HID conversion
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Remember, the 300m special has HID, so you can probably get that from the dealer, and it might work on the trep....
Bet it's damn expensive, though.
Headlights and Foglights. Oh yeah. I had my mechanic look into these and he found out that the ballasts that come with the kit will put a serious draw on the alternator/electrical system. The ballasts are some sort of convertor that ups the voltage to near household current, not to mention I don't think the factory wiring harnesses will be able to stand the power possibly resulting in a fire. I didn't do them because the warnings and what could possibly happen (fire) are greater than the benefits. I upgraded all my bulbs to PIAA's and I'm happy with those.
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Exactly. I don't see a point spending $500 on lighting, when you can get great results from PIAA bulbs for a much smaller price.
All of these quotes are a lot lower than I have found earlier. Full conversions going for $800-1200!!!
If it is in an option package, yes. If I have to do it aftermarket, no. Unless one could find a car in the junkyard with it but since the value is very high I doubt it.
If it is in an option package, yes. If I have to do it aftermarket, no. Unless one could find a car in the junkyard with it but since the value is very high I doubt it.
HID lights run at 20 000 volts, nowhere near household voltage. The reason that they only consume 35 watts of power is because they run at such a high voltage, creating a high efficiency arc. They are not run by filaments. And HID consumes LESS power (35W) than stock bulbs, and they are cool to the touch when they are on, so there is no risk of fire if you hook them up right. Actually, there will be LESS of a drain on the alternator if you install these. And even the best PIAA Xenon bulbs cannot touch HID. They are roughly 5400 degrees kelvin color temperature, and put out close to 300% more useable light than even the best halogen bulbs, xenons included. They are expensive, yes, but thats because they are awesome.
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I don't think anyone will disagree with you there. But for the money, PIAA does a damn good job.
Before the ballasts the draw is only 35 watts, the ballasts jump the power to fire the bulbs. The kit clearly states to remove a 10 amp fuse from the fuse block and replace with a 20 amp or you will consistently blow the fuse (gee-will the factory wiring catch first or will the 20 amp fuse blow)? It also clearly states that if involved in a front end collision you must immediately turn off the lights so someone doesn't get electrocuted by the open bulbs and you must make sure the car is running before you turn the lights on. I've got the kit sitting in my basement and after reading all the warnings and what could possibly happen I said "screw it". I'll send the instructions to someone if they want to display them here and then people can decide for themselves.
Remove the 10 am fuse and replace it with a 20 amp fuse? That is really bizarre. I guess those Midnight Moose kits are not that great after all. I wasn't very impressed with their xenon 9007 bulbs either, although the H3's were noticeably brighter. My buddy did a HID kit for his civic and the kit said absolutely nothing about replacing the fuse, or even touching it for that matter. It also said the kit draws less power than the stock halogen setup, which is something I have heard from many, many people. I'll find out what kit he usesd, and do some research about that 20 amp fuse thing. That is really weird...
I agree with djnrg. The HID setups use only 35 watts like he said. Before or after the ballast, it's all the same. The voltage goes up, wattage stays the same, and the amperage goes down. 12 volts before the ballast at 35 watts is 2.91 amps. The 20,000 volts is just the starting voltage. Most of the time it's between 7,000 and 15,000 volts. After that it goes down to 300-400 volts to keep the bulb going. 300 volts at 35 watts is .11 amps, notice the amperage went down. That isn't much power... you can touch that 300 volts with one hand and you won't be injured much if any... definitely not killed. As a comparison, a camera flash is about 300 volts. That comes out of one or two AA batteries. I've even been shocked by 1200 volts before and it didn't even hurt or leave any burns. It was low current (amperage), but so are HID lighting systems. As for melting the wires... there's no way that would happen. HID lights DO only use 35 watts... if they used any more, they wouldn't be legal because they'd be way too bright. Each headlight bulb uses ~55 watts... A lot of those PIAA superwhites or HID simulation lights use about 85 watts per bulb. If anything is going to fry your headlamp circuit, THOSE would. That's over 7 amps per bulb... which is quite a bit for the stock wiring. Anyways, enough of my rambling... I think HID systems are safer than halogens since they don't produce as much heat and are more efficient. Not to mention the better lighting of the road. It is pretty expensive though... I'll wait till the price comes down lower.
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