I was just wondering if anyone has switched there SC over to HIDs. I see that this runs about $550. Does it make that much of a difference or should I just go with bulb replacements such as PIAA that are "close" to hid. In another post of mine I asked about the cornering lights........ Are these soposed to be on all the time with the low beams? Thanks,

 

Go HIDs!!! And if you're going to go the kit conversion route, buy a quality kit from www.autolamps-online.com or www.suvlights.com. As to the difference between halogen and HID: a minimum of 300% brightness gain, higher color temperature with lower levels of ultraviolet and infrared to improve contrast on the road and reduce eye fatigue, wider dispersion angles, deeper and farther depth of view, less wattage consumption, longer bulb life, lower flux maintenance, etc, etc, etc. If you decide on the conversion, note that your low beams are 9006 socket size and your lighting optics are projector beam using D2S HID bulbs. Also it's good to have a relay for your HID kit to reduce strain on your alternator, good kits include this. The optimal route to convert your car to HID is to find an OEM HID system and retrofit your car with them. This gives you the benefits of correct HID optics for that color flickering effect, sharp cut-off line, distinct beam pattern, weatherproofed, and more, but you still won't attain auto-levelling like an HID-equipped car would. I believe the lights in the bumper were cornering lights in 92-95 models, and foglights in the 96-00 models.

 

No SC's ever came w/ HID, so how do we retrofit a stock GS HID system to our housings? Are the SC optics retained, or do we have to convert the GS (or what ever Lex) HID optics into the SC housings??


I'm wanting to do this because everone I know that bought a HID conversion kit is dissapointed by the light output not being focused. Your help is greatly appreciated. They say the light is brighter, but you can't see **** at night because the light is so scattered.


Keith

 

Keith, I totally agree. HID kits yield MORE light, but it is 99% of the time it is scattered, unfocused, and sloppy. In order to do an OEM retrofit, you need to remove your stock optics system and take measurements on the maximum diameter in the headlight housing and the maximum depth capable from the housing on back.

The 98+ GS4 HIDs won't work because they use reflector beam optics which are too large for the SC, which uses projector beams. The only projector beam HID Lexus carries is for the SC430. This is how it is with most manufacturers: they like to use inefficient reflectors on large sedans and SUVs, and the efficient, brighter projectors on coupes only. You can hunt for any OEM HID from any manufacturer of a projector. My choice candidate is the Honda S2000 projector HID. They are by far my favorite HID system in the world. Unfortunately it is a low volume/low availability car so it'll be difficult to find some. You can look into OE HIDs from BMW, Audi, Porsche, SAAB, VW, and some Mercedes (SL, CL, M). BMW and Audi are my second choice and should be a lot easier because every car they make comes with HID options.

The best places to search for OEM HID are junk yards, salvage yards, and e-bay. My friend bought an LS400 right HID for $50 and an IS300 left HID for $70 and retrofitted them into his Honda Civic. They look awesome, I'll post pics.

 

This is the superior cut off line created by proper HID optics (not available in any kit conversion). This pic is from the same Civic from above.

 

This is from a K2 HID conversion kit off a pre-98 GS400. Notice the light beam is uncontrolled with no cut off, scatter in all directions, and will blind other drivers around you. It is also 400 lumens dimmer than the Civic pictured above. FYI, 4100K bulbs are BRIGHTER than 6000K bulbs.

 

Cut off line from a standard equipped BMW E46 M3. Same 4100K bulb.

 

Here's a '98 Accord with JDM Type-R HID retrofit. He is using 6000K bulbs. Notice the proper cut off.

 

High view of beam pattern from the Civic retrofit.

 

Driver's view from the same Civic.... (Sorry for all the large pics)

 

Lucky for us the SCs are equipped with the projection lights. This means no matter what you put in, it automatically have the same cutoff point. There is a big difference between retrofitting the projection and the reflection lights.

P.S. I use 9005 bulbs that are twice brighter then 9006 bulbs, and I don't blind people (checked three times before I took it on the road). My cutoff point didn't change.

