HID's, Fog HID's and LED strip question

[Andy Pandy]

hello everyone =]

i got a new 2010 fusion se from my parents as my first car

and i must say, i loveee it.

its silver and sporty

its 4 cylinders so im not murdered- with gas and with speed.

and it really suits me well.

i love the slick cloth interior, the feel of the wheel, the dashboard lights, everything.

 

my one and only con.

the weakness of my headlights >.> grr upsetting.

also ive always wanted HIDs so id def was going to go for this upgrade sooner or later.

i looked online, priced around..and found a kit for 6k in intensity for $139 from hidhub for both headlights...

now id need a second set cause id want them to match my fogs so that totals 278 bucks.

i found LED strips from a well known site, as the AUDI's have, which i absolutely love, for 50 bucks a piece.

my only fault to all this, its self installationn which i really would rather not get involed with.

 

i found a local ship, willing to do white diamond equivalent to 6k intensity HID lights for my fogs, headlights, and the LED strip for 400, including all parts with their installation.

but idk how much i can trust them with quality and need an opinion to know whether or not this is a good deal, they said they can have it all done in under 2 hours.

the ballasts for the kits include a lifetime warranty, but is it worth it even if the bulbs wont last me long enough?

long story short, if someone wouldnt mind letting me know if this is a good deal or not thatd be great.

thank you!

[xmech2k]

I'm not a fan of adding HID in lamp assemblies not designed for them. There are scientific and engineering reasons for that, but good luck finding that info amongst all the BS they feed you in order to sell you something(I won't bother lecturing), and I hate getting blinded while driving. It's your car and your decision. But, I hope you read some of the posts to be careful of the wattage of the HIDs you use, as I guess they are way hotter than halogen, and if you go too high could melt and otherwise damage the light housings.

 

Also, you will lose the proper functioning of your fog lights, as they are supposed to create a sharply cut off beam that goes straight out under the fog, and with the HIDs, they will probably just throw light everywhere and more brightly illuminate the fog ahead of you, defeating their purpose. It's a known issue the fogs are pointed way too low from the factory, and once you re-adjust them to the proper height, the clouds will part and the angels will sing!

 

As far as the headlights I've heard people adjust them up a half-turn and that helps.

 

Fog lights I'm not a follower of this show, found it while searching how I should aim my foglights so they will function properly as foglights, not ego-lights..

[akirby]

I'm not a fan of adding HID in lamp assemblies not designed for them. There are scientific and engineering reasons for that, but good luck finding that info amongst all the BS they feed you in order to sell you something(I won't bother lecturing), and I hate getting blinded while driving. It's your car and your decision. But, I hope you read some of the posts to be careful of the wattage of the HIDs you use, as I guess they are way hotter than halogen, and if you go too high could melt and otherwise damage the light housings.

 

Also, you will lose the proper functioning of your fog lights, as they are supposed to create a sharply cut off beam that goes straight out under the fog, and with the HIDs, they will probably just throw light everywhere and more brightly illuminate the fog ahead of you, defeating their purpose. It's a known issue the fogs are pointed way too low from the factory, and once you re-adjust them to the proper height, the clouds will part and the angels will sing!

 

As far as the headlights I've heard people adjust them up a half-turn and that helps.

 

Fog lights I'm not a follower of this show, found it while searching how I should aim my foglights so they will function properly as foglights, not ego-lights..

 

Who cares about performance - apparently it's all about the looks!

[xmech2k]

Yeah Akirby, I know. But I must try. I try to bite my tongue usually, but I would hate to see _8940 melt his headlights so soon after getting his first new car. :banghead:

[Oldguy16]

Yeah Akirby, I know. But I must try. I try to bite my tongue usually, but I would hate to see _8940 melt his headlights so soon after getting his first new car. :banghead:

I'm gonna run my 55w HID's until they melt the housing. best 40 bucks I ever spent. Gonna do the fogs soon. 55w is overkill for fogs so I'll go 35w 6k for the fogs. I got my HID's from ddm tuning, and no I do not point my headlights to the sky to blind other people, they are aimed correctly. HID's do get very hot though, so there is a risk, that is a fact, but damn, once you switch to HID's you never go back. Tried driving my Dad's sport with stock headlights, they sucked.

