Though installing HID into vehicles which are not originally equipped with it is growing in popularity and widely done, technically speaking, the practice is illegal. Though many have mastered the process - know the right tools and equipment needed to ensure safety, use appropriate projectors lens designs, adept with the skills and knowledge to property assemble every component of it to assure light alignment after installation, and know all about light-shaping techniques – they will never be cited for it.

A lot of complaints have been files to the Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding improper installation of HIDs. Though most vendors or installers post warnings and disclaimers that it is intended for off-road use only, many do not abide by this rule. Many improper installations caused more glare resulting to road accidents. Illegal aftermarket automotive part vendors, however, still thrive because there is no strict enforcement on the ban on them and they are hardy punished. But recently, DOT became more robust in their campaign to go after these HID conversion and installation vendors. A fine is being imposed on them which lessened their visibility.

So, as a responsible vehicle owner, one must consult legitimates and professionals before making any customization. They know what all your car’s requirements and capacity in undergoing any process. Also, abiding by the rules and standards set by the DOT does not only put you to safety but also other drivers’ as well who you share the road with.

Just thought Id share some HID conversion videos today. These videos are various color temperatures and vehicles. Enjoy!

There are great deals of HID kits available in the market varying in output, component specs, prices and brands. Among the most recommended brands are McCulloch, Bellof, Matsushita, Helios, Prolumen, MTEC and Philips. There is a lot of preference in Philips bulbs set up with Generation 3 ballasts when it comes to kit components.

But what should one consider most when buying an HID kit?

- The brand of ballasts and igniters.
- Color rendering – check the illustrations on every website to check the color temperature the bulbs produce. Pick the ones that have less blinding effects.
- Warranty and the length of it, look for vendors offering at least a year.
- Quick turnaround time of the kit’s delivery
- Vendor’s customer service – are your concerns or any inquiry on their products and services promptly attended.
- Vendors that sell and install at the same time.
- Your vehicle’s type – if yours use the same bulb for DRL (day time running light) and low beam, the DRL would have to be relocated or turn on the HID all the time which can be quite cumbersome.

Always be wary of the quality of the kit you will be buying. It is best to check forums posted on websites to check for other’s opinion on best HID Kits, check their recommendations. Ebay showcases great deals on HID kits and it has a feedback section where one can see buyers’ experiences on different brands and vendors.

Notice: This kit is essentially a “plug and play”, but we highly recommend taking this to a professional to install.

Improper installation can cause electrical problems and American Muscle or Xenonworx will not be held responsible for any damages that occur due to improper installation.

Tips for Installing:
Turn off your car
Disconnect the car’s battery
Wait for the engine to cool down
Make sure the car is in neutral or park
DO NOT touch the crystal on the bulb, this will ruin the bulb permanently
Verify that the wires and connections are in good shape
Do not look directly at the beam
Items in the kit:
Single Beam Kit
2 Xenon light bulbs
2 Ballasts
2 Ballasts Clamps
4 Cable Ties
4 Screw Bolts
Dual Beam Kit
2 Xenon Light Bulbs
2 Ballasts
2 Ballast Clamps
4 Cable Ties
4 Screw Bolts
1 Cable Harness

Wiring Instructions:
9004/9005/9006/9007 Series- These bulbs have a base that connects directly to the factory bulb connector. The blue adapter is for the 9004 and 9007 kit. The black connector is for the 9005 and 9006 kit.

H1/H2/H7/H11 Series- The H series bulbs don’t have a connector. They simply have positive and ground cables. These cables have specific fitting metallic spades that fit each application.

Testing the HID Kit:
After installation, make sure that all of the wires have been tucked in and the proper connections have been made at the right places. When the HID lights up, it will take roughly 5-10 seconds to reach their full luminous capacity.

Adjusting the light beam:
One of the most critical steps to installing the new kit is to adjust the light to ensure that the beam is not aimed too high or too low. The HID kits have a larger focal point than standard halogen bulbs. There will be a small bolt or screw on the back of the housing that can be turned to move the beam up or down.

