HID Question

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I saw a 2013 F150 with factory HID lights and I was wondering if it is the housing that plays a huge (perhaps the only) role in whether or not there is glare created by the HIDs?

I ask this because it would be nice if I could purchase the factory housings and install an aftermarket kit and have a functional set of properly operating HIDs for a lot less than doing a full OEM retrofit.

Thoughts?
 
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
I saw a 2013 F150 with factory HID lights and I was wondering if it is the housing that plays a huge (perhaps the only) role in whether or not there is glare created by the HIDs??


It's the projector itself. The projector in an HID lamp housing is different from a projector in a halogen lamp housing (because the optics are different). The optics inside the projector are what control the light emitted.

Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
I ask this because it would be nice if I could purchase the factory housings and install an aftermarket kit and have a functional set of properly operating HIDs for a lot less than doing a full OEM retrofit.


If you had the OEM housings, you could then install aftermarket ballasts and connect them to aftermarket HID bulbs. You couldn't use retrofit bulbs, because they're re-based to fit into housings that take H13 halogens. You'd need to use the aftermarket bulbs intended as replacements for real HID housings (like DS1, DS2, etc). You'd also need to wire-in a way for your high beam circuit to move the shutter in the projector, as I think the F-150 uses a movable shutter for the high beam in HID-equipped models.

Do you know what bulbs Ford uses in the new F-150?
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
If you had the OEM housings, you could then install aftermarket ballasts and connect them to aftermarket HID bulbs. You couldn't use retrofit bulbs, because they're re-based to fit into housings that take H13 halogens. You'd need to use the aftermarket bulbs intended as replacements for real HID housings (like DS1, DS2, etc). You'd also need to wire-in a way for your high beam circuit to move the shutter in the projector, as I think the F-150 uses a movable shutter for the high beam in HID-equipped models.

Do you know what bulbs Ford uses in the new F-150?

Thanks for the info Hokiefyd! Not sure which bulb is used, but I assume that I could use the bulb that fits the Ford housing? I saw on one of the websites selling the OEM housings that a jumper is needed and I am guessing that is for the high beams.

The full kit (taken from a 2013) is quite expensive, but I see the housings in the $400 range for the pair. Aftermarket HID kits are not too pricey (I would want 4300-5000K bulbs--I want HIDs for the brightness at night and not the "blue factor).

Any recommendations on a kit?
 
The light bezel on an HID headlamp is designed specifically to reflect the light from an HID bulb, and in such a fashion that it does not impede the vision of other drivers. Aftermarket HID bulbs are typically designed to emit even more light than their stock counterparts, so even when installed in an HID bezel you will more than likely emit a very bright light into oncoming traffic. Some HID bulbs emit a low beam head lamp almost as bright as the high beam side.

I'm a nightshift highway truck driver, I do all my driving under nighttime conditions and I have the great pleasure of being blinded all night by aftermarket HID headlamp setups. Please pay the extra expense and use the OEM light bezel and OEM bulbs, that way you can experience improved vision and not at the expense of other motorists.

I find the halogen headlamps (low beam and High beam) to be very weak in these newer F150's, so I understand why you want to upgrade.
 
I do agree with Curtis that it'd be best to use an OEM bulb. Aftermarket bulbs are sometimes hit-and-miss in terms of quality. The same goes, by the way, for aftermarket ballasts. Some are pretty good. Some are decidedly not. In general, I'm sure the more you pay, the better quality you get. I wouldn't want cheap ballasts frying my OEM wiring or melting my HID lamps in my new OEM housings, but I also wouldn't want to pay more than needed for quality stuff, so I certainly sympathize with you.

$400 for a pair of OEM HID housings is quite a good price. You are sure they are OEM housings, and you are sure that they are for models with HID option? Again, that's quite a good price, one that I'm almost suspicious of! The other unknown is can you plug an OEM HID bulb into an aftermarket ballast, or if you buy aftermarket ballasts, does that mean you cannot use OEM bulbs with them? I don't know the answer to that.
 
I'll tell you who WILL know, though. Sign up at the Candlepower forums. There is an automotive section there and those folks are highly knowledgeable about this stuff. They will absolutely disuade one from wanting to do retrofit kits, but will applaud someone trying to do a legitimate OEM install like you are considering.
 
For any items HID related go to theretrofitsource.com
Go for the Osram or Philips bulb if you want 4200-4300k that will be OEM.
Just make sure you use a harness as well.
For any info on retrofits including OEM, go to HidPlanet.com they are the experts in all HID.
Their forums cover tons of vehicles that have done the conversion and have extremely knowledgeable people to assist with any questions.
 
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the factory HID's on the F150 are bixenon's and your factory bulb is a H13

the first challenge is opening up the headlight assembly. If they use butyl adhesive, it will be easy.

If it uses something like PermaSeal, they will be a PITA to retro.

After choosing an appropriate bixenon projector, then comes the fun part of modifying the housing to accept the projector and mounting it so that it is rotationally level.

CHoose the shroud of your choice.

Choose the bulb & Ballast....

put everything back together. A good place, like the retrofitsource can source you an appropriate relayed H13 harness
 
Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
the factory HID's on the F150 are bixenon's and your factory bulb is a H13. the first challenge is opening up the headlight assembly. If they use butyl adhesive, it will be easy. If it uses something like PermaSeal, they will be a PITA to retro. After choosing an appropriate bixenon projector, then comes the fun part of modifying the housing to accept the projector and mounting it so that it is rotationally level. CHoose the shroud of your choice. Choose the bulb & Ballast....put everything back together. A good place, like the retrofitsource can source you an appropriate relayed H13 harness

Many thanks for the information! I think all of that is too much of a PITA; I plan to purchase OEM 2013 Ford F-150 HID housings and OEM ballasts, bulbs, and to the extent possible, wiring harnesses because the OEM housings look the best and contain "F150" monikers inside them so they look like they belong on the truck because they do. I will need a jumper to power the high beam shutter, but I have found some good resources for that part online.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
Some aftermarket bi-xenons are excellent. With sharp cutoff, and no glare to oncoming drivers.

I have seen some nice halos, but the 2013 OEMs look really nice and require zero work to install them.
 
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