HID Xenon Install

So I went about my first install with much help from JohBishop. This thing is really stupid simple to install and I don't think I have come by a install for us so here goes my first time on step-by-step.

This is what you'll need, at the moment I have the headlights in and need to order the fog. Headlights are H13 and you can go on ebay and find them on the cheap or go for the more expensive ones. After a few days of research I found that the more cash will give a more white clear color and the cheaper one will give a more blue color, now to find the ones to give you a more white color can be a pain but after looking on youtube you will know what to look for. The bulb isn't what gives off the blue color it's that ballast on how much power it sends to the bulb. More cash more power, less cash more blue color if I understand.

I went with a HID Xenon 8000K with a relay kit. During warm up the bulbs pull a lot of juice and after time that can fry the OEM harness. The relay kit draws power from the battery and the OEM harness sends a single to the relay. Also I can tell with the harness there is almost no warm up time and sometime warm up time can take up to 7 seconds without the harness or how much power the vehicle send the ballast.


Here you can see how it all plug in.


It's going to be a lot more simple to just remove the headlight and there's a golden spot to mount the ballast just behind the head light. I used the double sided tape and 2 zip ties to hold it in place.





The harness has only ONE connector to the OEM light bulb harness. Be sure to cover this connecting point as much as possible, you don't want water getting in there and ruining all you hard work. On the passenger side cover it also and put it somewhere safe and out of the way.


Now the relay harness has a ground wire to each ballast and I just found under the fender there isn't paint under it but still hit all point with a file.


Run the ground into the large hole and then into the new ground point. A zip tie will keep the wire from moving around too much and give a nice clean look. At this time also plug the relay harness to the HID ballast.




Plug in your ballast to the bulbs, there's only one way they go on so don't worry.


When running the relay harness to the passenger side you can go under the center radiator mount. Can't even tell it's there.



When it's all put back together this is how it will look.


Now it's time for get power, I ran my set up to the fuse box. Be sure to remove the fuse in the harness first.


All done and less then 45 mikes and feels great!!! This whole set up with less then $80 dollars. The fogs are on order and the bulb are H10, I'll post up that install in this thread when I have it done.

[video=youtube;oYgxwvrmpgM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgxwvrmpgM[/video]
[video=youtube;kaJzXHlffYA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaJzXHlffYA[/video]

Well I got it all done now, for the relay kit I had to extend both the power and negative that went to the ballast and also the connector to the OEM fog light harness about 8".

Nice job man. I've installed two sets so far in mine. Hopefully this will save some people some time and money. Places around here will charge 150 to install HID lights.

benlaud87 said:

Nice job man. I've installed two sets so far in mine. Hopefully this will save some people some time and money. Places around here will charge 150 to install HID lights.

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This is my first HID set up and JohBishop has this set up for a year now with no problems. I'm really glad I did this step-by-step and hope other owners take on this task.

I have 8000k as well. Makes a world of difference driving at night with HID vs standard halogen bulbs

Looks super sweet!!!!!!! And awesome write up!!!! Great color choice!!!!!

get ready for all the middle fingers and people telling you turn ur brights off !!!! for me its the best thing about HID's

hockeymanam said:

get ready for all the middle fingers and people telling you turn ur brights off !!!! for me its the best thing about HID's

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Oh if that happens I'll turn on the 40" Rigid Industries for them .

I think I get enough people flashing their high beams at me because of the lift.... If I did this without projectors I think EVERY car would be flashing me.... That wouldn't be such a prob if we were talking about some hot college girls haha


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SolidusJ said:

Oh if that happens I'll turn on the 40" Rigid Industries for them .

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That's what I do too! Hahaha

JonBishop said:

That's what I do too! Hahaha

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I do that as well... And I save the extra 4" LED "fogs" for the real D-bags!


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SolidusJ said:

After a few days of research I found that the more cash will give a more white clear color and the cheaper one will give a more blue color, now to find the ones to give you a more white color can be a pain but after looking on youtube you will know what to look for. The bulb isn't what gives off the blue color it's that ballast on how much power it sends to the bulb. More cash more power, less cash more blue color if I understand.

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Actually its the wattage of the ballasts that control how much light is created by the bulbs. They varry from 35 watts (most common size) up to 100 watts. The most common are 35 and 50 watts while many of the ebay sites claim 70/100 which when tested dnt produce as told.

The color temp measured in 1000 k stipulates the color of the light. 3000k is yellowish, 5000k is pure white, 8000k is bluish and 12000 k is purple. The difference in color temperature allows us to see better since our eyes allow us to recognize things better in certain conditions (its easier for us to see in white light over blue/purple light)

amrg said:

Actually its the wattage of the ballasts that control how much light is created by the bulbs. They varry from 35 watts (most common size) up to 100 watts. The most common are 35 and 50 watts while many of the ebay sites claim 70/100 which when tested dnt produce as told.

The color temp measured in 1000 k stipulates the color of the light. 3000k is yellowish, 5000k is pure white, 8000k is bluish and 12000 k is purple. The difference in color temperature allows us to see better since our eyes allow us to recognize things better in certain conditions (its easier for us to see in white light over blue/purple light)

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Thank you for the info, I seen a few clips on youtube and that's why my info is wrong. The clip below is the reason that I was talking about but he is running 5000K.

