Hi All-

I know this topic has been discussed at length, but I’m getting conflicting answers from various posts. My hope is to get a definitive answer here so we can sticky it.

TLDR: In short, I’m curious to know if anyone has wired up aftermarket HIDs on halogen only models. (H7 bulbs)

1. Did you use the factory wiring to power your ballasts? (Direct wire without harness) If yes, have you experienced any issues, such as premature failures, inability to fire the HIDs, auto lamp issues, issues with the factory computer module, etc.
   
2. If you used a harness, where did you pull +12volt from and properly ground?

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Here’s what I know so far…

There is no drop in replacement for factory HIDs. (I.e. you cannot take HIDs from a later model year and simply plug them in) The connector pin out is different.

The factory HID setups can be unreliable due to their aging, but replacement parts seem to be available.


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Here’s what I’ve done so far…(I have video for these things which I can share)

I have baked open a set of halogen housings. I fixed the “droopy” headlamp issue using improved replacement parts from eBay.

I removed the projector assembly from another set of lights and retrofitted them into my halogen housing. What this did is give me the projector lens, but retained the halogen bulb wiring.

Because the projector housing calls for a D2S bulb and I still have halogen wiring, I used LED bulbs with the D2S sleeve and connected them to the factory halogen lighting.

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Now, what’s the good and bad here?

The good is the LEDs draw less power than the halogens. I was able to wire these up to the factory halogen wiring without fear of pulling too much voltage or wattage from the factory wiring.

The bad is while the LED bulbs in the projector housing look very nice, they have a terrible throw distance with no center hotspot. The LEDs create a very soft light, which come nowhere near the output of an HID. In fact, the LEDs I used to replace the fog lamps are very similar in output, making my low beams only as bright as the fog lights.

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For future reference, here are the bulbs I’m using now should you be curious.

Low Beam (Projector Lens, D2S Bulb, H7 wiring**)

High Beam (Reflector Lens, 9007 Bulb)

Fog Lamp (Projector Lens, H3 Bulb)
(Unfortunately this link is dead, but they are H3 LED bulbs. They fit, but did not allow me to use the factory cap, so I used a different solution to seal them)

If you’re still with me and want to know everything there is to know about headlamps in general, including HID retrofits, LED retrofits and the importance of focus within a headlamp, read This post from Tacoma World. It’s a long read, but incredibly helpful with tons of examples. The amount of information is staggering.

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Okay that about does it. As mentioned I have videos which I’m currently editing to show what I’ve done with my lights and will explain what I’m hoping to accomplish. If you already answered the questions above, I greatly appreciate it.

 

Good stuff. My question is "I fixed the “droopy” headlamp issue using improved replacement parts from eBay." could you provide details for this, please. Thanks. Sorry, I cannot help on the HID bits.

 

See my first (of I’m sure many) videos (link below) which demonstrate the issue and explain where the replacement pieces go. I shot this with my phone, realizing now I need a tripod. Sorry about the shoddy camera work.

For reference, below is a link to the eBay seller who makes the repair kits. (Not sponsored or affiliated)


Repair Kit
Stay tuned, more to come shortly. Feel free to post any questions, I’ll do my best.

 

Honestly, why would you do this. HiDs are a pain. They fail, and in my **** it is required to have washers. Just put some aftermarket LED lamps instead.