HID in dc2/r

[taizon]

im just doin a bit of research b4 i go buy myself a HID KIT for my dc2r..

just wonderin what brand people are using out there?..
are there some good main brands that i should be lookin out for?.. and how much for them?

also , there are different brands on ebay goin around $250.. are these decent?? or should i stay clear of them. got a few friends using HID kits from ebay and they turned out pretty good!.. SOo just want others opinions who have used ebay HID kits.

what about the life of the bulbs?.. do they need replacing often?.. im assuming they last longer than the normal halogens.. but iwhen they do bust.. are there stores out here that sell the bulbs? are how pricey are they?

for those who have HID kits in there DC2/R.. wat temp range are u using?
atm im thinking between 5000k - 6500k. as im after bright white.. with a tinge of blue..



if u guys can help us out with some info.. it'll b appreciated.. thanks!

[taizon]

i also noticed that some HID kits require u cutting/ modding the cap or somethin behind the head lights to make it fit..
are all HID kits like this??

[saxman]

if you're going to do it, do it right

http://www.skafia.com/itr/hid/


drop in kits are CRAP! use a light designed for hids and see what they're capable of

[taizon]

if wat ur sayin involves me removing all that crap and cutting this/ and sourcing other parts.. than i'd rather not go into all that trouble just for hID's

[saxman]

then don't install hids at all...

that's what it takes to do it right, to do it safe. That's how you get the performance of hids without blinding everyone else on the road, etc.

The light output of that way will be so vastly superior to using a drop in kit that you'll never look back.


Not to mention it allows you to use oem quality components that aren't going to take a shit on you and cost a lot to replace with more pieces of crap.


If you want hids, the only proper way to do it is to use a headlight designed for hids. Your integra doesn't have them unless you put them in there.


If anything, do some research on the subject first. Go to http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/index.php do some reading, and discover the error of the ways of the drop in hid kit.

[Icegroove]

Whilst I do agree with the above in that if you're going to do it - do it properly by retrofitting a whole HID kit/projecter oem quality etc.

But DC2R's have projector housings....and from my own experience, HID's have been one of the best mods ever. Once you go to a proper set of HID's u cant go back to Halogen. I have never had anyone complain/beep about blinding them. No cop trouble...

Here is a pic of mine:
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/7077/pict0051wx.jpg

Again - do it right. Make sure your headlights are AIMED correctly. The driver side light should be a little bit lower as to not blind oncoming traffic. If unsure, get a professional to align them for you.

Its not OEM - but its great if you take the extra time to get it right.

:)

good luck mate!

btw mine are 6000K...

[taizon]

saxman: thanks for the info. i'll read up on it once i get the chance

icegroove: what brand are u using?.. how much was it?

[Icegroove]

brand is CNLIGHT.

Have had it since april/may'ish -> Not a problem.

Price was $180. But i got lucky with an OH member who already paid 200 and didnt want them anymore. So i paid the rest and claimed them.

Check with BT-Revolutions in the Traders. Nice guy and happy to help. Thats where i got them from

:thumbsup:

[taizon]

did u have to cut anything?.. mod anything

or just plug and play?



other DC2 owners with HID's would like to share their opinions?

[saxman]

you should do a relay'd harness with whatever you go with, drop in kit or retrofit. Any company that sells a kit and tells you otherwise is just blowing smoke up your ass. A relayed wiring harness is very important for reliability of the set up.

icegrove... unfortunately you've posted a picture showing quite pathetic hid performance. Yes, it's a lot better than most drop in hid kits, but the light output is absolutely nothing compared to a proper projector. With hid projectors, the base of those two little poles on the left side of the screen would be lit up.

Halogen lights, projector or reflector, are designed for use with halogen bulbs. They are not designed for use with HID bulbs. In the case of reflectors, this usually results in lots of glare, with VERY poor performance. In projectors, you usually are a little better off... still way more glare than what's safe, and performance slightly better than reflectors, but just nothing like what a real hid projector is capable of.

compare to this picture that looks to be about at teh same distance from the wall of a real hid set up

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v609/exrcoupe/NewRetro/NightShots/Cutoff70ft.jpg




also, according to dot and ece aiming standards, the driverside should not be any lower than the passenger side. There is a step built in to the cut off to accomidate for blinding on coming traffic when aimed correctly.


