protokurios

I've done a lot of searching and reading old posts and threads, but I'm finding it difficult to find pictures from people who have used plug and play HID kits in the tC stock reflector housings. From what I've read so far, it seems like a lot of people have had few problems with glare and getting pulled over by the police even though they don't go the retrofit route. I can only recall seeing a few pictures though of HID-in-reflector beam patterns. So, I'd like to ask if some of you can post pictures. Is there an official HID pictures thread, because I couldn't find it.

I'm amazed at how far prices have come down compared to prices quoted in some of these 2, 3-year-old threads, but I don't have the time or money to do a retrofit project or to buy Anzos. I would love the lighting performance of HIDs and want others to chime in on their experience with plug and play kits. I have an '06 tC.

redhot_1_0

r u asking if its ok to put hid's in stock headlights?? if thats what ur asking, then the answer is "yes". just adjust ur headlights down a bit so they dont glare/blind oncoming traffic.

ExpresScion

iTrader: (2)

Even with adjusting them, you are still going to have a bad cut off and glare. Bluebat sells an overlay that eliminates the glare.

protokurios

Do you have personal experience with this? I'll obviously never get the kind of cutoff I would get from a projector by using the stock reflectors, but I'd like to see what kind of beam pattern there is with or without readjustment, just to see what I'd have to do to make HID possible. In other words, would it still be passable?

To me, the Bluebat overlays make the car look "sleepy," but if that's the only way to keep the glare down, then I would consider it. Would love to see pictures though of HIDs without headlight overlays.

FLINTstone

when i drive behind my friends, most of them told me that my headlights had serious glare. i have them aimed WAY down, to the point where im starting to thing they're aimed too low for me to see things far off and i still have glare.

to me, either projectors or retrofit is the only PROPER way to have HIDs but people will always run them in reflector housings.

you can also install a glare shield that cuts off the some of the glare but to my knowlege no kit has this yet for 9006 but i've seen DIYs where people have made their own.

protokurios

This is pretty helpful...it's a picture of the cutoff using BlueBat's HID overlays. Looks like it does its job...just have to decide whether I'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of form for function.

Are these overlays easily removable?

FLINTstone

just heat them up with a blowdryer and they come right off with little to no residue.

search google for 9006 glare shield. ive seen diy's where people have made their own shields and its much more effective in reducing glare than the eyelid, not to mention it will look better.

07specTC

If you want the lighting performance of HIDs save up more money and/or make time for a retrofit.
I have HIDs in my other car (H4) and the light output isn't any better than the modified 9005s that are in the tC.
The only difference is the color.
I've done a retrofit before and trust me you don't know how crappy the output of HIDs can be in a non-HID housing.
You are just fooling yourself if you think its just like a real thing.

A retrofit can be had for cheap if you are willing to do the work.
$120 H4 Mobile HID kit.
-$30 Sell the H4 bulbs.
$100 Bosch single Zenon
$70 Phillips D2S
$40 for all other misc parts (9006 female, AMP to D2s adapter, shrouds, etc...)

For $300 and a couple of hours on the weekend, you've got yourself one hell of a basic setup.

protokurios

Is there a good website that has general instructions on what to do? And links for those particular items? Because finding reputable sellers can be quite a task on the Internet. Considering my options...

ExpresScion

iTrader: (2)

Well before I installed my HIDs, I chose to swap in the 08 headlights to avoid this. But my friend has HIDs in the 07 headlights, and it is a pain to drive in front of him. Even when in the car, you can see that there is no cutoff, and the light just scatters in all different directions. It's great for being able to see, but not so great for other people.

07specTC

$120 H4 Mobile HID kit.
-$30 Sell the H4 bulbs.
Mobile HID is a seller here.
$100 Bosch single Zenon
$70 Phillips D2S
HIDPlanet.com
$40 for all other misc parts (9006 female, AMP to D2s adapter, shrouds, etc...)
HIDPlanet.com, eBay, suvlights.com for the first 2 items, Home Depot for the rest.

The only thing you can't buy is the creativity involved in a retrofit.

TeeCizzle

I've had mine since Dec07 I havent really had ANY problems w/ other drivers....

They do aim ALL weird and there is Hella Glare....All-inAll I love them still!!....

2_much_tc

i have had my HID's on for over a year, and I haven't had anyone tell me the glare is bad or anything. Even when I was driving my girls car and she was behind me in my tC, I wasn't blinded at all and her cars windows aren't tinted.

magyver

anyone that says HID's in reflector housings dont cause glare are oblivious to common sense. It does cause glare, due to the length of the bulb. the stock housing isnt made for the light that is caused by the extra length. just because you dont get pulled over dosent mean your not blinding somone. thats just common sense. you can adjust the headlights and aim them down, that does work, but is limiting your whole purpose of the mod. Thats why cars like the older TL used D2R bulbs (R for reflector) housings. it is a differnt kind of HID bulb.. we all use D2S which are mostly for projection style housings. dont get it twisted, i have PNP HID kit, im not proud, but it was a wedding gift from my BF.. so im gonna rock em... lol

a_german_named_hans

My glare isn't bad. I had my mom(in my car) drive behind me(in her car) and the glare wasn't bad. A little worse then Halogens but not nearly as bad as if driving with high beams. If you do it right you'll be fine.




My camera can't pick up the color of the HIDs well for some reason. They mostly white with a tiny hint of blue (6K). Cellphone pic(first one) is most accurate as to how the look.
i've had them for 8 months so far. I've never been flashed, never warned, never pulled over nothing. and I've driven behind police with them multiple times.

protokurios

Thanks guys.

Butane

Also with HID kits they have horrible hot spots. This is where the light is concentrated the most.

And thsi is what I was able to have with around $300

TCMan07

iTrader: (1)

Ive had my Mobile HID kit since last June and have had only a few problems with glare. I have more issues with people when driving my beater Explorer with Silverstar headlight and foglight bulbs.

07specTC

D2R bulbs are made for HID reflector housings, not halogen reflector housings.
The only difference between D2S and D2R is the little black glare shield on the bulb.
The little glare shield on the D2R bulb will not make things better if you use it in a halogen reflector housing.

The location of the filament is what matters, not how long the bulb is; light doesn't go through the entire glass bulb, only at the filament.

Halogen housings don't take full advantage of HID bulbs; the light is just intensified causing glare instead of being dispersed properly on the road.

eMan40

Go over to HIDplanet.com and read up and bit on retros. I know you said you don't have the money for it but if you take your time sourcing the parts you'll end up with everything you need and at good prices. I'm helping a co-worker of mine to get his cobalt retrofitted and I have found him good deals on his stuff thru HIDplanet.com and on eBay.

Just be patient ad you'll find good deals on OEM HID components, the only thing that has a constant price is labor, if it’s done by a pro such as CustomLightz or LightWerkz. The cost of having these people do your retro is almost all the time $300 but I recommend both as I have had both of them do retros for me and there work is amazing.

The difference between HID retros and HID PnP is like night and day (you get much better light output, still get color flicker where ppl can see nice colors from the projectors from far away and no glare). BUT if you can’t afford an HID retro (or don’t want to spend that much) then go with the PnP and you should be ok but just try to aim them down a bit.