housings and run Philips xtreme power halogens until you fill up the piggy bank fer a proper retrofit.

BTW - You can get a full retrofit kit from TRS ( value systems - call and ask them ) for less that those housings you are talking aboot above. So yes, you can afford it.

You will need clear lens housings anyway - HID's do not work properly in fluted lens housings.

Opening housings is cake unless you have 2 left hands.

Do it right, or don't do it at all - PnP is crap.

 

The zXes are just normal halogen bulbs with blue tint. a Xenon filled bulb WILL NOT have a filament inside it. A Xenon bulb is filled with gas, a capsule, that is ignited by an electrical charge that will burn until the charge is stopped.

 

To clarify:

Xenon gas is just another member of the Halogen/ Noble Gas groups on the Periodic table. As such, you can certainly find incandescent bulbs using Xenon as the gas ( or Krypton, or Argon ...) - commonly, in point of fact. Halogen cycle, anyone?

And - it is the vaporized metal halide salts in the HID capsule that produces and sustains the plasma arc, under the application of voltage, not the Xenon gas. The gas is used to produce the initial 'strike' to ionize ( creates a current path between electrodes ) which allows the overdriven capsule to vaporize the salts.



MGD