Best HID ballasts?

[nando]

I'm so tired of messing with it that I'm going to overbuild it. Worst case scenario I'm out 30 bucks and my headlights work. With that said, if I have the same issues with this as I did with the last 3 (!!!) sets of cheap ballasts then I'm going to lose my mind. I'll probably throw all 8 ballasts, all 3 wiring harnesses, all 12 bulbs and my us ellips into a wood chipper and drive my e30 into a lake.

it was probably the cheap ballasts. I have the same kit you got, except I'm not using the extra harness. it's working great.

I too, was sick of the cheap garbage kits...

[bmwguy325is]

I want better HID ballasts. I've already invested too much money into my crappy setup to waste more time with garbage.

Yup cause an HID swap is junk. Unless you swap projectors. Its a case of round peg square hole.
Well unless you want to look cool.......

[stamar]

Yup cause an HID swap is junk. Unless you swap projectors. Its a case of round peg square hole.
Well unless you want to look cool.......

I do not understand you.

All of us are using the ellipsoid projectors ( presumably hella or bosch but possibly depo)

that either came oem on our car, or we switched to from a newer e30.
If someones using hids in a reflector housing they are lost I gotcha.

Are you just saying that people without projectors need to switch them? Or are you saying we need to upgrade to modern leveling projectors?

Just trying to understand which youre saying. What e30 people like to call ellipsoids are also projectors but they call them ellipsoids to differentiate....

Theres a different mod to use acura leveling projectors. As far as I know my hids with ellipsoids are perfect they just dont aim themselves.

[nando]

Yup cause an HID swap is junk. Unless you swap projectors. Its a case of round peg square hole.
Well unless you want to look cool.......

eh - this is such a tired argument. the projectors in an E30 work just fine with HIDs. can you get even better ones? of course. so what?

[e30trooper]

I do not understand you.

All of us are using the ellipsoid projectors ( presumably hella or bosch but possibly depo)

that either came oem on our car, or we switched to from a newer e30.
If someones using hids in a reflector housing they are lost I gotcha.

Are you just saying that people without projectors need to switch them? Or are you saying we need to upgrade to modern leveling projectors?

Just trying to understand which youre saying. What e30 people like to call ellipsoids are also projectors but they call them ellipsoids to differentiate....

Theres a different mod to use acura leveling projectors. As far as I know my hids with ellipsoids are perfect they just dont aim themselves.

whats hes saying is be a cool guy like me ,Go big or go home.
theres a few of us on r3v running a true HID set up, using a projector MADE for HID's. Your 20+ year old projectors are not designed for hid's.

Heres a forum to read up on. Hidplanet.com

my Bi-xenon set up.
Im in the $475 range in my light set up.

[stamar]

Thats fine. Im not arguing with anyone about anything.

I just want you to know that ellipsoids are projectors. Were using projectors. I dont need to switch to projectors.


AND some e30s dont have projectors.... So they WOULD have to switch to projectors to use hids.

So you need to make sure to say what type of projector.

If you want to say, "you are all peons and I am SUPER HID man, you have to say" Im using modern leveling Hids

then I understand you. Because what you actually said was, e30s with out ellipsoids need to switch....

I will someday look for the difference in brightness between your set up and mine from your links. If you have some stats let us know.

[e30trooper]

Thats fine. Im not arguing with anyone about anything.

I just want you to know that ellipsoids are projectors. Were using projectors. I dont need to switch to projectors.


AND some e30s dont have projectors.... So they WOULD have to switch to projectors to use hids.

So you need to make sure to say what type of projector.

If you want to say, "you are all peons and I am SUPER HID man, you have to say" Im using modern leveling Hids

then I understand you. Because what you actually said was, e30s with out ellipsoids need to switch....

I wont argue with you. But... im pretty sure 90% of the ppl on the forums know that the 88/89 were the only years to come with "ellipsoids" Any other year will have to "upgrade" How ever you can run HID's in a H1/H4 set up. The light pattern wont be AS focused as a ellipsoid but it will work.
Just so you know, You can get a self adjusting headlight for your car. You will just have to source the parts off a euro e32.

