[brettclutch]

I love HID,s I have 4 of them on my motorcycle 2 for low beams and 2 for high beams. I love that people move the **** outa the way. Works well for me! Not sure if I'm going to put them on the Subaru though. Their reliability is not as high. I go through 2 HID ballasts / bulbs a year.

 

[ichiroll]

Can the HIDs from the Forester be retrofitted into the Outback?

I'm still baffled that even the top of the line Outback doesn't have HIDs, but Forester does?

 

[WeeGraeme]

I love HID,s I have 4 of them on my motorcycle 2 for low beams and 2 for high beams. I love that people move the **** outa the way. Works well for me! Not sure if I'm going to put them on the Subaru though. Their reliability is not as high. I go through 2 HID ballasts / bulbs a year.

Hi.

Is it the high beam HID's you're having to replace? My understanding is that turning HID's on and off, shortens the life of the bulbs.

 

[itzlinky]

Can the HIDs from the Forester be retrofitted into the Outback?

I'm still baffled that even the top of the line Outback doesn't have HIDs, but Forester does?

You can generally retrofit any kind of 'lenses' and HIDs into whatever headlights you want.

Just takes time baking, cutting, and 'retrofitting' your new headlights before resealing it up for use. Of course you could always pay someone to do it.

I had someone retrofit my 2007 Civic SI with TSX lens and custom black housing. I would've opt for some Lexus lenses but they costed more.

However, based on what others have said here, the Outback already has 'projector lenses' in there housing and some international models such as Canada (I believe) has HIDs in there already. Thus, it may be more efficient to just to do a HID bulbs conversion into the projector housing.

 

[daveNJ]

Over the years, I've done several HID upgrades and, lessons learned, the only way to go is OEM. Anything else, no offense to the OP, is a hack. I wouldn't worry about legality -- there are so many cars trucks with purple lights or blinding bulbs on the road that I can't believe anyone is enforcing anything to do with lighting.

Problems I've seen with hacked HIDs (adding a HID bulb/ballast into a halogen housing) include condensation in the housing, failed lighting, electrical interferences and the possibility that if one housing is damaged (deer strike comes to mind), your body shop /insurance company will only replace your broken housing with an OEM halogen housing and you'll have to hack all over again.

I much prefer HID lights to halogen and am also surprised they aren't an option on the OB but are on the Forester. Maybe the 2011 cars will offer HID and the housings will be the same. I've used that trick on BMWs when one model year didn't offer HID but a subsequent year did (without a body change). Pricey, yes, but definitely not a hack.

 

[itzlinky]

Well, whatever the case, I like my hack job. Just as good with as my TSX retrofitted 07 SI and OEM 07 350Z headlights. Fogs could use the boost too though.

My worst 'hack' was HIDs in a stock 00 Celica headlight housing. Wow...at least I could see all the birds in the air at night. Then again, I was young and naive at the time.

 

[two.marek]

Hallo, Perhaps stupid questions, but.
HIDs are producing fair amount of UV.
We know what UV from sun is doing to headlight lenses.
No one is worry about UV form HIDs?

 

[blulegend]

I thought the 2010/2011 models in some european countries have HIDs. Why can't these be used on our cars? If so, where can we get them?

 

[combatmedic870]

I thought the 2010/2011 models in some european countries have HIDs. Why can't these be used on our cars? If so, where can we get them?

Pretty much you just buy a H7 HID kit. Have fun! The low beams are a pain in the ass to get to just to change out a bulb.

I just put in some phillips HIDs and they look great and are the brightest ive seen on the road so far. But they were a real PITA to put in!

Im hoping they last a very long time.

 

[DM3415]

Over the years, I've done several HID upgrades and, lessons learned, the only way to go is OEM. Anything else, no offense to the OP, is a hack. I wouldn't worry about legality -- there are so many cars trucks with purple lights or blinding bulbs on the road that I can't believe anyone is enforcing anything to do with lighting.

Problems I've seen with hacked HIDs (adding a HID bulb/ballast into a halogen housing) include condensation in the housing, failed lighting, electrical interferences and the possibility that if one housing is damaged (deer strike comes to mind), your body shop /insurance company will only replace your broken housing with an OEM halogen housing and you'll have to hack all over again.

I much prefer HID lights to halogen and am also surprised they aren't an option on the OB but are on the Forester. Maybe the 2011 cars will offer HID and the housings will be the same. I've used that trick on BMWs when one model year didn't offer HID but a subsequent year did (without a body change). Pricey, yes, but definitely not a hack.

I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I've installed HIDs in three cars, including the OB and learned a little from each one. I haven't had any of the problems mentioned above and it's been well over a year with my current "hack" job. The bulb housing is the same as the euro-spec housing, i.e. it was designed to work with HIDs, and even the cheapest kit has a rubber gasket to seal out moisture if the back housing is drilled correctly, I know, I bought the cheapest kit.

