HID questions/info

[cherrington17]

For the group buy guys.

9006 low
9005 high ???

and they are considered illegal w/o projectors. I'm not sure how many of you are planning on getting projectors, but i definitely am. (no reason to GIVE a reason to get pulled over... plus it conserves/spreads light better)

anyone have any good links to projectors, cheap/good. I've seen TSX projetors get used commonly. (probably available on ebay)

and do you aim these the same as the old ones?

spilner, any fyi's for retrofitting? i know your in the middle of your own project with them.

good write up, for a scion.
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=75144


someone care to do one for us?

[Spilner521]

TSX projectors work well and they fit into the Alero headlights pretty nicely. You don't need 9006 HID bulbs if you're using HID projectors. You just want regular D2S bulbs.

I would just do a HID low beam and keep the halogens for the highs, that's how almost every HID equipped car comes from the factory, unless it's Bi-Xenon. It takes several seconds for the bulb to warm up and reach it's peak brightness, so if you flash the high's, they won't be all that bright unless you leave them on long enough to warm up.

There are several differnet color temperatures to choose from. The higher the number does not mean the light is brighter. 4300K is pure white and puts out the most amount of light. Any higher and the light becomes more blue and purple and puts out less useable light.

Projectors are the best way keep the glare out of people's faces and keep the light on the road, where it's supposed to be. No, you don't NEED projectors, but if you want to keep from getting pulled over for having lights that are too bright, it's better if you have them. Here's a picture of HID projectors vs. HID bulbs in stock Alero headlights.

HID projectors - even lighting and nice cut off line



HID's in Alero headlights - insane amount of glare (pic of mfuller's car)



Basically what you have to do is cut a hole in the reflector housing large enough to mount the reflector bowl for the projector. Just make sure it's straight and level in the housing and you can aim the headlights just like when they're stock.

That Scion link that Cherry provided is actually a pretty good write-up with some nice pictures and could be used to retrofit an Alero headlight as well.

Here's a couple pics of mine. I still have to paint the bezel flat black to match the flat black reflector housings, and I need to make a shroud so that all you see is the projector lens and not the whole projector housing.

TSX projector in Alero headlight, modified to make a more blue cut-off line - 4300K Phillips D2S HID bulb with OEM Infiniti G35 ballast.





/super long post

[cherrington17]

so whats the diff between 9006 and ds2??

[Spilner521]

9006 HID is a D2S bulb re-based to fit where a 9006 bulb goes. A normal D2S bulb is based to fit a HID projector.

[cherrington17]

ok. so i'll have to change my order if i'm doing projectors.

[AftermathAlero]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

ok. so i'll have to change my order if i'm doing projectors.

yup you would

[cherrington17]

spil, doesn't painting the whole thing back, hinder the other lights, that aren't projected?

[Spilner521]

Nope. Take a look again. The turn signal, side marker, and high beam reflectors are all left unpainted. The parts that are painted won't affect light output.

[Rexter9x]

Man, that retro looks great, nice and clean. Any plans for a bezel to cover up all the mounting and such?

[NickAlero2000]

got a strait pic of the headlights? it may just be the picture angle...but the whole thing does look black...

[Cliff8928]

Originally Posted by cherrington17

For the group buy guys.

9006 low
9005 high ???

and they are considered illegal w/o projectors. I'm not sure how many of you are planning on getting projectors, but i definitely am. (no reason to GIVE a reason to get pulled over... plus it conserves/spreads light better)

To be simple and to the point... Using any alternate lamp that was not approved by D.O.T. in the lamp housing is illegal, regardless of how it performs.

Originally Posted by Spilner521

Projectors are the best way keep the glare out of people's faces and keep the light on the road, where it's supposed to be. No, you don't NEED projectors, but if you want to keep from getting pulled over for having lights that are too bright, it's better if you have them. Here's a picture of HID projectors vs. HID bulbs in stock Alero headlights.

HID's in Alero headlights - insane amount of glare

In my experience I've never gotten pulled over for headlight glare in any retrofitted vehicle. I also don't have people flashing, etc. either. Funny that I had that happen in the XLR fairly often with factory HIDs. As far as the glare is concerned, From what it appears to me, quite a bit of the glare comes from the actual chrome around the bezel. This happens on my mom's denali too, and it has projectors.


Oh, and I'm not knocking projectors either. They definitely are a superior more efficient design.

[doubleN0alero]

I got flashed everytime I took my car out at night. There was a crazy amount of glare. I hated myself when my parents were following me in my car as I was driving theirs.

[Cliff8928]

That's crazy.. There must be a significant difference between the quality of different kits.

I've asked many people who have driven in front of me too...

[billytheman1188]

Spilner....those projector headlights look AMAZING. Im usually not a fan of projectors in alero head lights but you just made me change my mind If you ever wanna sell them, I WANT THEM!!!! remember that spilner

[billytheman1188]

Oh and i just read the thread....... i NEVER had people flash me from the opposite direction when i had my 8000k HIDs in.

Originally Posted by Spilner521

HID's in Alero headlights - insane amount of glare (I forget who posted this pic, it's from someone on here)

That's my car, and FWIW, I have yet to have oncoming traffic flash me either. If I had my druthers, I'd rather have projectors, but I'm too lazy - plus I don't want to butcher my Euro-spec housings.

[billytheman1188]

Originally Posted by mfuller

That's my car, and FWIW, I have yet to have oncoming traffic flash me either. If I had my druthers, I'd rather have projectors, but I'm too lazy - plus I don't want to butcher my Euro-spec housings.

heh, you put those on your car? the ones from the olds show..... niiiiice

[Spilner521]

Originally Posted by Rexter9x

Man, that retro looks great, nice and clean. Any plans for a bezel to cover up all the mounting and such?

Thanks man...reading > you

Originally Posted by Spilner521

Here's a couple pics of mine. I still have to paint the bezel flat black to match the flat black reflector housings, and I need to make a shroud so that all you see is the projector lens and not the whole projector housing.

Originally Posted by NickAlero2000

got a strait pic of the headlights? it may just be the picture angle...but the whole thing does look black...

They are black, but I painted the bezels satin black before I actually got a can of flat black. I sprayed the reflector housings in flat black, I just need to repaint the bezels in flat black to match. You can see the difference between satin black bezel and flat black low beam housing in this pic:

Originally Posted by mfuller

That's my car

OK I added it to the original post

[Vinalero]

Originally Posted by mfuller

That's my car, and FWIW, I have yet to have oncoming traffic flash me either. If I had my druthers, I'd rather have projectors, but I'm too lazy - plus I don't want to butcher my Euro-spec housings.

Euro spec headlights heh? did you get those shipped from Europe? How much did that cost you?

[NickAlero2000]

Spilner, are the high beam housings painted black as well then?!?