Xenon HID upgrade

[mpt]

Nope; just the kit; for the low beams it's all plug and play, no wiring to adapt at all just unplug the bulb, plug the cable into the inverter.

[Alan]

MPT - thanks for this. I have a 2.0 as well so will order exactly the same kit.

[strider]

So I did my install yesterday. I did need to loosen the screws quite a bit to get the bulb to install. Be careful you don't tighten them (the screws) too tight as you'll break the tabs on the bulb. I was a bit concerned about the controller bouncing around in the bumper area so I used some double-sided tape to stick it to the side of the light housing - we'll see if it stays there.

Haven't driven it at night yet but just looking at the pattern on the garage wall it looks the same as the regular bulbs.

Thanks for pioneering this for us mpt!

[dsm363]

Have you found the upgrade worth it? Also, how do you tell if they are approved in your state (or are they never technically allowed if it's done aftermarket)? I tried searching for rules in Texas and found some posts that were a few years old. Thanks to MPT for looking into all of this too.

Also, are the newer LED lights coming out as aftermarket kits? I wonder how they compare to HID blubs in terms of energy use.

[cinergi]

You guys going for the 35w or the 55w kit? I ask because of the differences noted on their site.

[mpt]

I started with 35w kits but they were a bit too 'blue' so when I went to a lower temperature I chose 55W to see how that worked. In short; really well. Still not dazzling anyone on the 'off-road track that I test them on' because I'm pretty sure that the rules do limit power in NJ to 35w for HID solutions. To honest, the difference is 3500 lumens for 35w to about 5000 lumens for 55w which isn't a huge amount. Power wise, the 55w kit has a starting load of 65w (same as factory tungsten bulbs) then drops to 55w, the 35w kits start at around 55w then fall to 35w so there's a power saving to be had.

In the US the rules are set by the department of motor vehicles, in NJ they're fairly lightweight IMO, especially on colour. Whilst I'm no lawyer and you shouldn't trust all you read, I'm sure that the rule of thumb is simple; don't dazzle anyone. I'm confident that I'm covering that with a wide margin with my current installation.

I am interested in the idea of lifting the beam a little; I do think it seems to aim low hitting the ground only a few car lengths ahead so I might give that a go some time soon. Need to balance the lift with the glare... really need to have someone drive towards me to see how it look compared to another reference vehicle.

More digging through the DMV archives...

[strider]

I went with 35W at 4500k. See how it looks on my way home on Monday evening.

[Alan]

Thanks for the advice on this. I went for 55W at 4500K. Guess which photo is the before and which is the after!

[dsm363]

Thanks for the advice on this. I went for 55W at 4500K. Guess which photo is the before and which is the after!
]

Wow! Are the stock headlights really that weak? Guess I may do this upgrade too at some point but still waiting for delivery.

[mpt]

Thanks for the advice on this. I went for 55W at 4500K. Guess which photo is the before and which is the after!

wow, I'd forgotten... one has the road ahead, the other, you're driving in outer space! Superb.