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Xenon Home Depot HID failure <24 hrs!?!

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Old Oct 17, 2011 | 05:50 PM
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Default Xenon Home Depot HID failure <24 hrs!?!

After hearing raves about Xenondepot HID kits, I bought a kit for my 06.

Now, less then 24 hours later, the driver's side has become dim and pink!

Anyone else have a problem like this?
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Old Oct 17, 2011 | 05:59 PM
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Nope and I have two of their Xtreme digital kits.

Contact Steve from XD ASAP. He'll help you troubleshoot and get any replacement parts (if any) needed to you post haste. Excellent response times in my experience

Good luck
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Old Oct 17, 2011 | 07:24 PM
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Contact Steve
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Old Oct 18, 2011 | 08:14 AM
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Lou19,

It was nice speaking with you. Please let me know what you find =)

Steve
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Old Oct 19, 2011 | 01:45 PM
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Today, more good news, I read it is illegal to retrofit HID bulbs into Halogen projectors.

The potenial exist to blind oncoming traffic and cause a collision, according to the NTSB.

IMO, although brighter, the pattern is scattered compared to the halogen, a halo appears above the fuzzy cut off point of the HID. It's easy for me to compare since I'm running both halogen and HID since one HID failed and went pink.

Now what??
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Old Oct 19, 2011 | 02:22 PM
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Wow! Are you installing the HIDs on a GX470? If so, no one who has installed HIDs on their GX has heard of blinding other drivers. I've had mind for over a year and no one has ever "flashed" me becuase my HIDs were blinding them. Maybe you installed them incorrectly, eg, not seated properly into the socket.
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Old Oct 19, 2011 | 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Lou19

The potential exist to blind oncoming traffic and cause a collision, according to the NTSB.

Potentially true, especially if installed incorrectly or projector not suited for HID.
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Old Oct 19, 2011 | 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Lou19

IMO, although brighter, the pattern is scattered compared to the halogen, a halo appears above the fuzzy cut off point of the HID.
Yep, brighter, wider (not scattered) and yes, the little halo, but distinct cutoff.

Did you really do your research?
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Old Oct 19, 2011 | 09:33 PM
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There is NO issue with their kits on GX's period! I have them on my 08 both low and Fogs and I have NEVER been flashed by anyone as to my lights being to disruptive, I even had my wife drive toward me in her car and she said they looked um "Beautiful" Yea those were her words lol! No blinding or glare! Just pure white light baby!
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Old Oct 20, 2011 | 05:10 AM
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Originally Posted by Booyah
There is NO issue with their kits on GX's period! I have them on my 08 both low and Fogs and I have NEVER been flashed by anyone as to my lights being to disruptive, I even had my wife drive toward me in her car and she said they looked um "Beautiful" Yea those were her words lol! No blinding or glare! Just pure white light baby!
Hey Booyah!

I guess you installed your HIDs correctly, huh?
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Old Oct 20, 2011 | 07:02 AM
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Typo last post NHTSA not NTSB, anyway here's the research:

Under federal regulation FMVSS 108, replacement lights must conform to the specifications for the original equipment manufacturer's system they will be installed in. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has determined that HID conversion kits can never be designed to meet this standard. The NHTSA declared HID kits illegal in 2004.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/glare.html

I installed them correctly, if I could replace the projectors to eliminate the halos and sharpen the cut off, I would consider using HIDs headlamps anyway. The fact they are illegal is troubling as there are no indications the kits are for off-road use only or illegal when ordering them from KB.

KB is located is Canada, and like a draft dodger, has no worries about US law or if the kits are legal or not.
That responsibility falls on the US buyer, so caveat emptor .

Obviously a sore subject for those who are 100% satisfied with their HID installs, but don't kill the messenger, this is old news (2004) I just became aware of.

I like Steve and he's been very helpful, I'll keep both kits I bought and will continue to use the HID fogs unless it is a rainy night and reflections may cause other drivers discomfort.

Lou
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Old Oct 20, 2011 | 09:05 AM
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I have their kit on my GX both 5k Hid and Foglight and never heard any complains from the drivers. What bothers me sometimes are those 9k cheap kits or even higher.
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Old Oct 20, 2011 | 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Lou19
Typo last post NHTSA not NTSB, anyway here's the research:

Under federal regulation FMVSS 108, replacement lights must conform to the specifications for the original equipment manufacturer's system they will be installed in. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has determined that HID conversion kits can never be designed to meet this standard. The NHTSA declared HID kits illegal in 2004.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/glare.html

I installed them correctly, if I could replace the projectors to eliminate the halos and sharpen the cut off, I would consider using HIDs headlamps anyway. The fact they are illegal is troubling as there are no indications the kits are for off-road use only or illegal when ordering them from KB.

KB is located is Canada, and like a draft dodger, has no worries about US law or if the kits are legal or not.
That responsibility falls on the US buyer, so caveat emptor .

Obviously a sore subject for those who are 100% satisfied with their HID installs, but don't kill the messenger, this is old news (2004) I just became aware of.

I like Steve and he's been very helpful, I'll keep both kits I bought and will continue to use the HID fogs unless it is a rainy night and reflections may cause other drivers discomfort.

Lou
The reason that law went into effect was the very early kits were poorly built and the light source (bulb) was not properly aimed in the reflector housing which caused ridiculous glare. This is especially true with reflector housings. You still see some of those bad kits out there which is stupid blinding bright. The effect is muted somewhat in projector housings but can still be bad if you have an improperly aimed bulb being used.
Most kit bulbs nowadays at least have the bulb properly spec'd to aim properly in the housing.

The 'halo' you see with the GX is mostly due to the 'squirrel' cage which is a cut out in the projector cutoff which allowed some of the original 'dimmer' halogen light to project upward and hit the road signs. Since the HID's are brighter, more light is getting out of the squirrel cage. you can take a piece of metal and hi temp epoxy to cover the squirrel cages and reduce upward projecting light. Of course some additional stray light is due to the reflector in the projector not being designed specifically for an HID bulb (the shape and size of the actual light source is a little different). That is probably why you also do not see the light spread on the road as efficiently and evenly as a true HID reflector/projector.

I have had HID retrofits in both reflector and projector housings (as well as true HID projectors) and I must say the difference in stray light from a properly fitted projector is pretty minimal considering how much more light you get on the road. For a reflector housing (specifically an H4 housing) using a casper shield effectively cuts out the offending stray blinding light. Not using a casper shield in that housing would cause ungodly amounts of glare.

BTW, In the 10 years I have had my properly fitted (or casper shielded) HID kits, I have NEVER had anyone flash me or comment my lights are blinding them, even when I am driving behind cops.

Last edited by Davenlei; Oct 20, 2011 at 02:08 PM.
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Old Oct 21, 2011 | 12:23 PM
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Davenlei,

Thanks for the info!! I am familiar with the "squirrel spotters" but was not aware that the GX had them as well.

Steve
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Old Oct 21, 2011 | 02:08 PM
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I dont have a squirrel in mine?
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