[Oldguy16]

However, xmech, you are correct with the heat from the lights, at this point, only time will tell to see how long the headlights last. I love mine, and all around they are excellent, but sometimes I do wonder how hot the housing is really getting

[Aleksey Kravtsov]

Hello

One of the features HID's is that they run cooler then standard hallogen bulb. Secondly new fusion had come with projector light housing which has a cut of same thing with fogs so when you do install hid's the only way you will blind people is if you adjust you head light aiming to high. i have hid's in my low's and my fogs. the vision improvement is spectacular and no scattering of the light. I have 5000k 55watt kits and have no problem with housing melting and them going out. also if lincolns have hid why cant fusion.

[xmech2k]

Coolbulbs.com FAQ

 

Scroll around 2/3 down to the "Are these XENON HID light systems street legal?" part.

 

I found the technicals on the problem with HID in halogen assemblies before, but it's hard to find again, as 99.99999999999999999% of what comes up for 'problem with HID' search is stuff about people who can't get their installations to work right. The jist of it was the halogen headlamp assy reflector is designed to project light from where the halogen filament lights up within the assy. The HID bulb (or those awesome LEDs) light up in a bigger or different area than the halogen, and now the reflector doesn't project the light where it was designed to any more. Probably a big reason they have to be factory installed to be legal, and why your fogs wouldn't be good foglights anymore and make it harder to see in the fog, but I guess they'd look cool. I think they look cool too, for photo ops and car shows.

 

Anyways, do what you want, it's a free country after all. It's just that my love affair with cars and machines is more about appreciation of the engineering in the design, and understanding how and why things are designed and function. So to me, aftermarket HIDs as they are today are a bad idea and waste of my money, especially when you also remove some reliabilty and functionality from something you REALLY need to work, like when you want to go somewhere and it's dark out. (Why I also enjoy poking fun at MPG increasing gimmicks, dual-aero windshield wipers(Are you old enough to remember those?), and stuff like that.) I think you can spend your money on better stuff.

 

The most I have considered are those Sylvania Silverstar or Xtravision, and I hesitated at first hearing how some people had them burn out really fast, but I think Akirby pointed out if you keep your greasy fingers off them when you install them, they should last a good long time, so I may just yet do it.

 

Plz don't think I'm just being a hater. I do hate that I'm sure it seems that way, but like many other people, I'm just discussing my thoughts like anyone else does, it's just that my thoughts aren't popular just now! :headspin: You asked in open question if the forum thinks it's a good deal or not, and I gave my answer for your pondering. You're a lucky person to get a brand new car for your first car, and I'd hate to see you ruin it. My gearhead coworker wound up selling a Camaro he had modded and pampered for years to a guy who bought it for his son. He was a little hesitant to sell it to him for that reason. It looked brand new inside and out, and ran way better. (By modded, I mean performance cam, heads, headers, etc.) The kid totalled it less than a week later racing someone... I wonder what dad bought him next.

[xmech2k]

For your entertainment:

 

Amazon.com

 

Chrome is awesome. They are only missing the 3 or 4 aero blades jutting up in the middle. Guess those are out of style.

[drolds1]

also if lincolns have hid why cant fusion.

 

Because the Lincoln's HIDs are designed and engineered by the factory for that specific car and have a dedicated headlamp housing. Not to mention that they're covered by the factory warranty. No aftermarket kit can make those claims. If you have an electrical issue with that part of your wiring, you're on your own, and factory replacement wiring harnesses are very expensive.

[drolds1]

For your entertainment:

 

Amazon.com

 

Chrome is awesome. They are only missing the 3 or 4 aero blades jutting up in the middle. Guess those are out of style.

 

 

 

These go nicely with lighted windshield washer nozzles. :hysterical2:

[Oldguy16]

Definitely buying those windshield wipers! lol that's pretty funny, I've never seen that before. Actually xmech, quite the contrary I like the fact you share your opinion, it gives me something to think about, and you don't hate in a bad way, you're just sharing your thoughts. Personally, I believe if you would give HID's a chance, I don't think you would go back to halogen ever. Also please don't waste your money on better halogens. Been through all of those, they really suck, you want MORE light, go with HID's, they are sooooo much more efficient. The silverstars, osram nightbreakers, they all BLOW. They use so much more power and don't put out more light. If you're going to buy new lights, buy replacements or HID's. I do plan on raising my fogs, but just a bit. Whatever you do, just please do not buy LED headlights, they look great, but they don't illuminate more than 5 feet in from of the car.

