pulling the trigger on HID's in the Milan.

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The Milan is fitted with factory projector headlights, however the H11 bulbs are just awful. Im going to order up HID's and put them in the factory projectors.. Ive been told that using the factory v.s. aftermarket Projectors wont yield as clean of a beam. Dunno.. That said im very torn at this point on kits, Ive ordered from DDM with fantastic results before, ive also ordered from theretrofitsource.com and had questionable results from more expensive equipment. So im unsure of where or what kit kit im going to order. Im not completely sold on paying $80 for a ultra high end kit when a simple $30 kit will likely last plenty long. this is the funny part..

basic 35w kit is $29 with $16 shipping with a lifetime warranty on all parts however they don't plan on you keeping a car long enough to deal with a kit breaking (5-7 year lifespan of HID parts..

Ultra 35w KIT $79.00, free shipping, they claim "better overall product, better parts, brighter light output 10-15 year lifespan expected on all parts"

ughh... you never know how long you will be keeping a car, and we are talking about $30 ish bucks in price difference.. so what do you buy ? at least with DDM all parts cheap or expensive are lifetime warranty.

and the other factor is on my application on the passenger side of the Milan I guess it can be troublesome to get behind the headlight (many go through the fender well) so having a better product may save me some hassle with replacing other parts later.

puzzled.
 
So I just called, the young man on the other end of the phone sounded completely high.. the conversation didn't last long..

Him: "our ultra kit warms up quicker, and its less harsh or your factory electrical system, it also draws less power"

Me: so that's the difference?

Him: uh, yeah.

I currently have two of there "old slim kits" and they have been working just fine for over 5 years..

That phone call didn't get me any closer to a decision.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?380558-What-s-wrong-with-projector-retrofits

Have you tried a Phillips xtreme H11 bulb?

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-12362XVS2-X-Treme-Vision-Replacement/dp/B00BQWQN1Q

The precision of filament placement makes a huge difference, and Phillips is highly accurate.





I will have to check out the first link (the pc im on wont allow me to open it) whats the jist of why its not a good idea to retrofit a factory projector ?
 
The quality of the conversation should tell you something about the likely quality of the product. The reasons why you shouldn't retrofit an HID bulb into even a projector housing are many. Two of which are quality problems with non-regulated aftermarket products and the potential issues with the beam you'll have thereafter.

None of the aftermarket products have to (thus, they don't) undergo testing near as rigorous as original equipment products. About the only thing more common on HID-retrofits than glaring light is you'll see one light completely out. Cheap bulb? Cheap ballast/igniter? Who knows. Not on my vehicle.

The second reason is beam optics. A projector designed for a bulb that puts out 1,000 lumens will be designed to focus a good majority of that light on the road directly in front of the car. Side vision, while often good with projectors in general, takes a back seat to forward vision. It has to -- there just aren't enough lumens to go around. A projector designed for an HID bulb, putting out 3,000 lumens or more, necessarily has to disperse a LOT of the light to the sides, so the main road beam is not so overpowering that it exceeds regulatory limits (for glare above and for light intensity IN the beam). Yes -- you have to account for light above AND below the cutoff, and the light below the cutoff is what is critical for you to see at night. Too much light in the foreground can restrict your pupils. The irony is that you THINK you have great seeing ability because of the bright foreground light, but you have objectively worse seeing ability because those objects in the distance that you might have been able to make out before are now overpowered by the foreground.

It's just not possible to make one optic that is effective for both types of light sources. It doesn't matter how good (or cheesy) the marketing is, it doesn't matter how insistent that someone is that ~their~ retrofit really does work, and it doesn't matter how good you think the outcome might be. It's just not a good idea.

A 2006 Milan likely has experienced a lot of degradation to the headlamp housings by now. Even a slight haze on the housings can really reduce your light output. The best option is to replace them with new, authentic FOMOCO units. The next best option is to refinish them, knowing going in that once you start that process (and remove the UV protection), it's likely that you'll have to re-do it every year or so. Performance bulbs are a good option as well, as long as you choose ones that offer a true gain. Avoid anything with a blue tint, even a slight blue tint. Philips Xtreme Vision are good bulbs, as are GE Nighthawks.
 
+1 to Phillips Xtreme. Probably the best bulb you can put in there.

Also if you do replace the housings get the genuine Ford as mentioned above, any aftermarket replacement will be Unsafe junk!
 
Just curious, but a lot of the aftermarket housings are just plain [censored]?
 
my Milan was purchased from a retired man, garage kept, and it is 90% showroom condition.. no hazing on the lenses, the car is stupid clean. #2 ive done a "split the headlight housing open" full retrofit, projector, ballast, etc on my fathers 2000 Lincoln town car, all with parts from the retrofit source.. when it was done it looked factory, the lines "headlight beams" are simply perfect. and non offensive/glaring/bright. to anyone on the road. my factory headlights are brighter and more glaring than my dads Lincoln's lights standing infront of both our cars.. Ive been playing with HID's since 2007. the gist of my post was honestly more of a rant, Buy a longer lasting kit on a car I may keep 5 years, or a cheaper kit and chance the headache of replacing parts.. if the factory projectors end up looking/being annoying.. I will split the houses and upgrade to aftermarket projectors. The reason why I feel the need to upgrade to brighter/better lighting ? family disease.. eye disease, we have trouble with night vision.. I have spent countless hours upgrading mine and my father auto's to HID' setups and without question the pure 5500k light through a projection setup allows us to drive and see 100% better at night. we are not offending anyone, never get flashes, and my work on these non factory equipped cars always ends up look ing close to factory good or just as. men, sorry for the rant. I was just venting over cheap kits v.s expensive kits.. I ordered a ultra kit through DDM a few hours ago. p.s I like using a buffing wheel with rubbing compound on old housing units to clean them up.
OTIS.
 
