Aftermarket HID kits should be against the law or regulated. Everytime I see a riced out Civic with ultra bright blue/purple HID bulbs that blind me from half a mile down the road, I want to chase them down and beat them to a bloody pulp with their HID ballasts.

That is all.

 

Cool, thanks for the story. Any other help?

 

Sorry, I was just being facetious.. Mostly.

I don't have any problem with HID headlights as long as they're installed properly. Anything that allows you to see better at night is a good thing. Unfortunately it seems that much of the time, aftermarket kits are not installed properly and then it becomes a safety issue for oncomming traffic.

As for your question, can't you just replace the bulbs with better specimens? It doesn't seem like you should need to replace the whole kit.

 

Xenith Xenons

I've used Xenith Xenons in 3 of my vehicles with no ill side effects. They have a great cut off and they are very easy to install.

I am currently waiting for my new set of Xenith Xenons in the mail for my Insight.

 

I've used Xenith Xenons in 3 of my vehicles with no ill side effects. They have a great cut off and they are very easy to install.

I am currently waiting for my new set of Xenith Xenons in the mail for my Insight.

So, I went to Xenith Xenons - Premium Xenons in a Not-So-Premium Market - which product have you installed? Did you put it on a G1?

TIA

 

Stock bulbs were terrible.

I picked up a replacement set in Pep Boys one day (9004? don't remember), and they may have been Sylvania's. I like 6k because of the white light.

These were a huge improvement. Sorry I can't remember the brand, but if you get good aftermarket bulbs, not sure you need HID, at least based on my experience.
Regards,
Jerry

 

Also, note that the human eye sees blue the WORST:

Eye Color Sensitivity

So you get heavily blue-colored lights and you're paying money to make yourself less safe.

I second the 6000k white aftermarket bulbs... the dim/yellowy ones that come stock in the Insight are crap.

Sam

 

the problem with our lights and HID's is that they use H4's. Most people go with a basic "low beam" h4 kit or one of the rip off kits that include a tiny halogen "high beam" that does nothing.

Once installed people either don't aim them or aim the lights up. So they have permanent high beams. It tends to happen with most people who install HID's

What you should look for is a set of mechanical (or moving) H4 HID's.

AND THEN AIM THEM PROPERLY!

H4/9003 Bi-Xenon Bulbs (HID Low/High)
This is a similar set to what I have. Can't find mine online. I get them from a guy in Toronto Ontario. The ballasts are tiny. Everything I needed was in the box. And they work like regular H4 halogen bulbs but brighter! And I know a couple guys that also have them and haven't seen any with dim bulbs.

If your going to get HID's for an H4 bulb, this is the only option.

If you live nearby let me know and I'll give you the guys number.

I wish insights had better headlights

 

I did a search and did not come up with anything conclusive. Is there a HID conversion available for the Gen 1 Insight, both hi and lo beams HID, that is basically a drop in? What about wattages? I notice some are 55 watt and some are 35 watt, what is recommended? Any other recommendations for light spectrum, 4300K or 6000K? I am not looking for something "cool" looking, just better overall ability to see at night. My wifes Toyota Siennia had HID from the factory and they were awsome.

 

I installed Phillips 4300k kit, and it was a bit on yellow side. I replace the bulbs for 6000k. Now it is very white.

 

talonmike - earlier this morning I came across a Phillips conversion kit for $269, the ones with the mechanical shifter for the high beam. Does that sound like what you used? Any chance you have a part number, where you got it, etc?

 

talonmike - earlier this morning I came across a Phillips conversion kit for $269, the ones with the mechanical shifter for the high beam. Does that sound like what you used? Any change you have a part number, where you got it, etc?

I bought this kit

I bought 2 kits, 1 for my talon, and one for my insight.


I got the one for my talon here
H4 Bi-Xenon Philips HID Kit - 9003 Bi-Xenon Philips HID Kit

and the one for my insight in ebay.


I think that ebay sell Chinese copy. The light on my insight was almost yellow after 2 weeks of use. So I bought new 6000k bulbs from hidkits. I would buy from philipshidkit.

