HID no retrofit- review

[mapdash]

Just wanted to give my real world review of HID's in the stock lenses. Most of what i have read on here has shunned this idea as it is a poor choice vs a retrofit. This is the consensus in the HID lighting community and for the most part is true. I should say also that I hate HID's in most reflective lenses and hate being blinded by 12k bulbs as much as anyone.

My outcome is that with 4300k bulbs and proper adjustment (this took multiple attempts and views from different angles) the results are excellent. After adjusting the lights they are not blinding to other drivers and the functional light is far superior to halogen. I have had ZERO flashes from other drivers. Not one. I even went back and adjusted the headlights UP a bit after the intial install as i think i was a bit conservative in the initial adjustment.

BTW I used Xenon depot 4300k for the headlights and 3000k for the fog lights. This review is more for the headlights as I only use the fogs in bad weather and I think i have only had them on twice so far.

To be clear I am not saying this option is as good as a full retrofit with projectors. That is the way to go for the best lighting output IMO and the cost reflects that. I am also not saying that a 12k ebay HID kit will give similar results.

What I am saying is that IMO a good 4300k bulb in a properly aligned stock lense is a decent option and for the price is a vast improvement over the stock halogens.

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Just wanted to give my real world review of HID's in the stock lenses. Most of what i have read on here has shunned this idea as it is a poor choice vs a retrofit. This is the consensus in the HID lighting community and for the most part is true. I should say also that I hate HID's in most reflective lenses and hate being blinded by 12k bulbs as much as anyone.

My outcome is that with 4300k bulbs and proper adjustment (this took multiple attempts and views from different angles) the results are excellent. After adjusting the lights they are not blinding to other drivers and the functional light is far superior to halogen. I have had ZERO flashes from other drivers. Not one. I even went back and adjusted the headlights UP a bit after the intial install as i think i was a bit conservative in the initial adjustment.

BTW I used Xenon depot 4300k for the headlights and 3000k for the fog lights. This review is more for the headlights as I only use the fogs in bad weather and I think i have only had them on twice so far.

To be clear I am not saying this option is as good as a full retrofit with projectors. That is the way to go for the best lighting output IMO and the cost reflects that. I am also not saying that a 12k ebay HID kit will give similar results.

What I am saying is that IMO a good 4300k bulb in a properly aligned stock lense is a decent option and for the price is a vast improvement over the stock halogens.

Interesting...How about some pictures against a wall at about 25 feet or more? HID light output is not the question. To me, the big issue is cutoff. 2004 or so, Lexus put HID bulbs in reflector housings and the cutoff is actually very good. I'd be interested in going your route if the cutoff is clean. Projector retro's are so expensive and my halogens really do work well anyway. Maybe a little wider beam would be nice but otherwise, for the places I drive, more than adequate.

 

[Jesse1983]

I have had ZERO flashes from other drivers. Not one.

Opposing traffic is one thing, but I bet people in front of you, going the same direction, wish they could retaliate for the blinding light you're shooting into their car.

 

[Jono.ful]

Interesting...How about some pictures against a wall at about 25 feet or more? HID light output is not the question. To me, the big issue is cutoff. 2004 or so, Lexus put HID bulbs in reflector housings and the cutoff is actually very good. I'd be interested in going your route if the cutoff is clean. Projector retro's are so expensive and my halogens really do work well anyway. Maybe a little wider beam would be nice but otherwise, for the places I drive, more than adequate.

The projector itself is what provides the cutoff. a parabolic reflector, by it's nature, floods the entire area.

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

The projector itself is what provides the cutoff. a parabolic reflector, by it's nature, floods the entire area.

Not always true. Like I said, my Lexus GS has HID bulbs in a reflector housing but the cutoff is good. I'm sure the reflector was designed for the HID bulb so I want to see what OPs cutoff looks like.

 

[Eagle]

Not always true. Like I said, my Lexus GS has HID bulbs in a reflector housing but the cutoff is good. I'm sure the reflector was designed for the HID bulb so I want to see what OPs cutoff looks like.

Agree. I understand the GS had two stock headlights, including HIDs with a specifically-designed reflector. The T4rs do not have a reflector designed for HIDs.

I have never tested it and OP may be 100% correct that careful aiming is sufficient. I just know that I've seen plenty of blinding hack-jobs to make me very hesitant.

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Agree. I understand the GS had two stock headlights, including HIDs with a specifically-designed reflector. The T4rs do not have a reflector designed for HIDs.

