Is It Possible To Switch Headlamps From Halogen To Xenon?
01-20-14, 06:39 PM
#1
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Is It Possible To Switch Headlamps From Halogen To Xenon?
I like the new xenon headlamps I'm seeing in today's cars. I think they would be a great addition to our LS400's, but I don't know where to start. Is it possible to switch our headlamps from halogen to xenon?
01-20-14, 06:52 PM
#2
Lead Lap
People do it and I want to take a sledgehammer to all the cars I see with aftermarket HID. Aftermarket HID kits give OEM HID a bad rap. At least I don't see as many aftermarket HID as I used to where I live - it's a quick way to get a citation here and even a car temporarily impounded and towed. California seems to be much more tolerant in that I've seen more blinding aftermarket HID junk on the road in California than in any other state.
01-20-14, 07:00 PM
#3
They don't pull people over for this in Florida. If Lexus would have just put decent lights in the 1st gens I would not have an HID kit in it. My 1980 Chevy truck headlights are 100x better.
01-20-14, 07:05 PM
#4
purchase a high quality 9006 HID kit for your headlights, and get the 4300k temperature which is what the stock HID color uses (and is the most effective color out there). with today's market being flooded with aftermarket HID kits, one can be had with warranty for under $50!
01-20-14, 07:13 PM
#5
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i retrofitted my ls400 with 4 projectors and xenon kits. it seems to be the best way of upgrading headlights to xenon. it may require replacing headlights with aftermarket one with clear lens. pls search my post 2 years ago for an idea of how i did it.
01-20-14, 07:15 PM
#6
People do it and I want to take a sledgehammer to all the cars I see with aftermarket HID. Aftermarket HID kits give OEM HID a bad rap. At least I don't see as many aftermarket HID as I used to where I live - it's a quick way to get a citation here and even a car temporarily impounded and towed. California seems to be much more tolerant in that I've seen more blinding aftermarket HID junk on the road in California than in any other state.
As for the OP, please don't install them in the stock housings. Baffled DOT lenses and the reflector design cause the HID beam to scatter and blind oncoming cars as well as spread the beam higher than is permissible by vehicle code. These were designed for halogen bulb output characteristics.
A complete headlight retrofit that uses proper projectors through a clear lens would be the better way. Like this one on Lexkost's.
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01-21-14, 10:20 AM
#8
i'm under a "bad" example 
.
taken from:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...m-pattern.html
.taken from:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...m-pattern.html
took some pics of my pattern, which i am frankly not really thrilled about.
setup:
- 97 stock headlight housings
- DDM tuning 55w 6000k H4 (single mode, no high beam option) HID kit
i already had to replace the first set of bulbs since one color shifted prematurely. i am very careful installing them, they admitted fault and replaced them under warranty. the previous bulbs had a more distinct cutoff but the new bulbs have a difference in shield design (crappier) hence the glare you see below.
low beam only
high beam only, since i have a single H4 kit, the low beam HID bulb turns off and the separate halogen high beam turns on. usually the high beam filament on the H4 turns on in addition to the separate high beam.
against the wall at 20ft (sorry my camera focused on the windshield instead). you can see there is actually a left flare which results in glare to on-coming traffic! i get flashed every now and then usually at dark roads when there is only me and the other car in passing.
again, with a different ISO setting.
results: due to improper bulb shielding the light is scattered to on-coming traffic. also since i am running a 55w kit (vs the normal 35w kit) i get more lumens to the road however at times i feel it's too bright (gasp!) but yes it actually strains my eyes more than i would like. if you are always driving dark roads, it's a good kit but around city driving where light and traffic abound, it may be overkill.
setup:
- 97 stock headlight housings
- DDM tuning 55w 6000k H4 (single mode, no high beam option) HID kit
i already had to replace the first set of bulbs since one color shifted prematurely. i am very careful installing them, they admitted fault and replaced them under warranty. the previous bulbs had a more distinct cutoff but the new bulbs have a difference in shield design (crappier) hence the glare you see below.
low beam only
high beam only, since i have a single H4 kit, the low beam HID bulb turns off and the separate halogen high beam turns on. usually the high beam filament on the H4 turns on in addition to the separate high beam.
against the wall at 20ft (sorry my camera focused on the windshield instead). you can see there is actually a left flare which results in glare to on-coming traffic! i get flashed every now and then usually at dark roads when there is only me and the other car in passing.
again, with a different ISO setting.
results: due to improper bulb shielding the light is scattered to on-coming traffic. also since i am running a 55w kit (vs the normal 35w kit) i get more lumens to the road however at times i feel it's too bright (gasp!) but yes it actually strains my eyes more than i would like. if you are always driving dark roads, it's a good kit but around city driving where light and traffic abound, it may be overkill.
01-21-14, 06:39 PM
#9
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Wow, you guys are probably right. I might want to stick with my halogens, but the thought of converting to xenons would seem cool. Any idea what the cost of doing a proper conversion would be? If it'll cost a thousand, I won't do it.
01-21-14, 07:40 PM
#10
Realistically, that depends on how custom you want to go, but buying materials (i.e. OEM projectors from cars that have them) should run you $300-500 and finding someone to put it all together is anywhere from $FREE-250. It'll probably end up cost $1000+ if you want to do something wild, like take LS600h projectors and retrofit them into the stock housings.
Last edited by Sc0pe; 01-21-14 at 11:58 PM.
01-21-14, 08:39 PM
#11
eBay has plenty of clear Depo headlights available 96-97. I haven't check for the 90-94. Various projector assemblies are also readily available.
You can get an idea of various projectors from this place:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/com...ofit-kits.html
Then being creative and handy with various tools to fit them up.
You can get an idea of various projectors from this place:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/com...ofit-kits.html
Then being creative and handy with various tools to fit them up.
01-31-14, 09:28 AM
#14
Lexus Champion
Realistically, that depends on how custom you want to go, but buying materials (i.e. OEM projectors from cars that have them) should run you $300-500 and finding someone to put it all together is anywhere from $FREE-250. It'll probably end up cost $1000+ if you want to do something wild, like take LS600h projectors and retrofit them into the stock housings.
02-01-14, 08:23 AM
#15
Lead Lap
Toyota could have equipped the 94 LS400 with far better headlights with a sharp E-code-like cutoff conforming to revised DOT regulations for the 1994 model year but chose not to. Maybe it was because the headlights had just been revised for the 1993 model year with a change from 9004/HB1 45/65W bulbs to newly allowed 9003/H4/HB2 55/60W bulbs and the gen 1 LS400 was in its final year. Some car makers (e.g. Mercedes) went with the new European-like standard immediately on existing models for the 1994 model year.
Other than light scatter, the problem with putting aftermarket HID on an LS400 - especially the 90-94 LS400 - is that the car is unusually sensitive to passenger and luggage load. When four average size adults and their luggage, the halogen headlights on my 1990 LS400 were pointing skyward and putting very little light on the road.
OEM HID headlights have an auto-leveling feature. The ones on 98-up Lexus vehicles have the older type that senses vehicle load only when the engine is started. Some newer cars with HID or LED headlights have an auto-leveling feature that works continuously while the car is driven. The LED headlights on our Prius wagon have the continuously adjusting type.
Aftermarket HID kits do not provide auto-leveling and are more likely to blind oncoming drivers.
The worst experience I've had with aftermarket HID was when my wife and I encountered what appeared to be a Honda car club on a rural 2-lane California highway at night. I and a number of other drivers had to stop until they passed.