Hello Everyone, I've been watching these forums for a few weeks now and finally took the time to create an account. I just recently purchased a blizzard white 2012 Prius Two, not II, w/tan interior. I commute 84 miles everyday and I have to admit I am liking the car a lot more than I thought I would. Haven't done anything to it that is breathtaking lol. Things done to the car so far: Completed: -- Hub caps removed to reveal black alloys -- Center caps for black alloys -- Installed backup camera and attached to factory radio (Non GPS) 6" touch screen Next (Near Future): -- HIDs -- Tint -- Fog Light capable front lower grill (Prius Five style) -- Wheels (Kreper Build Wheels are Awesome) In short, I have seen so many different opinions in multiple different forums and I can't determine what has come out on top. Basically, I'm looking for quality and durability. I would like the Mercedes Benz/BMW/Audi look and I believe that to be the 6k mark. I also want to ensure I don't have a flicker issue so I've heard a relay is needed and sometimes not needed lol. I just need some guidance. Thank you
HID: I used the Volt HID kit sold by Xenondepot. I transferred it from my 2012 Camry. With the Camry, I did use a relay. When I brought it over to my Prius, I didn't use the relay (lazy I guess). Either way, I had no flickering with either setup. Fog Lights: Stock ones are nearly useless. Good for looks only. There's a HID fog light kit in the classifieds that has much better cutoff and light distribution than the stock kit. I believe there's also a grill in the classifieds as well.
Thank you for the quick response, this is the first time i've personally heard about this brand. The ones I've seen the most of on this forum are the Morimoto kits. How does this compare, would you know? Also, what's you opinion on the temperature. Is 6k similar to a MB or a BMW HID headlight?
No--OEM HID headlights are almost universally 4300K. The blue color you're seeing is what's called "color flicker," which is a prismatic effect of the lens on the light cutoff; depending on the shape of the lens, that colorband can be wide and colorful or narrow and sharp. HID bulbs put out the most light at 4300K for any given wattage; higher or lower color temperatures will emit less. Dropping 6000K HID bulbs into the stock projector will get you an overall bluish light, but in order to get a cutoff similar to BMW or Audi HIDs, you'll need to change lenses (the stock lens is fairly cloudy) and projectors (the stock housing is shaped for a halogen bulb, has a "squirrel finder" assembly that harvests light from the back and bottom of the reflector bowl and projects it above the cutoff, and the stock cutoff shield curves upward where most HID projectors have a flat cutoff).
I plan on getting this kit eventually. Retro-Quik: Toyota Prius (10+) Bi-xenon Headlights : HID Projector Retrofit Kits : The Retrofit Source
I just came across the same website and started a new thread on the topic. Very curious about it but I don't want to start the conversation here as to not double up on the same topic. If you have any feedback would you mind posting it on the other thread I created for the LightWerks Retro-Quik: Toyota Prius (10+) thread?
Morimoto seems okay. Have to use canbus relay. I've had mine for a few weeks had twice the left light failed to ignite but just tried it again and it works. :/ You don't really need to retrofit a projector, you may get slightly better light I suppose but OEM quality is preferred and you pay a lot for not much in return. Get Mori 5500k bulbs if you want the clean light, in contrary to what that guy said no not all OEMs are 4300k. 5500k looks pretty much pure white. I don't get the whole god complex on stick to the 4300k color, Retrofitsource now says their current morimoto has a higher lumen rating at 5500k than 4500, but it's negligible anyways. If you want better light get 55w even though it won't last as long.
Agreed but you're gonna have to make your own harness for it battery is in the trunk unless there are hidden secret battery current in the engine bay but you might screw up another circuit or ground something that shouldn't be? Canbus just made it easy to plug right into the oem plug and less mess.
There are several 12v access points available in the engine bay fuse box. One is a nice bolt that you can put a ring terminal under.
Yes, all OEM HID bulbs are 4300K, and the reason is because they all must meet a stringent set of NHTSA requirements for color matching of headlight bulbs (which aftermarket kits, sold for offroad use only and not technically legal, don't), either against a 2854K halogen reference bulb (against which it cannot be visually "different from the color of the light permitted from the reference light") or by direct measurement of the color temperature and comparison with allowable ranges of blue, green, yellow, etc. light within the bulb's output. See FMVSS Section 108, Appendix F. Edited to add: No one in this thread has told the OP to "stick to 4300K"; to the contrary, it was the OP who said he wanted the same "look" as BMW, Mercedes, etc. OEM headlights. Their bulbs are 4300K in HID (not halogen) projectors, and the only way to get exactly the same "look" is to use...4300K bulbs in HID (not halogen) projectors. End of story. He can use whatever he wants, and it might be perfectly fine, but it won't look just like a BMW.
I have recently bought a set of OEM Denso Slim Ballast HID kit with 5500K bulbs from TRS. These are one of the best ballast you can buy, I'm going to have to Pot the ballast myself to prevent any moister damage. Or you can have TRS pot the ballast for you for $100 additional. AMP Denso OEM HID Kit - HID Systems - The Retrofit Source