 

Bi-xenon Morimoto Mini Stage III Kit (H1) - Complete Retrofit Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc

They aren't too dificult to install. And probably as close as you can get to stock HID systems without cutting up your headlights.

 

From another forum. Great info about HIDs. Hopefully it helps.

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2543977

 

Don't just put an HID bulb in a stock reflector. You'll blind oncoming traffic and any one on the sidewalks. You'll need to add hardware to the headlight to get the sharp cutoff required for HID lights. Not just ballasts to provide the correct voltage levels in the bulbs.

If the kit just provides bulbs, ballasts, a wiring harness, and instructions, it's illegal and unsafe.

 

I am new to HIDs. My wife's 2005 Toyota had HIDs from the factory and they were awsome. The 2001 Insight has a relatively poor light output, and I am looking for something better. I could just stick a set of $40 Sylvania Silver stars in, but am looking for more.

Why can't you just stick HIDs into the stock reflectors? I would assume that the halogen bulb by itself radiates in all directions, and that a HID would do the same thing, and that as long as the HID was in the same position in the reflector the pattern would be the same. I would assume that it is the reflector that controls the radiated light pattern.

What am I missing?

I also would assume that projectors have their own builtin reflector, and that they would be very critical to aiming and mounting.

 

You just have to lower the headlight adjustment.

 

Why would any change be needed if the bulb remains in the same location?

 

If you've ever looked at a halogen headlamp, you'll notice that the Low Beam filament has a built in reflector above that keeps the light cut off low, while the bright filament does not. I'm guessing it has to do with that.

 

The bi-xenon bulbs have the same type of reflector. When you put the high, the reflector move away and expose the light to both side of the reflector.

Because the light is much brighter, I have lowered my headlight a little bit to prevent blind.

 

Are we talking about two different things here?

So the bi-xenon headlamps are drop in replacements, but they are not HID bulbs, correct? Or are they considered a type of HID?

True HID bulbs don't have a filament, they have a gas filled arc tube, a ballast and a warmup period.

 

They are Phillips HID. No filament. 2 high voltage ballast.

 

secretghost - the Morimoto's appear to be projectors that require splitting apart the headlights I don't even want to try that, I am afraid of damaging the headlights. From what I can tell the Phillips kit installs like a normal bulb, no change to the existing headlight.

 

Hmm. Cool. I may have to pick some of those up. I also don't like the idea of hacking up my headlamps. Drop in is good.

 

Eli,


I bought this kit.

H4 Bi-Xenon Philips HID Kit - 9003 Bi-Xenon Philips HID Kit

 

I'm not doubting you, but I don't quite understand what you mean. The HID arc and a filament are in the same position, are they not? Vertical?

 

Sorry. Didn't see this post. The forum hid it from me.

I'm pretty sure the arc runs from the anode at one end to the cathode at the other end, not from side to side where there are clearly no contacts.

Do you have any sources? Again I'm not trying to doubt you, but your vehemence against this is interesting. I'm not really finding a problem with putting HID bulbs in a headlight lens that was originally intended for a filament.

You're talking about a headlight adjustment issue. Unless you're saying that it's impossible to adjust a standard filament reflector with a HID bulb fitted? Why would this be?

There are some halogen bulbs where the filament is perpendicular to the vertical plane of the bulb, but it seems most are parallel with it. I will have a look at an Insight bulb tonight.

My post just before your previous one has a link that about halfway down states

The only available arc capsules have a longitudinal arc (arc path runs front to back) on the axis of the bulb, but many popular halogen headlamp bulbs, such as 9004, 9007, H3 and H12, use a filament that is transverse (side-to-side) and/or offset (not on the axis of the bulb) central axis of the headlamp reflector).

Also from that site this brief video from a UK auto show discussing the illegality of the HID drop in conversions. The issue is clearly shown in the beginning with the car with correct HID headlight design and the car with the illegal HID conversion. They are filming at an angle and you can see the barest glare from the legal car but the illegal car is like looking at the sun.