[FFHdriver]

Coolbulbs.com FAQ

 

Scroll around 2/3 down to the "Are these XENON HID light systems street legal?" part.

 

I found the technicals on the problem with HID in halogen assemblies before, but it's hard to find again, as 99.99999999999999999% of what comes up for 'problem with HID' search is stuff about people who can't get their installations to work right. The jist of it was the halogen headlamp assy reflector is designed to project light from where the halogen filament lights up within the assy. The HID bulb (or those awesome LEDs) light up in a bigger or different area than the halogen, and now the reflector doesn't project the light where it was designed to any more. Probably a big reason they have to be factory installed to be legal, and why your fogs wouldn't be good foglights anymore and make it harder to see in the fog, but I guess they'd look cool. I think they look cool too, for photo ops and car shows.

 

Anyways, do what you want, it's a free country after all. It's just that my love affair with cars and machines is more about appreciation of the engineering in the design, and understanding how and why things are designed and function. So to me, aftermarket HIDs as they are today are a bad idea and waste of my money, especially when you also remove some reliabilty and functionality from something you REALLY need to work, like when you want to go somewhere and it's dark out. (Why I also enjoy poking fun at MPG increasing gimmicks, dual-aero windshield wipers(Are you old enough to remember those?), and stuff like that.) I think you can spend your money on better stuff.

 

The most I have considered are those Sylvania Silverstar or Xtravision, and I hesitated at first hearing how some people had them burn out really fast, but I think Akirby pointed out if you keep your greasy fingers off them when you install them, they should last a good long time, so I may just yet do it.

 

Plz don't think I'm just being a hater. I do hate that I'm sure it seems that way, but like many other people, I'm just discussing my thoughts like anyone else does, it's just that my thoughts aren't popular just now! :headspin: You asked in open question if the forum thinks it's a good deal or not, and I gave my answer for your pondering. You're a lucky person to get a brand new car for your first car, and I'd hate to see you ruin it. My gearhead coworker wound up selling a Camaro he had modded and pampered for years to a guy who bought it for his son. He was a little hesitant to sell it to him for that reason. It looked brand new inside and out, and ran way better. (By modded, I mean performance cam, heads, headers, etc.) The kid totalled it less than a week later racing someone... I wonder what dad bought him next.

In my experience the Sylvania Xtravision do not have a short life and do give better light. I had some on a car for over 3 years before I traded the car. I would put some on my Fusion if it weren't such a PITA to change the bulbs.

Edited October 3, 2010 by FFHdriver

[Andy Pandy]

thanks to you guys and your answers.

ive actually decided to go against the HID upgrade...ive done alottt of reading on overheating, ballast replacement and headlight adjustment that i think it wont become as worth it- seeing this place has a bad reputation im finding more and more out about ive become reluctant against their service.

 

althought i do have another question

does ford or any other manufacturer make bulbs that are overall brighter than the stock ones that anyone can recommend? these i just feel have no power on the road at all, even with my height adjustments.

im not talking about bulbs that "oh make my headlights brighter but burn out after 2 months"

i mean actual user approved, known to man simple bulb replacement.

thanks.

[akirby]

thanks to you guys and your answers.

ive actually decided to go against the HID upgrade...ive done alottt of reading on overheating, ballast replacement and headlight adjustment that i think it wont become as worth it- seeing this place has a bad reputation im finding more and more out about ive become reluctant against their service.

 

althought i do have another question

does ford or any other manufacturer make bulbs that are overall brighter than the stock ones that anyone can recommend? these i just feel have no power on the road at all, even with my height adjustments.

im not talking about bulbs that "oh make my headlights brighter but burn out after 2 months"

i mean actual user approved, known to man simple bulb replacement.

thanks.

 

OEM? No. Sylvania Silverstars work great for me and don't burn out quickly if you install them correctly.

[Andy Pandy]

OEM? No. Sylvania Silverstars work great for me and don't burn out quickly if you install them correctly.

 

read all about these, seem very reliable, and perform really well as ive seen

thanks alot!