I have never tested it and OP may be 100% correct that careful aiming is sufficient. I just know that I've seen plenty of blinding hack-jobs to make me very hesitant.

Yup. That's why i need to see pictures. Most of the kids here on Oahu (Hawaii) have those hack-job HIDs and they are very irritating. Worse part is these idiots think they made improvements to their lights. The light pattern is so unfocussed that they not only blind others, they barely illuminate the area they are intended for.

 

[Eagle]

Yup. That's why i need to see pictures. Most of the kids here on Oahu (Hawaii) have those hack-job HIDs and they are very irritating. Worse part is these idiots think they made improvements to their lights. The light pattern is so unfocussed that they not only blind others, they barely illuminate the area they are intended for.

Plus... if 4300K is good, 12000K must be better!

mapdash, I'd also be interested in seeing pictures just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Jono.ful]

google can't seem to find a photo of a GS equipped with HID's that doesn't also have a projector. I will have to take your word for it, however, my original point still rings true: in a 4Runner, it is the projector itself that will provide the cut off.

 

[zshan]

Plus... if 4300K is good, 12000K must be better!

mapdash, I'd also be interested in seeing pictures just to satisfy my curiosity.

Nope, Sir, The lower the K ,the brighter the output/light is.

 

[Eagle]

Nope, Sir, The lower the K ,the brighter the output/light is.

...it was sarcasm.
:thumb3:

 

[Jono.ful]

Nope, Sir, The lower the K ,the brighter the output/light is.

to a point, yes. once you start to get down to about 1,500k you lose output. For HID`s, the optimal range seems to be about 4,000-6,000k. 4,300k is considered by many to be ideal because it is very white and very bright.

 

[eddiebx]

google can't seem to find a photo of a GS equipped with HID's that doesn't also have a projector. I will have to take your word for it, however, my original point still rings true: in a 4Runner, it is the projector itself that will provide the cut off.

I recall seeing these type of GS headlights back in the day and also IS 300 headlights with the factory reflector HID; not to mention older Acura TLs and RLs all have factory reflector HID headlights, so they are definitely out there.

I believe a cutoff is still possible to achieve even with reflector optics, it's just a matter of properly shielding the HID capsule, same as you would with the cutoff shield behind the projector lens.

In the case of reflectors you would usually place a shield under the capsule which will block the appropriate amount of light from scattering too far above the desired cutoff.

By far not the greatest example, but this is sort of what I am talking about:

The problem with reflector based HID (and even more so with HID capsules retrofitted into halogen reflectors) is that one cannot control the light bleeding at the cutoff as well as with a projector--there's always going to be a certain amount of light escaping above the cutoff. It's just not possible to achieve a razor sharp cutoff like you can with a projector.

 

[Jono.ful]

Hmm learn something new every day

 

[harper7]

The projector itself is what provides the cutoff. a parabolic reflector, by it's nature, floods the entire area.

By design,The stock reflectors have a cutoff also but just not as sharp as most projectors with more light leakage above the cutoff.That's how you are supposed to get the aim for a projector retrofit. The problem lies with most HID bulbs being longer then stock halogen and throwing the cutoff out of focus when the reflector was specifically designed for the halogen bulb length.
Stock cutoff vs HID projector retrofit cutoff

 

[Jono.ful]

By design,The stock reflectors have a cutoff also but just not as sharp as most projectors with more light leakage above the cutoff.That's how you are supposed to get the aim for a projector retrofit. The problem lies with most HID bulbs being longer then stock halogen and throwing the cutoff out of focus when the reflector was specifically designed for the halogen bulb length.
Stock cutoff vs HID projector retrofit cutoff
[/QUOTE]

... And some days you learn two things

 

[mapdash]

Interesting...How about some pictures against a wall at about 25 feet or more? HID light output is not the question. To me, the big issue is cutoff. 2004 or so, Lexus put HID bulbs in reflector housings and the cutoff is actually very good. I'd be interested in going your route if the cutoff is clean. Projector retro's are so expensive and my halogens really do work well anyway. Maybe a little wider beam would be nice but otherwise, for the places I drive, more than adequate.

I dont have any picures and honestly i wont be able to take any soon.

There were some on here that i found at some point in another thread.

 

[mapdash]

Opposing traffic is one thing, but I bet people in front of you, going the same direction, wish they could retaliate for the blinding light you're shooting into their car.

On very low vehicles or vehicles with low trunk lids this is an issue with HID or not.

After installing the HID's and adjusting the lights this hasnt been an issue. I think it would be if i didnt adjust them.