Hi friends. Well like the title say I am looking a 9007 dual beam (Hi/Lo) HID kit for my 2000 Cavalier Z24 and I need some advice and comments.
After the research I have done about hid conversion kits and the headlight setup that 00-02 Cavys have, I have some facts and many doubts.
Ok, our headlights appears to be not a good design in terms of lightning performance. It is commonly known that HID in our cars produce massive amounts of glare due to the headlight (reflector) design and 9007 bulbs hi/lo filament location. In fact I know about some people using some kind of covers in the hid bulbs, trying to avoid glare with some sucess.
Many HID forums say, that the best option is an HID projector retrofit, but I think is expensive. I have found that the common HID bulbs available now are D2S (for projector use) and D2R (for reflector use). According to my research D2R was designed to obtain better lightning performance in reflector style headlights, trying to avoid hot spots and glare.
Finally about the 9007 hi/lo bulb design, exist some type of bi-xenon, dual beam and hi/lo bulbs that was designed to retain flashing capabilities and passing tests. I have seen 9007 low beam HIDs (the normal stuff around here), bi-xenon (two bulbs with different gas bubble location in the same socket or an HID bulb inside an electromagnetic capsule that moves to align the bulb some millimeters in order to focus high or low beams) and hi/low or dual beam HIDs (that have a low HID bulb and a high halogen bulb in the same socket, this setup seems to be very common in last bi-xenon or dual-beam OEM HID headlights, like Mercedes, Porsche, BMW, etc..... and others)
Ok friends after the whole story, I need your comments about:
1.- how many of you have been using HID without too much glare or annoying people in the road (tell me what HID setup and kit brand are you using?). do you need to align the headlights down? what tricks do you use? bulbs color (ēK)?
2.- how many have tried bi-xenon or hi/lo 9007 HID conversion kits? what comments do you have? are reliable?
Thanks in advance for your support and help.
Regards,
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Wow...your a technical kind of guy aren't ya? I just had to say that, cause i couldn't understand a whole lot of what you were saying, cause i was raised on that bamerducation. Some one help the poor guy out...
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I wouldnt recommend putting HID in stock housings. Cavalier housings aren't designed for it. I would pay the money and do a retrofit. If you can't afford a retrofit, don't upgrade to HID.. wait until you can afford a retrofit. Putting HID bulbs in a stock housing is dangerous to other drivers at worst, and annoying to them at best. Ever drive past someone with their bright lights on? Now imagine that, but with REALLY bright lights.. Lighting is one of the more important aspects of your automobile, imo, behind brakes and tires, it can save your life or take your life, so don't cheap out on it. It is important to be able to see after dark, but it is equally important to make sure other people can see while you pass them, or when you drive behind them.
I have HID, I converted a 9007 ProXenon HID kit to D2S bulbs and plugs in a Hella 90mm low beam projector. If you really want high and low beams you can get a Hella 90mm Bi-Xenon projector. It isn't cheap, but it has a shield inside of the projector that adjusts the light output to be brighter or dimmer. There might also be cheaper competitive products on the market too.. You might also be able to get two projectors or one projector and a reflector for a halogen bulb in your housing and get your car wired to use one for high beam and one for low beam...
Beyond that though, with HID and a quality projector, you shouldnt need high beams anymore. I know I havent ever missed them since I went with my setup, and nobody has flashed me or told me that my lights were too bright. I've had them aimed down pretty far just incase though..
w00tburgers thanks for the comments. Ok then where can I find a set of retrofitted proyector headlights for my car? how much?
Thanks,
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Thanks a lot friend.
JBO friends, any other comment?
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ive been looking for alternative routes but i think ima go with IZN TRBL for my HID's it' not worth harming other drivers doing it the cheap way
My Other Ride
RIP Saint...Semper Fi.
Woot knows what he is sayin.
I have a retrofit in my 03, only low beams, do alot of night driving, both in the city and in the country, never have an issue with lack of lighting. I have never been flashed by another driver, because they are properly aimed.
You can do the bixenon projector, but from what I have read in my extensive research to build mine and for a few others, it isnt worth the price for what you get.
