HID relay install

mtflight · #1 (**permalink**) 11-14-08, 06:47 PM

Through where does one route the cable from the battery (back seat) to the headlamps? 03DHS (like a 98+ Seville).

THanks!

JimD · #2 (**permalink**) 11-14-08, 07:03 PM

If you need a source of battery-alternator power, that would be available at the bolt under the red cover on the rear surface of the underhood fuse/relay box.

And be very carefull! If you are not comfortable working with "hot" circuits, remove the negative cable from your battery before you do anything else.

If you are installing aftermarket HID ballasts and bulbs in reflector type headlamp assemblies, you are going to be dissapointed with the results. HID systems require (demand) projector design headlamps.

Certainly on-coming traffic will not enjoy the experience.

Necrosan · #3 (**permalink**) 11-14-08, 07:32 PM

I beg to differ, Jim.
I installed a HID kit in my 94 Eldorado and am absolutely amazed with the results.
The lighting difference is night and day.

And I have never had another on-coming driver flash me.

mtflight · #4 (**permalink**) 12-16-08, 04:13 PM

There are a few instances of non-projector factory installation of H.I.D. I can think of the current Toyota Prius and a few older Acuras and Lexus.

The most important thing is aligning the beam. The H.I.D. does have a larger peripheral reach, but it's not direct, and will not offend other drivers. The main beam should be aligned to be no higher than the bumper on a car 25-30 feet away. The Deville has a pretty good brow built in to the housing that makes aiming it easy. On my ETC, I had to significantly change the aim, due to more light scattering. Point them downwards until you are approximately at bumper height 25-30 ft. away. The end-result is a little piece of sunshine in front of the car, at night.

hyperboimmv · #5 (**permalink**) 01-05-09, 11:11 PM

So did you end up powering the HIDs from the battery instead of the lamp harness? Also, do you have the low-beams stay on when you have the high-beams on?

mtflight · #6 (**permalink**) 01-05-09, 11:25 PM

Yes I ended up installing the harness with relay. One of the bulbs flickers during ignition, so I gained nothing (I was thinking it would fix that). I think it must be the ballast, but the warrantor wants the ballast back before exchanging it. Yes the low beams (HID) stay on when I flash to pass (pull lever back)... but when I put the lights to hi beam all the time (push level forward), they shut off... very interesting how that works.

N*Caddy · #7 (**permalink**) 01-05-09, 11:45 PM

Yeah I am curious too, why you need the relay for? Why don’t you just power the HID from your regular halogen light bulb socket (is plug and play). Are you trying to get rid of the DRL by any chance?
As for the HID retrofit, is not legal in any North American jurisdiction (except if you change the headlight housing too, and in some places even that is not allowed).
Now since I said is illegal, I have a friend

who installed HID on his ‘97 STS (absolutely identical with mine

) over one year ago and the results are just amassing. “He”

did had to adjust the aiming (only on driver side, the other one was just fine). “He”

never had issues with the incoming traffic. Well there is a neighbor who is upset by the lights shining in his living room when “my friend”

returns later in the afternoon from work. But he is not incoming traffic so does not matter (anyway there are a lot of things that bother that guy so does not count).

JimD · #8 (**permalink**) 01-05-09, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtflight

....but when I put the lights to hi beam all the time (push level forward), they shut off... very interesting how that works.

It's a very simple mod to hold the low beams ON when you select hi beams full time. A $0.50 diode is all you need.

N*Caddy · #9 (**permalink**) 01-05-09, 11:49 PM

Quote:

One of the bulbs flickers during ignition, so I gained nothing

Unless you install a second battery that is only used for the headlights, the flickering thing is absolutely normal. The power drop due to the starter is just too much for the ballast.

mtflight · #10 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N*Caddy

Unless you install a second battery that is only used for the headlights, the flickering thing is absolutely normal. The power drop due to the starter is just too much for the ballast.

The flickering will sometimes shut that one bulb off. Something's up with that ballast (only 1 side will do that).

