Using OEM HID Housings with aftermarket HID kits

[SaskCelica]

Has anyone been concerned about the legality of retrofit kits and tried just buying the headlight housing from an OEM HID setup and putting an aftermarket kit into them? I was farting around with the prices for OEM headlights and it look to be about $1400 to buy OEM HID lights these days... I thought maybe you could just buy the OEM housings for $500 and put a $150 HID kit into them, that way the lenses, etc would be correct for Xenon, but you're not paying through the nose for the OEM headlamp assembly.

[Omnious]

You would need to buy an HID kit that uses D2S bulbs and slim denso ballasts for them to fit properly inside the housing.

[SaskCelica]

From what I've seen, it seems the HID conversions actually work out pretty well for the celica, but I'd hate to have crappy highway driving results and glare everywhere.

[Zero]

Glare?
I wasn't aware that having HIDs with projector lensed headlights caused glare.
You want glare, look for your local douchebag driving his early 2000 Escalade or Navigator with HID headlights and over-the-bulb reflectors.

[broderp]

Has anyone been concerned about the legality of retrofit kits and tried just buying the headlight housing from an OEM HID setup and putting an aftermarket kit into them? I was farting around with the prices for OEM headlights and it look to be about $1400 to buy OEM HID lights these days... I thought maybe you could just buy the OEM housings for $500 and put a $150 HID kit into them, that way the lenses, etc would be correct for Xenon, but you're not paying through the nose for the OEM headlamp assembly.

This may be a stupid question, but what do you mean "LEGALITY"? I didn't realize there were "headlight police" who patrol streets looking for possible HID kits on cars that are tacky or non-OEM. Am I missing something?

[Zero]

HID lights on cars that are not retrofitted to handle them is illegal.

[trdmsprts27]

I have OEM HID headlamps with an aftermarket HID kit. no problems on this end

[yodaddyguido]

ive read technically ANY aftermarket hid kit that is on a car that does NOT have oem hid projectors is illegal. im pretty sure you dont see "DOT approved" on any hid kit on the market. plus some kelvin color ranges are absurd and they get picked off by cops around here... 12k and most 10k hids are rolling ticket targets around here.

i dont see cops really pulling people over for hids often, if ever, but they can add it to a ticket if they reeeeeeeeally take the time to look.

[SaskCelica]

Read the sticky post about HID options... I did.

I agree, it seems most of the problems is with people putting HID's in regular headlights. The Celica's have projector headlights don't they? To be honest I don't know a ton about headlight options. I could probably take apart the motor with more confidence than wiring headlights... :confused:

[x310gtsx]

you could try and retro fit tsx lenses into your stock projectors to get the nice cutoffs and a close to OEM HID look. i think its been done before, and it might be way cheaper than you may be ready to spend already.

[SaskCelica]

I'll browse around the forums for an older retrofit. I did find this company though that offers TSX lenses. Anyone ever try them?

http://store.theretrofitsource.com/index.php

[RedBalloons]

I hope they don't pull me over when i get my 8000k's.. cops usually look for speeding. alot of people around here have hids that are blue. as long as it's not purple or green... i think i'll b fine.

[tp7800]

Hi. I have stock OEM headlamp assemblies on my 2000 GTS with Mod Express 4300K HID bulbs and ballasts. It was the best 160 bucks and 2 hours time spent on my car. There is a cutoff that works pretty good, I am low enough to the ground that I don't shine in anyone's eyes on level ground. The driver's light points a little down and the passenger's side points a little higher. They were already pointed this way from the dealer.

Thanks.

