HID conversion for fog lights
05-21-2010, 05:25 PM
#1
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HID conversion for fog lights
Does anyone have any info on a HID conversion for my fog lights. I just pulled them out and I am planning on installing clear fog lights instead of the stock opaque ones. Please point me in the direction of a conversion kit or the instructions on how to mod the fog lights to HID.
05-21-2010, 05:32 PM
#3
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05-21-2010, 05:40 PM
#5
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05-21-2010, 05:47 PM
#6
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Just curious, and no offense at all, but do you even know how HID's work? Because if not, i'm here to help 
They come in two general variants, 35w and 55w. It doesn't really matter which one you choose, except that 55w will have slightly better output, flushes out some of the color, is a little bit more expensive and may burn out the bulb faster if the HID bulb is a 35w overdriven and not a true 55w. So in other words, i suggest 35w. 55w also runs hotter, so if you install 55w ballasts in our fog lights, you run the risk of melting the damn housing, because there is no air flow, and it's a pretty small housing to begin with.
Now, i assume your question is "what bulb style does my c43 use?" For the fogs, the bulb you want is H1. There are tons of bulb styles, so look thoroughly to find it. There's h1, h3, h4, h7, h11, 9004, 9005, 9006, etc...
So in other words, there are three key factors:
1. 35w or 55w?
2. What color do you want lighting? Orange(3000k), clear clean white(5000k), crystal white(6000k), blue(8000k)??
3. The bulb style for our cars: which is H1 fogs.
Hope this helps.
They come in two general variants, 35w and 55w. It doesn't really matter which one you choose, except that 55w will have slightly better output, flushes out some of the color, is a little bit more expensive and may burn out the bulb faster if the HID bulb is a 35w overdriven and not a true 55w. So in other words, i suggest 35w. 55w also runs hotter, so if you install 55w ballasts in our fog lights, you run the risk of melting the damn housing, because there is no air flow, and it's a pretty small housing to begin with.
Now, i assume your question is "what bulb style does my c43 use?" For the fogs, the bulb you want is H1. There are tons of bulb styles, so look thoroughly to find it. There's h1, h3, h4, h7, h11, 9004, 9005, 9006, etc...
So in other words, there are three key factors:
1. 35w or 55w?
2. What color do you want lighting? Orange(3000k), clear clean white(5000k), crystal white(6000k), blue(8000k)??
3. The bulb style for our cars: which is H1 fogs.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by LawRens; 05-21-2010 at 05:50 PM.
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05-21-2010, 05:52 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Just curious, and no offense at all, but do you even know how HID's work? Because if not, i'm here to help
They come in two general variants, 35w and 55w. It doesn't really matter which one you choose, except that 55w will have slightly better output, flushes out some of the color, is a little bit more expensive and may burn out the bulb faster if the HID bulb is a 35w overdriven and not a true 55w. So in other words, i suggest 35w. 55w also runs hotter, so if you install 55w ballasts in our fog lights, you run the risk of melting the damn housing, because there is no air flow, and it's a pretty small housing to begin with.
Now, i assume your question is "what bulb style does my c43 use?" For the fogs, the bulb you want is H1. There are tons of bulb styles, so look thoroughly to find it. There's h1, h3, h4, h7, h11, 9004, 9005, 9006, etc...
So in other words, there are three key factors:
1. 35w or 55w?
2. What color do you want lighting? Orange(3000k), clear clean white(5000k), crystal white(6000k), blue(8000k)??
3. The bulb style for our cars: which is H1 fogs.
Hope this helps.
They come in two general variants, 35w and 55w. It doesn't really matter which one you choose, except that 55w will have slightly better output, flushes out some of the color, is a little bit more expensive and may burn out the bulb faster if the HID bulb is a 35w overdriven and not a true 55w. So in other words, i suggest 35w. 55w also runs hotter, so if you install 55w ballasts in our fog lights, you run the risk of melting the damn housing, because there is no air flow, and it's a pretty small housing to begin with.
Now, i assume your question is "what bulb style does my c43 use?" For the fogs, the bulb you want is H1. There are tons of bulb styles, so look thoroughly to find it. There's h1, h3, h4, h7, h11, 9004, 9005, 9006, etc...
So in other words, there are three key factors:
1. 35w or 55w?
2. What color do you want lighting? Orange(3000k), clear clean white(5000k), crystal white(6000k), blue(8000k)??
3. The bulb style for our cars: which is H1 fogs.
Hope this helps.