N*Caddy · #11 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 12:45 AM

Mines ups! I mean my friend’s are both flickering equally when “he” cranks the car but never experienced one shutting down. Although twice the one on…(I don’t remember witch side) burned the fuse while attempting to start the car with an almost flat battery. They do use in average less current that the standard halogens but when ignited the current is way higher (for the very fist sec or so). In case the battery voltage is low they still require the same power thus drawing even more current so the fuse goes poofff.
Now that I am thinking…what exactly you mean by “ignition” cranking the car or bulb’s ignition? If is the second one then try swapping the bulbs (or ballasts). See if the problem moves with the bulb/ballast. Either way if it does then return the culprit (is not normal).
Then the question arises: how much you played for the kit (< or > than $150)?

mtflight · #12 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 12:49 AM

I paid about $150 close to a year ago, I think. Yeah I will switch the ballasts, to make sure it's the ballast and not the bulb. It's a pain in the ass, in the Deville as one must remove the whole headlamp assembly. For now, I just make sure the lights are off before I start. My DRLs are oddly my low beams (HID)... so they come on automatically in gear.

hyperboimmv · #13 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 01:39 AM

So you are using your HID's as DRL's as well? Are the DRLs on the 03 DeVilles ran in series, or do they use a PWM style? IF they are PWM, that may be your problem. Do they flicker when you start the car in a dark garage (meaning twilight sentinel has control)?

SharpHID has their 35w kits onsale for 80 bucks right now, so I was thinking of doing the HID conversion. I want to do both the High beam and the Low beams, but I will probably just do the Low first. I am trying to find an easy way of making the Low beams stay on with the High beams on. I am thinking its going to take a a few relays connected to work, unless I can find someone to build a controller for me. In theory, you will need signal from the High beam to engage a relay, a signal from the park lamps to engage a relay and a signal from something that is only on when the key is on the 'on' position. That way, when the Park lamps are on, and the High beams are on and the ignition is on, and you throw a capacitor and a few diodes in, the Low beams will stay on when you switch to High beams, but they won't turn on when the car is off and you unlock and have the perimeter lighting engage.

Does anyone know if the projectors are the same in the SLSs as the STSs that came with HIDs?

mtflight · #14 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyperboimmv

So you are using your HID's as DRL's as well? Are the DRLs on the 03 DeVilles ran in series, or do they use a PWM style? IF they are PWM, that may be your problem. Do they flicker when you start the car in a dark garage (meaning twilight sentinel has control)?

Not sure what PWM means. My relay works off the low beam lights, which in the DHS are also the daytime running lights. the DRLs supposedly run at lower intensity, but because I'm using a relay they fire up the HIDs.

Funny thing, is the flash to pass (pull the light stalk toward steering wheel) hi beams work in tandem with the low beams (both stay on). But when I push the stalk away from the steering wheel the HID lights turn off, and the hi beams take over. I have no need to run with hi beams on all the time so I'm not concerned about that.

Here is a pic, showing how, at least on the Deville, aligning the HID beams is easy and the light does not stray due to the design of the "reflector" beam housing. Notice there is a projector-style brow cut-off for the beam. This is good, as the light is not gradually scattered as on traditional glass "reflector" beams.

Notice how I've aimed mine just higher than the other cars' bumpers. I've driven next to cars with factory xenons, to study the beam projection, and this alignment is what I determined was the best of both worlds. If your beams are higher than their bumper or light up the cabin, then they are misaligned and causing a hazardous condition

Below is a picture of a 07 DTS (xenon projectors), compared to my 98 ETC when I had the HID kit installed. I carefully aligned the beam as closely as I could to what the DTS did, but the beam did scatter much more than on the DHS.

I am shining the hi beams there, and u can clearly see they don't hold a candle to the HID. The HID beams scatter enough in those reflector housings that the hi beams weren't really useful.

cheers.

hyperboimmv · #15 (**permalink**) 01-06-09, 02:00 PM

PWM is pulse width modulation, meaning there is a series of quick pulses to vary the output, like someone flipping the on/off switch super fast to dim the output.

Those lights look really good... I don't get why the DeVilles didn't have the option for HIDs. The Escalades have the HIDs and they don't have projectors...