New CAR! HID possible?

[soloco]

WOOHOO!!!

I just got a new 2005 Toyota Highlander yesterday. It looks great, but now I'm wondering what I can mod on it. Is there a good HID conversion kit that you guys know of? What about good swap in Halogen bulbs?

 

[4x4Dragon]

if you go the halogen bulb route, my suggestion would be the Sylvania Silverstars, they aren't gonna have that blue hue but they will actuallly be whiter than the stock bulbs and the output should be better. those other cheesy blue bulbs of course suck at light output.

HID's would be better though, i think you can get a kit for as little as $450.

 

[BatteryCharger]

Xtravisions are better than the Silverstars. The Silverstars and Xtravisions use the same bulb, except the silverstars have a blue coating. This blocks the light and turns it whiter, which only appears brighter. Xtravisions actually put out more light. They are also pretty white compared to stock lights.

 

[udaman]

For Halogens see this link:

hi output philips/osram headlamp bulbs interest?

See post #522654 in this thread, and click on the link to /register?, for article on comparison's at an British e-zine, American SilverStar are poor comparison to European version.

160w h3 bulb?

 

[Sway]

I would suggest going here for information on automotive HID conversions. HID conversions kits are no longer legal for highway use or so they say /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I have SilverStars in my low beams and they are fine when the weather is clear but if you get a little fog you can’t see crap, it's worse than driving with you high beams on because of the flood and you will have to put up with people flicking their high beams at you on dark roads.

Later
Kelly

 

[freeze12]

I converted My 2001 Olds Alero to HID. I had the Silverstars & they are very good bulbs, but the HIDs blow them out of the water!! I have them aimed properly as not to blind oncoming drivers.

 

[iddibhai]

Osram Silverstar or Philips VisionPlus are the top upgrades but not sure they come in 9006 (low) and 9005(high) which i'm almost certain your car has. Second in line are Sylvania Xtravision (pink and black packaging; or Napa something or other, part is 9005/6BL) which are easy to find, about 15 to 20 apiece I think. or, if you really want lumens, at the expense of a little additional backscatter to you and glare to oncoming drivers (depends on how well the cutoffs on your car are designed), you can drop-fit 9011/9012 lamps. figure about 30 each from specialized retailers online. stock 9006/5 are 1000/1700 lumens, nominal (plus or minus 15% which is where the better lamps shine, if you will pardon the pun). the 901x are 1700/2300, same life expectancy of 1000hrs for low, ~250 for highs.

HID conversions are coming under a lot of fire from the enforcement and NHTSA is cracking down on retailers of the same.

 

[soloco]

Thanks for the info guys. I tried Silverstars in my old car (Camry) and was VERY disappointed. I think I'll look for the Xtravisions. What do you guys think about the Japanese made bulbs? I've been avoiding them only because they usually have a tint like the Silverstars. I've seen some in stores around here (Raybrig's specifically) that are perfectly clear. I was thinking about getting these too. Anyone try these?

 

[iddibhai]

i dont know about those, tend to favor the big brands. they may be rebadged; the Napa branded lamps are by Philips Germany, so look to see some name printed on the lamp base. can't go wrong w/ xtravision, good compromise of life/lumens. anything up from there (PVP and OSS) will be quickly dimishing life to get additional lumens.

 

[Draco_Americanus]

Hmm Well I kinda streched the law a bit when I modded My buick regal last week. I whanted HID very badly but did not wish to use an illigal upgrade kit because of the possible glare to other drivers that would cause, so I whent with the next best thing. A bi-xenon hid projector(for the low beam section) that would have been used on a BMW or other high end car and whent with 9011 HIR for My high beam only section.
The bi-xenon is a self contained projector that has a cut off shield connected to a mechanism to drop it out of the way so it can work for both high and low beams. They have a known and legal output pattren. It was heck stuffing them into the stock headlights on my buick, lots of cutting and expoy putty was needed and affter all that one light housing still leaks water, but over all the function well have a nice but defused low beam pattren and ohh I pitty any one that faces the wrath of My high beams! with both the HID and the HIR on at the same time they could allmost set stuff on fire!
I belive it was still illigal by the letter of the law as it's illigal to modify a D.O.T approved head light but I modded it with a non modifyed D.O.T. approved headlight projector.
at any point, if your houseings have the room a projector style headlight may be the way to go.