[Oldguy16]

read all about these, seem very reliable, and perform really well as ive seen

thanks alot!

I respect your decision but been through silverstars, in my opinion they were pathetic, might as well leave stock. I'm not trying to sound like a d bag but don't waste your money. Either HID's or stock.

[akirby]

I respect your decision but been through silverstars, in my opinion they were pathetic, might as well leave stock. I'm not trying to sound like a d bag but don't waste your money. Either HID's or stock.

 

I've had 3 sets of Silverstars with exactly the opposite experience. But thanks for not trying to sound like a d bag.

[Andy Pandy]

through a lottt of reading

ive narrowed it down

to 6 companies and i need some opinions

 

piaa.

hoen.

sylvania (although people say they only last about 13 months and arent really worth it)

phillips

ge

and luminics

 

id like to know just basic info about these bulbs..the kelvin, wattage, safest for my car, least blinding for other commandeers and such

best out of these companies, best for the money, although moneys not really a concern, cheap is not my idea.

ill wait it out, and save uhp til i have some extra money for a more reliable two pairs (lows& fogs)

then go the cheap way out.

durability and not burning out my harness are my priorities,a long time friend of mine owns a body shop and will install them for me so im not really worried about fragility unless it affects longevity and performance.

and im not interested in H9 modding to be honest just unnecessary and longer drain time.

 

thanks again guys, sorry for all the noob stuff but ive been sooo bamboozled with all this info at once and just would like to get some simple referrals.

Edited October 8, 2010 by _8940

[Oldguy16]

through a lottt of reading

ive narrowed it down

to 6 companies and i need some opinions

 

piaa.

hoen.

sylvania (although people say they only last about 13 months and arent really worth it)

phillips

ge

and luminics

 

id like to know just basic info about these bulbs..the kelvin, wattage, safest for my car, least blinding for other commandeers and such

best out of these companies, best for the money, although moneys not really a concern, cheap is not my idea.

ill wait it out, and save uhp til i have some extra money for a more reliable two pairs (lows& fogs)

then go the cheap way out.

durability and not burning out my harness are my priorities,a long time friend of mine owns a body shop and will install them for me so im not really worried about fragility unless it affects longevity and performance.

and im not interested in H9 modding to be honest just unnecessary and longer drain time.

 

thanks again guys, sorry for all the noob stuff but ive been sooo bamboozled with all this info at once and just would like to get some simple referrals.

only company out of those that I have tried and have been acceptable has been piaa, reliable, brighter than stock, they're pretty white, 4300k depending on which ones you get

[Fuze-ion]

I haven't used PIA bulbs in Fusion, but had them in a F-150. I had no problems, they lasted and they were nice white color. They (PIAA) have been around longer, than most of the other bulb companies.

[jona2125]

Coolbulbs.com FAQ

 

Scroll around 2/3 down to the "Are these XENON HID light systems street legal?" part.

 

I found the technicals on the problem with HID in halogen assemblies before, but it's hard to find again, as 99.99999999999999999% of what comes up for 'problem with HID' search is stuff about people who can't get their installations to work right. The jist of it was the halogen headlamp assy reflector is designed to project light from where the halogen filament lights up within the assy. The HID bulb (or those awesome LEDs) light up in a bigger or different area than the halogen, and now the reflector doesn't project the light where it was designed to any more. Probably a big reason they have to be factory installed to be legal, and why your fogs wouldn't be good foglights anymore and make it harder to see in the fog, but I guess they'd look cool. I think they look cool too, for photo ops and car shows.

 

Anyways, do what you want, it's a free country after all. It's just that my love affair with cars and machines is more about appreciation of the engineering in the design, and understanding how and why things are designed and function. So to me, aftermarket HIDs as they are today are a bad idea and waste of my money, especially when you also remove some reliabilty and functionality from something you REALLY need to work, like when you want to go somewhere and it's dark out. (Why I also enjoy poking fun at MPG increasing gimmicks, dual-aero windshield wipers(Are you old enough to remember those?), and stuff like that.) I think you can spend your money on better stuff.

 

The most I have considered are those Sylvania Silverstar or Xtravision, and I hesitated at first hearing how some people had them burn out really fast, but I think Akirby pointed out if you keep your greasy fingers off them when you install them, they should last a good long time, so I may just yet do it.