If performance of the lights is what you're after, 4100-4300k is the only way to go. There's a significant reduction in light output as you increase in color temp. At somewhere around 8000k-10000k, the lightoutput actually becomes less than a standard halogen bulb

[ccibai]

my fren got MTEC from one of the traders here about 380ish for his dc2r. N definitely go for it since dc2r has projector headlamps and installation is like 10 mins? go for it n u won't regret.

[Q_ball]

brand is CNLIGHT.

Have had it since april/may'ish -> Not a problem.

Price was $180. But i got lucky with an OH member who already paid 200 and didnt want them anymore. So i paid the rest and claimed them.

Check with BT-Revolutions in the Traders. Nice guy and happy to help. Thats where i got them from

:thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: hehehe

[saxman]

the fact the teg has projectors already is pretty much irrelevant...

the question is if the headlights are designed for hids or not. A halogen headlight, projector or reflector, is not designed for an hid bulb, and will not perform as such.


MTEC = cheap chinese knock off hardware

if you're going to use an hid kit, at least use a quality one that uses oem(hella, etc) ballasts and phillips or osram bulbs

[ccibai]

well, not everyone can afford or see there is a pt of spending so much more on hella phillips ballast brand new though..it almost double up the price mate...

the fact the teg has projectors already is pretty much irrelevant...

the question is if the headlights are designed for hids or not. A halogen headlight, projector or reflector, is not designed for an hid bulb, and will not perform as such.


MTEC = cheap chinese knock off hardware

if you're going to use an hid kit, at least use a quality one that uses oem(hella, etc) ballasts and phillips or osram bulbs

[saxman]

it'll cost you a whole lot more when you have to replace your cheap chinese knock off hid kit because it breaks after 6 months. The point is simple... the oem stuff lasts, the cheap stuff breaks down very quickly. It's not like they perform the same and you're just spending more money for the hell of it.


If you shop well, and do your research, you can generally get everything needed for an oem retrofit, including OEM ballasts, bulbs, AND projectors, for less than nearly all of the cheap knock off hid kits.

[SAWAKITA]

Well I'm using chinese made HID... No problems at all.. took it off from my previous car and still working like new.. been using this kit for over 2 years now.. and I do a lot of night driving.

Its up to people what they want to use or buy. I think there is no need for knock this or that.

I've personally used another Japanese made HID kit. It cost more than double price of the Chinese made HID kit I'm using now. Guess what... It's only last no more than 6 months.. so SOMETIMES cheap stuff can last too.

[bungsai]

Saxman, you are a wealth of information, and a great asset to OH...it seems like you are constantly having to defend your stance ehehe..

IMO,

Do not retrofit HID's into cars with reflector housings that are made for halogens, this will PISS OFF alot of people on the road, and the light will be poorly focussed and scattered.

Install them into a projector housing even if the original is halogen, but do not expect to get the full potential of HID's from this set up. The projected - designed for halogen will not offer you the wide and crisp light dispersal that HID made projectors can offer. Get a plug and play system - preferably non Chinese (Guandong province seems to be pretty popular), as these systems are inevitably of poorer quality than japanese or european made parts. You may offend some road users if your projectors are not correctly aimed, or if you have a really really craphouse projector that does not disperse light any better than a reflector.

If you can afford it, the best option, although still illegal, is to retrofit HID made projectors, these will disperse the light in an effective manner maximizing the light output of the HID unit. This however does come with quite a large cost.

Summary

Bad - HID into reflector - NO
Good - HID into Halogen projector - Can la...but dont expect 100% results.
Better - HID into Retrofit Projector - GOOD la...but cost u $$$
All of the above are illegal in australia.

:)

so as not to be hypocritical i would like to add that i have a Phillips based plug and play system in my original projectors, however i am considering a retrofit to maximise the potential of my hid's.

[preludacris]

i also have MTEC, and i have found them to be fine . I have reflector housing , so there is a lot of scatter, but the light put on the road is 100x better than my old halogens

and i've had my MTEC's for a year now, and still no problems... :D

[sAimOns]

i got my set of HID's off a mate who's a sponsor on ns.com ... its nice and not that expensive, so if your after one let me know and i see if i can hook u up

[kit927]

it'll cost you a whole lot more when you have to replace your cheap chinese knock off hid kit because it breaks after 6 months. The point is simple... the oem stuff lasts, the cheap stuff breaks down very quickly. It's not like they perform the same and you're just spending more money for the hell of it.


