Help With Headlights

[padillde]

Hello all. I just bought my first Prius. Its an 08 package #2 in superwhite. I really wanted the HID and fog lights but not with all the other stuff i had to buy to get them. I have a few questions I hope some of you out there can help me with. Where can i get a good aftermarket HID kit? About how much are they going for? I am not real car handy so I would probably have to go to a shop and really don't want to get ripped off. Same thing for fog lights. BUT THE BIGGEST QUESTION IS.........would installing aftermarket lights VOID my warranty. I got the extended warranty, and I would hate to be paying for nothing.


Thanks In Advance
A very Happy Prius Owner

[jbdan]

I did an HID "retro" on my 06 Tacoma. I'm receiving my 08 Prius Jan 15th and opted for the touring package 3 and I'm pumped!

I will tell you this about "kits," I would stay away from them. 3 reasons: you never know what your going to get as for quality (most are just out to fool you and make a buck), secondly, your halogen reflector/assembly is not made for HID (*glare and *heat), and third, your oem wire harness for your halogens is not made to handle the extreme starting voltage HID's need.

If you ever have a wire issue from installing a HID kit then it will cost a pretty penny and imo would void your warranty.

If you really want to do a real "retrofit" head over to HID Planet. They have a ton of info and a good forum to boot. I researched my Tacoma retro for 3 months before I did it and it was a bugger! but I'm up for challenges like that.

If you want brighter lighting on the road, the new Phillips "X-treme Power" automotive bulbs are the brightest halogens on the market. If you can't locate them online then the Luminic's Krypton's are a good alternative. Congrats on your new car! Njoy your ride!

Edit: And just incase, the higher the kelvin, the lower the light output. Higher kelvin = blue/purple light and less lumens. The best of both worlds (whiter light still with high lumens) is around ~4300'ish.

[firepa63]

Unless you're in to blinding oncoming traffic, stick with the halogen lights. In my opinion, they are less trouble and certainly a lot cheaper to replace. As for the fog lights on the Prius, they are useless.

[kerryjchinn]

I have OEM HID headlights, so I'm unable to comment on aftermarket HID replacements. I can offer some suggestions on the fog lights. Given the standard OEM halogen bulbs I agree with the earlier comment, they are pretty much worthless.

But I replaced mine with Sylvania Silverstars and now the fog lights actually do some good. Three improvements:

1. They light up significantly more of the darkened area directly in front of the car. I find this especially helpful on dark roads or when it is raining.

2. The whiter light output more closely matches the HID color. So it no longer looks like I'm driving around with fog lights impersonating parking lights.

3. This isn't an improvement, but changing the bulbs is super easy. Upgrading the fog light bulbs cost maybe $25.

[padillde]

thank you all for all the great input. I think I will just stick to my regular lights for now, it seems like it will be to much work to retro fit them. And The halogens are bright enough.

[Boo]

Originally Posted by padillde

thank you all for all the great input. I think I will just stick to my regular lights for now, it seems like it will be to much work to retro fit them. And The halogens are bright enough.

As jbdan already said, I would consider getting the Philips X-Treme Power bulbs. I love them. They are 80% brighter than your OEM halogens ... they're nearly as bright as the Prius HIDs. You can buy them at a Long Island R & S Straus stores. Regular price is 2 for $49. Sometimes they're on sale for less. If you get them, keep the OEM bulbs just in case ... don't know how long the X-Treme Power bulbs will last (maybe not long enough for your tastes).

[johnford]

I find the lights on my new 08, pkg.4 to be plenty bright enough, however, they seem to be adjusted a little low. The cut off line for the low beam is only about a half block in front of the car, and not much farther with high beam. I live in hilly Arkansas, and so each time I crest the top of a hill, the visibility is less than adequate for a few seconds. A lot can happen in a few seconds. I am thinking of taking it back to the dealer to have them raised. Anyone else find this problem? ..... thanks... jf

[N3FOL]

Originally Posted by kerryjchinn

I have OEM HID headlights, so I'm unable to comment on aftermarket HID replacements. I can offer some suggestions on the fog lights. Given the standard OEM halogen bulbs I agree with the earlier comment, they are pretty much worthless.

But I replaced mine with Sylvania Silverstars and now the fog lights actually do some good. Three improvements:

1. They light up significantly more of the darkened area directly in front of the car. I find this especially helpful on dark roads or when it is raining.

2. The whiter light output more closely matches the HID color. So it no longer looks like I'm driving around with fog lights impersonating parking lights.

3. This isn't an improvement, but changing the bulbs is super easy. Upgrading the fog light bulbs cost maybe $25.

What model Sylvania silverstars did you get for the fog lights? Is it the same for my '08

[kerryjchinn]

The fog lights use 9006 bulbs. Here is a link I used to learn how to replace them http://www.vfaq.net/mods/Lights.html

[jukeboy]

Originally Posted by johnford

I find the lights on my new 08, pkg.4 to be plenty bright enough, however, they seem to be adjusted a little low. The cut off line for the low beam is only about a half block in front of the car, and not much farther with high beam. I live in hilly Arkansas, and so each time I crest the top of a hill, the visibility is less than adequate for a few seconds. A lot can happen in a few seconds. I am thinking of taking it back to the dealer to have them raised. Anyone else find this problem? ..... thanks... jf

speaking from knowledge about other toyota models, I believe there is some kind of adjuster that can be tweaked using a screwdriver