Help with HID Decission!

[whitemike]

Still, chinese shit CAN last if you take care of it and install it correctly. Make sure you install the ballasts in as safe a place as possible.

For example, don't install them in an area where water can collect on them. The China made ballasts usually have openings on them where water can enter and ruin them. Install them UPSIDE DOWN so that if this does happen, water won't just sit on the plugs until it has an entry point. Also, I'd install the ballasts where some moving air can touch them, HEAT is another element that causes failure. The last thing, which is something you can't do much about, is VIBRATION.

Or, just drop some $$ on good ones. We all know Supra owners are cheap bastards though.

-Mike

 

[shaeff]

So ive read through this thread, and i don't really understand whats going on except screw the chinese crap and retrofit your own hids. Whatever.

My question is, you are all talking about housings for HIDs and whatnot. Are these good housings?
http://www.suprasport.com/Hella-H4_p_36.html
How can you tell good quality housings from crappy ones?
Also, are there any threads on retrofitting hid's from another car?

If you're retrofitting a proper projector setup, buy cheap ebay housings with clear lenses so the light pattern isn't distorted. If you insist on putting the PnP HID's into H4 housings, (I strongly advise against it) then get the Hella E codes that Poodles linked to, and from that vendor too- they're great.

I recommend getting them from here: http://www.rallylights.com/

The E-codes are the ones you want http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=354

Couldn't agree more!

My Headlights barely light up anything.........

Rewire your headlights. You will be blown away when you're done. Even more so if you put in some e-codes w/ decent bulbs: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html

Doesn't HAVE to be phillips as there are a few good OEM ones out there. But overall the chinese kits suck. The bulbs are rebased so you can't just buy an HID bulb. The controller for the high/low is shit. The ballasts are garbage.

Again, I can't agree any more! I had one of those kits on my Pickup (H4 housings like the Supra)- lasted maybe a year, properly wired, and I even added wire sheath to protect everything, as well as dielectric grease! I blew numerous ballasts, and three bulbs. Then I gave up.

I retrofitted FX35 BIxenons in my M3, and am beyond pleased with the light consistency and output. It's fantastic, and probably the best true HID conversion for an H4 housing while still retaining high beams.

i am getting a slight vibe that you are strongly againt chinese shit...

For good reason. It's crap.

 

[Poodles]

Still, chinese shit CAN last if you take care of it and install it correctly. Make sure you install the ballasts in as safe a place as possible.

For example, don't install them in an area where water can collect on them. The China made ballasts usually have openings on them where water can enter and ruin them. Install them UPSIDE DOWN so that if this does happen, water won't just sit on the plugs until it has an entry point. Also, I'd install the ballasts where some moving air can touch them, HEAT is another element that causes failure. The last thing, which is something you can't do much about, is VIBRATION.

Or, just drop some $$ on good ones. We all know Supra owners are cheap bastards though.

-Mike

Nope. Compared to the longevity of OEM parts it's completely absurd. I daily drive my car and they're just not up to it. The OEM bulbs outlast normal halogens, I had one that lasted only months...

 

[supraman72]

Still, chinese shit CAN last if you take care of it and install it correctly. Make sure you install the ballasts in as safe a place as possible.

For example, don't install them in an area where water can collect on them. The China made ballasts usually have openings on them where water can enter and ruin them. Install them UPSIDE DOWN so that if this does happen, water won't just sit on the plugs until it has an entry point. Also, I'd install the ballasts where some moving air can touch them, HEAT is another element that causes failure. The last thing, which is something you can't do much about, is VIBRATION.

Or, just drop some $$ on good ones. We all know Supra owners are cheap bastards though.

-Mike

would you suggest taking the ballasts covers off and applying some good silicone to make a water proof seal to keep water out? seems to me like a good idea. that and finding a way to keep it vibration free. how do the oem cars mount theirs???

 

[supraman72]

And also for those who have mounted hid kits in their mkiii's how did they do their mounting setups for the ballests and all? Pics would be nice if possible. Ill be mounting a set in this weekend

 

[Poodles]

Has nothing to do with them getting water in them (though they like to rust, namely the cheap ass screws they use), it's the components blowing because they're shit quality.

 

[shaeff]

LOL, just listen to Poodles. For a community that considers many of themselves to be cheapskates (I respectfully remove myself from that position)- you sure are willing to waste money. For double the price (if that) you can gather the parts for an OEM retro, and have way more than twice the reliability, output, cutoff, and it'll look great while performing for years to come.

OEM quality FTW. I'm telling you all, I've had both, and I wouldn't even sell the leftovers from my old kit. They're laying in a parts box. I refuse to sell that stuff because it's absolute crap. Not to mention that I've got more output and uniform spread from some good Osram bulbs and a rewire following Daniel Stern's suggestions.

Raise your hands- how many of you want HID's for the look? :nono:

 

[supraman72]

ok then where do you suggest i look for a set of oem ballasts and lights? do people on other foums sell them you think?