 

Plz don't think I'm just being a hater. I do hate that I'm sure it seems that way, but like many other people, I'm just discussing my thoughts like anyone else does, it's just that my thoughts aren't popular just now! :headspin: You asked in open question if the forum thinks it's a good deal or not, and I gave my answer for your pondering. You're a lucky person to get a brand new car for your first car, and I'd hate to see you ruin it. My gearhead coworker wound up selling a Camaro he had modded and pampered for years to a guy who bought it for his son. He was a little hesitant to sell it to him for that reason. It looked brand new inside and out, and ran way better. (By modded, I mean performance cam, heads, headers, etc.) The kid totalled it less than a week later racing someone... I wonder what dad bought him next.

 

You have a point, when you talk about HID's in a halogen based reflector housing. It's totally different in a mono-halogen projector housing because the cutoff shield auto corrects any scattered light outside the reflector bowls focus. Btw HID's were offered factory in reflector housings in quite a few cars. They had a special reflector mold with reformed geometries and adjusted aim height. That's why HID's in halogen reflectors are no fun for other drivers because of the scattered light unlike the focused light like a projector. Projectors were designed for HID's not halogens, which is why many people complain that the 2010 fusion, recent lines of Mazda cars, and others with halogen projectors have such a bad light output because the filament is designed for refraction where the Xenon Arc was designed to be reflected and focused. Just my two cents

 

Because the Lincoln's HIDs are designed and engineered by the factory for that specific car and have a dedicated headlamp housing. Not to mention that they're covered by the factory warranty. No aftermarket kit can make those claims. If you have an electrical issue with that part of your wiring, you're on your own, and factory replacement wiring harnesses are very expensive.

 

The 2010 Fusions can safely accept an HID bulb due to the fact that the headlight system was based on the same system found in a Lincoln, it was reversed enginered to accept a halogen sized bulb. I have them in my car and they have better light output than the halogens but have a cutoff to match a Lincolns I've side by side compared. Now with the warranty part, the HID's are covered or not covered depending on the person you bought them from. Ford's harness is still covered because it stops at the plug anything after that is on you or you're aftermarke bulb's manufactuer. I've confirmed this with many dealerships in many states.

[jcat]

You guys are all WAYYY overreacting about HIDs in these factory housings. There's a lot of misinformation in here.

 

 

1.) HID kits run at either 35 or 55w. Check the wattage on your stock bulbs and compare. Probably around 85w. They actually draw LESS power than halogen bulbs, some of which (silverstar etc.) can draw up to 100w, potentially burning out small gauge wiring.

 

2.) Heat. The HID bulbs do not burn much hotter than a halogen bulb in the first place. Not to mention, in order to MELT your housings, you would have to have direct, practically IN CONTACT exposure to the lens or plastic housing for it to burn. I can guarantee you that HID bulbs just heating the air inside the housing would not be nearly enough to melt the housing or lens.

 

3.) As for the glare, yes halogen housings will create quite a bit of glare. HOWEVER, this can be cured with proper aiming of the lights and even a little creativity. If you're good at masking, you could customize your lights with a set of eyelids that would make it look good during the day and create a bit of a cutoff line at night. As for the fogs, a projector lens is a projector lens. By it's very virtue, it will focus the light into a smaller pattern from the back of the lens to the front of the lens. You'll still get the cutoff line thanks to the shroud built into the projector housing. Will it scatter a bit? Possibly. But again, proper aiming makes all the difference in the world.

 

 

I for one already have purchased HID sets for my low beams and fogs, and plan on potentially getting a set for the high beams as well. Don't believe the myths about the starting and stopping of the lights killing them. It's only going to happen on an EXTREMELY low quality kit (DDM is NOT one of these, nor xentec or xenonking, typically you only have to worry about the chinese ebay kits). If you're that concerned you can get a relay harness to reduce the load when the HIDs initially fire so that very small gauge wiring doesn't melt under the load. Once they've fired though, the current draw is much less than traditional bulbs.

 

As with halogens, install is key. I always keep a box of nitrile gloves, it costs like 6 bucks for a box that will last me months and you're guaranteed to not mess up your bulbs. Don't use bulb grease or any crap like that, and while you're installing, clean up the inside of the lens if you have something to do so as it helps a lot with light output.