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05-21-2010, 06:19 PM
#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
Don't turn them on?
Probably just stick with the 35w kits. I've used about three different types of HID conversion kits. They've definitely come down in price in the past few years, even more so if you buy them in Chinatown like I do...
I've run them in my old Volvo V70, my old Saab 900 and actually I've picked up a 'slim' ballast 6000k kit for the C43's fogs. The installation should be pretty simple, I'm just trying to figure out a good place to mount the ballasts. Haven't figured that out yet, but once I get the car back next week, I should have a better idea.
The install on any of these kits is pretty simple, you just need to make a couple of connections with the stock wiring. The kits typically just have spade connectors to plug into the stock connector. On the C43, I've obtained some GM style 'weatherpack' connectors (stuff like this:http://www.weatherpack.com/) to do the wiring.
Typically you also have to drill a hole in the back of the stock housing to allow the wiring to run through, but I found that once the stock plugs were removed from the foglight housing, you can use the supplied grommet in the hole that remains. No cutting needed.
The weatherpacks are a good idea as they will make sure the connection stays dry, and of course that area being so low, it gets a lot of road crap and moisture. When I built up my stand alone engine management Saab, I used the connectors everywhere, and never had a problem. Constructing them takes about 10 times longer than crimping a butt connector, but it's worth it.
05-21-2010, 06:32 PM
#9
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Thread Starter
Don't turn them on?
Probably just stick with the 35w kits. I've used about three different types of HID conversion kits. They've definitely come down in price in the past few years, even more so if you buy them in Chinatown like I do... I've run them in my old Volvo V70, my old Saab 900 and actually I've picked up a 'slim' ballast 6000k kit for the C43's fogs.
The installation should be pretty simple, I'm just trying to figure out a good place to mount the ballasts. Haven't figured that out yet, but once I get the car back next week, I should have a better idea.
The install on any of these kits is pretty simple, you just need to make a couple of connections with the stock wiring. The kits typically just have spade connectors to plug into the stock connector. On the C43, I've obtained some GM style 'weatherpack' connectors (stuff like this:http://www.weatherpack.com/) to do the wiring.
Typically you also have to drill a hole in the back of the stock housing to allow the wiring to run through, but I found that once the stock plugs were removed from the foglight housing, you can use the supplied grommet in the hole that remains. No cutting needed.
The weatherpacks are a good idea as they will make sure the connection stays dry, and of course that area being so low, it gets a lot of road crap and moisture. When I built up my stand alone engine management Saab, I used the connectors everywhere, and never had a problem. Constructing them takes about 10 times longer than crimping a butt connector, but it's worth it.
Probably just stick with the 35w kits. I've used about three different types of HID conversion kits. They've definitely come down in price in the past few years, even more so if you buy them in Chinatown like I do...
I've run them in my old Volvo V70, my old Saab 900 and actually I've picked up a 'slim' ballast 6000k kit for the C43's fogs. The installation should be pretty simple, I'm just trying to figure out a good place to mount the ballasts. Haven't figured that out yet, but once I get the car back next week, I should have a better idea.
The install on any of these kits is pretty simple, you just need to make a couple of connections with the stock wiring. The kits typically just have spade connectors to plug into the stock connector. On the C43, I've obtained some GM style 'weatherpack' connectors (stuff like this:http://www.weatherpack.com/) to do the wiring.
Typically you also have to drill a hole in the back of the stock housing to allow the wiring to run through, but I found that once the stock plugs were removed from the foglight housing, you can use the supplied grommet in the hole that remains. No cutting needed.
The weatherpacks are a good idea as they will make sure the connection stays dry, and of course that area being so low, it gets a lot of road crap and moisture. When I built up my stand alone engine management Saab, I used the connectors everywhere, and never had a problem. Constructing them takes about 10 times longer than crimping a butt connector, but it's worth it.
05-21-2010, 06:51 PM
#10
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His mama. Traded y0 mama in because she was squeaking.
Prevent the housing from melting? Don't turn them on? As pinoc said, do you all know how HID's work?
HID's run cooler than halogen lights. You'll melt the housings faster with halogens than with HID's.
And yes, you'll need the H1 bulb.
hidextra will include ALL of the connectors you need to complete the install. Just make sure they include the capacitors as well. They are free, but you have to request them, else they may forget to include them.
HID's run cooler than halogen lights. You'll melt the housings faster with halogens than with HID's.
And yes, you'll need the H1 bulb.
hidextra will include ALL of the connectors you need to complete the install. Just make sure they include the capacitors as well. They are free, but you have to request them, else they may forget to include them.
