Write-Up: HID Conversion

Pictures... hey, that's a good idea!

I think part of what happens is this: The OEM headlamp lens is designed to focus light in a general pattern, with a gradual fade out as you go "up" - this prohibits the light from being too bright at upward angles oncoming drivers might notice as glare. So say a stock halogen puts out 600 Lumens straight ahead to the horizon. At some point, a certain height (or angle) above horizon, the light intensity fades out. We could say at this point, the brightness is perhaps 50% full intensity - at this point it would not bother oncoming drivers. In theory, anyway. I don't know what the actual percentage would be - but let's call this point the glare threshold.

HID light is so much brighter than halogen light (in terms of Lumens, 2-3X), that when installed in the same OEM lens, the focus and direction is the same, and the rate of fade is also the same (gradual), except the HID will put out MORE LIGHT at any angle compared to the halogen. More light at the horizon, more light at the ground, and more light at the glare threshold. This means the angle or height of the glare threshold will be higher with HID than halogen. There's simply more light coming out of the lens.

Yes, you can aim the lenses down to compensate, but all this does is lesson the amount of light out in front of you to be similar to the OEM halogen - in short, the ground gets really bright in front of the car. You don't get any more light way out in front. If you do, you're blinding other drivers.

The solution: a less gradual fade, a sharper transition to preserve a lower glare threshold while still throwing a bright beam of light way out in front, where you really need to see. This is what a projector system does well. Here's an illustration attempting to explain how HIDs get bright in a halogen lens, raising the glare threshold, and how a projector would sharpen the transition, lowering the threshold:

Actually, I have noticed that the OEM HID's that I've been comparing myself with lately have a very defined cutoff... AA is saying that all you'll get is a bunch of light right in front of the car, but that IS what I'm seeing.

Another thing: I thought I saw it on a thread on here, but perhaps it was during my many hours of research... SOMEwhere, I saw a decent explanation of the difference between reflector systems and projector systems. And we all know that there are many people slapping cheap Chinese HID kits into cars that are not designed for them, blinding the oncoming drivers and probably causing millions of deaths on our roads every day...

However, here is an interesting thread: http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2512172

Just got them in today, low and high beams

pics will be up later tonight.

So far lookin good though.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=279953&id=100000000759162&fbid=117165294960162#!

let me know if this link doesnt work

yes i know its facebook...LOL

Conversion is complete but in order for me to post more pics i need to know if you can see the previous one

Just right-click the picture, click properties, and copy the address into an [IMG] code for us to see it.

Left is stock/right is Xenon

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs442.snc3/25407_117165288293496_100000000759162_279952_4973071_n.jpg

Highbeams, again left stock right Xenon

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs462.ash1/25407_117165301626828_100000000759162_279954_6574489_n.jpg

Makes the headlight look blue when off

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs462.ash1/25407_117165311626827_100000000759162_279955_8089199_n.jpg

at night, Left stock/right Xenon

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs462.snc3/25407_117227858287239_100000000759162_280518_7421264_n.jpg

And Complete

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs462.snc3/25407_117227874953904_100000000759162_280522_5853521_n.jpg

that should work. Left is stock, right is the Xenon

Looks good.

Do I spy a hood scope?

VJD2 wrote:

Looks good.

Do I spy a hood scope?

Thanks, and yes lol....a fake plastic one.... ....I plan on removing it and maybe later on down the road making a decent ''Functional'' one myself.

How are these functioning with the stock alarm system.

On mine, they stay lit for a minute after I turn the car off but I don't think that's a huge deal. An issue would be if our lows came on when unlocking the car. The ballasts don't love turning on and off in rapid succession (or so i hear). When I lock the car, I just use the door button instead of the fob so that the HIDs don't flash at night. Hope that makes sense.

My lows do come on when I unlock the car, yours dont? They come on when the car is both locked and unlocked from the key fob. Are you saying you dont use the key fob anymore to lock and unlock the car?

DEMonte1997 wrote:

On mine, they stay lit for a minute after I turn the car off but I don't think that's a huge deal. An issue would be if our lows came on when unlocking the car. The ballasts don't love turning on and off in rapid succession (or so i hear). When I lock the car, I just use the door button instead of the fob so that the HIDs don't flash at night. Hope that makes sense.

there was a thread recently that covered "personalization" that you can refer to to turn off the light flash when locking using key fob.

Albertj

...and you can also turn off the Perimeter Lighting if it's active.

Any idea what's that under? That would really help. Searched for a while and couldn't find it. Thanks!

