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-   -   My HID Retrofit project (https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/pictures-videos-64/my-hid-retrofit-project-13209/)

Mercury 02-19-2006 02:06 AM

My HID Retrofit project
 
Well you have all heard me bash on the EBAY, HALO, and all "plug and play" HID kits that are sold on the internet. Now is my room to talk. I am hoping to have this project finished by spring time. As I progress through this project I will post more and more pictures as I go. Also when I am all said and done, I will take tons of comparison photos of "HID kits" and my True HID Retrofit and show you the light. :cool:


http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/mmmm.jpg
Ahh yes I have recieved my extra lights in the mail!


http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/Prototype3.jpg
I drew up every little detail of the housing on the lamp. I will be designing and experimenting with mounting locations.

http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/Apart.jpg
It took me about 40 minutes just to get one headlamp apart. I had to heat where the cover met the backing with a hair dryer to heat up the sealant. I got the assembly seperated in about 30 minutes. The chrome shroud came off easily but the reflector itself was held to the frame pretty well. It took lots of prying and precision but I finally got it off. I have more than enough space to place any Xenon projector I can find here.

As I said before, I will update as I progress, with tons of pictures! :cssNET:

JonyyB 02-19-2006 02:09 AM

good project :thumb: I am looking forward to the finished product :cool:

DC52NV 02-19-2006 02:12 AM

good luck with your project. can't wait to see the final product.

memphisr24 02-19-2006 02:21 AM

I can't wait either. How much did those lights cost you?

MarcS 02-19-2006 02:23 AM

Interesting, looking forward to seeing what you come up with :)

cvenom2122 02-19-2006 03:01 AM

Jimmy that is the funniest pic ever! i thought you had a angel eye around you head lol ended up being your hat :twothumbs GL bro we can compare once they are done! by then ill have my spoiler ;) and some new goodies ;)

theBLUEone 02-19-2006 03:32 AM

Sounds good man...You'll have to make me a set once your done yours LOL...

Cobalt_Supercharged 02-19-2006 03:45 AM


Originally Posted by memphisr24
I can't wait either. How much did those lights cost you?

Yeah what he said. I've been curious how much the lamp assy. cost. I wanted a set to experiment with colors.

silverSS 02-19-2006 12:29 PM

Good luck, I wouldnt even attempt a project like that, I would mess it up..

Mercury 02-19-2006 02:19 PM

I got the headlamps for 50 dollars on ebay. :cool:


I have decided the projectors I will be using are the Hella E55 3 inch Projectors. (Audi A6/RS6 BMW 5 series)

This is a picture of the Projectors.
http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/e55projectors.jpg

:cssNET:

cvenom2122 02-19-2006 03:57 PM

nice bro :twothumbs :twothumbs

Brian MP5T 02-19-2006 04:03 PM

Bam!

Cobalt_Supercharged 02-19-2006 07:06 PM

Are you gonna use 2 sets of projectors for high and low or are you just gonna do lows?

Brian MP5T 02-19-2006 08:07 PM

Projectors do not do long range very well, that is why normally they are only Low Beam.

Mercury 02-19-2006 08:40 PM


Originally Posted by Cobalt_Supercharged
Are you gonna use 2 sets of projectors for high and low or are you just gonna do lows?


The projectors I will be using are bi-xenon. That means they will do low beam and high beam. There is a solenoid that will retract the cutoff shield when i switch to high beams and will project all light. (high beam)

Cobalt_Supercharged 02-20-2006 12:28 AM

Very nice. Good luck.

R33P3R007 02-20-2006 12:31 AM

sweeet. keep us posted. and again?

Where did you get the extra set of lights

06black 02-20-2006 12:35 AM

this is most awwwwsome i'll be interisted in seeing the final product

jtohio4002 02-20-2006 12:37 AM

I think that this is the best project that i have seen anyone try. Merc you are a true pioneer and i cant wait to see the finished product.

I always pictured the cobalt with projector headlights. :guns: :twothumbs

DC52NV 02-20-2006 03:33 AM


Originally Posted by R33P3R007
sweeet. keep us posted. and again?

Where did you get the extra set of lights

he said he got them on ebay.

MARZ 02-20-2006 05:47 AM


Originally Posted by Mercury
Well you have all heard me bash on the EBAY, HALO, and all "plug and play" HID kits that are sold on the internet. Now is my room to talk. I am hoping to have this project finished by spring time. As I progress through this project I will post more and more pictures as I go. Also when I am all said and done, I will take tons of comparison photos of "HID kits" and my True HID Retrofit and show you the light. :cool:


http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/mmmm.jpg
Ahh yes I have recieved my extra lights in the mail!


http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/Prototype3.jpg
I drew up every little detail of the housing on the lamp. I will be designing and experimenting with mounting locations.

http://home.comcast.net/~dsc220/Apart.jpg
It took me about 40 minutes just to get one headlamp apart. I had to heat where the cover met the backing with a hair dryer to heat up the sealant. I got the assembly seperated in about 30 minutes. The chrome shroud came off easily but the reflector itself was held to the frame pretty well. It took lots of prying and precision but I finally got it off. I have more than enough space to place any Xenon projector I can find here.

As I said before, I will update as I progress, with tons of pictures! :cssNET:




whats wrong with the halo hid kits? just wondering cuz wannted to buy them!

Xenozx 02-20-2006 02:56 PM

Merc your a DORK....

With that asside....

Halo kit is awesome, but they are not projectors. Ive heard projectors make more light, and look better, but if your on a budget, or dont want to do the extra work, a strait halo kit is fine.


