My HID headlight and LED DRL conversion (with pics)
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My HID headlight and LED DRL conversion (with pics)
I'm sure this subject has been beat to death, but you never know, maybe someone will learn something different from my experiences. I wouldn't consider this a tutorial, but I'll vaguely go over what I did so someone else can use the information (hopefully). I originally bought the LED capacitors to prevent flickering from vleds, however they didn't work. After installation, the bulbs still flickered, even though I specifically contacted vleds and bought what they instructed. Here is the link TO WHAT DIDN'T WORK http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/dayti...-line-cap.html. I ordered a set of capacitors from jdm toy and they worked perfectly.
Here is a list of what I used (all color temps are 5K):
HID kit
http://www.vleds.com/hid-headlights/...id-system.html
LED DRL
http://www.vleds.com/5k-white-10-led...45-1-pair.html
LED capacitor (to prevent flickering)
http://store.ijdmtoy.com/Canbus-Deco...D-p/aa1038.htm
Parking lights
http://www.vleds.com/shop-bulb-numbe...-led/6-5k.html
So for the HID install I drilled about a 1" hole in the headlight covers for the grommet of the harness to fit in. Mounted the ballasts (left side in front of the airbox and right on the side of the fuse box. I can take pictures if anyone is interested in the exact location) and then moved on to the DRL. I didn't want to drill any holes in the DRL cover on the headlight since the CAN-BUS adapters didn't come with any grommets or suitable way of keeping out moisture. I read somewhere on the forums that the plastic housing in which the capacitors come in could be removed, then the whole LED/capacitor assembly would fit inside the headlight housing and be sealed with the OEM cover. I popped the covers off of the capacitors, and with a little patience everything fit snug within the housing. With the parking lights I just pulled the old bulbs out and put the LEDs in. This is the only area that I didn't run into any snags.
Here is the CAN-BUS adapter with the outer plastic cover removed
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LED vs OEM
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DRLs
windows print screen
screen capture windows 7
Headlights on (DRLs are off at this point, what you see in addition to the headlights are the parking lights)
how to screenshot on windows 7
Headlights with brights on (the LEDs don't get any brighter, when the brights are on the DRLs get turned on as well)
image hosting
Here is a list of what I used (all color temps are 5K):
HID kit
http://www.vleds.com/hid-headlights/...id-system.html
LED DRL
http://www.vleds.com/5k-white-10-led...45-1-pair.html
LED capacitor (to prevent flickering)
http://store.ijdmtoy.com/Canbus-Deco...D-p/aa1038.htm
Parking lights
http://www.vleds.com/shop-bulb-numbe...-led/6-5k.html
So for the HID install I drilled about a 1" hole in the headlight covers for the grommet of the harness to fit in. Mounted the ballasts (left side in front of the airbox and right on the side of the fuse box. I can take pictures if anyone is interested in the exact location) and then moved on to the DRL. I didn't want to drill any holes in the DRL cover on the headlight since the CAN-BUS adapters didn't come with any grommets or suitable way of keeping out moisture. I read somewhere on the forums that the plastic housing in which the capacitors come in could be removed, then the whole LED/capacitor assembly would fit inside the headlight housing and be sealed with the OEM cover. I popped the covers off of the capacitors, and with a little patience everything fit snug within the housing. With the parking lights I just pulled the old bulbs out and put the LEDs in. This is the only area that I didn't run into any snags.
Here is the CAN-BUS adapter with the outer plastic cover removed
image hosting services
LED vs OEM
free upload
DRLs
windows print screen
screen capture windows 7
Headlights on (DRLs are off at this point, what you see in addition to the headlights are the parking lights)
how to screenshot on windows 7
Headlights with brights on (the LEDs don't get any brighter, when the brights are on the DRLs get turned on as well)
image hosting
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Looks good! can you also post a picture of the DRLs out on a sunny day? Just wondering if the bulbs you picked will look better than the ijdmtoy ones (http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Da...C-p/90-004.htm).
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Thanks!!
Yes I'll get a photo for you tomorrow.
Looks good! can you also post a picture of the DRLs out on a sunny day? Just wondering if the bulbs you picked will look better than the ijdmtoy ones (http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Da...C-p/90-004.htm).
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Looks good, been wanting to do this to my IS for a while just haven't got around to it. I noticed you live in TN, there is a silver IS that I've seen around town with LED driving lights, you wouldn't happen to be from west TN would you?
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Not that I've noticed, although I haven't monitored it any more than usual.
No I'm from east TN actually. About an hour east of Knoxville near the Virginia line.
They told me the same thing, and it was of no use to me when I installed it. It's money wasted IMO.
They told me the same thing, and it was of no use to me when I installed it. It's money wasted IMO.
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Sorry if this a newbie question,
But you did not have the OEM HID option on your car and installed an aftermarket set?
Just want to be clear since I have OEM HID and want to convert my parking and DRL to led
Thanks for the patience , just want to avoid confusion
But you did not have the OEM HID option on your car and installed an aftermarket set?
Just want to be clear since I have OEM HID and want to convert my parking and DRL to led
Thanks for the patience , just want to avoid confusion
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Correct. None of my lighting up front was HID/LED, although I would imagine the process for converting your DRL and parking lights to LED would be the same.