Ted

[TheProPilot]

The newest Mercedes have 10-12k HID's from the factory. DOT approved. Police can chew on it. They have better things to pull people over for rather than wasting resources on rediculous things like that. If the car has projector lights then HID's will work just fine. Acura TL or FX35 lenses are THE best. My setup that I had on my last Supra were from Audi's which will fit this car as well:

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/TheProPilot/95%20Supra/SupraFront.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/TheProPilot/95%20Supra/DSC03188.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/TheProPilot/95%20Supra/DSC03766.jpg

This was done by replacing the entire inside of the housing and fitting the entire Audi guts onto the adjustment bars made it a complete deal that looked perfect and you could literally see for about 1 mile ahead of the car, with no fog lights at all. I've been contemplating doing this on my Celica... but then I found the projectors aren't all that bad. :P

[silver_gt]

if i get a hid kit with D2S bulb so it'll work with the housing, do you need a special adapter for it to plug into the stock wiring?

[Zero]

if i get a hid kit with D2S bulb so it'll work with the housing, do you need a special adapter for it to plug into the stock wiring?
Do you have the OEM HID headlights?
If no, then D2S bulbs won't work.

[silver_gt]

yup, I got the OEM Hid headlights, debating if I wanna sell them now cus it looks like theres quite a bit of work to do, I do have Hids on my car now that im using with the stock housing.

another quick question to the ppl with it already, If I use aftermarket HID kit will the back housing cover still work? that piece is suppose to protect moisture right from getting to the bulb?

[x310gtsx]

you have the OEM hids so just get new d2s bulbs and you should be good right? everything should be the same and fit like normal i think.

[Soo__Fuego]

The newest Mercedes have 10-12k HID's from the factory. DOT approved. Police can chew on it. They have better things to pull people over for rather than wasting resources on rediculous things like that. If the car has projector lights then HID's will work just fine. Acura TL or FX35 lenses are THE best. My setup that I had on my last Supra were from Audi's which will fit this car as well:


This was done by replacing the entire inside of the housing and fitting the entire Audi guts onto the adjustment bars made it a complete deal that looked perfect and you could literally see for about 1 mile ahead of the car, with no fog lights at all. I've been contemplating doing this on my Celica... but then I found the projectors aren't all that bad. :P
uhhh, no .......... oem brands are like philips, denso, sylvania etc etc and i have yet to see one of those brands make a bulb over 6k ish, not saying they dont but so far i havent seen one of them make a bulb over that color, they focus on quality not "cool" colors



and a lil bit of research goes a long way ........ chuch
http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p=product&id=132&parent=94

[SaskCelica]

I'm looking to get a set of headlights from a wrecker and talking with the guys from the Retrofit source on getting a kit installed. I hate doing things half way. May as well bake and paint the interiors as well while I'm at it.

[TheProPilot]

uhhh, no .......... oem brands are like philips, denso, sylvania etc etc and i have yet to see one of those brands make a bulb over 6k ish, not saying they dont but so far i havent seen one of them make a bulb over that color, they focus on quality not "cool" colors

Yeah I realize they aren't trying to make people feel "cool" by putting "cool" colored headlights in the cars... however I saw a brand new OFF THE LOT Mercedes and I'm no engineer or lighting expert but those were PURPLE. And purple according every scale I find is 12k... I'm talking right off the dealership. He brought his car over to show it to me and the first thing I noticed was how PURPLE the lights are. Dont get me wrong they were bright.... nice car though! :love:

[Soo__Fuego]

what model merc? lemme know and ill go to a merc dealership and take pics of the hids ............. no oem hid equiped car will come over something like 5700k

[Orijinalx]

yeah, i highly doubt they have 10-12K bulbs for OEM, maybe you saw the color from the lense? Like for some cars with projectors you see a glimpse of purple/blue color at different angles.

[SaskCelica]

Yeah, at different angles they can have a flicker of purple/blue. That's part of the appeal of changing to a proper lens for HID lights.

[XenithXenons]

OEM HIDs are and always will be 4300K.

If you guys are looking for an HID conversion kit and don't want to deal with glare, give our LUX kits a try. They're the first glare-free HID conversion kit on the market and have been tested to work. These aren't for your Celicas though as they have halogen projectors, but they will work in any halogen reflectors :)

[BlAcuraRSX]

what makes your bulbs glare free? i thought the glare came from the way the housing was made, not the bulb. I would really like to know the secret!