HID Install Questions

If your car has halogen headlights, you will have to replace the entire headlight assembly.

 

No, nothing new required as long as you got the H4 kit. H4 plug will plug directly to the car halogen H4 harness.

I am sure you are aware that it is not legal to retrofit halogen light with HID. I would suggest you get 4300k or 45000k color to look as OEM as possible (since Prius is offered with HID option).

Pay a little more for higher quality bulbs. I highly recommend bi-Xenon bulbs. Do NOT get H4 HID blub with a halogen highbeam blub on the side. Trust me, I made that mistake.

Lastly, make sure you aim lower than suggested in the manual. I have not gotten flashes from oncoming cars nor been ticketed in a year I have upgraded.

 

I understand why the light needs to be lowered to keep the extra glare out of other drivers eyes, but that puts less light where it really needs to be.

If you really want HID, buy the HID lights or do a retro with a HID projectors in your halogen headlights. www.HIDPlanet.com has a lot of info about retros.

 

I have a 35W 4500K bi-xenon (hi/lo) H4 kit on mine, from here: DDM Tuning. The Prius's headlight reflectors are pretty good, unlike folks putting HIDs on horrible lens-based headlights like Chevy Suburbans that just spread light everywhere.

(No relation to those guys, just a happy customer.)

 

Installing retrofit HID projectors is also not legal. Non-HID Prius has the same reflector as a HID equipped one. I think the only difference is the lack of auto-leveling.

 

I would do it the right way and do a retro. I did a retro on my Acura Legend with Lexus SC430 projectors.

If you install aftermarket HIDs on reflector based, your lights will bounce all over the place. It may look bright for you but others will be blinded and annoyed. You won't have the sharp cut-off like a true HID system.

 

You are right......a retro is still illegal.....but your doing it using OEM parts that are designed for HID use. This is the best way to get HIDs. When done & aim correctly, you would never know the difference. You also wont be blinging every1 else on the road.

As for the reflectors, I will get side by side pics of a HID & Reflector so you can see that there is a difference.

 

I'm getting prepared to do a retrofit on mine as well. Purchased the car with foggy headlights so I'm contemplating FX-replica bi-xenon projectors. Just shopping for a nice set of spare headlights to mess with...

 

So here are the pics.

This 1st 1 is Halogen on the left & HID on the right. Right away you can see differences. Look at the "ruffles" in the reflector.



Halogen


HID


Here you can see the difference on the side:

Halogen


HID


here you can see the difference in the shield:

Halogen


HID


Anybody still think that they are still the same.

Oh.......& an other difference......Halogen & HID cars have a different headlight wiring harness & the way the light goes between low & high beam. In a halogen Prius, when the high beam is turned on, the low beam is turned off, but in the HID Prius, they dont use 2 different filaments in the bulb but rather a shield that moves to reveal more light.

 

Looks like you decided to just change the bulb and stay with the reflector.

 

Both of those lights are OEM. Nothing has been changed....yet. The other HID headlight is already pulled apart & getting a HID projector.

 

Sean, looking forward to your retro...

Plan on doing an writeup?

 

I plan on it. just have to finish up & then I'll post it.

 

Do you have pics? Did you get the additional harness as well or did you do without it?

 

FYI a few of the people who bought the slim ballast kits have reported problems. The regular ones are apparently OK.

 

I installed an aftermarket hid kit, and the power for the ballast on the jump starting post. Is this wrong? Now when I get in my car my battery is depleted, so the engine starts to recharge. Or is the hid install just a coincidence and would I need a new battery? Any suggestions?

 

It's probably a coincidence. If you are still running the stock battery then it's probably time to change it.

If your car originally had halogens I highly recommend you swap the headlights with the oem hid equipped units or do a retrofit. HIDs in a halogen reflector housing is both dangerous and poor for optimum lighting.