Hid Conversion Kits - Mtec Vs Others

[gshyoung]

Guys,

Just wondering what the key differences were between the $330 Mtec hid kits that are selling on eBay versus the kits that the hidlighting.com.au mob sell.

I understand that the Mtec kits are made in Japan, but surely the other kits can't be that bad? These other kits are selling for $100 less than the Mtec ones. These are presumably made in China.

Looking to purchase a kit soon for my is250 and am siding with the mtec stuff unless convinced otherwise.

I've also checked out the DIY guide and the installation looks quite doable for a novice like myself.

Thoughts and experiences?

Thanks

[ilv1004s]

some ebay kits can be had for less than $50 bucks

personally iv used them ages ago

and really wasnt any different to more expensive kit

but one downside is that they can die sooner than the more expensive kits

[tonyd89]

I used a super expensive kit in my projector retrofitted XR6T. Now I'm using the el cheapo's ($45 on ebay) and I can't notice a problem at all. I had one of the ballasts die after 4 weeks, shot an email to the seller who sent me a whole new set. Now I've got a spare ballast and two spare bulbs. Works wonders :)

[ilv1004s]

yeah and plus if it dies

just swap about

u can buy 8 kits for the price of a good kit

[gshyoung]

Thanks guys.

I've narrowed down my choice to a couple of kits that I'm thinkin about:

ProVision - CANBUS Pro HID Conversion Kit - 50W H11 6000K - $219

12V 55W CANBUS HID conversion kit H11 6000K - $299

GENUINE OSRAM 6000K H11 12V 35W CANBUS Xenon HID Slim Ballast Conversion Kit - $280

What do you guys think? Do I need CANBUS for my 2010 Lexus IS250 Prestige?

My car is still covered under the 3 year / 150K factory warranty from Lexus, so would the installation of these kits cause any issues when:
(1) I make a claim under warranty (for an issue not relating to the aftermarket HID kit); or

(2) I bring my car in for its annual service at Sydney City Lexus.

Keen to hear your experiences and opinions.

Many thanks guys!

[ilv1004s]

no just get the cheapest kit possible

you dont need a canbus at all

[tonyd89]

I'm with this guy ^^ cheap cheap is the way to go!

Same can't be said about rubbers however.

Be it tyres or otherwise.

Ok, I'll stop now.

[gshyoung]

Ended up going the cheap option as you guys suggested and ordered this kit for $60 from eBay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170648402490

Hope that wasn't a bad choice! I ordered the 6000k version for my is250.

[gshyoung]

Hi guys,

Just received my kit this morning, so will probably do the install myself tonight - wish me luck! The kit comes with a 35W EMC branded CANBUS ballast.

The installation manual that came with the kit says I need a 20A fuse. After checking the Owner's Manual for the IS250, the headlight low beams already have a 30A fuse fitted in the engine bay fuse box.

I have a 2010 Prestige IS250. I'm at work at the moment, so I googled the Owners Manual.

Can someone please kindly confirm if the stock headlight fuse is rated 30A?

Many thanks!

[RotorRian]

Damn I missed this post I would have hooked you up with a genuine APP HID Conversion kit or LED Conversion Kit.

We also now provide a APP replacement globe so if anyones cheap HID globes crap out we can supply you a replacement for your cheap kits.

[gshyoung]

We spoke earlier on the phone RotorRian ;-)

[RotorRian]

All good gshyoung :D :D

[gshyoung]

Can anyone chime in on my headlight fuse question?

Cheers :)

[gshyoung]

Just an update on my HID installation over the weekend...

1. The whole process took about 3-4 hours over 2 days. It took 2 days because my socket extension wasn't long enough to unscrew the 10mm bolt holding the air box in place on the driver's side, so I had to purchase a new one.
2. Grazed my hands and fingers multiple times during the process.
3. Dropped one of the plastic push-pins for the engine covers into the engine bay FML...
4. The process of changing the passenger side bulb itself took over 30mins. There's absolutely no space to work with unless you have baby-sized hands, even with the windshield washer fluid tube removed.
5. Drilled a 25mm hole into the parker/high beams dust cover instead of the low beam dust cover located on the side of the chasis... FML again..
6. Dropped the 10mm nut into the engine bay whilst attempting to refit the airbox, which luckily I was able to retrieve...

