hey i was just wondering if anyone has done the HID retrofit for the TC w/ the BMW 5series HID headlights .. what was the cost and what was the turnaround time ... and if there were any problems ... im interested cuz i like the whole idea of HIDs and i heard that retrofitting solves the problem w/ the headlight housing ... and i like the white rings that are around the lights .. makes the car look even more like a 5 series BMW from the front ..

 

i plan to do my retro a few months from now. i bought a set of 5 series projector/bulb/ballast for $270 shipped on ebay, no white ring angel eyes tho. right now i'm using a 6000K helios HID kit but i'm gonna sell it when i do the retro. I didn't learn about the correct way of HID lighting until i stumbled onto hidplanet.com.

 

hey have you noticed any problems with light dispersion with your current set up? people flashing you cuz the light is too bright in their faces?

 

For those of you that are interested in getting an HID conversion kit ... or a sub-quality retrofitting for your TC .. BEWARE ... I did some research on this topic and i found on the Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply website: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...nversions.html that poor HID conversion kits are illegal in the US ... it states (in paraphrase):

the only correct way to do HID retrofit is to use OEM parts from another car and retrofit them into the new car .. using all the parts ... **the last paragraph on that page is important**

<--- sorry, I would quote but it said not to

It seems to me that the people at HIDRetro.com are putting forth that they are using true HID retrofitting from OEM parts from other cars .. and it seems like they are doin it the right way .. I am just wonderin how true it is .. I wanna be sure before I put any money down ..

 

You have to pick the HID projector/reflector that you want retrofitted (i.e. buy them yourself), ballasts and D2S/D2R bulbs... and then you ship them off and they do the retrofit and the wiring. It's expensive, but then you have exactly what you want. Instead of trying to imitate a BMW, you can just use BMW projectors and get the exact look... if you want to have the sparkle of an S2000, then use the S2000 projectors... everything is better when it's custom.

I HID.

 

i haven't gotten any flashes yet. i made sure i didn't aim the lights too high. its unfortunate that i found out its illegal after installing the HID Kit. I assume the retrofit process will take a week or longer and i currently don't have the time to do it until after april. its going to be a big project and its somewhat intimidating, baking the headlights and all. it should be fun tho, and i hope its worth it when its done. then again i will only be spending around $300, its much less compare to what other people spend to have theirs done.

 

How do you aim your lights? Can you aim the bulbs downward?

 

theres an adjustment bolt to tilt the headlights up and down. i'm not sure if it can be adjusted sideways.

 

i got more information about getting the true HID retrofit for the tC ... talked to the guy at http://www.hidretro.com and he said that the whole thing would cost $850 .. and i would be going with the Acura TSX HID projectors ... i know it seems like alot of $ but ya get the real thing .. the whole light set up .. with no problems with optics .. and i think i should also be getting angel eyes with it too .. ill keep ya up to date on what happens ..

 

this is what im sayin about gettin poor quality "Kit" installs .. if ya just drop in an HID bulb .. or its a half HID conversion .. ya run into many problems .. like poor optics, not enuf distance in the light .. not to mention its illegal ..

 

if you re-read my first reply to your thread, you'll see that i bought a set of BMW 5 series E39 projector/ballast/bulb for $270. another $30 for misc. parts and i'll be spending around $300, which is much less than the $850 you were quoted. I believe the 5 series uses Hella projectors and phillips ballasts so it won't be a poor quality "Kit" install.

 

I tried to point out the fact of doing the reto fit is the only way to go in this thread https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...42844&start=50
no one seems to listen to me there, all they want to do is make fun of me :-(

 

most people don't understand, i know i didn't before i started browsing hidplanet's forums. furthermore people can't justify spending upwards of $800 for HID lights when they can get a kit for $300. even at $300 thats alot for lights when halogen bulbs are around $20. its even more difficult to justify when they're ignorant about cut-offs and light output and glare.

 

Thanks man

 

Hmmm where is this adjustment bolt. i'm a haha

 

right behind the headlight, you 'll see a round silver disc, maybe the size of a quarter with a 8mm bolt head.

 

The whole legality issue has never bothered me so much. Tinted side windows are illegal and half the cars on the road have it done. And this is something the cops know is illegal. Poll 100 cops right now and see how many of them know what car comes with HID's and which one doesn't.


Just make sure they are AIMED RIGHT! That's my pet peve with people and it's also one way to raise the red flag on yourself.

 

what exactly would you consider right? enough so that the glare is not blinding oncoming traffic? is so then the majority of the light output is so close to the front of the car that it makes it pointless to have a higher intensity discharge. if you point it up so it light up a block down the street, you'll be the biggest ***** on the road. thats what i've experienced with my current HID conversion kit.

 

just wait till someone starts making projector headlights and buy the hid kit. Kinda weird but it took 4 3/4s years to come out with eclipse projectors. but that retro thing for the Tc is NICE

 

sorry for bustin yer ***** maximus .. im just tryin to give info .. i know $850 sounds like alot .. but i dont see any other ways of gettin a good quality HID retrofit ... it seems like ya have to spend that much to not blind people and get a good light dispersion ... and the guy from HIDRetro.com said that the BMW projectors are weak .. like i said ..