05-22-2010, 02:48 PM
#11
MBWorld Fanatic!
If I remember correctly, the stock fogs have a Bosch proprietary connector right on the housing. On my car, one was missing and the other was falling apart so I removed them months ago. If the generic HID conversion kits have a connector that will plug and play into that Bosch connector, I would be surprised. Hence the need to do some minimal cutting and splicing. In all the kits I've used, they always just came with basic spade connectors. The weatherpack type connectors are far superior to any type of spade connector, insulated or not.
05-26-2010, 06:04 PM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Don't turn them on?
Probably just stick with the 35w kits. I've used about three different types of HID conversion kits. They've definitely come down in price in the past few years, even more so if you buy them in Chinatown like I do... I've run them in my old Volvo V70, my old Saab 900 and actually I've picked up a 'slim' ballast 6000k kit for the C43's fogs.
The installation should be pretty simple, I'm just trying to figure out a good place to mount the ballasts. Haven't figured that out yet, but once I get the car back next week, I should have a better idea.
The install on any of these kits is pretty simple, you just need to make a couple of connections with the stock wiring. The kits typically just have spade connectors to plug into the stock connector. On the C43, I've obtained some GM style 'weatherpack' connectors (stuff like this:http://www.weatherpack.com/) to do the wiring.
Typically you also have to drill a hole in the back of the stock housing to allow the wiring to run through, but I found that once the stock plugs were removed from the foglight housing, you can use the supplied grommet in the hole that remains. No cutting needed.
The weatherpacks are a good idea as they will make sure the connection stays dry, and of course that area being so low, it gets a lot of road crap and moisture. When I built up my stand alone engine management Saab, I used the connectors everywhere, and never had a problem. Constructing them takes about 10 times longer than crimping a butt connector, but it's worth it.
Probably just stick with the 35w kits. I've used about three different types of HID conversion kits. They've definitely come down in price in the past few years, even more so if you buy them in Chinatown like I do...
I've run them in my old Volvo V70, my old Saab 900 and actually I've picked up a 'slim' ballast 6000k kit for the C43's fogs. The installation should be pretty simple, I'm just trying to figure out a good place to mount the ballasts. Haven't figured that out yet, but once I get the car back next week, I should have a better idea.
The install on any of these kits is pretty simple, you just need to make a couple of connections with the stock wiring. The kits typically just have spade connectors to plug into the stock connector. On the C43, I've obtained some GM style 'weatherpack' connectors (stuff like this:http://www.weatherpack.com/) to do the wiring.
Typically you also have to drill a hole in the back of the stock housing to allow the wiring to run through, but I found that once the stock plugs were removed from the foglight housing, you can use the supplied grommet in the hole that remains. No cutting needed.
The weatherpacks are a good idea as they will make sure the connection stays dry, and of course that area being so low, it gets a lot of road crap and moisture. When I built up my stand alone engine management Saab, I used the connectors everywhere, and never had a problem. Constructing them takes about 10 times longer than crimping a butt connector, but it's worth it.
06-06-2010, 04:24 PM
#13
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any suggestions on what HID conversion kit to buy for the fog lights ? I have settled on 8k for my head lights and fog lights, I just want brand names etc.... are there any major chains that carry the HID conversion kits?? I have only been able to find them online.
06-06-2010, 09:25 PM
#14
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Thread Starter
any suggestions on what HID conversion kit to buy for the fog lights ? I have settled on 8k for my head lights and fog lights, I just want brand names etc.... are there any major chains that carry the HID conversion kits?? I have only been able to find them online.
Here is a Pic of the kit I got, it came with bulb w/ weather grommet, ballast, and mounting hardware
So here is how I modified the fogs to accept the new HID bulbs
1.) I cut a hole in the bottom of the housing so I could fit the bulb and spade connectors though
2A.)
2B.)
2.) I slipped the bulb and wires through the hole (2A) and fitted the weather grommet to seal the hole (2B)
3.) I am going to use some heat shrink tubing to seal the connection between the stock wiring harness and the ballast inside of the fog light housing to prevent any shorting or disconnection.
I am going to install them as soon as it is not raining, HOPEFULLY TOMORROW!!
06-06-2010, 09:29 PM
#15
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Here is a sample!
So I wanted to see if my HID fog mod even worked so I hooked them up and VOILA!!
I will post pics as soon as they are actually installed. I am going to have to get some new bulbs for my head lights as the fogs are 8k and I think my head lights are 6k.