By using the 9007 hid kits in a reflector housing, u dont focus the HID light which can blind other drivers, and the d2s bulb is meant for reflector housings, but again its meant normally for a stock reflector housing that is intended to have a HID bulb inside it.
A retrofit done properly will cost a little more than just tossing in a 9007 HID kit, and will give better output and look much better.
Email me at jvanis@gmail.com if interested in 03+ cavy projectors
http://www.aplusperformance.com
Any comments about bixenon or hi/lo HID kits? anyone have used it?
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Retrofit and HID conversion is the only way to go.
I have S2K HID projectors retrofitted into my 2001 cavalier housing. As for HID, I have a 4300k D2S HID Conversion Kit from
www.xenondepot.com
- Philips 4300k D2S Bulbs
- Hella Gen 3 Ballasts
- Philips LVQ-212 Ballast Enclosures
- 9007 Wiring Harness
I've had this setup for almost a year now. I will NEVER go back to halogens. I actually would prefer to drive at night rather than during the day ever since I got my HIDs. As for high beams, no need for highs when you have S2K projectors and HIDs.
For bulbs, I would recommend 4300-6000K bulbs. Most OEM kits (Benz, BMWs, Lexus etc) use this temperature. Anything above 6000K is a waste IMO.
As for the Bixenons, I currently working on retroffing TL (bi-xenon) projectors into another 2001 housing. I want to compare the light output between S2K and TLs.
here's my setup. in fact, if the price is right (aka like a zillion dollars) i might be selling my headlights.
anyway, what i've done is taken lexus ballasts and philips d2s bulbs and done a custom setup in my headlights. VERY CAREFULLY measuring the position of the low beam filament in comparison with the arc of the d2s bulb, i shaved down the back and inside ring of the headlight to accomodate the d2s bulb. then i did a custom rigging to hold the bulb in. the bulb cap does need to be modified, as it will touch the bulb (just push it forward). as for the lighting, there's one MAJOR thing that i have noticed about all jbodies that have put hid. whether 9007 conversion (garbage) or a custom setup like mine, the MOST glare comes from the 10-2 oclock positions.
so what i did is built and glued a custom shield to the bulb cap, like this
if you notice, there is a HUGE difference in glare. this helps A LOT.
now, the stock housings shouldn't be used for hid's, but in my case, its sufficient enough. unfortunately, of course this isn't perfect. my outer beam pattern is slightly choppy, but i do have ALOT of light down the road. the way my setup turns out is that i have A LOT of light down the road, but not as much towards the very far sides of the car, but thats alright. also, because hid bulbs (at least d2r/s ones) shed some yellow light towards the bottom of the bulb, there is a very small bit of yellow in certain areas if i project against a wall. but, you cannot block out this light, since it contributes a big amount of light onto the road (this is to the contrary of d2r reflector setups, where most of the light is reflected on the top of the bulb, and the bottom yellow part is blocked out). i'm currently pretty happy with what i've got.
but.
in my never ending conquest for perfection, i have decided to change my lights. seeing as i only have a low beam, i have decided to use d2r reflectors and d2s bulbs (i have checked the amount of glare of the r vs s bulbs in the reflector, and there is hardly a difference) and i have also purchased little solenoids that will pull back (on an axis) the top of the reflector. hence, i will have a high beam/flash based off of my low beam hids
also, i am sacrificing the continuity (look) of the stock headlight, and i've noticed that i am sacrificing some central light. the d2r reflector gives A LOT of light all the way across, where as my stock headlight gives a lot more light down the middle, but much less on the sides. just something im going to have to live with. i've also noticed that the d2r bulbs in the reflector are pretty weak (weaker than my current setup), so thats why i'm going w/ d2s. and dammit, now i've told you guys my secret plans.
anyway, just wanted to put in my two cents
. now help me out w/ those brakes elio!