If you shop well, and do your research, you can generally get everything needed for an oem retrofit, including OEM ballasts, bulbs, AND projectors, for less than nearly all of the cheap knock off hid kits.

saxman the cheap chinese knock off's that ur talkin abt usually comes with 6mths to 12 mths warranty so its cool if anything breaks...
u get a new kit for free...(well the cheap knock off's that im sellin do that deal..)
none of my customers have been complainin...
dont get me wrong the info that u have given has been really helpful, but it also really comes down to the expectation the user and how much he/her want to spend...

Cheers
KIT

[Icegroove]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: hehehe


hahaha i wonder who helped me get the kit, ey Q?....lol :thumbsup:




thats a good point too...no matter what HID you put in - in the end, its still illegal. So whether u spent 100 bux for a cheap set or 900 for a brand name/retrofit - cops come - money goes bye bye! *cha-ching* :)

[saxman]

Do a search on here and see how many people complaining of their cheap hids flickering, not starting up, having problems, etc.

Yes, there are some people that don't have problems after a year or two(and lots that do), but what about three years from now? They won't all break, but tons will. Also, quite often the bulbs themselves are poorly designed, so the focal lengths and such are incorrect, causing even more glare, etc. It's more than just them breaking down.


Keep in mind that yes, it's illegal to use hids like this period, but when retrofitting an oem hid projector, you get performance identical to an oem car. A cop is FAR FAR FAR FAR less likely to even think twice about your car with an oem set up. Dropping a cheap hid kit into the reflector lights just SCREAMS "LOOK AT ME I'M USING ILLEGAL UNSAFE LIGHTS!"


Also, as I said before, with good shopping, you can get a complete retrofit set up for less money than a cheap plug and play kit.

[misterpoh]

im just doin a bit of research b4 i go buy myself a HID KIT for my dc2r..

just wonderin what brand people are using out there?..
are there some good main brands that i should be lookin out for?.. and how much for them?

also , there are different brands on ebay goin around $250.. are these decent?? or should i stay clear of them. got a few friends using HID kits from ebay and they turned out pretty good!.. SOo just want others opinions who have used ebay HID kits.

what about the life of the bulbs?.. do they need replacing often?.. im assuming they last longer than the normal halogens.. but iwhen they do bust.. are there stores out here that sell the bulbs? are how pricey are they?

for those who have HID kits in there DC2/R.. wat temp range are u using?
atm im thinking between 5000k - 6500k. as im after bright white.. with a tinge of blue..



if u guys can help us out with some info.. it'll b appreciated.. thanks!

From you picture, your civic has aftermarket headlights. HID will MELT your head light housing. Think twice before purchasing. HID kits are good during dry normal nights but raining days, its a bit hard to see.

Edit : Im using Acumen 6000k. Its white, its bright..

[taizon]

From you picture, your civic has aftermarket headlights. HID will MELT your head light housing. Think twice before purchasing. HID kits are good during dry normal nights but raining days, its a bit hard to see.

if u took some time to read my post. the first line says that im buying it for a DC2R..


**************
other guys that are using the "cheap chinese knock off HID kits" did installing the HID kit require u to cut and moddify the rear of the Headlights to hold the bulb in place??

[misterpoh]

if u took some time to read my post. the first line says that im buying it for a DC2R..


**************
other guys that are using the "cheap chinese knock off HID kits" did installing the HID kit require u to cut and moddify the rear of the Headlights to hold the bulb in place??

woot.. my fault :o nevertheless, was jus trying to be helpful ! :D

[saxman]

From you picture, your civic has aftermarket headlights. HID will MELT your head light housing. Think twice before purchasing. HID kits are good during dry normal nights but raining days, its a bit hard to see.
properly designed and aimed hid lights work far better in the rain than stock lights do.


hid kits put off so much glare that in foul weather, you're right, it's nearly impossible to see.