I will post pics as soon as they are actually installed. I am going to have to get some new bulbs for my head lights as the fogs are 8k and I think my head lights are 6k.
06-07-2010, 09:42 PM
#16
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Killed 2 bird with 1 stone today!
So I killed 2 birds with 1 stone today,
I installed my HID fogs AND reset the front bumper guide rails to close the gap between the corner panel and the front bumper.
Here is a pic of my bumper realigned. I have before pics posted in the "bumper realignment" thread and you can see the difference is like night and day. I had about 1/4" gap and now the bumper is as flush as it can get.
Here is a top down view so you can see my bumper no longer "flares" out at the sides. Again I have a pic posted in the "bumper alignment" thread and you can see the difference.
Finally here is a pic of my HID fogs installed. I will snap a better pic at night so you guys can see them better. I can't wait to see what these look like at night, only a couple more hours..........
I installed my HID fogs AND reset the front bumper guide rails to close the gap between the corner panel and the front bumper.
Here is a pic of my bumper realigned. I have before pics posted in the "bumper realignment" thread and you can see the difference is like night and day. I had about 1/4" gap and now the bumper is as flush as it can get.
Here is a top down view so you can see my bumper no longer "flares" out at the sides. Again I have a pic posted in the "bumper alignment" thread and you can see the difference.
Finally here is a pic of my HID fogs installed. I will snap a better pic at night so you guys can see them better. I can't wait to see what these look like at night, only a couple more hours..........
06-08-2010, 12:57 AM
#18
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06-08-2010, 03:23 AM
#19
06-08-2010, 07:40 AM
#20
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No...... My head lights had HIDS when I got the car and and I haven't switched them out yet. I believe my headlights are 6k and the HID's for the fogs is 8k. I will be switching out the headlights SOON.
06-13-2010, 07:36 PM
#21
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Can't wait to see them at night. What a simple yet effective MOD, got both kits for $130 total. Took me a little bit longer to do the fogs as it is pretty cramped down there and harder to mount the ballasts. The headlights were a snap (drivers side a little more difficult as it is PACKED with stuff) took about 30 minutes for the headlights everything installed and ready to go and BOOOOOM!!! HID'S BABY 
I will try to post the pic tonight.
06-13-2010, 11:41 PM
#22
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Thread Starter
Just finished the conversion for my head lights from 6k to 8k. Now I have 8k in my headlights and fog lights. I am going to adjust them so they are angled correctly (my fogs are WAY off) and then I will snap a pic and post it. Just looking at them both on it looks GREAT!!!! Can't wait to see them at night. What a simple yet effective MOD, got both kits for $130 total. Took me a little bit longer to do the fogs as it is pretty cramped down there and harder to mount the ballasts. The headlights were a snap (drivers side a little more difficult as it is PACKED with stuff) took about 30 minutes for the headlights everything installed and ready to go and BOOOOOM!!! HID'S BABY I will try to post the pic tonight.
Can't wait to see them at night. What a simple yet effective MOD, got both kits for $130 total. Took me a little bit longer to do the fogs as it is pretty cramped down there and harder to mount the ballasts. The headlights were a snap (drivers side a little more difficult as it is PACKED with stuff) took about 30 minutes for the headlights everything installed and ready to go and BOOOOOM!!! HID'S BABY I will try to post the pic tonight.
8k headlights + 8k fog lights in crystal fog light housing
07-03-2011, 08:32 PM
#23
MBWorld Fanatic!
I already have my car pre-wired for this setup from the prev owner. I am putting in a new set tonight. Wish me luck! Cant wait to get the new headlights from ya! Thanks again.
07-11-2011, 02:22 AM
#24
Does anyone have any info on a HID conversion for my fog lights. I just pulled them out and I am planning on installing clear fog lights instead of the stock opaque ones. Please point me in the direction of a conversion kit or the instructions on how to mod the fog lights to HID.
I would like to introduce how to chose the HID Kit for cars.
Leave message here or send mail to my box : ulrich@tdlhid.com
I will reply you fast
07-11-2011, 09:48 AM
#25
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Thread Starter
You could just tell me which kind of xenon kit you need. or just tell me what's car will you intall the HID Kit on.
I would like to introduce how to chose the HID Kit for cars.
Leave message here or send mail to my box : ulrich@tdlhid.com
I will reply you fast
I would like to introduce how to chose the HID Kit for cars.
Leave message here or send mail to my box : ulrich@tdlhid.com
I will reply you fast