7:30
[video=youtube;fPZ9-GaOvE0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPZ9-GaOvE0[/video]

Anyone considering "retrofitting" HID bulbs into halogen reflectors should read these articles first!

:link: which says for medical reasons it isn't safe for drivers you meet, especially elderly drivers.

:link: which says it isn't very smart and it is totally illegal, because it isn't safe for drivers you meet.

In my opinion people who illegally "upgrades" their lights with HID retrofit kits are either ignorant (i.e. they don't know no better!) or they don't care about the safety of anyone other than themselves (i.e. they are total @$$ holes). Either way I don't like to see anyone do this especially a Hummer owner!

As far as the color of the light is concerned. White light is optimum for detecting objects at a distance in clear atmospheric conditions and in haze, fog and dust longer wavelengths, i.e. yellow light, provides greater range because it is scattered less. BTW in haze and fog,the shorter wavelengths of blue and purple light are scattered more and therefore provides the worst distance performance. So the only reason to choose blue or purple is to call more attention to the fact that you have illegal HID lights installed and to maximize your chance of getting a ticket.

By the way, I have HID retrofit fog lights in my T, which are legal because by law you are required to extinguish your fog lights when meeting or overtaking another diver.

O, and another thing. I sure that nobody on this forum is dumb enough to activate their off road lights while meeting another driver, since it is grossly illegal, totally unsafe for other drivers and would make you liable for accidents that could have possible been caused by it. However, I wouldn't ever claim I did it on a public forum, even in jest, because it makes you look like a total @$$ hole!

I cant tell if you kidding or not? but When i was taught to drive on a two lane road at night and a car was coming up on me my father always told me to look down at the lines when passing the oncoming car to avoid getting the "stars" in your eyes. Regardless if they are HID or halogen this works. Also if they are illegal why does bmw, audi, mercedes, toyota, all modern cars come equipped or at least have the option of Xenon headlamps? I have driven with 8000k HIDs for 6 years pulled up behind countless cops and never been pulled over? They have saved me from many close encounters over the years because of the brightness and the reflectivity they have against other cars. I guess that was my little rant

Not trying to to start anything but your lights are to be aimed somewhat up (to see the sqrual in the tree, kid you not that's what the teacher told us) and to the right for on come drives are not hit with them. My fog lamps are pointed to the ground, when I was a PA vehicle state inspector this was a check to pass. Now everybody and there mother has HID's and in my 2013 GMC comes from the factory with them, it's a great upgrade because the yellowing halogen was getting old and I like to see clear into the night. Now yes I would like a more clear color then the blue but in the end it gets the job done.

For the light bar, don't play with fire and you won't get burned.

Technically HID bulbs are designed for projection beam style housings. Yes they come in a lot of vehicles now but they are all in projection beam housings. Seals beam housings were not designed for HID bulbs and are supposed to be used with regular bulbs not HID. That's what was talked about earlier when you look at the factory hid vehicles you notice you don't get blinded its because of the housing it actually cuts off all the upward light and directs it at the ground. That us also why most vehicles that come with hid still have a regular bulb for high beams there are some that are not but there housings are motorized and actually have plates that move in the housing to direct the light.

Oh I have used hid in my trucks before I stopped because I couldn't get a set to last more than a year. Then a replacement bulb is almost as much as a whole kit.

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05Mudiak said:

Technically HID bulbs are designed for projection beam style housings. Yes they come in a lot of vehicles now but they are all in projection beam housings. Seals beam housings were not designed for HID bulbs and are supposed to be used with regular bulbs not HID. That's what was talked about earlier when you look at the factory hid vehicles you notice you don't get blinded its because of the housing it actually cuts off all the upward light and directs it at the ground. That us also why most vehicles that come with hid still have a regular bulb for high beams there are some that are not but there housings are motorized and actually have plates that move in the housing to direct the light.

Oh I have used hid in my trucks before I stopped because I couldn't get a set to last more than a year. Then a replacement bulb is almost as much as a whole kit.

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Correct

Here is what HID's are designed to be used in
And here is a picture showing the difference in the light that is cast out from the two styles of headlight

Halogen bulbs can be legally used in either a projector lens or sealed beam head light but law clearly states that HID's can only be used in projector lens'.... If a cop chooses to bust your chops about it is up to them... I know they have been ticketing in my area for it

Yea I like that lower picture a 1000X times more, looks like I have something new to look into.

If legal is what you guys are after, you can retrofit your headlights with projectors. Read that in a thread sonewhere over here, it also does the job best.

My main concern is safety of others, which projectors would help.

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amrg said:

If legal is what you guys are after, you can retrofit your headlights with projectors. Read that in a thread sonewhere over here, it also does the job best.

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There is a build thread on here how to do it, I also plan on doing it in the near future... in winter the sun sets at 16:45 up here so lots of night driving!!

I've always wanted to do a retro fit on mine. I agree and am a firm opponent against HID's in reflector housings. The 2 is my first vehicle that I had added HID's in a non projector housing. Problem with a retro fit is it's a lot of work to get them aimed and installed and can get costly fast. Still something I'd like to look into. $1,000 for Star's is just too much IMO.

Well all four are in and I love it, the blue color isn't bad and pretty happy with the upgrade. Already looking into buying 4 projectors!!!

Awesome!!!! It's a nice upgrade from the stock bulbs

Nice job on the write up and pictures.