HID's... bad to flash? melts fogs?
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,762
Likes: 206
From: Eastern MA
Originally Posted by Numba20
im very happy to say mine cam out really nice, i used a hole saw and a dremel, so it wasnt that bad.
Originally Posted by Numba20
only thing that bugs me now, is the shop only had one H4701 (bright housing) so i got it, but had to purchase 2 more H4703's (dims) (i had one H4703 with a metal back on the car i could use) so now i have one dim housing in the brights spot. and the other is right. but you can see a difference in them. i didnt even notice it until the silicone was dry and everything was hooked up. seeing as the only difference is the texture of the glass face, i didnt figure it would change that much.
Unless you played with the depth of the bulb in the hole you cut (and got it perfectly entered), the focal point will most-likely be wrong. The arc chamber of the HID bulb will be too far forward compared to the placement of the filament of the original Halogen bulb. I know this from experience of dealing with trying to fit a H7 bulb in those H4703 housings.
Originally Posted by Numba20
but yeah, ive checked on the LMC trucks housings. good advice btw. but for the $$$ i wanted to see how the stock housings do. plus if i decide to go with them, id be switching to the stock bulb style so its plug and play, so i would be forking out $60 more for new bulbs. but i will just kind of play it by ear. thank you for your help.
Last edited by VIP1; Nov 28, 2011 at 10:26 AM.
well i got a **** took on me today. and to say the least... im pissed. the Xentec slim ballasts are crap. i had 6 running, and the first day driving, one went out on me. 2 hours max of operation time. although it was pouring *** rain. ive contacted the seller about it, and well see what they say. and on top of that, i checked my fog housings. THEY WERE ALREADY MELTED ON THE BACK!!!! and the 880 bulbs were melted in. i used a dremel and got them out and managed to salvage the housings. ive got some 4500k halogen bulbs in it now. will not be running HIDs in the fogs, mainly bc i dont want to have to worry with them. ive ordered some 8500k halogens, wont be nearly as bright, but fogs are more for looks purposes anyway. got my switchback turns installed. and used one of the ballasts i had running the fogs to put on the bulb that the one ballast blew. if i can i may end up returning all xentec HIDs and buying ddm tuning's kits. going with 8500k next time. 10000k is too much.
Can you post beam pattern pics? Aim car at wall at 10ft and 25ft and take pictures with lows and again with highs.
You bought the ones that have a bulb that is technically removable right? (after you cut off the large white silicone cap there is a screw) If so, then the bulb is also mounted differently between the high and low beam housings. The filament is horizontal on one and vertical in the other.
Unless you played with the depth of the bulb in the hole you cut (and got it perfectly entered), the focal point will most-likely be wrong. The arc chamber of the HID bulb will be too far forward compared to the placement of the filament of the original Halogen bulb. I know this from experience of dealing with trying to fit a H7 bulb in those H4703 housings.
You can get replacement HID bulbs for $15 from DDM Tuning.
You bought the ones that have a bulb that is technically removable right? (after you cut off the large white silicone cap there is a screw) If so, then the bulb is also mounted differently between the high and low beam housings. The filament is horizontal on one and vertical in the other.
Unless you played with the depth of the bulb in the hole you cut (and got it perfectly entered), the focal point will most-likely be wrong. The arc chamber of the HID bulb will be too far forward compared to the placement of the filament of the original Halogen bulb. I know this from experience of dealing with trying to fit a H7 bulb in those H4703 housings.
You can get replacement HID bulbs for $15 from DDM Tuning.
yep those are the housings i used. and im not sure about depth. but i do know they are all centered.
well i got a **** took on me today. and to say the least... im pissed. the Xentec slim ballasts are crap. i had 6 running, and the first day driving, one went out on me. 2 hours max of operation time. although it was pouring *** rain. ive contacted the seller about it, and well see what they say. and on top of that, i checked my fog housings. THEY WERE ALREADY MELTED ON THE BACK!!!! and the 880 bulbs were melted in. i used a dremel and got them out and managed to salvage the housings. ive got some 4500k halogen bulbs in it now. will not be running HIDs in the fogs, mainly bc i dont want to have to worry with them. ive ordered some 8500k halogens, wont be nearly as bright, but fogs are more for looks purposes anyway. got my switchback turns installed. and used one of the ballasts i had running the fogs to put on the bulb that the one ballast blew. if i can i may end up returning all xentec HIDs and buying ddm tuning's kits. going with 8500k next time. 10000k is too much.
