HIDs in a NON projector housing

[firstmazda]

This isn\'t recommended right?
i mean, you can definitely slip an HID bulb in but
the housing will cause too much scatter/refraction
and will just blind on coming traffic right?


Ray

[TheProfessor]

You can physically fit an HID bulb into a non-projector housing, but as you stated the light output may be all messed. Not worth the $$$.....better off buying a set of quality aftermarket bulbs like PIAA\'s.

[DeLaY_NoMoRe]

not really, we got bunch of cars on the road that has OEM HID in a reflector housing, e.g. previous generation MAXIMA, TL, G35, even the Mercedez S and E class if I remember correctly........:)

[el squid]

yup, lots of OEM have reflector type HID. you can get replacement bulbs to fit and the beam pattern should be ok, as long as the bulb is in fact a true replacement. you cannot. however, use a different type of bulb and expect the beam to be good.

for example: i finagled a pair of D1S bulbs into my avenger headlights and they were incredibly bright and lit the road like no other, but there was very little pattern. i could see oncoming drivers faces at night. not a good thing for them. i have since removed them.
but, with that said, if you can get the bright spot of the HID bulb to the same depth as the filament of the stock bulb, the beam would be fine.

[bluntman]

Originally posted by DeLaY_NoMoRe


not really, we got bunch of cars on the road that has OEM HID in a reflector housing, e.g. previous generation MAXIMA, TL, G35, even the Mercedez S and E class if I remember correctly........:)

G35 - projector lens
MB S class - projector lens
MB E class - projector lens
TL - projector

HIDs were available on the previous generation Maxima, but they may have changed the housing to include projector lenses for HID equipped cars. My friend has a 2002 or 2003 3 series BMW that came with reflector housings, he didn\'t opt for the HID option which included projector lenses. He installed an Xtec HID kit in the reflector housing...they\'re bright, they \"look\" good, but there\'s a lot of glare and he had to aim the reflectors down a bit so as to not blind any oncoming traffic. In other words, don\'t install HIDs unless you have projector lenses.

[el squid]

cadillac escalade - reflector HID
lincoln ls - reflector HID

like i said, if you can get a direct replacement bulb, such as we do in swapping H7\'s, then it will be fine

all that needs to match is the depth of the bulb\'s \'hot spot\'

i installed a D1S bulb into an escalade fog housing and ended up with a better beam than stock. at 10\' the beam was 3 inches high and 6 feet wide ;)

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/4011/im003653_small.jpg

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/4011/hid_fog_wall.jpg

[bubba1983]

halogen reflector and xenon reflector housings are made differently, they are made to cut up the light and emitt it differently...nuff said....u can have hid\'s yes in a halogen reflector housing, grand it, it will scatter.....hid\'s in a proper built reflector housing will give you a much better result...

[el squid]

Originally posted by bubba1983


halogen reflector and xenon reflector housings are made differently, they are made to cut up the light and emitt it differently...nuff said....u can have hid\'s yes in a halogen reflector housing, grand it, it will scatter.....hid\'s in a proper built reflector housing will give you a much better result...

yes they are different, but mainly to compensate the depth of the hot spot of the bulb. again, if you can get the hot spot on the bulb at the same reference point from the reflector, the difference will be negligable

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by bluntman

HIDs were available on the previous generation Maxima, but they may have changed the housing to include projector lenses for HID equipped cars.

2002-2003 Maximas (5.5 gen) came with HIDs in a reflector housing stock. This coming from a former Maxima owner.

[LOCKDOWN-P5]

Hello Everyone

We install H.I.D. kits in non projector housings all the time with no real ill effects. As long as the housing is aimed properly (beam lowered and aimed towards the road, not the sky) then you should be fine.

There will be some light glare due to the abscense of a cutoff found in projector assemblies, however we\'ve found that this is completely livable and really does not effect light output that much. It is always recommended to use projectors with H.I.D. systems, but if you have a vehicle with a reflector housing, adding H.I.D.s is still totally possible.

Regards

Jeff Bates
LOCKDOWN Enterprises Inc.

[Zaku_4]

question:

if you get eyelids, wouldnt they produce some kind of artificial cutoff which would be acceptable on the road? or am i smoking something :D

[dabomb519]

Originally posted by Zaku_4
question:

if you get eyelids, wouldnt they produce some kind of artificial cutoff which would be acceptable on the road? or am i smoking something :D

Yer smoking something :D The HIDs do not interfere with the eyelids at all. When slapping on the eyelids, they\'re actually being placed above the projector lamps.