 

[Poodles]

There are a set of shields that will allow a normal HID bulb to be used in an H4 housing, but you get low beam ONLY.

There are other options out there for lighting as well

 

[supraman72]

i know that these are as cheap as it gets but how is the light dispersing and cut off with these.... or do they even work?

 

[supraman72]

i know that these are as cheap as it gets but how is the light dispersing and cut off with these.... or do they even work?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...0ffd50e1e&rvr_id=&ua=WVI8&itemid=280440271093

here is the link

 

[Poodles]

Those are terrible, they're fakes.

 

[Woody1989]

At the bottom of the page I link below is what I think is the real deal HID projector retrofit for the MKIII Supra. 7"x6" rectangular Bi-Xenon.

The only problem is they are about $1000.00 a pair.

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/rectangle.html

Why don't you be the first here to buy a set and post pictures of the results?

Best,


Brad

 

[supraman72]

At the bottom of the page I link below is what I think is the real deal HID projector retrofit for the MKIII Supra. 7"x6" rectangular Bi-Xenon.

The only problem is they are about $1000.00 a pair.

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/rectangle.html

Why don't you be the first here to buy a set and post pictures of the results?

Best,


Brad

Ha Ha HAHA yeah they would nice to show off but considering my car was as much as 2pairs of those housings ill have to consider a less quality set up :icon_surp

 

[TurboStreetCar]

Terrible pic but you get the idea:

I used the ones with the shields and moving bulbs to switch beams.

Keep in mind I don't have anything against chinese made stuff (hell, a LOT of stuff is made there) it's just these low quality kits that are everywhere.

What setup is that? E-codes with shielded HID bulbs?

If its HID what brand?

How is the light output while driving? I would rewire my headlights but if im going to go threw the trouble im going to do it right once with a good upgrade of bulb and housings.

 

[Poodles]

Hella E-code with the bixenon H$'s that move the bulb back and forth with a shield.

They rocked until a bulb burned out, the controller went dead, and then the ballasts died.

I'm working on something far better...

 

[TurboStreetCar]

Ahh I see, so that was a pic with the junk. When you use the shielded bulbs, do they blind people bad still?

 

[Poodles]

Nope, the scattering with the E-codes and HID's was less than a normal DOT halogen lense. Now if you put those HID's in a DOT housing they'd be terrible.

 

[TurboStreetCar]

Well i guess ill be getting some e-codes and an HID kit. Anywhere known safe to buy a ballast/bulb kit from?

Did you use the H4 bulb that has the big shield that comes up on one side and goes over the top of the bulb? Or did the shield on your bulbs just cover the one side?

EDIT: Not going with e-codes, did some serious research and im going with projectors. Ill make a bracket to fit them int othe stock pop up and then make a lexan cover.

Going with the FX-R projectors from www.theretrofitsource.com. The projectors can be found here, serious cutoff lines, should work nicely.

Ill figure out a ballast and bulb when the time comes. On HIDplanet.com theres a guy who put those projectors on a corolla and the output is incredible.

 

[shaeff]

ok then where do you suggest i look for a set of oem ballasts and lights? do people on other foums sell them you think?

Read over this thread. I've said FX35 numerous times. Ebay, theretrofitsource.com, hidplanet.com are places you should be looking.

i know that these are as cheap as it gets but how is the light dispersing and cut off with these.... or do they even work?

With e-codes the cutoff isn't terrible but as IJ. stated earlier, if you adjust the low beam properly, the high beam is damn near useless, and vice versa.

At the bottom of the page I link below is what I think is the real deal HID projector retrofit for the MKIII Supra. 7"x6" rectangular Bi-Xenon.

The only problem is they are about $1000.00 a pair.

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/rectangle.html

Why don't you be the first here to buy a set and post pictures of the results?

Best,
Brad

Screw that. Do your own retrofit like I've been saying since page one of this thread.

Nope, the scattering with the E-codes and HID's was less than a normal DOT halogen lense. Now if you put those HID's in a DOT housing they'd be terrible.

Truth, but the way the beam reacts to the halogen housing is sub par. (low beam useless when highs adjusted properly, vice versa)

Well i guess ill be getting some e-codes and an HID kit. Anywhere known safe to buy a ballast/bulb kit from?

Did you use the H4 bulb that has the big shield that comes up on one side and goes over the top of the bulb? Or did the shield on your bulbs just cover the one side?

EDIT: Not going with e-codes, did some serious research and im going with projectors. Ill make a bracket to fit them int othe stock pop up and then make a lexan cover.

Going with the FX-R projectors from www.theretrofitsource.com. The projectors can be found here, serious cutoff lines, should work nicely.

Ill figure out a ballast and bulb when the time comes. On HIDplanet.com theres a guy who put those projectors on a corolla and the output is incredible.

Good choice. You'll be blown away with the FX's. They're fantastic, and plenty small enough to retrofit into the H4 housing. They're the best bixenon option for these cars.