I just bought my Prius IV last weekend. LOVING the gas mileage. + the Prius seems to do many things RIGHT, Things you wonder why all cars aren't like that. The keyless entry system for one. At first it seemed weird not putting the keys someone and I caught myself throwing them under the shifter cubby only to forget them when I got out. Then I realized I never needed to get them out in the first place, so they stay in my pocket. Okay on the the point: I wanted to replace my standard lights with HID's. I looked around and read all kinds of horror stories, did more research and I decided on the OPT7 kit (CHEAP)... I went with the 5000K in color. Paid about $65 for the kit. I found an article that warned against cheap Ballasts, Flicker issues, Shadow Issues, Extra Relays... I choose the OPT7 kit based on that. They claim: Ultra Bright 3600 lumen Z-ArcTM "Mini-ball" Xenon bulb: Produces a 5x brighter light then halogen, uses 35% less power, increases visibility, and made to last with a 5000-hour non-fading lifetime Installation couldn't have been easier, Installed both sides in less than 15 minutes. The kit comes with the extra Relay, but I didn't use it. According to my math a 55 watt halogen consume about 4-4.5 Amps each. These Ballasts like 3.2 Amps running and 5 Amps at startup. So I didn't use the relay. The bulbs are setup with the ground wire at the 6 O'Clock position, so no shadow issues. The kit came with anti-flicker caps (They plug in series to the bulb connectors). I didn't use them. They work great and look factory. If anyone is thinking about it, I highly recommend the OPT7 kit.
I installed these a couple of days ago, all went pretty smoothly, but I'm not sure about the light output. The bulbs just seem a bit dim. It's hard to tell without having a car to compare to, but imo hid's should be brighter. I have the 35W and 5000k set.
Make sure the bulbs are seated properly. If they aren't seated properly, or off angle, the light output suffers and you can melt your housing. SCH-I535
Thanks. To be sure I double checked that, but the bulbs are properly set. I'll have to compare these lights to another HID equipped car when I get the chance. Also I have to get somewhere without road lights. It's surprisingly hard to find a dark place in a city!
I am interested in getting this kit too... do any of you have a before and after picture for comparison?
If the HID bulb's capsule, where the arc is generated, is in a position that is significantly different relative to the filament in the oem halogen bulb, light output can suffer. Placing the light source either closer or farther into the projector changes the effectiveness of the reflector behind the bulb and the ability of the lens to properly focus the light. Since HIDs are up to 3x brighter than halogens, most people find the output an improvement, even if the bulb position is not optimal in a drop in kit. SCH-I535
If you don't see an improvement with the new ballast's and bulbs, the kit it not doing it's job. I did the 4300k - 35W HID Retrofit source kit install and the difference is a 40-50% improvement. The most noticeable part are the squirrel finders that can reflect the street signs way down the road. Double the distance than before, IMHO.
I used the opt7 55w kit at 5k color. Allot Better than the stock halogens..i tried some other brands but they would flicker. Also i am running these on the stock wiring harness LG-LS980 ?
Hi there! I'm considering installing the 5000k 55watt OPT7 kit into my 2012 Plug-in Prius. Can you tell me where/how you did the power hookup? thanks!
Posted response and picture in the other thread you asked in: OPT7 55w HID kit - Prius 2014 package 3 | PriusChat