 

The philips site has


NOTE : Xenon HID bulbs can only be used in vehicles that have HID lighting systems. They cannot be used as an upgrade in conventional headlights.
The Xenon HID bulb requires an electronic ballast and has an electronic starter for quick ignition.


I think the intent of this statement is that you can't just replace the bulb, but that other upgrades are required like the ballast.

 

Just go on eBay and order the first kit you see with a relays harness and lower your headlamp aim half a turn. I suggest 35 watt ballast for energy savings for low beams.


Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

 

Just go on eBay and order the first kit you see with a relays harness and lower your headlamp aim half a turn. I suggest 35 watt ballast for energy savings for low beams.

Please make sure that a relative or friend that never rides with you in your Insight has your login and password here so that we may be informed when you are killed in the inevitable head on collision. The blame for the collision will be placed on the other vehicle for crossing the center line but that wouldn't be the real reason for the collision. There are two factors responsible for the unexplainable head on collisions.

1. Humans instinctively look at sources of light. The brighter the source, the stronger the instinct. Thus, oncoming drivers will be looking at you and due to the dazzling light will no see that they have crossed the center line.

2. Humans steer a car in the direction they are looking. If you have ever participated in a true driver's ed class (not the one in high school were the Spanish teacher rode in the passenger seat with a hydraulic brake pedal just in case), it is one of the first things they teach you. Look around the turn and that's where you will go.

Putting an HID bulb in a non HID headlight assembly is on par with frying a turkey in your garage or running an gasoline generator indoors so the noise doesn't upset the neighbors.

 

Do you have any sources? Again I'm not trying to doubt you, but your vehemence against this is interesting. I'm not really finding a problem with putting HID bulbs in a headlight lens that was originally intended for a filament.

You're talking about a headlight adjustment issue. Unless you're saying that it's impossible to adjust a standard filament reflector with a HID bulb fitted? Why would this be?

There are some halogen bulbs where the filament is perpendicular to the vertical plane of the bulb, but it seems most are parallel with it. I will have a look at an Insight bulb tonight.

 

Do you have any sources? Again I'm not trying to doubt you, but your vehemence against this is interesting. I'm not really finding a problem with putting HID bulbs in a headlight lens that was originally intended for a filament..

Because reflectors do not do clean cut offs for the projected light like a proper projector unit and hence you get a lot of light spill upwards from your cars to the eyeline of other drives.

A filament has nothing like the light characteristics offered by a uniform HID arc.

 

I've used hid since 2007 with no problems. I've used them in regular and projector lamps.

On other forums the advice is to lower your aim or wait for someone to flash you, then lower the aim.

I just picked up a set of 35 watt h3c 3000k for a set of rectangle fog lamps on my moms Suzuki sidekick. 70 bucks including shipping and relay kit.


Sent from my Autoguide iPod touch app

 

I've used hid since 2007 with no problems. I've used them in regular and projector lamps.

On other forums the advice is to lower your aim or wait for someone to flash you, then lower the aim.

So you are going to put in a brighter bulb to increase the distance you can see in the dark but aim the light down at the ground in front of you to reduce the distance you can see in the dark.

[sarcasm]Perfectly sensible.[/sarcasm]

Yes, it does, that's what I mean. The arc in a HID bulb runs from electrode to electrode, which is vertical.

The filament in the Insight's headlight also runs vertical. I'm sitting here looking at one. It's a 9003.

The problem I see is that the HID bulb doesn't have a reflector on the low beam like the low beam of the halogen 9003 does. Right?

Edit: Watched the videos and such. I understand the principles behind it, I'm wondering if it's not too generic though. Regardless, I won't be doing this. Oh well, was a nice thought.

The low beam blocker in the halogen limits the height of the light on the road. Since it is missing on the HID bulb, it means that there is no limit for the height of the light. It's always in a high beam distribution mode. From the design of the bulb we can see that there are two focal points for the light. Since the HID bulb is not designed to use those two points, it is up to chance what it does. Does it hit the low beam side and project all that extra light closer to the car, no matter if you select high or low on the control stalk? Or does it hit the high beam side and project as if the stalk was stuck in the high beam mode? Or does it do neither and just toss all the light willy nilly across the countryside?