HID question

"bob and john" (bobandjohn) 10/07/2020 at 11:56 • Filed to: None

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So, my 08 IS250 has HID from the factory. great. they are bright as hell when they work.

A ballast blew on it last week. So, i’m looking to either A: get another ballast or B, convert them to LEDs.

they ARE projector lights, so i’m not worried about the cut off...I’m just wondering if there is a kit to convert the D4S bulb to an LED? (pulling all of the ballasts and associated wiring) as a kit.

I will be pulling the headlights to polished them out from the inside, and figured I might as well do the whole thing in one go.

66P1800inpieces > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:05

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It seems that LEDs are great if the reflector is designed to match the led placement of the bulb. So while aftermarket LEDs can work well in a properly designed aftermarket housing popping aftermarket bulbs into your system might not have the desired results. HIDs work great and last so long that I am not sure it would be worth the time to change over to LED unless there is an LED specifically designed for your application.

Do you have to pull the front clip? If not it might be worth it to change to LED just to see.  

I plan to use LEDs on my Volvo because even with an altenator conversion every amp counts and they make housings designed for LED bulbs that fit my application. They are boring 7" round like Jeeps so there is decent aftermarket options.

bob and john > 66P1800inpieces 10/07/2020 at 12:09

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they are projector light housings, so i’m not so worried about that.

I have to pull the clip anyways because 1: the ballast in the one side has gone and 2: the one light isnt sealed right and is corroded on the inside, and i wanna open it up to clean it. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:09

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I like the aftermarket LEDs that mimic the third gen

bob and john > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 10/07/2020 at 12:11

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missed the point. I’m just looking to change the low beam from HID to LED. 

Levitas > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:17

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Took a peak at theretrofitsource, my usual go to for headlight stuff. Doesn’t look like they have any D4S LED bulbs, which is interesting.

Looks like theres plenty of offbrand/offshore bulbs but those are very hit and miss, retrofitsource does a lot of testing, etc. Could always do a conversion to new bi-LED projectors, but would require opening up the housing (full retrofit).

Otherwise I think morimoto has pretty decent ballasts, might be a cheaper route than a new OEM

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:18

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Projectors are still specific to HID/Halogen/etc.

bob and john > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 10/07/2020 at 12:21

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huh. TIL.  these seem to be the best i’ve found so far....

https://www.amazon.ca/DZG-Headlight-Bulbs-Conversion-Bright/dp/B07PNF2PTF

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:21

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I’m curious as well, seeing as my E46 also uses D4S bulbs. It does appear that kits exist for this

https://www.headlightexperts.com/d4s-led-headlight-conversion-kit

I have noticed that modern LEDs do a much better job emulating the specific scatter pattern of HID and/or halogen bulbs, leading to fewer issues with the beam getting messed up.

bob and john > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 10/07/2020 at 12:25

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I wonder if I would have to replace the balast with these anyways....check my other reply...

I’ll send these guys an email and see....

ibRAD > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:25

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Is a replacement ballast not available? Switching to LED is usually a bad idea. Projector isn’t a magic bullet, it’s just a reflector with a lens on the front. A lens that has been designed to work with the reflector, which was designed to work with an HID source.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 12:34

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No ballasts required. They’re just 12 volt LEDs. An HID is like a constant “spark” in a glass tube full of gas. Requires hilarious voltage to ignite the spark initially, which is why older HIDs “flash” when they turn on before slowly warming up. LEDs don’t do any of that. 

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 14:42

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Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine

66P1800inpieces > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 17:16

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Here is a good post from Jalopnik,.

https://jalopnik.com/why-most-led-headlight-upgrades-dont-really-work-an-ex-1843070472

When I was researching the LEDs for my Volvo I liked this seller, though I didn’t buy anything. I was liking the lower amp bulbs they sell but that shouldn’t be needed for your application.

No matter who you use check to see if they list the manufacture of the LED. LEDs are like any product centered around a chip/component and there are name brand ones and off brand clones.

someoneatacura > bob and john 10/07/2020 at 18:01

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Save yourself a heap of hassle and just get a new ballast. These systems sometimes have 3 different components (Acura is this way). A bulb, Ignitor (the thing that makes all the voltage) and a control unit (the thing that controls the voltage for a stable arc in the bulb). They don’t use a standard type bulb connector, so you’re not going to be able to slap in an aftermarket HID or LED kit. The Lexus part will be pricey, aftermarket might exist but you have to factor time and headache as well as money.