Hi Guys Last week I bought a 2012 Model Prius i-tech (Fully optioned). Its the Australian delivered version but i think its similar to the American Prius 5 (with all the bells and whistles). It's a lot slower to what i am used to but it is by far the best car i have ever bought. I come from a background of modifying cars so I thought I would do a few things to the Prius to make it a little nicer. 1. I fitted a set of 75w 4000k HID's into the High Beams. They are much brighter than the standard candle lights and look much nicer next to the standard LED low beams. 2. Fitted a set of LED Reverse lights, Number plate lights and parker lights. They look much nicer and have a much cleaner look about them. Suits the car a lot more too and blends with the LED low beams too. 3. I am big on sound deadening, and as much as i love the prius, it would have to be the worst car i hve ever owned in terms of general noise that enters into the cabin. So i pulled the rear door trims off to inspect what was there and found my problem....the doors are empty. So i started the process of applying dynmat on the outer and inner metal as well as a layer of Response (tripple layer) sound deadening. So far i have only done one door (rear right) and it is so much better already. Tonight i will work on the remaining three doors and over the weekend i will do the boot space. But for anyone who is considering deadening, or for anyone who hasnt done any deadening, it is definitely worth it. Not only does it cancel out a lot of noise, but it gives a much more premium feel to the doors and the way they close. Of course, the added weight may negatively affect fuel economy, but only marginally. I will post some photo's later on! Thanks, Ed
So after three nights, here are some picks. The results make it totally worth it. Not only is the car a lot more quiet but the stereo is far more effective. I highly reccomend doing this mod
Oh and here is a little video that demonstrates the difference between stock and deadened. Prius 2012 sound deadening comparison:
What type of bulbs did you use for the high beams? I've been looking to replace mine to better match the factory LEDs. Have a link to where you purchased them?
HID in the high beams is generally a bad idea. Since HID has a warm up period and high beams are generally used periodically and sometimes temporarily, you can actually impede visibility when turning them on. Also, if you have to toggle them frequently, you'll burn them out way faster.
Hi Guys. Sorry I didnt get back to you sooner. I just got them off ebay: ballastking2011 on eBay They cost me around $28 and Burst is right; its not ideal as they do have a warm up period and they may burn out. But the benefit of the additional light outweighs the cost in my opinion. Its literally the difference between night and day in my opinion and I recommend the mod to anyone.
Nice job and comparison!! I'll definitely consider when I get mine. What would be the costs for all 4 doors + other areas (specific areas please). Do you think substituting cork sheets could do the trick also?
Hi mate. I used dynamat with response super sound deadened from jaycar. I don't think that cork sheets would do the job as it needs to be dense. The reason why I use the type of deadening that I do is so that I am able to block a large spectrum of sound. I have deadened all four doors and the boot so far. And I still have a sheet left from a 36 square foot pack of dynamat. It has cost me around 400$ so far but I did the work all my self. sorry I took so. Long to respond!
