HID upgrade, took 5 minutes....

[unity]

Hello all.

So, as mentioned in another thread, I and another had picked up those $88 HID kits off of eBay. The shipping was like $38. Either way, total = $88 which I can afford to throw away.

Well the seller has good feedback for a reason. I put this in my halogen housings. 6000k color temp/9005 base. Very easy to hook up and setup.

Problems: The o-ring used is rather large, so I took the o-ring off the Sylvanias I had in and put it on the HID base. The color temp is bluer than I wanted. If I ever get a set again I will go for the 4300k. I wanted a little blue and while there is not much I think the 4300 will look best. I am not looking for the "pimp my ride" look, I wanted something that looked OEM.

Visibility is INSANE. My housings are rather new but the stock 9005s suck, even the Silver Stars I put in. Now its like I have REAL headlights.

I am very happy, and if they go to crap so be it. I will still be hunting for original HID setup though.

 

[BAD97LSC]

how about some pics????

 

[unity]

Damn, I knew someone would ask! I will take some Sunday night. Since the swap is so easy I will even put a halogen back in on one side for comparison.

 

[Stevie g]

i second on pics, my low beams are so bad i can't tell a difference between on and off at night

 

[unity]

I hear ya. And like I said, mine are relatively new and I still hated them. Even when they WERE new they were not that great.

But FYI, if your housing are old and yellow with burned out reflectors, these will not help much if at all.

 

[Moes8]

i second the 4300k is best for oem look. some manufacturers of cheaper hids dont sell 4300,so go with there 5000k,they are very very close

 

[Markviiiedrea]

do you have halogen housings or 96 LSC houseings?

 

[Moes8]

if you are looking for even more light with HIDs,search ebay for "50w" (watt) hid kits,
normal kits are 35watts

 

[mafioso]

I would not suggest a 55W from Ebay.

I can go in this rant all day long and even throw some equations for you as to Ebay HID's suck.


Unity what kind of retro fit harness did you install? from ballast to stock harness and repeated to both sides?

 

[Moes8]

not saying they are the best, but i have a cheapo set from ebay for over 2 years now.basic 9005 kit and it the best
$100 i spent on this car yet.

got a 50w set for wifes car ,and wow,even better light,when my 35w goes i will get 50w

the whole set is cheaper than one single bulb for factory.

 

[unity]

I would not suggest a 55W from Ebay.

I can go in this rant all day long and even throw some equations for you as to Ebay HID's suck.


Unity what kind of retro fit harness did you install? from ballast to stock harness and repeated to both sides?

I did not "install" a retrofit harness. All one does is plug in the low beam plug into the ballast and the HID lamp into the ballast. I could take the kit out just as fast.

 

[Stevie g]

pics?

 

[hellvez]

I just installed a $69 6000k 9005 hid kit I got locally and gave the headlights a quick polish with toothpaste and it's works great, driving home tonight I did not have to turn on the highbeams like I used to.

anybody with a gen 1 should pick up a set just to try them out. it made me like my car again

I would post what brand the kit was but there was no company name on the box I will post some pics later.

 

[mafioso]

I did not "install" a retrofit harness. All one does is plug in the low beam plug into the ballast and the HID lamp into the ballast. I could take the kit out just as fast.

These are the ones I fear and tell all of my customers never to buy.
Our headlight circuits cannot take the current of haveing a ballast pluged directly into them. The harness mehod is better, you draw the main power from the battery and not the headlamp circuit. Sure they take an extra 10 minutes to install but to me 10 mins isnt worth having my car toast to the ground,

 

[unity]

These are the ones I fear and tell all of my customers never to buy.
Our headlight circuits cannot take the current of haveing a ballast pluged directly into them. The harness mehod is better, you draw the main power from the battery and not the headlamp circuit. Sure they take an extra 10 minutes to install but to me 10 mins isnt worth having my car toast to the ground,

Some info to backup would be nice. First I heard of a HID kit in a Mark "toasting it to the ground".

The stock halogens will draw more amps, well about 1 more, than HID post-ignition all the time. The only concern is startup at about 15 amps (though I have not tested this kit specifically) for ignition, but that goes down within seconds. The voltage being supplied is what the alt can put out, no more.

Keep in mind the 96 Marks were designed to have HIDs on the LSC. As far as I know there is no different part number for the headlight switch. Is there? If not then its designed to handle the initial ignition amp draw.

 

[Russo]

how is the glare? HID bulbs + halogen housings usually produce some very annoying glare.

 

[unity]

Well if I would bloody remember my camera, I would have pics by now! grrrrr..

I dont notice any glare and have not bee flashed by oncoming traffic.

 

[mafioso]

Hid are glare monsters if the housing are not re-aimed, for the unfocused light.

an 18 awg wire is not able to carry a 20Amp current even for a few seconds, you are damaging the wires. The kits I carry use 15 Amps to start, but I wont do an install directly to the headlamp harness. If you like I can snap some pics for you.

The way the harness works it, you have one cable for ground, one cable for the positive. which goto a relay, then a socket that allows the plug in for the stock headlamp which is a "signal" wire telling the relay to close the circuit and fire the igniters and start the ballasts. One my Harnesses I feature 3x20 amp fuses. one for the positive coming from the battery and the other 2 fuses goto each ballast/igniter assembly.

If you have any questions feel free to gimme a call. Im bored and and dont mind having someone to talk to while Im in the hospital.

Lou 214-215-9604

BTW Im running 55Watt 9005 with a machined cut off so I dont blind on coming traffic, and oh my these are bright.

 

[unity]

I know the relays can help halogens A LOT.

I also noticed with a Mark that manually turning on the lights gives more output. However, with the HIDs there is no change in brightness when switching between automatic and manual control. I am sure the ballast is acting like a typical buck booster.

I see where you are coming from now and I had planned on doing a relay anyway - pre HID. So I am sure I will get one, but the 15 or so AMP draw is only for a few seconds, not enough time for the wires to heat up really. And like I mentioned before, the 96 was designed to have HID as an option.

I would really be interested if someone, like Max, had some info on how the base and LSC were wired - same or not. Also the switch, same part number? I shall have to look. I will also have to make a relay setup.

 

[Stevie g]

lets see a pic lol

 

[unity]

Then come take some. I own a business and have been EXTREMELY busy, taking pics of HIDs that everyone has seen is NOT a priority of mine.

 

[stuntin_LS]

since he's slow heres my ebay HID kit... cept mine ran me 150 dollas they run at 35w and are 8000k, love em!

 

[hellvez]

here is a quick pic to show the color of 6000k

 

[Stevie g]

Then come take some. I own a business and have been EXTREMELY busy, taking pics of HIDs that everyone has seen is NOT a priority of mine.

Sorry i just thought u said earlier in the thread u were going to take some. must be a soso business that you run if you don't stick to your word lol i know its an internet forum i'm just busting your balls

hellvez is that your mark?

 

[mmtphoto]

Unity, you say that if you turn on lights (halogen) manually rather than with autolights, they are brighter? I just did the driving lights behind the grill, but that's interesting? Why is that? Is it a significant difference?