 

I just recently upgraded to a German Hella 7000K HID conversion kit, from my 4000K Vision HId conversion,
from my 4000K Phillips superwhite HID kit.

I've had 3 HID conversion kits. I've burned through 4 sets of "CLOSE TO" aftermarket bulbs. PIAA, RAYBRIG, VISION and NOKYA.

To the FIRST question. Bulbs do not compare at ALL to HID stock setups or conversion kits. I had a side by side once, where I had a "close to" bulb next to my first phillips HID, and you couldn't even tell if the bulb was on..because the HID overpowered it.

Commenting about HID lights.

My newest set...the German Hella 7000Ks are the brightest and closest to stock HID I've ever seen. VERY bright and a very clean cutoff and beam of light. It looks whitish blue in my projections.

I've seen the same set put in a 91 Acura Legend reflector lens, and they come out looking white/purple.

I put my hand me down 4000K bluish green Vision HIDS's in my 91 civic. Bone stock car w/HIDs in it's reflectors..
I get ricer civics in my neighborhood doing a doubletake going "my Piaas' don't look ANYTHING like that". It's the brightest 91 civic headnlights I've seen around.

Regarding my 93 SC400 w/the german HIDs...
I do often get that "high beam" signal from oncoming traffic..thinking my high beams are on.
To their dismay, I just switch my 9005 high beams on for REAL..to show them that it was my LOW beams they were seeing all along.

p.s.
I do have a LONGer term project of trying to custom put in, the new infiniti Q45's 7 lense HIDs into my SC. Wish me luck

 

Neither Piaa, Raybrig, or Vision make HID bulbs. I've never heard of "Noyka" so I'd imagine anything they may market as 'HID' is either fake or inferior. Piaa and Raybrig only make halogen bulbs. Vision only packages HID kits, they don't make anything but the packaging. Hella doesn't make bulbs either. They only make ballasts. 7000K does not exist, it's common marketing trickery used a lot on e-bay and the internet. There's some out there that advertise 8000K, 9000K, even 12000K. People misconstrue this measurement as a degree of brightness. 6000K refers to a color temperature and has absolutely no bearing on brightness. Brightness is measured in ANSI Lumens. 4100K is 3200lu, 6000K is 2800lu. I'd imagine anything above 8000K is dimmer than an old halogen bulb approaching it's death (800lu). The technology exists to create a 7000K or 50000K bulb, but it is so highly impractical, that no company will venture it's production. 7000K is extremely bluish-purple, dim, and hot running, and the gas mixture inside of that bulb make for a short life span. If 7000K were ever used, it's lighting capabilities, despite the benefit of HID techonology would be poor, dim, and color everything on the road a shade of blue.

Anthracite, did you ever aim your HID kit once you installed them? You know they aren't self-aimed once you pop them in. You should park your car 25 feet from a plain white wall/surface and turn your low beams on. The height to the center of your low beams should be 1.5 inches higher than the epicenter of the light projected on the wall. Please post pics of your HIDs, I'm very interested in seeing pics of SCs with HIDs.

Chris K, how do you figure that halogen projectors have sharp cut off when a high-intensity-discharge bulb is inserted with homemade, unmeasured base plugs that often accompany kit conversions? All headlights are affected the same by a quick kit conversion. It is true that these effects are greater in reflector beam lighting systems because they have a greater reliance on the free-form lense that is very accurately calibrated. But projectors still use an ellipsoidal reflector that is made to work around a specific sized bulb. Please post pics.

Below is a picture of the only SC I could find with a kit conversion. There is no distinct cut off line from the light projected on the pillars

 

And here is a similar pics of an SUV with standard equipped HIDs. Notice the defined cut of on the sides.

 

Here's a front view pic of that multifaceted projector from the '01+ Q45. It looks kind of cool, but it's mechanics baffle me. Anthracite, I'd love to see how it looks in your car! Good luck.