E-code H4 headlight conversion with comparison pics Cheaper than Silverstars

[TiRod]

I never said I used Autopals. I used Hella E-codes with 80/100 watt bulbs, an auxiliary wiring harness, and compared that to my co-workers 35 watt stock HIDs.

I don't have to play fair, and what I really like is that I offend oncoming traffic less on low beam, but see further. Win - win, I think.

On high beam I can get old stop signs a mile away to glow. Having followed HID equipped cars, I haven't seen them do it.

HID's aren't all that great, and I can work on my system without tempting death. OK by me.

 

[sbxj]

I never said I used Autopals. I used Hella E-codes with 80/100 watt bulbs, an auxiliary wiring harness, and compared that to my co-workers 35 watt stock HIDs.

I don't have to play fair, and what I really like is that I offend oncoming traffic less on low beam, but see further. Win - win, I think.

On high beam I can get old stop signs a mile away to glow. Having followed HID equipped cars, I haven't seen them do it.

HID's aren't all that great, and I can work on my system without tempting death. OK by me.

that's a typical response by someone who doesn't drive with HID's
another case of HID envy LOL

 

[lawsoncl]

What are the specs on those lights? They look great.

And that other picture is insane.

I dunno. I think the beam pattern there isn't that great. All the light is down on the road right in front of the car. You can't even see the intersection to tell if there's a car coming around that bend. Might just be poor aiming too.

I've seen too many amateur, piss-poor HID retrofits that just end up blinding oncoming traffic. OEM HID is decent and its usually a big improvement over the oem halogen setups. I really wish the oems would stop making custom housings based on looks and go for a decent beam pattern.

Personally I have the Autopals with 80/100 bulbs and I love them. Low beams are decent and the highs really light up the road (great for deer spotting). I never get flashed, but I don't hesitate to flash the ricers with their crap retrofits aimed in my eyes. England did a study and showed that the HID retrofits that go into existing housings or H4 housings had drastically worse beam patterns than stock. Hence the reason they were trying to outlaw them.

 

[sbxj]

England did a study and showed that the HID retrofits that go into existing housings or H4 housings had drastically worse beam patterns than stock. Hence the reason they were trying to outlaw them.

If you're referring to that youtube video it was about installing hid kits into halogen housings....not rerofits. There's a big difference.

 

[DanMan2k06]

All the light is down on the road right in front of the car

... As opposed to? Behind the car? To the side? Pointing in the air? I don't really get this statement. That's where the light is intended to be, and that's where it is. Directly in front of the car, and then extending about another 75 yards further.

That whole thing about the stop signs is a pretty bad excuse too. If you put too much light on any type of reflective surface, be it a mail box, road sign, guard rail, all it's going to do is cause a distraction. Go drive your friends car and see for yourself how much better his stock, low wattage, "compromise in DOT lighting" lamps are.

Another plus: From the alternators point of view 35(or 55) watts>130 watts.

I currently have the Autopal's with a harness, as well as some Narva 130/100 watt bulbs. And even still, for daily driving I would trade that system for a stock TL/TSX/S2K/FX/LS430 setup without even blinking.

 

[hubs97xj]

How bright do you want your lights to cost...

Waiting on some 100/90s to show up, and might be retrofitting some stock fogs, but with a harness, autopals, and stock wattage H4s, total cost at this point is still under $100 (right around 90 inc shipping and such) for (IMO, anyway), much better lighting than stock, that was plug and play. I have to admit, the more I see of HID setups, the more I'd like to have some, but that extra cash is earmarked for other things.

 

[DanMan2k06]

Right and that was the whole point of this thread. For about $100, possibly less, you can get a headlight setup that FAR exceeds the stock ones. I just get a little antsy when people try to compare HID technology to halogen. It's a totally different ball game. Do the Autopal's and high wattage bulbs suck? Absolutely not, I have them. But I would rather have a nice projector setup. Like you said, all depends on the budget

On a side note, has anyone seen these? Hella Cateye DE's?

Or these, from ECStuning. Not available anymore.

 

[XJLI]

Mother of god... Any specs on that?!

nothing other than its one pair of OEM low beam projectors on a slight incline.

 

[lawsoncl]

If you're referring to that youtube video it was about installing hid kits into halogen housings....not rerofits. There's a big difference.

Point taken. I was referring to installing hid capsules into existing housings.