So I would be very careful about buying those eBay ballasts and maybe buy something from one of the vendors here.
Not only are those ballasts crap, they really do a number on your electrical system. I decided to ditch my HID lights and fog lights because I didn't like the look, there's something about the look of the stock lighting that is nostalgic to me. Anyways, while stripping the wiring to the fog lights for an unrelated project, I realized that the wiring had melted in several places which had to be from the time I had those HIDs installed.
So I would be very careful about buying those eBay ballasts and maybe buy something from one of the vendors here.
So I would be very careful about buying those eBay ballasts and maybe buy something from one of the vendors here.
Also, i will be losing the ebay stuff and getting LMCtruck housings with DDM HID kits. So advice was taken b4 it was given. Haha
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,762
Likes: 206
From: Eastern MA
Originally Posted by Numba20
Also, i will be losing the ebay stuff and getting LMCtruck housings with DDM HID kits. So advice was taken b4 it was given. Haha
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Verdad Gallardo I just contacted the seller and he is sending me a free ballast, no sending the faulty one back, no questions asked. That made me feel a bit better... But still 2 hours and it quits? Grrrr.... Lol
Well i dont want to do projectors.... Id buy some, if any1 made them that would closely resemble the ones TRAM made. But dont feel like fabbing up my own. And i want HID's... So i Dont see much if any other choice to make.
i am very stubborn. Lol but learning the hard way. You all were right! Im just waiting on the bulb to get hot enough to cause the silicone i sealed it with to catch on fire... Even though its a good inch away. Lol
i am very stubborn. Lol but learning the hard way. You all were right! Im just waiting on the bulb to get hot enough to cause the silicone i sealed it with to catch on fire... Even though its a good inch away. Lol
well i took some pics of the headlights tonight. first NIGHT ive actually ran them, no melting! 
yay! lol no flickering. and their a little brighter than my stock lights were, but need adjusted very badly. my brights were facing straight up almost it seemed like. when i would switch them on it wouldnt get any brighter.... then, i got on a back road on the way home, and switched them on, and it lit the tree tops. lol dims were facing the ground in front of the car, evened them out a little in my garage wall.... (there are NO flat places here in Kingston TN) lol so this is what i got for now. beams arent super concentrated... but they wont be with the housings their in.
in the pics, the lights dont seem near as bright as they are to the eye. they lit up the road and trees probably twice as much as what the pics convey.
some thing i thought was cool, and road sign with the reflector material on it (especially white, would glow like white material when a black light hits it.
)
you can see the brights on the trees here
DIMS
BRIGHTS
yay! lol no flickering. and their a little brighter than my stock lights were, but need adjusted very badly. my brights were facing straight up almost it seemed like. when i would switch them on it wouldnt get any brighter.... then, i got on a back road on the way home, and switched them on, and it lit the tree tops. lol dims were facing the ground in front of the car, evened them out a little in my garage wall.... (there are NO flat places here in Kingston TN) lol so this is what i got for now. beams arent super concentrated... but they wont be with the housings their in. in the pics, the lights dont seem near as bright as they are to the eye. they lit up the road and trees probably twice as much as what the pics convey.
some thing i thought was cool, and road sign with the reflector material on it (especially white, would glow like white material when a black light hits it.
)you can see the brights on the trees here
DIMS
BRIGHTS
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,321
Likes: 341
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
And you don't call that excessive glare for other drivers? Those are dangerous!
As VIP1 has been saying, there is no way to eliminate glare caused by using HID capsules in a halogen reflector - especially a homemade setup. It's a matter of physics. The HID capsule positions the light source differently than a halogen bulb so the reflector doesn't produce a properly controlled beam pattern. Adjusting the angle of the housings can't eliminate that.