It's all relative. Mercedes has factory Bixenon lights. Just one headlight is over $1500, but that's probably because they have active curve illumination where the beams turn in the direction of the steering wheel. They also auto level and do a little dance when you turn them on.

The real problem with all the aftermarket stuff is that none of them are DOT approved. Only the manufacturer ends up getting the certification. Lots of people kid themselves into think their aftermarket ones are fine somehow. But as the old saying goes, if you can't figure out who the sucker is in the room, you're the sucker.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
#2 ive done a "split the headlight housing open" full retrofit, projector, ballast, etc on my fathers 2000 Lincoln town car, all with parts from the retrofit source.. when it was done it looked factory, the lines "headlight beams" are simply perfect. and non offensive/glaring/bright. to anyone on the road. my factory headlights are brighter and more glaring than my dads Lincoln's lights standing infront of both our cars.. Ive been playing with HID's since 2007. the gist of my post was honestly more of a rant, Buy a longer lasting kit on a car I may keep 5 years, or a cheaper kit and chance the headache of replacing parts.. if the factory projectors end up looking/being annoying.. I will split the houses and upgrade to aftermarket projectors.

It's good that you replace halogen projector with HID projector. HID bulb is a halogen projector will not work properly and it produces a lot of glare to on-coming traffic.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
#2 ive done a "split the headlight housing open" full retrofit, projector, ballast, etc on my fathers 2000 Lincoln town car, all with parts from the retrofit source.. when it was done it looked factory, the lines "headlight beams" are simply perfect. and non offensive/glaring/bright. to anyone on the road. my factory headlights are brighter and more glaring than my dads Lincoln's lights standing infront of both our cars.. Ive been playing with HID's since 2007. the gist of my post was honestly more of a rant, Buy a longer lasting kit on a car I may keep 5 years, or a cheaper kit and chance the headache of replacing parts.. if the factory projectors end up looking/being annoying.. I will split the houses and upgrade to aftermarket projectors.

It's good that you replace halogen projector with HID projector. HID bulb is a halogen projector will not work properly and it produces a lot of glare to on-coming traffic.


Im going to put it in, then make the determination. I have no reservations about putting aftermarket Projectors in if this setup is offensive.
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
Are you going to have a shop aim them with an optical aiming machine? You can't eye ball hid.

Yes, HID can be aim correctly with correct technique, there are DIY aiming online, this sub-forum does have instruction how to do it.

Actually, HID with appropriate projector is easier to aim, because of the sharp cut off from HID beam.
 
Ive always measured where the center of a halogen beam is on a wall, marked it, done my retrofit, then measured the top line (top of the beam) off of that wall marking. If anything my beams may be a little low !

*Side note* it amazes me that done correctly that still so many people are against this lighting setup. I agree that fitting standard HID's in a reflector housing is not only wrong but very inconsiderate to other drivers. however using projectors and measuring for proper height, when complete its a far superior lighting system to conventional "bulb n bucket" setups and I have had great success with retrofitting headlights.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
*Side note* it amazes me that done correctly that still so many people are against this lighting setup. I agree that fitting standard HID's in a reflector housing is not only wrong but very inconsiderate to other drivers. however using projectors and measuring for proper height, when complete its a far superior lighting system to conventional "bulb n bucket" setups and I have had great success with retrofitting headlights.


The reason is because an effective forward lighting system goes FAR beyond simply setting a cut-off at a particular height.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
*Side note* it amazes me that done correctly that still so many people are against this lighting setup. I agree that fitting standard HID's in a reflector housing is not only wrong but very inconsiderate to other drivers. however using projectors and measuring for proper height, when complete its a far superior lighting system to conventional "bulb n bucket" setups and I have had great success with retrofitting headlights.


The reason is because an effective forward lighting system goes FAR beyond simply setting a cut-off at a particular height.


Well, right wrong or indifferent.. it works, I can see better at night and im not offending anyone with my headlights.
 
Well, respectfully, there is right, there is wrong, and there is nothing indifferent about it. Exterior lights are regulated pieces of safety equipment. Modifying them by installing HID capsules into a housing intended for a halogen bulb (whether it's a reflector or a projector) moves the assembly out of compliance. Period. It's just physics. You cannot determine if your lights are offensive. I'm blinded by HIDs every night, and I don't flash anyone. Flashing someone won't change their behavior any more than posting a detailed and well thought-out explanation of why it doesn't work on an internet forum...

Resources are available for folks to educate themselves. The Candlepower forum is a great one -- there are real, live, automotive lighting engineers on there who are experts in their field. They can explain, in excruciating detail, why:

(1) modifications like this don't work, and
(2) the human brain is an incredibly poor judge of whether or not it can "see better"
 
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