All in all, it was fking fiddly process which I would hate to do again. But now that I've done it once, the second time, if I ever needed to change out the HID bulbs, should be pretty straight forward. It was a good learning experience overall.

And now I gotta change my foggies to 6000K LEDs...

[RotorRian]

I feel your pain.

I dropped a socket and extension down by the airbox / headlight and had to remove the blot with needle nose plyers. Only took an hour to remove the bolt 1mm at a time :P

Good news though the LED Foggies are easy to replace compared to the headlight globes.

Just undo the inner guards and put in the LED H11 globes in. Mine took about 10 mins per side.

If your local to Rhodes Bring your car over and we could change them.

Just an update on my HID installation over the weekend...

• The whole process took about 3-4 hours over 2 days. It took 2 days because my socket extension wasn't long enough to unscrew the 10mm bolt holding the air box in place on the driver's side, so I had to purchase a new one.
• Grazed my hands and fingers multiple times during the process.
• Dropped one of the plastic push-pins for the engine covers into the engine bay FML...
• The process of changing the passenger side bulb itself took over 30mins. There's absolutely no space to work with unless you have baby-sized hands, even with the windshield washer fluid tube removed.
• Drilled a 25mm hole into the parker/high beams dust cover instead of the low beam dust cover located on the side of the chasis... FML again..
• Dropped the 10mm nut into the engine bay whilst attempting to refit the airbox, which luckily I was able to retrieve...

All in all, it was fking fiddly process which I would hate to do again. But now that I've done it once, the second time, if I ever needed to change out the HID bulbs, should be pretty straight forward. It was a good learning experience overall.

And now I gotta change my foggies to 6000K LEDs...

[gshyoung]

Thanks for the offer RotorRian! I'll see if I can manage to change the foggies myself first before taking up on your offer :-)

I thought the foggies are HB4/9006 bulbs for the 2010 IS?

One thing I did immediately notice after I had the HID installed was these operate at a very low temperature compared to the halogens. I drove for about 40 mins last night with the HIDs on and the headlight plastic/glass still felt cold(ish). When I had the H11 bulbs, the glass would be too hot to even touch! I was pleasantly surprised and glad I made the switch :-)

I feel your pain.

I dropped a socket and extension down by the airbox / headlight and had to remove the blot with needle nose plyers. Only took an hour to remove the bolt 1mm at a time :P

Good news though the LED Foggies are easy to replace compared to the headlight globes.

Just undo the inner guards and put in the LED H11 globes in. Mine took about 10 mins per side.

If your local to Rhodes Bring your car over and we could change them.

[RotorRian]

Yeah the difference is Halogen uses heat to generate light.

Vs

HID which is a plasma created by igniting metal halide salts at 40,000V similar to the light generated by an arc wielder.

Hmmmmm I have 2008 IS which are H11

I also checked on the OSRAM Globe selector on our site: http://www.hidreplacements.com.au/oem-globe-selector/

Says H11 as well for the 2010 model providing im looking at the right model.

Thanks for the offer RotorRian! I'll see if I can manage to change the foggies myself first before taking up on your offer :-)

I thought the foggies are HB4/9006 bulbs for the 2010 IS?

One thing I did immediately notice after I had the HID installed was these operate at a very low temperature compared to the halogens. I drove for about 40 mins last night with the HIDs on and the headlight plastic/glass still felt cold(ish). When I had the H11 bulbs, the glass would be too hot to even touch! I was pleasantly surprised and glad I made the switch :-)

I feel your pain.

