[4x4ord]

Thanks to recommendations made by Mor4wd and ups 6.0 I am looking into the HID headlights for my truck. The issue that I have is that being in Canada I have to run the daytime running lights. HID lights apparently cannot be run on low voltage so the HID kit accommodates that by putting full voltage to the lights all day. I'm not sure on the Ford trucks, but some vehicles use the high beam at low voltage for daytime running lights. Would I be inadvertently shining my high beams into oncoming traffic during the day with these lights? Any other concerns that people have with these kits?

 

[AlbertaStroker]

I've got a set of SilverEagle HID lights (6000k) in my truck and I've had zero problems. Supposedly the daytime running lights use less voltage but that doesn't seem to affect my lights. They look like they run at 100% all the time. And as for bothering people throughout the day. Haven't had an issue with that yet either. With ambient light around they don't look anywhere as bright as they are at night. Also take into consideration what rating the lights are. The higher you go on e Kelvin scale the more blue/ intense they get

 

[mor4wd]

The DRLs won't be an issue. The HID's don't pull power through the stock harness, they are wired directly to the battery and they only use the stock harness as a signal input to turn on or off. So if your DRLs are on then the lights will be on 100%. Also, if you don't want a blueish light output go with a lower Kelvin, 3000 is close to sunlight, I went with 4000K and they only have the slightest blue color to them but the light they cast is white.

 

[Jasun26]

I have 6k lights on my bike and off road lights on my work truck. They are like sun at noon. Super white. You may look at bi-zenon lights. I have low and high beams on my motorcycle. They are on my list for my truck. IMO get the 35w not the 55w lights. I think 55w are to bright to on coming traffic. Again IMO

 

[4x4ord]

Thanks for the replies - I am definitely learning something. I probably will go with 4000 K - what is the range of color? Do bluer lights produce more light? I see some places offer 55 watt for these trucks and others 35 watt. Are 55 watt too bright?

 

[Jasun26]

I don't have the 55w, but have read about guys on here complain that traffic flash them with headlights at night. My 35w lights work awesome. I can only comment on my 6k lights. I love having a small sliver of sun on the front of my truck.haha

 

[mor4wd]

I went with 55 watt system on mine. I get the occasional little old lady flashing her brights but it's only like 1 out 50 cars. It's the same cars that flash brights at anybody with HIDs. The 55s are insanely bright on low beams and light up everything as far as you can see on high. The color temps go up to like 12000K which is purple. The higher Kelvin you go, the less light output you get. Check out Retro Solutions website. They are a vendor on here and offer 10% discount to .org members, plus they have a ton of FAQ on their site.

 

[ups 6.0]

Thanks for the replies - I am definitely learning something. I probably will go with 4000 K - what is the range of color? Do bluer lights produce more light? I see some places offer 55 watt for these trucks and others 35 watt. Are 55 watt too bright?

Bluer will not produce more light. You'll get the most light and the whitest @4000K-5000K ! BTW ,35W will be plenty bright:wink[3]:

 

[harrysmith500]

Bluer will not produce more light. You'll get the most light and the whitest @4000K-5000K ! BTW ,35W will be plenty bright:wink[3]:

I have been running 6000K hid's in my stuff. Where could I find the info providing the best light is found between 4,000 and 5,000?

Thanks!


PS: My 55W are too bright, I feel bad for the other people on the road! I'll be getting 35W bi-xenon for my 2012, was planning on 6000K but we'll see if my mind can be changed.

 

[ups 6.0]

I have been running 6000K hid's in my stuff. Where could I find the info providing the best light is found between 4,000 and 5,000?

Thanks!


PS: My 55W are too bright, I feel bad for the other people on the road! I'll be getting 35W bi-xenon for my 2012, was planning on 6000K but we'll see if my mind can be changed.

Here you go.
HID Xenon Headlights The best HID conversion kits

 

[grmreaper]

Thanks to recommendations made by Mor4wd and ups 6.0 I am looking into the HID headlights for my truck. The issue that I have is that being in Canada I have to run the daytime running lights. HID lights apparently cannot be run on low voltage so the HID kit accommodates that by putting full voltage to the lights all day. I'm not sure on the Ford trucks, but some vehicles use the high beam at low voltage for daytime running lights. Would I be inadvertently shining my high beams into oncoming traffic during the day with these lights? Any other concerns that people have with these kits?

For the daylight, You will have no worries about shining people.

Just a note if you are installing them yourself.

Cause of the DRL, it sends 50% power, it actually continuously pulses ON/OFF, instead of sending 6~Volts. Depending on the Hi/Low Relay that comes in your kit, it will toast it pretty fast. I blew a DDMTUNING one in a week, because the relay will continuously click. There is 2 options around thisthat I am aware of.

1) Cover the light sensor on the dash (makes your truck think its nighttime all the time, And leave the switch on auto. *Keeping your headlights on all the time - Only downside is it dim's your dashlights.

2) Or hook the relay into your parking lights instead - requires a little wire extension and tapping.
I went with option one out of sheer simplicity.

If I am wrong about how the DRL functions feel free to correct me. Just going off what I have been told once.

 

[TX_TRU_STUD]

So I don't mean to be negative here but all of these "work arounds" and hoops ya'll are having to jump through sound awful. I have HIDS on my ATV, granted it has no DRL's, but it wires up the factory harness and works off the swith without having to have wires going directly to the battery, etc. Have wires all over the place and not connecting into a harness will keep me from buying HIDs. If they cant make it work with the factory system and make it work like it is supposed to then it's not worth it.

IMO, the DRL's should stay on during the day and turn off at night which should kick on the HID's. And then you should not have to sacrifice your high beam functionality as well.

Just my 2 cents, and if there is a kit that does this, please post it in here so I can check it out.

