HID Install

[White Mule]

There was a great post (delicat I think) regarding this install.

I have typed in alot of possible search combos and have had no luck.

If someone can pass on that thread, that would be appreciated.

Of course this mod comes after less than a year with the Sylvania Silverstars.

[Green1]

the forum search can't search for words under 4 characters, so HID is impossible, I hit up google with "site:delica.ca HID projector" and found this post:

http://www.delica.ca/forum/hid-headligh ... -2435.html

small note: this is technically illegal, however properly installed in a projector housing (like the L300 low beams) shouldn't really be an issue. I do not however recommend these for any standard "reflector" style lights (L300 high beams or any first generation L400 lights) as the light tends to go places it isn't supposed to, like in to the eyes of oncoming traffic....

btw: what did you think of the silverstars? and why are you replacing them?

[sasquatch-hunter]

I installed mine (4300k) couple of months ago. I bought the kit from this guy on Craigslist named Gordon for $95.00. His email is:

gordon@velocitygetter.com

His phone numbers is: 6047676160

You will need a 1 inch hole saw.

cheers,
seb

[White Mule]

Thanks a ton. I will post pictures as well.

[White Mule]

btw: what did you think of the silverstars? and why are you replacing them?

I actually liked the Silverstars. But its been less than a year and one is burned out. Now I could buy a new pair but.....

I seem to have a mod bug and theres no shot for it yet.

Will post all mods by this week-end if all goes well.

[Green1]

I actually liked the Silverstars. But its been less than a year and one is burned out. Now I could buy a new pair but.....

That's the biggest complaint I've heard from people about them, that they don't last...

I seem to have a mod bug and theres no shot for it yet.

I've heard that's going around... careful though, I hear that disease is highly contagious, and is known to cause significant pain in the wallet areas...

[White Mule]

Thanks for the link green1 and thanks delicat for the photos.

Once again this site has proven itself as a valuble resource.

My HID install was a success!

Photos were not required as delicats instructions said it all.

[Erebus]

Kirkham in Calgary is now selling HID conversion kits. He can get the H1, H3, and H4 ones, in a variety of colour temperatures ranging from very warm yellow to very blue.

He and his crew have them installed on several of their vehicles, and love them. They recommend doing the low beams. I'm not sure there is enough room behind the lights in the L300 to mount ballasts for both high and low beams.

Price is $200 a set, not including installation. He figures it would take his crew at least an hour to do the first set they do, even using Delicat's excellent instructions.

L300:
H3 = low beam
H1 = high beam

L400
H4 = low beam
H1 = high beam

Most of the fog lights are H3 as well.

Oh, and Kirkham also does windshield chip repair now. I think it was $35 for first chip, about 15-20 for each additional.

[Green1]

Kirkham in Calgary is now selling HID conversion kits. He can get the H1, H3, and H4 ones, in a variety of colour temperatures ranging from very warm yellow to very blue.

He and his crew have them installed on several of their vehicles, and love them. They recommend doing the low beams. I'm not sure there is enough room behind the lights in the L300 to mount ballasts for both high and low beams.

There is a ton of room behind the lights for ballast, however I would not recommend doing the high beams, they are reflector lights and not projector, and should not be converted to HID, you will blind people.

(and of course the usual disclaimer that ANY HID conversion is illegal.)

[mich308]

The L400 does not use H4 for the low beam, because H4 is for hi/lo beams like the Pajero. It is H1 low beam and H1 high beam in the L400.

[Erebus]

My L400 info came from a post by Marty

"the L400 headlight uses H4 Bulb for low beam, H1 for high beam" from the thread "L400 headlights" http://www.delica.ca/forum/l-400-head-lights-6587.html

Easy to check ... on high beam do the low beams go off, stay on, or stay on but change? Only if it is the third one can they be H4s.

Maybe there is a difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 L400s?

[mich308]

The DEPO headlamp website said the lowbeam and highbeam was H1. If it was H4 for low beam why would there be a seperate part of the lamp for high beam, because H4 does both. I'll give you a better example of what I mean. The Delica L300 usually uses the H3 projector for low beam with a seperate spot for the high beam which is H1. There is also an H4 style headlamp for the Delica, but its' low and high beam are in the same section of the lamp. You can see what I mean if you go to the third page here...http://www.depo.com.tw/asp/pdf/R_MB_L300_DELICA.pdf Here is the DEPO website for the L400 (http://www.depo.com.tw/asp/pdf/R_MB_SPA ... R_L400.pdf). You'll see for the first generation L400 it is H1/H1 meaning the bulb size and for the second generation H7/H1, meaning H7 low beam, and H1 high beam.

[Erebus]

If you remember the classic 4-light sealed beam headlights, there was a separate high beam lamp, but the low beams also were on, with a different filament, for high beams. I used replaceable bulb Hella replacement lights for those cars, and they used H4 bulbs for low and H1 for high. The L400 could be the same.

Anyone with an L400 care to give us the benefit of actually looking at their bulbs?

[Meanman]

Some info I found online may be helpful


***Misconcept about HID***

There are many companies and private merchants out there that will advertise 10000K, and even 12000K HID kits selling for more or less around $100. Most of these vendors lurk around on ebay, online car forums, websites, and ricer accessory shops. 100% of the people that buy these kits do so because they are uninformed, uneducated, or misguided in the field of lighting, and will buy these junk kits thinking three things: that these bulbs are brighter, that these bulbs should cost more money, and/or that they will perform better. All three statements are completely false. Perhaps this misconception and frenzy for purple lights originates from BMW and Audi's infamous Hella projector HIDs. So allow me to explain the real truth of the matter... Philips is the number one manufacturer of HID bulbs. The Philips OEM D2S bulb is rated at 4300K at 12.8 volts and produces 3200 lumens of light. The Philips Ultinon D2S is 5800K at 12.8 volts and produces 2400 lumens of light. As you can see, with all other factors remaining constant, the brightness of an HID bulb declines the higher up the color index you go. Vision, a Korean bulb manufacturer, makes an 8000K bulb, which they used to advertise on Acura-Forums as 2000 lumens bright. This is barely a marked improvement over halogens, and will produce more glare and eye fatigue than it is beneficial. 4300K has been proven through tireless independent research by the Germans, Japanese, and Americans to be the most functional, truest white and thus the brightest possible color temperature (ceteris paribus).


Every car manufacturer in the world (including BMW and Audi) uses none other than a standard 4300K gas-discharge bulb. No exceptions. The reason being is that 4300K is daylight white in color and produces the same color visible light as direct sunlight. This is least fatiguing functional color on the eyes and produces the most comfortable contrast on the road.

[Erebus]

Some info I found online may be helpful

Every car manufacturer in the world (including BMW and Audi) uses none other than a standard 4300K gas-discharge bulb. No exceptions. The reason being is that 4300K is daylight white in color and produces the same color visible light as direct sunlight. This is least fatiguing functional color on the eyes and produces the most comfortable contrast on the road.

It would be nice if you had included the citation, so we can check it ourselves. To paraphrase the old saw, "just because you found it online, doesn't make it true."

Sorry, but 4300K is not daylight. The colour temperature of daylight varies greatly -- being a photographer I am very aware of this. Daylight-balanced colour film is calibrated for 5500K, sunset will be very much redder (as low as 2000K), while overcast sky can be up to 7500K, and blue sky range from 12,000K to even 20,000K. (See Wikipedia amongst other sites.)