HID Conversion on a 98-02 Camaro
HID Conversion on a 98-02 Camaro Did a search and I see the kits from xentec and DDM tuning but there were a few small things that I still didnt quite understand. Everyone states its plug and play but I am confused as to what the Ballast itself plugs into. Does it plug directly into our stock 9006 sockets? does it require an adapter of some sort? or does new wiring have to be run? Also what about that black wire coming out the ballast, I'm assuming that is the ground wire?
The bulb size, I actually didnt know that HID's could come in the stock 9006 bulbs, but my car came with aftermarket headlights with halo's in them using H1 Bulbs so Im guessing I would need to order the H1 kit correct?
thanks.
The bulb size, I actually didnt know that HID's could come in the stock 9006 bulbs, but my car came with aftermarket headlights with halo's in them using H1 Bulbs so Im guessing I would need to order the H1 kit correct?
thanks.
Last edited by Need4Camaro; Feb 9, 2015 at 10:01 AM.
HID ballast have a plug that accepts a 9006 plug then a wire, which is actually 2 wires, comes out of it and plugs up to the 2 keyed wires coming off the HID bulb themselves and YES you NEED the bulbs that FIT the headlights you have NOW not what came on the car, also don't be alarmed if you end up with extra wiring in the HID kit. It really is quite simple to wire in, for a "drop-in kit" like that depending on how how it is to get the bulbs in shouldn't take more then 30 minutes to hook up, maybe you should check out youtube for some videos showing the process.
HID ballast have a plug that accepts a 9006 plug then a wire, which is actually 2 wires, comes out of it and plugs up to the 2 keyed wires coming off the HID bulb themselves and YES you NEED the bulbs that FIT the headlights you have NOW not what came on the car, also don't be alarmed if you end up with extra wiring in the HID kit. It really is quite simple to wire in, for a "drop-in kit" like that depending on how how it is to get the bulbs in shouldn't take more then 30 minutes to hook up, maybe you should check out youtube for some videos showing the process.
Yeah I was concerned about that too but my aftermarket lenses have H1's in them and it appears they already have the projector installed .. I will take a photo and post alittle later.
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Ringoes/Flemington, New Jersey
Those low beams are projectors, so you can put HIDs in there. I'm not sure on the wattage setup, but if you want GOOD HIDs, check out http://www.theretrofitsource.com/ . They have decent setups, and can guide you on what you want and what will fit. Blackbird Lighting Solutions uses them for his kits which are amazing.
Oh and one other thing. I know that HID's aren't recommended for bright lights because the ballast doesn't like frequently being activated and deactivated, however; on the low beams... 98 - 02 Camaros come with automatic lighting meaning the headlights automatically turn on when it gets dark enough... And they are also triggered when sitting under an overpass for a minute or two... How will this effect the life span of these lights?
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As mentioned, you will want to purchase a H1 HID kit so the lamps will work with your housings. Many aftermarket ballasts will plug into a 9005/9006 base connector. I would recommend you pick-up a relay harness with the kit to keep things in good order long term. There are plenty of folks who do not use a relay harness with their kit and have no issues but it's not a major investment to skip it.
Regarding the wattage, 35W is safe option. Going 50 or 55W will add more heat and unless you know the projector can handle this, you might have issues down the road. The extra heat can damage the internal reflective coating of the projector ultimately reducing light output.
If going DDM, get the H1 kit and these should plug into your existing 9006 low beam connectors.
If going Morimoto, I would get the H1 kit and 9006 relay harness.
Regarding the wattage, 35W is safe option. Going 50 or 55W will add more heat and unless you know the projector can handle this, you might have issues down the road. The extra heat can damage the internal reflective coating of the projector ultimately reducing light output.
If going DDM, get the H1 kit and these should plug into your existing 9006 low beam connectors.
If going Morimoto, I would get the H1 kit and 9006 relay harness.
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Verdad Gallardo Thanks that link was most helpful. Turns out they're in my state. I wasn't planning on doing any upgrades in the near future but I'm going to do this my next paycheck.
Oh and one other thing. I know that HID's aren't recommended for bright lights because the ballast doesn't like frequently being activated and deactivated, however; on the low beams... 98 - 02 Camaros come with automatic lighting meaning the headlights automatically turn on when it gets dark enough... And they are also triggered when sitting under an overpass for a minute or two... How will this effect the life span of these lights?
Oh and one other thing. I know that HID's aren't recommended for bright lights because the ballast doesn't like frequently being activated and deactivated, however; on the low beams... 98 - 02 Camaros come with automatic lighting meaning the headlights automatically turn on when it gets dark enough... And they are also triggered when sitting under an overpass for a minute or two... How will this effect the life span of these lights?