I dropped a socket and extension down by the airbox / headlight and had to remove the blot with needle nose plyers. Only took an hour to remove the bolt 1mm at a time :P

Good news though the LED Foggies are easy to replace compared to the headlight globes.

Just undo the inner guards and put in the LED H11 globes in. Mine took about 10 mins per side.

If your local to Rhodes Bring your car over and we could change them.

[gshyoung]

I went off this site: http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/lexus%20bulb%20guide

Scroll down to IS250 - 2010- 2006 and it lists foggies as HB4/9006 globes.

My IS is a base model which did not come with HIDs.

[RotorRian]

Maybe 'Murican' version.

I wouldn't trust anything from an American site as they run their own standard of globes. eg. 9006, 9005 etc.

99% sure they are H11 all euro/aus/nz/jdm are 'H' globes not '900x'

I went off this site: http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/lexus bulb guide

Scroll down to IS250 - 2010- 2006 and it lists foggies as HB4/9006 globes.

My IS is a base model which did not come with HIDs.

[gshyoung]

Maybe 'Murican' version.

I wouldn't trust anything from an American site as they run their own standard of globes. eg. 9006, 9005 etc.

99% sure they are H11 all euro/aus/nz/jdm are 'H' globes not '900x'

I went off this site: http://www.lightbulbs4cars.com/lexus bulb guide

Scroll down to IS250 - 2010- 2006 and it lists foggies as HB4/9006 globes.

My IS is a base model which did not come with HIDs.

Man, if that's the case then I just spent $60 on an incorrect pair of LEDs for my fogs :-(

[gshyoung]

Went home to check the Owners Manual and the fog lights for my 2010 IS250 are indeed HB4 bulbs, not H11 :-)

[gshyoung]

For anyone who's interested, I just changed my fog lights to 6000K LEDs which match my 6000K HID kit perfectly.

The process of changing the fog lights took around 40mins. I pretty much followed the instructions posted here:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-second-generation/223728-taking-the-mystery-out-of-fog-light-bulb-diy.html

You will need to turn the wheels to the far left/right, depending on which side you're changing in order to gain access to the well liner.

1. There are 2 plastic screws and 1 push pin you will need to remove from the well liner.

2. Turn the screws counter clockwise and use a small flathead screwdriver to gently pry it out.

3. For the push pin, again use a small flathead to pry this out. They should come out with a little wiggle.

4. Use a needle nose plier to gently loosen/wiggle out the 2 plastic screw retainers.

5. Gently, and very gently, pull back the plastic wheel liner until the light harness is exposed.

6. Turn the bulb counter clockwise and it should pop right out, almost effortlessly.

7. Replace with globe of choice.

Rinse and repeat for the other side.

Here are some shots. The yellowish glare is from the OEM parkers which I will eventually replace with bright white LEDs when I can bring myself to do the process again :-)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_aR9QUG4-FKZWxfT2FJc016R00&authuser=0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_aR9QUG4-FKNHFGVXpfUTFJZHM&authuser=0

I'm even considering replacing the LEDs foggies with HIDs sometime in the future. There's ample space in the well to house the ballast and cables.

Cheers!

[RotorRian]

The parkers you should be able to tackle without removing anything apart from the top covers......

However this is assuming that all IS250 are created equal. On another note, which fog lamps do you have so we can confirm which are HB4 and which ones are H11.

[gshyoung]

The parkers you should be able to tackle without removing anything apart from the top covers......

However this is assuming that all IS250 are created equal. On another note, which fog lamps do you have so we can confirm which are HB4 and which ones are H11.

Hey mate, the Owners Manual confirms the foggies are HB4/9006 bulbs.

This was then confirmed by the inscription on the bulb housing itself when I changed it out, so they are definitely HB4 bulbs and not H11 :-)

Here's a photo:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_aR9QUG4-FKNllvQk1OTFBIdG8&authuser=0

[RotorRian]

Thats so weird.

I definately have H11 headlamps and foglights as my 08 IS250 is currently running H11 LEDS. So there must be 2 different foglamp types.... ?