 

[lawsoncl]

... As opposed to? Behind the car? To the side? Pointing in the air? I don't really get this statement. That's where the light is intended to be, and that's where it is. Directly in front of the car, and then extending about another 75 yards further.

Just saying that putting a lot of light on the road 20-feet in front of the car is a waste of light. There's nothing there you need to see. If you're moving 55mph, 20 feet in front of the car goes by in about 1/4 second. I want to see things down the road when I can still do something about it.

 

[FitchVA]

you want HID porn? how about this:

not my car btw..

while they do look bright...that picture has a 15 second exposure time. that's pretty long time and gives a false scene of brightness

 

[sbxj]

I currently have the Autopal's with a harness, as well as some Narva 130/100 watt bulbs. And even still, for daily driving I would trade that system for a stock TL/TSX/S2K/FX/LS430 setup without even blinking.

What's keeping you from converting? Could it be the cost? LOL
It'd be nice to see more XJ's with HID

 

[urban yan]

It'd be nice to see more XJ's with HID

There's a few of us lol.

The obvious question is: are you on hidplanet?

I am now

 

[hubs97xj]

Here's a nice setup with some decent comparison pics. Too bad the kit is $380 plus whatever you drop on housings. Yow.

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/electrical/154_0901_jeep_hid_headlight_install/index.html

http://www.electrosport.com/products/product-detail-500.php

 

[HQuakers]

I dunno. I think the beam pattern there isn't that great. All the light is down on the road right in front of the car. You can't even see the intersection to tell if there's a car coming around that bend. Might just be poor aiming too.

I've seen too many amateur, piss-poor HID retrofits that just end up blinding oncoming traffic. OEM HID is decent and its usually a big improvement over the oem halogen setups. I really wish the oems would stop making custom housings based on looks and go for a decent beam pattern.

Personally I have the Autopals with 80/100 bulbs and I love them. Low beams are decent and the highs really light up the road (great for deer spotting). I never get flashed, but I don't hesitate to flash the ricers with their crap retrofits aimed in my eyes. England did a study and showed that the HID retrofits that go into existing housings or H4 housings had drastically worse beam patterns than stock. Hence the reason they were trying to outlaw them.

Are we looking at the same picture? Seems to be perfect for low beams, but what do I know?

 

[sbxj]

Here's a nice setup with some decent comparison pics. Too bad the kit is $380 plus whatever you drop on housings. Yow.

http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/electrical/154_0901_jeep_hid_headlight_install/index.html

http://www.electrosport.com/products/product-detail-500.php

LOL they put a POS hid kit in Hella Vision Plus Headlights (also POS)
What's really funny is the pricetag
For that price you could have real projectors and some decent ballasts and bulbs like
these btw, this is my setup

 

[DanMan2k06]

SB, I LOVE that website. That HID kit on JP is a joke. If you're going to get a "kit" go with one of the $60 shipped ones off of ebay. 95% of those kits are made by the same company in China. Might as well spend as little as possible so when they do fail, you're not $379 in the hole.

On a side note, yes, price is holding me back, but a few other factors are contributing. I want to find a way to get more room behind the header panel. The battery and ECM seem to be right in the way. While I could easily squeeze some e46 projectors in there, if I'm going to do this it's going to be some TL or LS430 projectors. Something that has a ridiculously wide beam pattern, and is bi-xenon. Although I do think I have enough aux lighting to compensate for no high beams lol.

Fitch, I was also worried about the exposure time on that camera. But after looking again at the picture, even if the brightness does get cut in half, the optics are insane. Talk about width - that's like 160 degrees.

 

[sbxj]

If you want I could send you pictures of the FX-R's installed in my XJ.
After I drilled a 3 1/2" hole through the panel and trimmed the battery tray there's even enough room to change the bulbs without removing the lights.
If you want LS430's (I believe the car in the panoramic picture has LS430's) well...you're on your own.

 

[urban yan]

If you want I could send you pictures of the FX-R's installed in my XJ.

I saved the link
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a91/sbdrumr/

 

[SonicCougar99]

I got my wiring harness earlier tonight, I will get it installed tomorrow. My Autopal lights and bulbs should be arriving Monday as well. I will try to get some pics tomorrow of the install and also of the results of just the wiring harness itself. It looks pretty nice, and I would rather spend the money on this premade harness than try to piece one together myself, the cost of this one wasn't bad at all.