If you are looking to order a Morimoto kit, feel free to PM and we can get you setup with exactly what you need.
Frequent on/off of HIDs isn't good for them in general and will reduce the lifespan. No one will be able to give you an accurate answer regarding the impact since it depends on a number of factors. In general, its OK for the lamps to be turned on and then off once they have come up to full brightness. I would recommend you perform the low/high free-mod to allow the lows (HIDs) to remain on when you command high beams.
If you are looking to order a Morimoto kit, feel free to PM and we can get you setup with exactly what you need.
If you are looking to order a Morimoto kit, feel free to PM and we can get you setup with exactly what you need.
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From: Eastern MA
Those sonar projectors are sometimes "OK" with HID, but not great. BLS's setup is much better since they are HID projectors designed for HID bulbs. BLS's setup will give you a brighter and wider beam.
At least those sonar projectors put out some useable light unlike the eagle-eye and other similar brands which have bad beam patterns and are dim overall.
You can try a H1 HID kit in those and if they aren't enough, you can buy the BLS headlights without an HID kit and use the H1 HID Kit you bought. Its a "graduated" approach to spending only what you want/need.
Not all HID kits are made the same. So be aware of really cheap ones. Their output will be lower. Avoid DC ballasts and stick with AC ballasts. The AC/DC refers to the output of the ballast (to the bulb) and not the input (from the car), since the input from the car is always 12-14V DC.
You should see a beam with a bright spot near the top center and gradually decreasing brightness down and to the sides. If you see any dark spots or dark rings or dark streaks or no bright spot then those projectors are faulty or the bulb isn't seated right in the projector.
This also isn't the proper way to do HID, but a "band-aid" that sometimes works sufficiently.
Funny thing about the Morimoto Mini H1 HID Projectors the BLS uses is that although they are designed around H1, they are designed around an H1 HID Kit bulb and not a Halogen H1 bulb. So they are a real aftermarket H1 HID projector. Pretty much every aftermarket headlight housing on ebay that uses a H1 bulb regardless if they come with an HID kit are still using low quality Halogen projectors that don't even output well with a good Halogen bulb and don't get much better with HID (since differing optics needed for HID vs Halogen and they are not well designed for Halogen to start with).
At least those sonar projectors put out some useable light unlike the eagle-eye and other similar brands which have bad beam patterns and are dim overall.
You can try a H1 HID kit in those and if they aren't enough, you can buy the BLS headlights without an HID kit and use the H1 HID Kit you bought. Its a "graduated" approach to spending only what you want/need.
Not all HID kits are made the same. So be aware of really cheap ones. Their output will be lower. Avoid DC ballasts and stick with AC ballasts. The AC/DC refers to the output of the ballast (to the bulb) and not the input (from the car), since the input from the car is always 12-14V DC.
You should see a beam with a bright spot near the top center and gradually decreasing brightness down and to the sides. If you see any dark spots or dark rings or dark streaks or no bright spot then those projectors are faulty or the bulb isn't seated right in the projector.
This also isn't the proper way to do HID, but a "band-aid" that sometimes works sufficiently.
Funny thing about the Morimoto Mini H1 HID Projectors the BLS uses is that although they are designed around H1, they are designed around an H1 HID Kit bulb and not a Halogen H1 bulb. So they are a real aftermarket H1 HID projector. Pretty much every aftermarket headlight housing on ebay that uses a H1 bulb regardless if they come with an HID kit are still using low quality Halogen projectors that don't even output well with a good Halogen bulb and don't get much better with HID (since differing optics needed for HID vs Halogen and they are not well designed for Halogen to start with).
Last edited by VIP1; Feb 10, 2015 at 02:41 PM.
Having had both those Sonars and Morimoto projectors (courtesy of BLS) I can say that yes the Sonars will work decently well with HID. I thought they were better than the stock halogens. It can be a tad tricky getting the HID bulb in there but it is fine.
That said, good projectors from someone like BLS are certainly superior.
That said, good projectors from someone like BLS are certainly superior.
In that case I'll just splurge and do the job right and go with BLS because I like that they have a kit offering everything necessary (plus I like their black housings). I..may have to wait alittle longer before I do it though but I definately want more light output, most cars make my car's light output look like my car is...gasp...16 years old..oh wait it really is...
In that case I'll just splurge and do the job right and go with BLS because I like that they have a kit offering everything necessary (plus I like their black housings). I..may have to wait alittle longer before I do it though but I definately want more light output, most cars make my car's light output look like my car is...gasp...16 years old..oh wait it really is...