Basic Troubleshooting Tips:
My ballasts are making a noise when I turn them on: This is normal. Some ballasts make a noise when they turn on for the first time, but the noise will go away after the bulb reaches its full potential.
My bulb does not turn on: Check the wiring to ensure that is was connected according to the instructions. You can switch the bulbs and ballasts to find out what the problem may be.
My bulb seems to flicker and does not turn on: The bulbs will begin to strobe and flicker because the car’s computer is confused by the HID kits lower power usage. To fix this problem, install a relay to stabilize the power delivered to the HID lit.
My check engine light is coming on after installing the kit: This is not very common. This will occur when the car detects a huge power drop. This kit uses 35 watts of power rather than the 55 watts used by most cars. This will not occur on most cars 

Largest selection of Xenon Conversion Kits for all makes and models from all over the world.

German manufactured cars including Audi’s A3, A4, A6, S4, BMW 3-series models such as 318, 323, 325, 328 and 330. Volkswagen models like Jetta, Golf, Cabrio, Beetle, GTI and Rabbit, as well as Mercedes-Benz models including the C-class. Kits for other European models like Volvo S70, V70, V40, S60 and Saab 9-3 and 9-5 are also available.

Major Japanese manufactures like Acura Integra, Vigor, Legend, CL and RSX. HID kits for Honda Accord, Civic, CRX, Prelude, Element, Pilot, Ridgeline, Fit and Eagle Talon are available as well. Xenon kits for Nissan models such as 240sx, Pathfinder, Altima, Xterra, Murona and the new Versa. The popular Mitsubishi Eclipse and Lancer kits are also popular among tuners. Wide selection for Toyota vehicles including Camry, Celica, Corolla, Supra, Solara, Echo, Thundra, Highlander, Matrix, Yaris, FJ Cruiser and their new enthusiast oriented division Scion xA, xB and TC. Lexus vehicles with optional HID such as IS250, IS350, SC300 and SC400. We can’t forget the great all-wheel-drive vehicles from Subaru like Legacy, Impreza, WRX, Forester and Outback.

We can’t exclude the quickly improving Korean manufacturer Hyundai and their vehicles like Tiburon, Excel, Sonata, Elantra, Accent, Tucson, XG300 and XG350.

Kits for domestic American vehicles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Jeep, Pontiac and Saturn are available in various color temperatures. Chevrolet Camaro, Cavalier, Impala, Monte Carlo, Malibu, Avalanche, Trailblazer, as well as SSR, Cobalt, Equinox, HHR, Silverado. Models from Cadillac including the CTS are available for that extra touch luxury. Xenon kits for Chrysler PT Cruiser, 300C and Sebring as well as Dodge Neon, SRT4, Avenger, Stratus, Durango, Magnum, Caliber and Nitro. Also available are HID Kits for vehicles from Jeep such as Cherokee, Liberty and Commander. Ford cars including Escort, Mustang, Probe, Explorer, Focus, Escape, Fusion and the new offering from Ford Edge. For the Pontiac drivers looking to add Xenon HID lighting for their Bonneville, Firebird, Grand Am, Grand Prix, Sunfire, Vibe, G5, G6, Torrent or the hot Solstice. Saturn Vue and Sky, and trucks from GMC like Sierra, Jimmy, Envoy and Yukon

You may be confused about which color to choose for your HID conversion kit. The color of the output is determined by the temperature. The lower the temperature (usually around 5000k or so) is the whitest and brightest. As you increase the temperature the color scales as well.

At 6000k you have a light blue, 8000k a deeper blue, 10,000k an starts to turn green, 12000k starts to turn to purple. I recommend anything between 4000k-8000k to look the best but also be extremely bright.