 

[grmreaper]

So I don't mean to be negative here but all of these "work arounds" and hoops ya'll are having to jump through sound awful. I have HIDS on my ATV, granted it has no DRL's, but it wires up the factory harness and works off the swith without having to have wires going directly to the battery, etc. Have wires all over the place and not connecting into a harness will keep me from buying HIDs. If they cant make it work with the factory system and make it work like it is supposed to then it's not worth it.

IMO, the DRL's should stay on during the day and turn off at night which should kick on the HID's. And then you should not have to sacrifice your high beam functionality as well.

Just my 2 cents, and if there is a kit that does this, please post it in here so I can check it out.

You dont sacrifice any high beam function with the HID. Mine are hi/low bulbs my highbeams work just fine.
A true drl you cant achieve /w hid"s without a second bulb. Hid lights only run full power or no power. They are thr same design as you flouresent lights hence the requiremnt for ballasts
Wires going direct to the battery for power are to save ur butt. Personally i would rather have one red wire going to the battery vs either melting a harness. Or blowing fuses. In my humble opinion.

 

[AlbertaStroker]

You dont sacrifice any high beam function with the HID. Mine are hi/low bulbs my highbeams work just fine.
A true drl you cant achieve /w hid"s without a second bulb. Hid lights only run full power or no power. They are thr same design as you flouresent lights hence the requiremnt for ballasts
Wires going direct to the battery for power are to save ur butt. Personally i would rather have one red wire going to the battery vs either melting a harness. Or blowing fuses. In my humble opinion.

Yea mine have a single red wire going to the battery for constant power and for the high beam the bulb is actually motorized and moves up or down in the housing. Been running them for 2 years. No issues at all even in weather +40C to -55C

 

[ups 6.0]

So I don't mean to be negative here but all of these "work arounds" and hoops ya'll are having to jump through sound awful. I have HIDS on my ATV, granted it has no DRL's, but it wires up the factory harness and works off the swith without having to have wires going directly to the battery, etc. Have wires all over the place and not connecting into a harness will keep me from buying HIDs. If they cant make it work with the factory system and make it work like it is supposed to then it's not worth it.

IMO, the DRL's should stay on during the day and turn off at night which should kick on the HID's. And then you should not have to sacrifice your high beam functionality as well.

Just my 2 cents, and if there is a kit that does this, please post it in here so I can check it out.

Any real HID kits will require a red wire to the batt. Its no big deal......no hoops:wink[3]:

 

[grmreaper]

Yea mine have a single red wire going to the battery for constant power and for the high beam the bulb is actually motorized and moves up or down in the housing. Been running them for 2 years. No issues at all even in weather +40C to -55C

Yup same here. We get those same temps up here short of i dont see 40+ till i go back to your side of the border. Only problems i have is i got a intermittant ballast issue. And that just showed up. And for a cheap hid kit im not complaining.

 

[4x4ord]

I appreciate all the replies. I am thinking of going with Night Vision 35 watt HID's. Still undecided whether to go for 4300 k for fog penetration or 6000 k for the blue look. I am considering wiring the DTRL to turn on the fog lights. My idea is to tie a relay into the low beam circuit such that low voltage (DTRL voltage) turns on the fog lights and high voltage (headlight voltage - 12 volts) switches the relay and sends battery current to the HID headlights. Using diodes I could cause just the front park lights to come on with the DTRL instead of fog lights.

 

[CanadianDiesel]

For the daylight, You will have no worries about shining people.

Just a note if you are installing them yourself.

Cause of the DRL, it sends 50% power, it actually continuously pulses ON/OFF, instead of sending 6~Volts. Depending on the Hi/Low Relay that comes in your kit, it will toast it pretty fast. I blew a DDMTUNING one in a week, because the relay will continuously click. There is 2 options around thisthat I am aware of.

1) Cover the light sensor on the dash (makes your truck think its nighttime all the time, And leave the switch on auto. *Keeping your headlights on all the time - Only downside is it dim's your dashlights.

2) Or hook the relay into your parking lights instead - requires a little wire extension and tapping.
I went with option one out of sheer simplicity.

If I am wrong about how the DRL functions feel free to correct me. Just going off what I have been told once.

Yup you're right about the "pulsing" signal. A simple way to fix this is to get a short harness with capacitor link. It "stores" the voltage and keeps it right around the 12V level. Then just plug in the relayed HID harness and you're good to go. Retro-Solutions sells these, I deal with them quite a bit.

I think 35W would be plenty for your '11. For the '05 headlights I always install 55W since the light housing is somewhat small.
And IMO, 6000K is the way to go. Just a bit blue, but mostly a nice bright white.

 

[grmreaper]

Yup you're right about the "pulsing" signal. A simple way to fix this is to get a short harness with capacitor link. It "stores" the voltage and keeps it right around the 12V level. Then just plug in the relayed HID harness and you're good to go. Retro-Solutions sells these, I deal with them quite a bit.

I think 35W would be plenty for your '11. For the '05 headlights I always install 55W since the light housing is somewhat small.
And IMO, 6000K is the way to go. Just a bit blue, but mostly a nice bright white.

A cap. Wish I would have thought about that. Thats a great idea, any idea on the size of capacitor a guy needs, so i can just wire it in with my existing harness. I have 55w's they are great and 35w in my fogs

 

[4x4ord]

I emailed Steve at Retro Solutions and he responded saying he highly recommends the 55 watt Digital kit as opposed to the much less expensive 35 watt Night Vision kit. He is saying if the housings are properly aimed and I stick with 4300 to 5000 k, I shouldn't have problems with oncoming traffic. I am understanding him to say that the Night Vision Kit uses a piggy backed Halogen bulb for high beam. As it stands I will be ordering the Digital 55 watt 5000k HID's, likely on Monday.