Anyone know how to convert to HID headlights?

[Joe Kelley]

How do you change the bulb in a 2007 avalon? The manual warns against doing it because of electrical shock. Can I put in the PIAA bulbs in my XL? Thanks, Joe

[Joe Kelley]

That is the headlight bulbs. Also do I need to change both the upper and lower? Thanks, Joe

[LifeTech]

This thread is confusing.


Yu have OE HID's and need to replace an OE Bulb?????????????

Yu have Standard bulbs and want to retro to HID??????????????????

Do yu know what yu want?????????????????????

LT

[ryanmw]

HI, I convert my headlight to 8000K HID aftermarket, but I just notice that you need D2R bulb with 9006 rebased (for your headlight housing). D2R is special made for regular headlight (not Projector). So you kind of need to look for D2R bulb with 9006 rebased. I currently looking for the bulb. That's what you need if you want to convert to HID. I suggest use Phillips ballast, HIDEXPERT.com sell them, with D2R 9006 rebased bulb. He also sells them on ebay. I also suggest you buy 4300k coz it's the brightest from all the temp. Thank you.

[LifeTech]

I noticed 4300k Is the brightest too. The Whitest.

Many who have went to higher Kelvins, even 5000K, get wierded out colors and really no great visibility except that the Light is ALL OVER the Place and is distracting.
Over 4300K yu get Just the WOW factor of purple and blue spectrum and all.

LT

[bob259]

Unless you get a lamp where it's reflector has been designed for HID's you get a lot of stray light and in most cases blind the on coming drivers. This is becaue the standard reflectors in the base HL's do not have a sharp top cut off to keep the light focused on the road and out of oncoming drivers eyes.

For this reason converting existing HL's to HID is not practical. For the life of me I cannot understand why Toyota offers HID's on a Prius but not on the Limited Highlander and others in it's line.

[LifeTech]

Bob, yu are dead on correct. I never considered a retro for this reason. I see so many of them on the road even on HL's they are not good.

That's why they are NOT DOT compliant as an aftremarket accessory.

What I can't fathom is why the NEW HL never got the OE HID's too.

These new HL's approach the pricing of a new RX350!

Toyota truly wants people to ultimately migrate over to their Lexus lineup to get certain features.

It is marketting .That's all. It is common place for all other Mfr's to do this.

Only vehicles unique to the Toyota lineup i.e Sienna(minivan) and Prius(Petite Hybrid) will get these HID's and other features; for instance the Sienna also gets the Lexus variant of Laser Guided Cruise Control on the Limted model as an option.

Side note:, there are many complaints regarding this Laser Criuse Control. It is far from accurate. Whether on a Lexus or a Toyota. It is so flawed that people can't use it. People who travel alot and rely on this wish they had the standard CC option. Toyota is pulling their hair out with it.
No matter how many times the Dealer recalibrates it!

It will improve, I'm sure.

Infiniti has the edge with this Laser Cruise Technology. But it is not perfected well enough in my opinion.

LT

[LifeTech]

LED Headlamps will be the next OE technology to watch for in the years ahead.
HID's are not really an efficient design by comparison.

All the MFr's are R&Ding this as we speak. BMW has had a working design for a while and is trying Federalized it.

LT

[toussi1]

I agree, LED is next, but in the mean time considering HID prices you cannot go wrong.

[LifeTech]

Originally Posted by toussi1

I agree, LED is next, but in the mean time considering HID prices you cannot go wrong.

This is true about the prices coming down. But it still doesn't justify them.
Yes I have seen them advertised locally for $150 installed. Yeah that's crazy cheap. Very tempting. Friends of mine have tried them. I would say that 30% of them have changed back to Incand. OE bulbs. Some because of wirng issues and others because of the Police issuing tickets on crazy colored 6000K+ bulbs. Lets just face the fact that even at 4300Kthese HID's are blinding and offensive to other drivers, when installed on parabolic reflector type Headlamps. If your headlamp reflectors are projector types ...then yu can get away with these 4300K HID's without fear of blinding the whole roadway.
The market is flooded with them. It is tempting to say the least.Understand that not all ballast/igniters are created equal. i.e McCulloch 4th gens are very expensive but deemed the best. Try getting them for $100/pair. Won't happen . When the bulbs die out they will cost yu approx $100 each for quality ones. The ballsts/igniters are also exp. to replace. Yu would be better off buying one whole new complete kit.

If yu do want to experiment...I would definitely only reccomend the 4300K bulbs. Nothing lower (yellowish) or anything higher (bluish to crazy rainbow colors)

There are many Valid reasons as stated in above posts to NOT use these HID's I could see justifying using them in temp. use aux. lighting like fogs etc. But to use them in low beams for everyday use is def. not considerate to others on the road. These Kits are not DOT legal for just this reason. So they are not for the faint of heart.

LT

[dibble9012]

All I have to say is I'm sooooo tired of seeing the HID kits on the roads, they are dangerous and just plain blinding (even when I'm driving the truck, and a small ricer pulls in front of me with a kit). Do a retrofit. Period. NO KITS, no matter what people say, they are completely illegal in all 50 states and WILL blind other drivers. A retrofit is very easy to do, and you will love the results. The beam pattern is just amazing, I've had several people come up to me at gas stations etc and compliment me on them.

2005 Tundra DC HID Retrofit Progress