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Help with HID headlight conversion

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Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 6, 2003
388
6
Missouri
My wife drives 60 miles a day in a rural area and much of it after dark when animals and stupid people roam. She drives a 1999 Chevy Caviler with 200K miles on it. Don't laugh! It costs less than 12 cents/mile to operate and we can't afford to get rid of it. Her headlights are a joke. If you're traveling above 35 mph you just can't stop in time if you happen to see it. We've replaced the bulbs to better units, and polished the lens in an attempt to make things better, but it's still not enough.

These HID kits are interesting, but I see more scams than actual results and I'm not entering a car show so the "cool" look means nothing to me. What are my options if any? Thanks.

jeff
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

A true HID kit will also include the transformers,not just blue bulbs. You will also lose your low beams as well. The only true hi low (bi-xenon) headlamps are very expensive. I'd just bolt on some driving lights,HID if you prefer,and call it a day
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Dave,

I'm okay with $150-$200 if it helps. I'm even okay with non-street legal units if it means she can see at night. The units I've been looking at include the ballasts. Do you have a preference?

jeff
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Get a pair of KC's and mount them in the grill 'rally style'. That's the higher end solution. Rallye lights avaialable at your local Autozone in two sets will work really good. Mount a set of FOG lights on the outer sides. Mount the DRIVING lights in teh center. This will broadcast a long beam of light to teh center, and a wide beam to the edges out to more than braking distance for less money.
If you polished your lenses good and installed a set of Sylvania bulbs or Xenon Bulbs you should be fine there, or replace the lenses outright with the good bulbs.
I have a replaced pair of KC's 130W lights for our Dakota and am looking at how I want to install them since I got rid of all the front, rear, adn side mounted bars that had rusted through. I miss the super long availalbe light out in front when it's dark too
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

You can put the "blue" style lights and other supposed brighter beams that do help some. I bet the thing that would help you the most is the headlight plastic restoration kit. It makes a huge difference and its easy.

Amazon Link
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

The conversions are ok for you, but if they are not in the proper HID housing you will be blinding other drivers. Projector headlamps are a way of retrofitting a car with HIDs. However, if you place them in the stock housing they can be a real nuisance to oncoming traffic.

Josh
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Your problem is really the fact that it is a Cavalier. The headlights are pretty low to the ground so you don't get a good throw on the light. Unfortunately most states will not let you mount external high mounted lights for driving on maintained roads. Think big ticket if you blind a trooper on the road.

As Switch said your best bet is to use some of the fog light kits, get the brightest headlights, have them aimed, (the Cavalier over time will vibrate and cause the headlights to after time tilt down and give you the impression that the lights are not very bright. Best bet is to make sure the person you go to has the correct alignment kit to do it. Alignment is more than up and down it is also side to side.

Last but not least. As you can tell I live in Kalifornia and about the biggest thing I could hit would be a skunk or some of the dog sized deer here in Southern Kali, BUT I have heard that many people will use whistles on the front of the car that is creates a high pitched whistle to alert the critters to get the "f" out of the way. Again maybe someone here knows if they are effective. I don't know.
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

What is the voltage at the connector, NOT TO BODY GROUND, I ask because VW only sends 10.5-11.3 volts to my headlights, I installed a relay harness that powers the headlights directly from the battery, it made a noticeable difference in the lumens being out put, now at idle Im getting 14volts plus, there is also really no fix for shitty USA spec reflectors, euro headlights put all the light on the road, USA spec must illuminate signs and have a much wider beam pattern.

www.suvlights.com
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

on a 99 cav the right and left headlight fuse runs through the DRL relay and then through the headlights up to the headlight switch to a ground. So the headlights will see system voltage at all times except when DRL's are on. It then runs 12 volts in series thought both headlights so they will dim.
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

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Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Since the time change this weekend she's driving my car so I've got hers to play with during the day. Thanks for the help!
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Have you tried different halogen bulbs? I put the Sylvania Silver Star bulbs in my truck and in my wife's car. They made a big difference, cost a little more than std. bulbs, but less then an HID conversion. Might be worth a try.
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

http://www.ddmtuning.com/

Have been using these w/ 6000K bulbs for a while now w/ no problems.

This was my first HID kit and can honestly say I'll never use halogen bulbs again.
 
Re: Help with HID headlight conversion

Being that HID conversions are relatively inexpensive now I would definitely recommend them. I use them on my truck and they are extremely bright. Also check your local laws for the use of HID lights without projector housing. If youre like me and don't give a shit about the people that will high beam you back for having bright lights then rock on, j/p . On a serious note, I just aim them down a little.

Most kits are plug and play now and require no cutting of the factory wire harness.