7901mark wrote:

Any idea what's that under? That would really help. Searched for a while and couldn't find it. Thanks!

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/interior-f20/personal-choice-features-how-to-program-t7442.htm?highlight=personal

Even though it was produced by the factory, it still isn't perfect... The owner's manual is better.
Come to think of it, if you don't have one, search some more and you might find a link to online PDF manuals.

(Gentle reminder: Please put your car's information in your Signature file, so we know what model we're talking about.)

Thanks Eldo, that worked great!

Update on my Kensun HID lights from a while back in this thread. They recently died on me. I contacted the seller and he was quick to send me a replacement unit. Still haven't found a set of HIDs that are as good of quality though.

Now I'm in the process of converting my DRLs and brights to HID as well. I bought some relay harnesses off of ebay for $12 and I used the "jump start" port under the hood for power. Now instead of drawing power off of the stock headlight harness I just use it as a trigger. I've installed 12K xenon lights as my DRLs/brights so they don't appear as brights. It makes for an awesome appearance upgrade and kinda rounds everything out. Now I just have to convert my Hella foglights to HID. Luckily my aftermarket remote lock and start system only flashes the cornering lights when locking or unlocking so no worries regarding that.

It seems the HID upgrade has solved my issue with dimming lights when using the turn signals, flashers or activating the brake lights.

OK, so I got the HIDs installed for brights and DRLs. I don't want to use them as brights, I would like to use them as DRLs though. They turn on and work great when the brights are activated, but they will not turn on for DRLs. I have a relay harness installed for power directly from the battery, and am just using the one high beam lead for a turn on lead. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get these to turn on as DRLs. I know the Rivieras just put out a lower voltage for DRLs versus the brights. Would just replacing the relay with one that has a lower trigger point turn them on?

GMFreak8 wrote:

OK, so I got the HIDs installed for brights and DRLs. I don't want to use them as brights, I would like to use them as DRLs though. They turn on and work great when the brights are activated, but they will not turn on for DRLs. I have a relay harness installed for power directly from the battery, and am just using the one high beam lead for a turn on lead. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to get these to turn on as DRLs. I know the Rivieras just put out a lower voltage for DRLs versus the brights. Would just replacing the relay with one that has a lower trigger point turn them on?

You sure you don't want to put the halogens back in and save the ballasts for a rainy day so to speak? Thos brigts are just going to dazzle people during the day. If you're passing a car on a rural road for instance, an oncoming driver may not be able to properly resolve your location--blinded by the glare of your lights--and that could lead to a disastrous result. Especially if their attorney figures out you modded your lights (for fun).

Albertj

I agree with albert. To each there own but imo hids are for HIGH intensity. If you're looking for the visual effect you should be able to get colored halogen bulbs that will look almost the same and will probably last you twice as long. Reducing the voltage to a halogen bulb increases its lifespan but hids are voltage sensetive so it will severly shorten the lifespan of a hid ballast. Don't let me discourage you if this is what you want to do, just pointing out some possible drawbacks.

I have a spare HID kit in case anything happens. I'm not trying to run them off of the low voltage. They are running at normal voltage with power supplied directly from the battery. I'm just trying to figure out how to get the relay to turn the HIDs on with the lower voltage DRL input. In my experience my HIDs have lasted longer than the halogen bulbs in the Riv. Plus it gives me something to play with

Ahh my mistake, thought you were supplying them off the low voltage drls. No question hids will last longer if they're supplied with the proper voltage.

Derek wrote:

Ahh my mistake, thought you were supplying them off the low voltage drls. No question hids will last longer if they're supplied with the proper voltage.

Yeah, I just gotta figure out how to make the low voltage trigger the relay. Or if the car is sensing that something is different and disabled the DRLs. I knew everything was going too smoothly with this project for it to be this simple.

The bottom line is you are trying to trigger a 12 volt relay with approxiamately 6 volts depending on where in the system you are tapping into for the control of the relay.

I have bits and pieces of that wiring diagram in my head but I can't recall where or how to trigger DRL's.
I think there is a way, just need to look at the wiring diagram some more.

Timo and Eldo posted the Headlight and DRL wiring diagram on another thread, just can't remember the name of the thread, might be this one. I just noticed it's 22 pages long.
See if you can find that diagram and copy it, you'll be able to better see the point in the system where you can or cannot do what your trying to do using the cars wiring as it is. It's possible that you may have to add a switch in the cockpit to provide 12 volts to the relay or find a relay that will operate the trigger on 6 volt.