PS i never said i had self adjusting lights. I said if you want a true HID set up, you will need to retro fit a projector out of a newer car that came stock with them. Im by far no Guru , i just desided my smileys with hid's were just not bright enuf. ( Smileys is the term used for the Euro Ellipsoids (projector) with the cut out under the projector lens.

[stamar]

I agree with you, all of us know that.

So why would he say that? Thats why I asked, why did you say that?

theres nothing to argue about its just that were using projectors.
If he was sending a message out to the hid users who arent using projectors..... who are they? There might not be anyone like that here.


I did not know that, thank you I will book mark this.

[e30trooper]

I agree with you, all of us know that.

So why would he say that? Thats why I asked, why did you say that?

theres nothing to argue about its just that were using projectors.


I did not know that, thank you I will book mark this.

Who said what? Sorry figured it was directed to me, And you not knowing the difference between lights.

[stamar]

no actually the quote is bmwguy325is I quoted his thing. You may have the same opinion as him.

but you did say what he probably would have said.

I was just asking him to clarify because Im of the same opinion as you that all the e30 people know that hids need projectors.

But if you say you need to upgrade to projectors your talking to someone who doesnt have them (right?)


I

[e30trooper]

nether us or euro had my needs.

euro cut off


fx-r

[Turf1600]

Jesus.

Ok - so aftermarket HID ballasts with rebased bulbs put out a TON more light than regular 9006 bulbs. Regular 9006 bulbs put out much more light than my stock sealed beams did. It is bi-xenon? No. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But it should be a bolt on improvement that doesn't require that I hack up my housings and glue in a bi-xenon projector. I don't know about you guys - but I'm happy with a modest improvement. My car is a daily driver that has to endure a 3 mile commute. I don't need mega razor sharp cut offs or extreme lumens. I just need to see cats and stop signs and shit.

I just want a setup that is reliable - unlike the cheap crap I've tried in the past. I don't need the fucking sun coming out of my car.

[e30trooper]

Jesus.

Ok - so aftermarket HID ballasts with rebased bulbs put out a TON more light than regular 9006 bulbs. Regular 9006 bulbs put out much more light than my stock sealed beams. It is bi-xenon? No. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But it should be a bolt on improvement that doesn't require that I hack up my housings and glue in a bi-xenon projector. I don't know about you guys - but I'm happy with a modest improvement. My car is a daily driver that has to endure a 3 mile commute. I don't need razor sharp cut offs or extreme lumens. I just need to see cats and stop signs.

:D , yeah thats just fine. Get the kit from TRS. They sell about the best aftermarket kits out there. My bi-xenon projectors are from them. I was just picky and wasnt satisfied with my lights. The US ellipsoid do have clear lens so the light output is better than euros. There are small ways to tweek your lights to perform better. The baffled lens cut light a bit. But anyways they are just fine. I just got carried away on the subject.


However a 2nd option without "hacking" your lights to much would find a set of mini h1 projectors off the trs site. They are basicly bolt in bi-xenon projects and are fairly cheap.

[stamar]

I am happy with my improvement. I wont be looking to upgrade for a while as far as to improve the light ( but i will be cleaning it)

If mine dont last ill be angry lol but its been a week. I got some chinese ones but I think I got the right ones. But I wont pretend Im sure theyre going to last.

i actually want what you got rid of e30 which is smiley running lights.

but you just told me they aim hids worse so you ruined my dream. Im stuck where Im at.

[e30trooper]

I am happy with my improvement. I wont be looking to upgrade for a while as far as to improve the light ( but i will be cleaning it)

If mine dont last ill be angry lol but its been a week. I got some chinese ones but I think I got the right ones. But I wont pretend Im sure theyre going to last.

i actually want what you got rid of e30 which is smiley running lights.

but you just told me they aim hids worse so you ruined my dream. Im stuck where Im at.

the city light is attached to the light bucket. I only removed my projectors and re-installed/fabbed up the bi-xenon projector. My city lights still work fine. You wouldn't know that i didn't have just plane smileys if i didn't tell you.