3000K Golden Yellow
3000K has an approximately 3200lm output, which is more than 3x the light output of traditional halogen light. 3000K emits GOLDEN YELLOW color and offers superior penetration power during adverse weather epically in dense fog. The applications of the 3000K kit aim more towards secondary lighting apparatus such as high beam and fog lights. The 3000K capsule is actually a 5000K capsule specially coated with a film that filters out all the wave lengths except the range of wave length which emits yellow. This is the color temperature that will catch all the attention on the road.
5000K Pure White
5000K has an approximately 3200lm output, which is more than 3x the light output of the traditional halogen light and is the color temperature with the most output. The light appears fairly white, and has light yellowish hue when reflected off the road identical to the OEM HID equipped vehicles. This color is for customers who are looking for pure performance while improving the looks of their headlights. It is ideal for customers who does a lot of back road or canyon driving and need the optimal visibility.
6000K Diamond White
6000K has an approximately 2800lm output, which is 3x the light output of the traditional halogen light and slightly less light output compared to the 5000K. Although it has a bit lesser light output, it emits pure white light with very slight and barely noticeable tint of blue and purple
8000K Iceberg Blue
8000K has an approximately 2550lm output, which is about 3x the light output of the traditional halogen light and slightly less light output compared to the 6000K. While it has a bit lesser light output, it emits bluer light than the 6000K
10000K Brilliant Blue
10000K has an approximately 2200lm output, which is more than 2x the light output of the traditional halogen light. 10000K produces a deep blue light output approaching violet and the blue is noticeably deeper than the 8000K.
12000K Exotic Violet/Purple
12000K has an approximately 2100lm output, which is more than 2x the light output of the traditional halogen light. This color temperature puts out a deep bluish violet light and is deeper colored than the 10000K. It is for customer who is looking for the most extreme and most exotic looking light output.
30000K Pink Violet
This color temperature put to a pinkish Violet, very attractive and separates you from the rest of the cars. Despite the high color temperature, it still put out more than 2x the light than the halogen you are currently running in your car

You may be slightly confused about the difference between an HID conversion kit and an HID Projector conversion kit. Both are true HID setups, but one using a standard headlight lamp while the projector uses a true projector with cut-off to provide a crisp, concentrated light out put. Here is a picture of a true projector HID conversion:

The first image is an HID projector cut off line. This can only be acheived using a projector. The second picture is an HID conversion kit with no projector.

HID Projector set up. 

HID Conversion kit without a projector 

So how hard is it to do a projector set up? A lot harder than a simple HID conversion kit. You will need to customize, or retrofit, your new projectors into your existing headlight lamps (usually requiring you to dremel, glue, and modify your headlamps).

Also, be aware of products that claim to be ‘projectors’, as there is such thing as halogen projectors. From experience these set ups are terrible. The one I saw on a BMW was a complete waste of money, with probably less output than the original halogen bulb set up. Go with the true projector hid conversion kit, don’t waste you time with the halogen projectors. If your budget is around $100 and require only an hours worth of work, buy an HID conversion kit.

If you have $600+ and 6+ hours of time to spend acheiving the projector look, an HID projector retrofit is for you.

Have you ever passed a newer Porsche or BMW and noticed their distinct headlights? Those headlight are called HID. HID, or High Intensity Discharge, it the new replacement technology for halogen headlights. There are numerous advantages of HID headlights. Brightness, electrical consumption, and looks are the most notable advantages of HID conversion kits. If you’re looking for the perfect upgrade for your vehicle, consider an HID Conversion Kit.

Brightness is the biggest advantage of an HID conversion. Not only will you be able to see farther and better at night, but other drivers will be able to see as well. Its estimated that an HID conversion kit will increase your brightness from a halogen set up as much as 300%. That is an enormous upgrade and will be extremely beneficial to anyone driving at night.

Electrical consumption might seem misleading as an HID Conversion Kit is actually brighter than halogen bulbs, but HID actually consumes less electricity. In each HID conversion kit you are given ballasts. These ballasts actually convert your standard 55w electricity that powers your halogen bulbs and reduces it to 35w. This puts less strain on your electrical systems.

A distinct HID conversion kit will allow you to stand out among the thousands of other vehicles on the road. HID kits can varry in color, depending on how bright or which color you want. The lowest on the scale is 3000k, which emits a yellow beam. As we scale upwards, 4300k gives off a pure white, 6000k gives off a light blue, 8000k a deep blue, and 12000k gives off a bright purple. There are advantages and disadvantages for the more unique colors. As you increase the temperature, or kelvin (k), the output actually decreases. The 12000k purple is actually not as bright as the 4300k. If you’re looking for looks, go crazy with the 8000k or 12000k. If you want a balance between brightness and color, consider the 4300-6000k.

An HID conversion kit can not only update the look of your vehicle, its actually in your own interest to increase visibility and make your vehicle by upgrading to an HID kit. The installation is actually be simple and all wiring, harnesses, bulbs and mounting is included in each HID kit. With a price tag of around $100, you can’t beat this upgrade in performance and looks.