Next Mod HID conversion!

Looks awesome! Wish you would have done a before and after video. So where did you purchase the LED's and how much?

 

My vote goes to the Morimoto HID kit.

H11: Morimoto Elite HID System - HID Component Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc

More information about HIDs:
Informative Articles

 

danielizzle - i ordered the jdm mirrors a few days before you. And I'm also in socal. hopefully we'll get ours the same time.

the best hid kits for the 2012 seem to be F8L's recommendation of The Retrofit Source's (TRS) h11 morimoto H11: Morimoto Elite HID System - HID Component Kits from The Retrofit Source Inc and kbcarstuff's xtreme digital Xenon Conversion Kits | HID Light Conversion | KBcarstuff.com.

you can't go wrong with either. for kbcarstuff theres a $25 off coupon "PC".

F8L - i tried reading HIDplanet but they keep bashing hid kits over retrofit kits, etc. i tried to search prius but couldnt find anything helpful. it was extremely helpful when i everyone's advice here that the 2010+ models address the main concerns with projector housing. hence, the hid kits are good for what we need. i wouldnt have gotten that much reading more from hidplanet.

If I wanted to buy the morimoto kit, which wire harness should i select?

 

Yeah, their attitude is mainly focused on plug & play kits installed in halogen reflector housings. Some of the purists will even say that we shouldn't put HIDs in halogen projectors but like you said, the major concerns of glare are already addressed with the 2010+ projectors and it is not a big deal. I just like HIDPlanet for the plethora of knowledge presented there. This is especially important when trying to learn about HIDs, how they work, what is real and what is not, color temperature and lumen, foreground lighting vs. distance vision etc..

 

It can be confusing.

My suggestion:

Ballast = 35w
Kelvin = 4300K (OEM color for BMW, Lexus etc.) or 5000K for white light
Wire Harness = H11
Wire Harness type = Heavy Duty Relay

Most people want a whiter light than OEM so they go with 5000k-6000k bulbs. They higher the Kelvin rating the dimmer the bulb is BUT they appear brighter due to a trick of our eye function OEM HID bulbs are 4100kKto 4300K. I personally like the look of 5000K. It is a nice compromise and doesn't have a blue tint which is VERY played out!

 

goodtimes and vegeto626 pointed this youtube video out. its pretty simple.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/yxx8wvnuVCY

someone else wrote:
"If you want purple light, get 10K
If you want blue light, get 8K
If you want white light, but one the cooler side of white (like flourescent bulbs as compared to incandescent bulbs), get 6K
If you want white light, get 5K
If you want white light that is the most similar to most OEM HID bulbs, get 4300."

other helpful threads
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...65253-installed-some-hids-my-10-prius-20.html
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ifications/96575-hid-kit-retailer-poll-4.html

 

very helpful information. But would 35w ballast work? I remember the stock bulb is 55w.

 

I went directly to DDM tuning here in San Diego and got the 5000K HID bulb and ballasts for $40. Everything seems to be fine for now.

Im also planning to get the JDM side mirrors. Are you guys planning on installing it yourself? If so could you please do a write up and/or post videos. Im just debating wether to take it to a locoal shop and have it installed professionally.

 

In all honesty purple is ridiculous and not in a good way. VERY VERY dim light output and highly illegal. If you want purple accents then use an accent kit which adds a small purple LED to the headlight housing. Stick with a non-blue color unless you want to look like a ricer and drive around blind. lol

You are switching to a whole new lighting system so the old bulb wattage is irrelevant. A 35w ballast is the industry standard for OEM applications. The 50w-55w kits draw more current, put out more heat and do not really help with distance vision. They simply cast more light onto the road directly in front of the car (bad thing) and increase glare. You'll be fine with the 35w kit.

 

you're not going to damage anything running high Kelvin bulbs. It is simply considered tacky or childish in some circles. 6000K is not too bad so if you want a slight blue tint then go for it. Even the 6000K should be righter than the halogen bulbs.

 

I have not purchased any LEDs in a long time so I am not sure which ones are the best right now. There are many good threads in this forum though. The install is quite simple so I'm sure you can do it. I'll search around later tonight and see if I can find the info you seek.

My HID recommendation was for a GenIII.

 

I'm confused how does the Kelvin work? is a 4.3k brighter then a 5k and so for on a 6k?

 

In general yes. The lower the Kelvin rating the more lumens.This is true from about 5000K to about 4000K because that is where our eyes work most effectively since it is close to daylight color.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature]Color temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

You may also want to read up on Color Rendering Index (CRI).

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_rendering_index]Color rendering index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Here is a good all-in-one explanation of HID bulbs

Automotive lighting FAQ - Headlamp HID bulbs

The Reality of HID Kits, Truths and Myths