At first I was going to wait and do a projector retro fit, but after seeing how good of a beam pattern the TC's reflector puts out, I am just going to go ahead and do a 9006 retro fit.

It's a straight forward install, but I want to see if anybody else made an attempt and what appearance the headlights have.

Haven't decided if I should go with the 5300k kit or the 6000k kit.

 

I did with mine. I did the 800k this is what it looks like.

 

I ordered my 6000K kit last week.. it;ll be here this week. I'll do the install and post pics asap.

 

boxilla has them

 

Where did u order it from,

 

I was told by my dealer that HID Kits were goinging to be no more pretty soon. Sounds funny, but to be safe, where could I get a good quality set?

 

www.inifinitemotorsport.com

 

are you guys installing the whole hid kid including the ballasts........or is this just the bulbs???

 

ballasts. HIDs can't take the current from OEM headlights..

i'm planning on taking my friends 4300k OEM from his '02 TL, which are 9006, when he gets his 6000k philips ultinons.

 

I got the ballast and bulbs (complete kit) from seller supervtec on eBay for $290. It's a 6000K kit with McCulloch ballasts. Sweet deal.

You won't find them on any sites now because of some new legislation passed recently that outlawed aftermarket HID... gotta love eBay!

Anyone have a link to this legislation?

Here's a link to one of the auctions.. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=7907867213

 

could u use sylvania silverstar bulbs to give that "hid" look? these aren't real HIDs but its good if you want that HID look.....

 

Silverstars don't really look like HIDs, but they look better than stock bulbs, and you can still see with them unlike ricer blue headlights.

 

if im not mistaken.....arent silverstar's halogen bulbs but it doesnt have that yellowish light.....its whiter and brighter from what i heard...

 

HIDs, xenons... whatever you want to call them work on a different system entirely than halogens...

halogens function exactly like your screw type light bulbs in your house, they are whiter because they burn hotter... they take 12V and use about 55Watts max (High beams (often called "Brights") are 60Watts) - these are the legal limits... the low beams fit into the housing a specific way and based on the shape of the reflector housing the beam is cast forward in the pattern that you see... the high beams sometimes use a totally different housing, but some units actually have dual filaments in the same housings, the High filament is located in a slightly different position in the housing cause the light to broadcast "higher" or further up the road...

retrofit or aftermarket bulb sets of HIDs contain a bulb, a transformer/ballast and usually a relay... the goal of these bulbs is to place the "light source" part of the bulb in the exact same place within the housing... the specs for a particular bulb are an exact science... the problem with the xenons is that the "arc" that is formed within the bulb is much brighter (in lumens) than the replaced halogen, but the other problem lies in the fact that the acr is much shorter in length than the halogen filament, so problems arise from people not aligning the bulbs properly... it is impossible to have the same balance of light in all places when the arc of the bulb is not located in the designed spot... so are we out of luck?? no, it just means that you need the entire housing from a car that came equipped from the factory...

btw... an HID functions by taking 12Volts and cranking it up to over 10,000Volts... possibly as high as 20,000Volts... this allows for a very hot arc, and yes it is an actual arc, two wires suspended slightly apart much like you see when you shock someone... or more like how a welding machine works, but because the arc is suspended in a gas (xenon, on your element chart in chemistry) that is inert (means it doesn't react) the arc can be sustained... to fire off a xenon bulb you need a surge of energy, I would estimate this amount to be in excess of 100Watts, but I am starting to believe that it is closer to 150 Watts - three times what your light switch is rated for... after firing up they will level off to a typical 35Watts... but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER wire the lights directly into your electrical system, run a wire from the batter and use relays and fuses... if you zap your electrical system from aftermarket headlights you'll be catching the city bus...

the 4300K or 6000K is a rating of it's color, the K is Kelvin and it is a temperature... it is the color of molten stell when heated to that temperature... you have seen your stove glow "red" hot and after red it starts to go white... your halogens are around 3000K and MOST, MOST, MOST HIDs are in the 4000 to 5000 range... I seriously doubt that those claiming to have an 8000K system or higher have actually done any testing... Philips is a reputable brand and they do not make the claims of a billion K... they are legit and put the systems side by side and you'll see that there is very little (if any) difference between the CLAIMED 10,000K and real 4,000K bulbs...

and last few points...
#1 - projectors are inefficient... the same bulb in mounted behind them, they still use a reflector to concentrate the light on the "lens" that is the exposed part... BUT you will lose approximately 10% of your light by going through a projector... they may look better, but they aren't as efficient as reflectors... PERIOD
#2 - Silverstars and other HyperBlue bulbs are there to emulate the high dollar HIDs, are they the same NO, are the as bright NO... but are they affordable YES, and are they legal YES...

 

I had the Silverstars in my old Pontiac... they're a lot whiter than typical Halogens.. not bad, but you can still see the halgoen look in them.

I had PIAA bulbs on my RAV4... not bad for $70.. pretty clear and bright, but again.. not even close to HID.

There are no blue lensed bulbs that will get you even close to true HID.

You have to make the decision..
do I wanna stay halogen and not attract cops...
do I wanna spend $20-$75 dollars and go with the typical "xenon" bulbs for a slighter white/blueish tint ..
or do I wanna go all out and get HID.

HID for me :D

 

I think most people get the 70Watt PIAAs which are for "offroad use only"... so that is the same boat... but it is much cheaper...

9006's on ebay are running around $250 to 300... they will always be available, even if they are illegal on the streets, because you can still use them offroad...

 

dude your link isn't working, what's up?

 

So, where do we gets the HID hotness from then?

 

Has anyone run into the problem with the HID bulbs being too 'deep' for the housing? Just bought my tC, looking to upgrade to HIDs (6000k), not sure which to go with. Just looking for a little friendly advice. I've found a couple websites that seem to have sound prods.....

http://eurolamps.com/eurolamps/realhid.htm

http://www.autoaccessorystore.com/ho...&sub_name=HIDs

Don't plan on going through Ebay, can't trust anyone anymore.