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
I was actually considering those hi/low HID kits, but they are way to expensive (over $399). here's a pic the seller sent me
Quote:
From Hamann Performance: This kit has halogen high beams with a matching xenon blue color just like ALL European OEM xenon systems (i.e. - Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc.). If you look at any European OEM bi-xenon kit, you will see that it is a halogen high beam as well. The reason that OEM vehicles equip their vehicles with halogen high beams that project a matching xenon blue color is because true xenon high beam bulbs burn much hotter than low beam xenon bulbs and eventually begin to burn the plastic headlight housings of cars. We used to sell the single bulb high low kits that had an actuator move the bulb, but we discontinued to sell them after customers had issues with them burning their headlight housings and had issues with the moving actuator parts. The more electronics and moving parts that you have with automobiles and automotive accessories, the more potential problems you have.
hope this helps...
CaviFL45
WOW that bulb looks like a HUGE pos. everything on it seems crooked, even the return wire. also, if you look at a two filament bulb, you will notice that the filaments most of the time are very close to each other. that one they are WAY apart (at least, arc and filament) vertically and horizontally. that looks like a total piece of crap.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
Retrofitting is the best way to go.
^^ Setup: bi-xenon projectors out of an Infinity fx45.
Hella Gen 3 Ballasts
Philips 4100K bulbs
Wiring Harness
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^^^ My 04 Projectors ^^^
I have a 9007 hid conversion kit from hidynamics, its 6000k and I love it. I did need to aim the lights down a little to help with the glare. It isn't bad though, I get flashed once a month at the most. I have no high beams and see no need for them. If projector headlight setups were cheaper I would consider getting some.
2012 HD VRSCF
2010 Ford Explorer
2006 Ford Ranger
2004 Chevy Cavalier
Weee, more projector conversation
I have Lexus IS300 HIDs in ML320 projectors custom fit to my 02 headlights. best mod I've done so far and I will never drive another car without HIDs
Ok friends thanks for your comments.
Do you have pics of the hid beam pattern in OEM reflector headlights?
Any of you have done a DIY retorfitt procedure of something like that? how can I do it? suggestions, comments, liks, parts and tips are welcome.
Thanks,
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SmoothCavi (Ron Burgundy) wrote:I will never drive another car without HIDs
Same here.
Pics are on my cardomain page.
2012 HD VRSCF
2010 Ford Explorer
2006 Ford Ranger
2004 Chevy Cavalier
Do you have any how-to retrofitt for our headlights? what proyector options we have? price? performance? bi-xenon or not? high beams are really necesary with HIDs?
Thanks,
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heres a picture of my light output in my custom headlights. due to my crappy 100 dollar 2.0 megapixel camera, it makes the output seem MUCH more choppy in the picture than it really is due to it being nighttime. ask anyone whos seen it in person, and they'll tell you that my light output is pretty impressive in terms of intensity
. anyway, i do plan on using some d2r reflectors out of an infiniti in about a month (and do a custom high beam solenoid)
ps - i do have a set of ballasts and bulbs for sale if anyone is interested.....
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
^^ Pics do not do it justice, trust me.
-- John
Thats a TSX Projector with Phillips 4300k bulbs and Hella Gen 3 Ballasts.
I put up a post about HIDs etc and it basically explained everything you would need to do a retrofit, but here are the basics:
Wire harness to go from your stock plugs to the HID ballasts.
Ballasts and Ignitors - (hella gen 3 is a popular one to use)
Bulbs - Phillips or Orsam make good bulbs
Projector - Bosch e46 is a commonly used projector, up from that is Vaelo, then TSX/s2k as far as color output goes. These are all single beam projectors.
Email me at jvanis@gmail.com if interested in 03+ cavy projectors
http://www.aplusperformance.com
Here are pics of my setup:
S2K HID projectors with modded shield
4300k D2S HID Conversion Kit
- Philips 4300k D2S Bulbs
- Hella Gen 3 Ballasts
- Philips LVQ-212 Ballast Enclosures
- 9007 Wiring Harness
Before anyone comments my headlights are aimed too high, my driveway is slanted.
S2K modded shield colour band.
Razor sharp cut-off.
FlipSpeed amazing stuff. Do you how much will cost a pair of headlight retrofitt like those? I have contacted IZN TRBL but I don't have answer yet.
Thanks,
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