Upgrading headlights

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Oct 1, 2011 | 10:21 AM

#16

Moto Mel

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From: Chesapeake, Va.

These newish cars and trucks are so tightly engineered I have a tendancy to give a lot more thought to any mods done to the electrical system or in adding any components like extra lights. From all the info that I have read it seems that the GEM is to both distribute the electric power and to measure it at the same time for possible system overloading. I may be paranoid, but I would hate to have an electrical fire in my truck or even have 1 wire in the harness burn up. All you have to do is price the engine harness from Ford to understand and that is cheap compared to the main body harness. And then there is the smell that lingers on and on and....

Oct 1, 2011 | 10:44 AM

#17

Moto Mel

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From: Chesapeake, Va.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5.4T

can anyone recommend me any bright white lights? like what the new navigator have? Because i have HID's but the navigator has some little thing inside to make it reflect back anyways my HID's dont work good because of this(my fog lights work better)

Some in the Mark VIII group have removed the deflector we have in the headlamp housings, I have not. Some say it helps but I am not convinced, yet.
I think there must be a conspiracy in the design of the headlamps on todays cars and trucks to slow everyone down on the highways. Todays lights with the plasic lens' have a tendancy to dim after a couple of years and the reduction of light emitted causes anyone with a little sense to slow down, if only for self preservation.
With the old design round glass headlights we could buy Cibie or Marschall lamps with Q.I. bulbs and have really great light down the road 2 or 3 times the distance of todays "New and Improved" systems.
I had Cibies on my '67 and '68 Shelbys and even my truck and station wagon with great lighting. Now I have 100w Q.I. driving lights on my Mark VIII and my Navigator so I can see on the highway at speed. They do reach out there and light up the road.

Oct 1, 2011 | 01:20 PM

#18

EddieBauer02

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Joined: Dec 2010

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The LED's underneath are bright as hell lol. Personally, I think these lights Im usin are fantastic. The Halo's are really nice w/ the LED's underneath..and the projection style head lights increased vision ahead dramaticalyw/o having to cut or splice in new harness... spent about 250 on em.
Ill snap a pic off tonight of em.

Oct 1, 2011 | 03:06 PM

#19

Moto Mel

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From: Chesapeake, Va.

I would like to see some pics of them and how the put out light out front on both high and low beams.

Oct 1, 2011 | 03:15 PM

#20

ralf12

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Cross-Country

Joined: Dec 2009

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Man_tlac83

I just don't want to spend the money on a complete setup with new housings and everything to make it work like it should on a truck with 230,000 miles.

I am trying to keep it reasonably low buck while still getting good results.

Oct 2, 2011 | 11:05 AM

#21

I fish

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Joined: Dec 2010

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From: location, location

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralf12

I am trying to keep it reasonably low buck while still getting good results.

3M is offering a $5 rebate on some of their inexpensive cleaning kits. This nets out as low as $10 after rebate. I'd still give this a whirl before shelling out $100+ on replacements for a truck with that many miles, but maybe I'm just more frugal than you are....

Rebate Form link

Qualifying kit on Amazon for $15 before rebate

Oct 2, 2011 | 11:37 AM

#22

Boat Tug

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Joined: May 2009

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ralf12

I am trying to keep it reasonably low buck while still getting good results.

Try to clean them first, if you're not happy then get some new OEM's for cheap.
I have these, for under $100 you can have brand new headlights and bulbs. They make the front end look almost new again and no worries about 'overloading' the trucks circuitry.

Oct 3, 2011 | 10:47 AM

#23

Biggg72

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Joined: Jul 2008

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Man_tlac83

I have been thinking about getting these off ebay but not too sure if I should. Is there really any functionality of the small led's on the bottom of the headlights?

ralf12 - why don't you want to make the switch to HIDs?

__________________
98 5.4 Eddie 4x4 176K
88 Stang 5.0 HO (stock for now)
95 Mazda Protege Dx 1.5L Rotory 5spd 222,252 miles (wrecked - gone but not forgotten)

ive had a set of these for about 7 years now. you can set it up where the leds and halos blink with your turn signals, come on with your parking lights, pretty much however you want them to come.

op if you want to save money, then use the sand and polish method. i use this on my acura legend, and recently had to somewhat use it on one of my expo lights.