Is this too much for HIDs?
#1
12-09-2011, 09:35 PM
Is this too much for HIDs?
So I went to this shop and asked about installing my HIDs.
The guy said the kit was like a hundred sumthin. But the entire installation + kit would be $165. Is this too much or a good deal? I don't really know so any advice would be good.
Oh, I'm getting them installed because my driver's side headlight won't turn on. i was thinking about getting just the ballast and installing it myself, but to tell you the truth i don;t really know how.... so any help would be good.
The guy said the kit was like a hundred sumthin. But the entire installation + kit would be $165. Is this too much or a good deal? I don't really know so any advice would be good.
Oh, I'm getting them installed because my driver's side headlight won't turn on. i was thinking about getting just the ballast and installing it myself, but to tell you the truth i don;t really know how.... so any help would be good.
#2
12-09-2011, 10:18 PM
If it is just a ballast, it should be as simple as disconnecting three connectors and taking it off the bracket, then reversing the procedure to install the new one.
Personally, I'd switch the ballasts from side-to-side to make sure that's the problem and not something like a blown bulb or bad wiring.
Oh, and for $165, would that be the whole kit (bulbs, ballasts, etc) installed or just to replace the one ballast?
Personally, I'd switch the ballasts from side-to-side to make sure that's the problem and not something like a blown bulb or bad wiring.
Oh, and for $165, would that be the whole kit (bulbs, ballasts, etc) installed or just to replace the one ballast?
#3
12-11-2011, 12:59 PM
If it is just a ballast, it should be as simple as disconnecting three connectors and taking it off the bracket, then reversing the procedure to install the new one.
Personally, I'd switch the ballasts from side-to-side to make sure that's the problem and not something like a blown bulb or bad wiring.
Oh, and for $165, would that be the whole kit (bulbs, ballasts, etc) installed or just to replace the one ballast?
Personally, I'd switch the ballasts from side-to-side to make sure that's the problem and not something like a blown bulb or bad wiring.
Oh, and for $165, would that be the whole kit (bulbs, ballasts, etc) installed or just to replace the one ballast?
i think I'm gonna try to switch them over to see if it'll work with a new ballast. But i just wanted to know if i was being ripped off or not. I'm a girl so u know how that goes lol.
#4
12-11-2011, 04:17 PM
$165 is about average; I'd assume the labor price isn't too high as it's pretty much just putting bulbs in and plugging up the ballasts.
#5
12-11-2011, 04:54 PM
imo just check to see what brand they are... and no they are not too much... all the higher quality hid kit starts at around $400+ i got a set of thunderbeam from 5 years ago and they still bright n working condition.. its worth it for the price.. plus you can see the road clear no scatter lights... itll be just like a 2012 acura tl or evo etc
#6
12-12-2011, 06:50 PM
$400 buys you a projector retrofit kit these days... prices have come way down due to popularity.
For reference,
HIDs in halogen reflector headlights = glare, but whatever. I've given up on trying to talk people out of it.
HIDs in aftermarket projector headlights = not great, but there's a cutoff. The beam pattern still isn't ideal
HIDs in OEM halogen projectors = better
HIDs in HID projector headlights = perfect.
For what it's worth, I just reverted back to stock after several years of 8000K HIDs in aftermarket projectors and I'd never realized just how poor the light output from the projectors really was. If I ever do HIDs again, it'll be a true retrofit.
For reference,
HIDs in halogen reflector headlights = glare, but whatever. I've given up on trying to talk people out of it.
HIDs in aftermarket projector headlights = not great, but there's a cutoff. The beam pattern still isn't ideal
HIDs in OEM halogen projectors = better
HIDs in HID projector headlights = perfect.
For what it's worth, I just reverted back to stock after several years of 8000K HIDs in aftermarket projectors and I'd never realized just how poor the light output from the projectors really was. If I ever do HIDs again, it'll be a true retrofit.
#7
12-12-2011, 07:37 PM
hey you get for what you pay for.. theres a reason why theres cheap and expensive kit out there... from my experience cheap ebay kits are waste of money... im still loving my thunderbeam hid kit as when i just got it. absolutely no glare and it has a wide range, n bright. might upgrade to a blitz hid kit soon
#8
12-12-2011, 09:33 PM
Not trying to start anything, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality. That doesn't mean the beam pattern of HIDs in halogen reflector headlights is anywhere near ideal, though.
The reflector blocks inside a halogen reflector headlight are precisely positioned with a specific halogen bulb in mind, which in turn has a specific bulb filament. An HID bulb is a form of arc lamp, where electrical current creates an arc between two electrodes. This changes the exact location of the light source, which (combined with the previously mentioned precisely placed reflectors) skews the beam pattern and creates glare. There is physically no way to eliminate glare when using an HID bulb in a halogen reflector (there are HID reflectors offered on new cars, though), and aiming the headlights lower is completely counter-productive (and creates even more glare on wet roads). And don't even get me started on color temperatures above 5000K.
The reflector blocks inside a halogen reflector headlight are precisely positioned with a specific halogen bulb in mind, which in turn has a specific bulb filament. An HID bulb is a form of arc lamp, where electrical current creates an arc between two electrodes. This changes the exact location of the light source, which (combined with the previously mentioned precisely placed reflectors) skews the beam pattern and creates glare. There is physically no way to eliminate glare when using an HID bulb in a halogen reflector (there are HID reflectors offered on new cars, though), and aiming the headlights lower is completely counter-productive (and creates even more glare on wet roads). And don't even get me started on color temperatures above 5000K.
#9
12-12-2011, 10:52 PM
Not trying to start anything, but you get what you pay for in terms of quality. That doesn't mean the beam pattern of HIDs in halogen reflector headlights is anywhere near ideal, though.
The reflector blocks inside a halogen reflector headlight are precisely positioned with a specific halogen bulb in mind, which in turn has a specific bulb filament. An HID bulb is a form of arc lamp, where electrical current creates an arc between two electrodes. This changes the exact location of the light source, which (combined with the previously mentioned precisely placed reflectors) skews the beam pattern and creates glare. There is physically no way to eliminate glare when using an HID bulb in a halogen reflector (there are HID reflectors offered on new cars, though), and aiming the headlights lower is completely counter-productive (and creates even more glare on wet roads). And don't even get me started on color temperatures above 5000K.
The reflector blocks inside a halogen reflector headlight are precisely positioned with a specific halogen bulb in mind, which in turn has a specific bulb filament. An HID bulb is a form of arc lamp, where electrical current creates an arc between two electrodes. This changes the exact location of the light source, which (combined with the previously mentioned precisely placed reflectors) skews the beam pattern and creates glare. There is physically no way to eliminate glare when using an HID bulb in a halogen reflector (there are HID reflectors offered on new cars, though), and aiming the headlights lower is completely counter-productive (and creates even more glare on wet roads). And don't even get me started on color temperatures above 5000K.
idk what your talking about but i seem to love my 5200k the light output is marvelous compared to cheap ebay kits
#10
12-13-2011, 07:21 AM
Put simply, it causes glare, is extremely distracting to oncoming traffic, and the actual light output is very deceiving. 5200k is near ideal as far as color goes, though, as most of the light is in the visible spectrums.