Merc, you better not be painting those things yet, cuase you suppose to help me do that too!

Mercury 02-20-2006 10:43 PM


Originally Posted by Xenozx
Halo kit is awesome, but they are not projectors. Ive heard projectors make more light, and look better, but if your on a budget, or dont want to do the extra work, a strait halo kit is fine.


HID kits aren't "fine" in my opinion as well as many others. Let me educate everyone for one last time.

The stock Cobalt headlamp is a single reflector style lamp. It uses a 9007 bulb which is a highbeam/lowbeam bulb. This means when you switch to your high beams another coil inside the bulb lights up a different part of the reflector which is your high beam. These "HID Kits" Use a rebased Xenon D2R or D2S bulb which is meant for an HID housing. There is no such thing as a highbeam/lowbeam Xenon bulb. So therefore these hid kits are lighting up your entire halogen reflector. Yes that means your high beam and low beam.

As far as Kelvin goes... (i.e. 6000k) People think they are so awesome with their 7000k, 12000k HIDs etc.... But infact they aren't as cool as they think they are. The higher the Kelvin, the less lumens and light you will have. The best kelvin bulbs to have are between 4100k and 4300k. Anything above that and your light output is decreasing drastically. All OEM Hid like you see on BMW's, Evo's, STi's, Audi's, etc are all between 4100k and 4300k because that is the optimal kelvin for optimal light output. They have the most lumens out of all the Xenon HID bulbs made.

Here is a chart to show you the light spectrum in regaurds to Kevlin.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...urescentsA.jpg

Yellowish
3000k is around that of an OEM Halogen bulb.
White
4100k is True HID color
Blue
5400k and up is your hardcore bluish tint bulbs.

Now for the "Plug and Play" part of those "HID Kits"
You are supposed to plug those HID Kits into your stock 9007 (or what have you) connector and your set right? WRONG Your OEM wires are designed for a standard 55w halogen bulb. Now you may say "wait but my HID's use only 35w!" This is true, but upon ignition of the Xenon HID bulb, the ballast will use up to 3 times that amount of power which can fry your entire wiring for your car which can be a very costly repair. (Believe me it has happened numerous times and isn't something you want to risk!) This can result in huge damage to ECU's, Fuse boxes, or even worse, fires.

Quote from HIDPLANET

The reason why is, that when the ballast "demand" power, your car has to supply it from somewhere. Lets say its tapped into your oem headlight wire ok. Now you power up the ballasts, they draw current from your wiring, your wiring might not be up to the task so its needs help, it searches for a source and before you know it, you've now weakend not only one source but two now just to try and supply the ballast good clean power. This is why a relay harness is needed. A relay harness gets its power straight from the battery via relays. These relays are then wired to go to your ballasts now.
Basically what a relay will do in this HID situation is that your power going to your halogen bulb would turn a "Relay switch" on which would complete a circuit of a power line going from your battery to your Ballast. There for it will not have any direct connection to your OEM wiring.

Also I am not bashing on anybody or hating on whomever sells the "HALO" hid kits. I am just sharing my knowledge.

So do it right, take the time and retrofit!

DC52NV 02-20-2006 11:44 PM

i agree w/ mercury 4300k > *.*

theBLUEone 02-20-2006 11:47 PM


Originally Posted by Mercury
HID kits aren't "fine" in my opinion as well as many others. Let me educate everyone for one last time.

The stock Cobalt headlamp is a single reflector style lamp. It uses a 9007 bulb which is a highbeam/lowbeam bulb. This means when you switch to your high beams another coil inside the bulb lights up a different part of the reflector which is your high beam. These "HID Kits" Use a rebased Xenon D2R or D2S bulb which is meant for an HID housing. There is no such thing as a highbeam/lowbeam Xenon bulb. So therefore these hid kits are lighting up your entire halogen reflector. Yes that means your high beam and low beam.

As far as Kelvin goes... (i.e. 6000k) People think they are so awesome with their 7000k, 12000k HIDs etc.... But infact they aren't as cool as they think they are. The higher the Kelvin, the less lumens and light you will have. The best kelvin bulbs to have are between 4100k and 4300k. Anything above that and your light output is decreasing drastically. All OEM Hid like you see on BMW's, Evo's, STi's, Audi's, etc are all between 4100k and 4300k because that is the optimal kelvin for optimal light output. They have the most lumens out of all the Xenon HID bulbs made.

Here is a chart to show you the light spectrum in regaurds to Kevlin.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...urescentsA.jpg

Yellowish
3000k is around that of an OEM Halogen bulb.
White
4100k is True HID color
Blue
5400k and up is your hardcore bluish tint bulbs.

Now for the "Plug and Play" part of those "HID Kits"
You are supposed to plug those HID Kits into your stock 9007 (or what have you) connector and your set right? WRONG Your OEM wires are designed for a standard 55w halogen bulb. Now you may say "wait but my HID's use only 35w!" This is true, but upon ignition of the Xenon HID bulb, the ballast will use up to 3 times that amount of power which can fry your entire wiring for your car which can be a very costly repair. (Believe me it has happened numerous times and isn't something you want to risk!) This can result in huge damage to ECU's, Fuse boxes, or even worse, fires.

Quote from HIDPLANET


Basically what a relay will do in this HID situation is that your power going to your halogen bulb would turn a "Relay switch" on which would complete a circuit of a power line going from your battery to your Ballast. There for it will not have any direct connection to your OEM wiring.

Also I am not bashing on anybody or hating on whomever sells the "HALO" hid kits. I am just sharing my knowledge.

So do it right, take the time and retrofit!

Good info...


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