Here is a photo of a proper HID beam pattern:
And here is an example of the beam pattern with HID capsules in a halogen reflector:
Notice the bright spots and diffused light above the horizontal cutoff as well as the upward flare at both sides. And these are with "precision machined" aftermarket housing - not cut and glue homemade ones.
Perhaps you should reconsider your installation plans.
As VIP1 has been saying, there is no way to eliminate glare caused by using HID capsules in a halogen reflector - especially a homemade setup. It's a matter of physics. The HID capsule positions the light source differently than a halogen bulb so the reflector doesn't produce a properly controlled beam pattern. Adjusting the angle of the housings can't eliminate that.
Here is a photo of a proper HID beam pattern:
And here is an example of the beam pattern with HID capsules in a halogen reflector:
Notice the bright spots and diffused light above the horizontal cutoff as well as the upward flare at both sides. And these are with "precision machined" aftermarket housing - not cut and glue homemade ones.
Perhaps you should reconsider your installation plans.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,762
Likes: 206
From: Eastern MA
Numba20, sorry, but that is a horrible beam pattern. The light is too concentrated in the center and there is an almost circular light (glare) pattern around it.
Also, hopefully those pics represent a car parked angled upwards.... otherwise, those lights are aimed way to high. They should be about 25" off the ground, not 3ft.
Also, hopefully those pics represent a car parked angled upwards.... otherwise, those lights are aimed way to high. They should be about 25" off the ground, not 3ft.
And you don't call that excessive glare for other drivers? Those are dangerous!
As VIP1 has been saying, there is no way to eliminate glare caused by using HID capsules in a halogen reflector - especially a homemade setup. It's a matter of physics. The HID capsule positions the light source differently than a halogen bulb so the reflector doesn't produce a properly controlled beam pattern. Adjusting the angle of the housings can't eliminate that.
Here is a photo of a proper HID beam pattern:
And here is an example of the beam pattern with HID capsules in a halogen reflector:
Notice the bright spots and diffused light above the horizontal cutoff as well as the upward flare at both sides. And these are with "precision machined" aftermarket housing - not cut and glue homemade ones.
Perhaps you should reconsider your installation plans.
As VIP1 has been saying, there is no way to eliminate glare caused by using HID capsules in a halogen reflector - especially a homemade setup. It's a matter of physics. The HID capsule positions the light source differently than a halogen bulb so the reflector doesn't produce a properly controlled beam pattern. Adjusting the angle of the housings can't eliminate that.
Here is a photo of a proper HID beam pattern:
And here is an example of the beam pattern with HID capsules in a halogen reflector:
Notice the bright spots and diffused light above the horizontal cutoff as well as the upward flare at both sides. And these are with "precision machined" aftermarket housing - not cut and glue homemade ones.
Perhaps you should reconsider your installation plans.
Numba20, sorry, but that is a horrible beam pattern. The light is too concentrated in the center and there is an almost circular light (glare) pattern around it.
Also, hopefully those pics represent a car parked angled upwards.... otherwise, those lights are aimed way to high. They should be about 25" off the ground, not 3ft.
Also, hopefully those pics represent a car parked angled upwards.... otherwise, those lights are aimed way to high. They should be about 25" off the ground, not 3ft.
i think i can almost get here with a fade instead of an exact cut off.
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Not only are those ballasts crap, they really do a number on your electrical system. I decided to ditch my HID lights and fog lights because I didn't like the look, there's something about the look of the stock lighting that is nostalgic to me. Anyways, while stripping the wiring to the fog lights for an unrelated project, I realized that the wiring had melted in several places which had to be from the time I had those HIDs installed.
So I would be very careful about buying those eBay ballasts and maybe buy something from one of the vendors here.
So I would be very careful about buying those eBay ballasts and maybe buy something from one of the vendors here.
Copy & Paste Moderator
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 9,762
Likes: 206
From: Eastern MA
Originally Posted by Numba20
i think i can almost get here with a fade instead of an exact cut off.
Also, that "fade" you mention is glare. There is no definition to the beam in your pics. Its just a bright blob with a haze around it.