So, yes people, and I'm guessing that refers to you or your buddies, have installed aftermarket HIDs and have had poor results in the past, but that doesn't mean that unless you spend $1000 on OEM equipment your lights are somehow insufficient. If you do a good job of installation and buy functional equipment there isn't a problem.

I look forward to seeing your future posts with photos, documentation about the work involved in purchasing and installing the OEM system, and the cost of the OEM installation, but I'm betting the end results will be identical, I'll just have more cash left over for snow tires.

 

[blulegend]

Pretty much you just buy a H7 HID kit. Have fun! The low beams are a pain in the ass to get to just to change out a bulb.

I just put in some phillips HIDs and they look great and are the brightest ive seen on the road so far. But they were a real PITA to put in!

Im hoping they last a very long time.

Where did you buy your kit and for how much? Also if I ever want to revert back to stock, can a replacement headlight cap thingy be bought or do you just have to seal up the hole? Thanks.

 

[combatmedic870]

Got them here. $200 in total. The shipping is steep but still less then paying 450 for them.

H7 Philips Xenon HID Light Bulb Kit 4300K - eBay (item 360179654576 end time Dec-06-10 08:51:10 PST)

Im sure you can buy replacements directly from the suby dealership maybe...possibly.. You could also just used the rubber gromets kit comes with to seal it if you dont like them.

You'll like them. Very bright and useful. If im driving in the middle a 3 lane street it lights up almost all 3 lanes(cant see the passing persons headlights on the ground cause mine are brighter) for a good 50-75 ft. The cut off line isnt high enough to blind people(it would blind people if it was higher). Fog lamps no longer needed....even if you do want to use them you dont really see the light comeing from them(in the drivers seat).

They take around a minute to get to their full lighting ability. The first night i drove home with them I had the biggest smile on my face cause they were sooo dam bright. I didnt get flashed once.

Audi, Mercedes, Lexus, Acura....eat your heart out baby! mines brighter!

The new SUV's are AROUND the same brightness though(might have just been there huge fogs though). Just not as white so mine look brighter and my light spray distance is longer. There is around 15-25ft, mines a good 50-75ft.

I have found that if im in the passing lane and i come up on someone they do.....pretty much anything the can to get out of my way so i can pass. Especially the ones with out tinited windows.

Edit: alright night 2....alright this time I seen quite a few cars with brighter lights. It was raining hard and they did quite well. It does seems as though the cut off line isn't as pronouced as it used to be with the sliver stars.
All in all they are keepers. I don't think they can get much brighter. Well unless you get 55 watters...which aren't road legal.

 

[rubicontrail.net]

Are the bulbs in these kits interchangable? I have an HID kit I bought a few years ago with Phillips ballasts and H4 bulbs. I never installed them, I wonder if the connectors for the H7 bulbs would be the same?

 

[combatmedic870]

They might be. Call philips.

 

[blulegend]

Just ordered, will post an update when I get them and install them.

 

[bluezurich]

I was followed home from the gym this morning for about two miles by someone who obviously had an aftermarket HID kit in her car. These things flickered and dimmed and brightened every few seconds. Totally distracting, disturbing and ridiculous. I saw her pull off and her license plate read 'BADKTTY'
Hilarious.

 

[combatmedic870]

I was followed home from the gym this morning for about two miles by someone who obviously had an aftermarket HIP kit in her car. These things flickered and dimmed and brightened every few seconds. Totally distracting, disturbing and ridiculous. I saw her pull off and her license plate read 'BADKTTY'
Hilarious.

Theres a raised jeep I see every morning and he has AM HID's and they are BLINDINGLY bright. I hate that guy...His flickers as well. Very annoying.

 

[blulegend]

What is the flicker caused by? I noticed the ones I ordered has some kind of CAN-BUS tech to reduce flicker. I also wanted to confirm that the DRL on our OB doesn't affect the HID. Can you confirm this? I haven't looked to see if the DRL is only on the high beam or not.

 

[combatmedic870]

It doesnt affect the daytime running lights at all and they dont affect them.
Mine only flickers right when the car is turned on and thats the only time I have ever seen then flicker ever. They take around a minute maybe to warm up to full brightness(they do this while the car is warming up, so it doesnt bother anything for me).

For me, it really didnt have all that much to due with the brightness of them. I just wanted them a long time(rated at 30,000 hours vs 400-1000 in regular bulbs)! I never want to change out the lights again. Im hoping that I dont have to using the HID's(yes changing out the low beams IS that big of a PITA!).

 

[Darkanion]

What is the flicker caused by? I noticed the ones I ordered has some kind of CAN-BUS tech to reduce flicker. I also wanted to confirm that the DRL on our OB doesn't affect the HID. Can you confirm this? I haven't looked to see if the DRL is only on the high beam or not.

DRL powers the high beam at low power :
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums...ow-disable-drl-2010-outback-2.html#post231775