There are tons of people out here running civics with aftermarket headlights... with a projector retrofit done, they work perfectly fine. Using the stock absolutely horrible projectors(the projectors in those aftermarket headlights are pretty much only good as paperweights), will cause problems, especially in the H3 based lights.

[Icegroove]

In regards to cutting or anything like that, the one I had had the same 'fitting' as the oem bulbs. So no cutting was required....just pop stright in and twist to 'lock' :)

[taizon]

In regards to cutting or anything like that, the one I had had the same 'fitting' as the oem bulbs. So no cutting was required....just pop stright in and twist to 'lock' :)


thanks.. i may havta look for a brand that will fit straight in..
i've seen some that u have to cut and mod it.



wat about sourcing bulbs for HID's once they've blown?
.. is it just a matter of finding the right size, voltage and temp ?

or would i have to purchase the exact same brand bulb?. i.e. can CNLIGHT... bulbs work with MTEC HID's.. ??!? and other HID brands?

[bungsai]

From you picture, your civic has aftermarket headlights. HID will MELT your head light housing. Think twice before purchasing. HID kits are good during dry normal nights but raining days, its a bit hard to see.

Edit : Im using Acumen 6000k. Its white, its bright..

true what you say about night time, raining the light just reflects everywhere.

HID's run cooler than halogens btw.

[underc35a]

if money is an issue then why not just purchase some high performance halogens? such as european silverstars or philips vision plus? you would probably light up the road better than cheap drop in kits

[saxman]

wat about sourcing bulbs for HID's once they've blown?
.. is it just a matter of finding the right size, voltage and temp ?

or would i have to purchase the exact same brand bulb?. i.e. can CNLIGHT... bulbs work with MTEC HID's.. ??!? and other HID brands?
high quality bulbs aren't going to blow anytime soon... cheap ones might


voltage and such will all be the same... what you have to be aware of is that the cheap bulbs have no standard for color temp, so a 7000k bulb from two different brands won't necessarily match. Also, the cheap bulbs use non standard hid connectors, so you have to be sure to get a bulb that uses whatever cheap connector the kit uses. Also, replacement bulbs for the cheap kits tend to cost quite a bit more than quality oem bulbs.

If you think a bulb is burnt out, check the ballast first(switch the bulbs from side to side, etc). On the kits, it's generally the ballast that goes first.

[theHKway]

From you picture, your civic has aftermarket headlights. HID will MELT your head light housing. Think twice before purchasing. HID kits are good during dry normal nights but raining days, its a bit hard to see.

Edit : Im using Acumen 6000k. Its white, its bright..

thats what i have as well..
and it is white and bright.

just needed to ziptip ur modual nicely
twist and lock and it works.



if money is an issue then why not just purchase some high performance halogens? such as european silverstars or philips vision plus? you would probably light up the road better than cheap drop in kits ..

i was personally going to buy those phillps globes.
but i was told by many people that i might as well drive with my head lights off! they are only bright but no shine.

there for i went the arcman HID's
they where not as bright as i thought it was going to be.
but all my friends can tell my car apart from every1 else 4 blocks away
looks kool. ts white with a tinge of blue
no 1 gets bothered by them


depends if u want show or proformance.
just make sure u buy new high beams (phillps globes 4000k)
otherwise ur gonna have white lows and yellow highs.
dont forget to get rid of those yellow parkers too! $10

[Boost]

looks like the saxman is trying to defend himself again.
Hey saxman: i dont think the australian honda scene is as big as those in the US and as into their HIDs as you guys over there. Over here its more about rice than functionality. Like you, Id rather have something that works best first time rather than buy the cheap chinese, korean knock off.
I currently have a set of denso ballast with phiilips d2s bulbs, a set of hella gen 3 ballast with osrams bubls, a set of E46 bixenons which im stilling waiting to retro into my next car and a few other bits and pieces like E55 bixenons, E46 singles xenons.

What are you running in your car?

[taizon]

are u askin saxman about his integra?.. if he has one?
or u askin me?


i can see where saxman is coming from. and he is right in many ways, if u want to do it right and get things working the way they should b..

but.. like most, i'd like the hid's more for a bling factor.. and as it also adds more light than most halogens.. but obvisously not as proper factory installed hids..

[Boost]

nar was asking saxman what setup hes got in his car..