I have a 00 ES that didn't come with stock HID. I was planning on buying a Philips HID kit from Xenon and installing it until someone said I'll be blinding other drivers and it won't look that good unless I do projector retrofits first. Is this true? Will I be much happier if I go that route?

 

Alot of ppl dont do retrofit mainly because of cost.

Yes, the reflector bowls of your existing headlights were NOT made for HIDs...so adding an HID kit will create some glare to oncoming drivers. Some drivers may even high-beam you...thinking you have your high-beams on.

If you decide to do it anyway, just point the beam downwards a bit.

pete

 

Thanks. Can I always go back and do retrofit after installing a HID kit?

 

Ok I'm thinking I'll probably go ahead and use a projector. Where do I need to get one from!? Any recommendations

 

Cruise on over to hidplanet.com. Tons of info on doing a retrofit, the available retrofit projectors, some pre-made wiring harnesses and kits through their forum vendors etc. Plenty of pics as well so you can see what they're talking about as far as dropping a plug n play kit in a reflector (halogen) housing. The results are generally not pretty and kind of irresponsible. Doing a proper projector lens retrofit will give you much better light output and beam pattern with the nice sharp cutoff that will look OEM and won't blind other drivers.

Cheers,
Neil

 

Having an HID kit in a halogen reflector bowl is just about the most ricey thing you can do to your car, lighting wise. Seriously, every time I see a car with some plug-n-play kit in their reflectors, I laugh a little inside. That being said, some vehicle come with OEM HIDs with reflector bowls designed for that, example is the IS300.

If you're considering doing a retrofit with a set of projectors, TRS is a great resource. But you should plan and consider these things carefully before you start. Figure your budget, your mechanical inclination, and how much time you have. It's not an extremely hard mod, but it's not exactly a beginner's mod either. I'm not judging your skill level, I'm just saying that careful considerations need to be taken. Based on your question, I assume that you haven't dove into retrofit that deep yet. Here are a few things to consider:

- Depth available in the headlight housing
- Reflector Bowl Size, this will help in the selection of projectors
- Current wiring configuration, not extremely important, but if you plan this carefully it will be more seamless
- Shrouds, which one will fit and look good with your headlight housing shape and size
- Bi-xenon, No bi-xenon
- Bulbs (yes they can get expensive $200 a pair on amazon)
- How time time do you have to dedicate to the project
- Are you going to do it, or pay someone?

Opening up the headlights can be a pain if you've never done it before. I would research and look for those who have retrofitted their ESs and get a good strategy/approach before you order anything. It can get pretty costly quickly. Projectors, Bulbs, Ballasts, Wiring, Butyl, Heat Gun (if not baking), Glue/JB WELD/attachment methods, etc.

And to answer your question, you will be very happy with a legit projector retrofit. Output will be day and night compared to stock halogen.