In EU they use LED headlamps now. I tried to drive Audi A4 with LED low beam (xenon Hi beam). Anyway better then traditional headlamps.... but not so bright like Xenon!

 

There is a tool that attaches to the face of the sealed beam lights, and they are aligned to those 3 nubs. The tool is used near the end of the assembly line, and it shines a bright spot onto a target in front of the car. The line workers adjust the headlight until the spot hits the target at the right place. In theory, DOT inspectors can stand at that station and watch the process as part of their inspection. Similarly, in states where they have these kind of inspections, their DMV can do the same thing. But today, so many cars have flush mounted headlights with different shapes, I don't know what kind of alignment tool they use now.

In older lights, the reflectors work with the fluted lenses to put light out in prescribed patterns. Newer designs using compund reflector surfaces don't use much refraction in the lens anymore, so you can adjust just the reflector to aim the lights, to a certain point.

HID bulbs usually generate a tiny ball of very bright flame in between two points. This will have a different dispersion pattern than a glowing filament. This is why each needs its on reflector/lens design. My HID is adapted to H4 housings, so the light patterns are not as sharp as housings made for HIDs.

I still think LED headlights are a little premature. LEDs are still not as efficient as HIDs, but they require a much less sophisticated power source than HIDs. As long as the power output of the emitters are kept low, they can maintain their current levels of efficiency. So instead of using one or two very bright emitters, the better configuration is to use a bank of emitters that are just "bright". Their efficiencies drop with increasing power, which is really bad since the lost power goes to heating up the emitters, which make them even less efficient, and they tend to burn up in that mode. So it's also more critical to keep them cool.

 

Ouh, yeah, I use projectors from wrecked Volvo Trucks.. They are designed for HID and for low beam they are with lens, for hight beam - reflector only.

 

really bulbs used for HID (i say about stock HID) are of D2S and D2R standard. H4, HB5, H1, H7 are halogen bulbs, so we use conversion H4 kits, so we have no so precesion aligment, but conversion kits are usually brighter, emmit more light and there is more risk to blind someone. That's why I put HID bulbs in projectors in bumper.
I have an idea to cut old aerostar headlamps (were like a unit) and put HID projectors in. I have an idea to do it with my taurus.

Just an example
http://hanker.tripod.com/headlight-level3-project.htm

 

Update..

I ended up taking the air box out, and rewiring that Pass side plug - worked perfectly! - I'm using the best lights made by Syvania - their ultra light, whatever, etc - and they are great, because the lenses are multi-directional, and I have tons of side light now, which I never had before, and that is so nice - I don't feel the need for more light there - but I would love to add some HID fogs maybe, like Pablo...

a MA cop will pull you over if you are running anything other than Stock front headlights on a clear night... I also have a friend that is a Cop that says that they are starting to pull over people with the high Temp Blue replacement bulbs that are over bright, but replaced as the primary headlights, etc.... and they will fail them at an inspection station now too...

It's all a a bunch of crap anyways, and just ways for the State to make money - They don't want the insurance companies to blame MA for an unsafe car, since the real issue here is that they are getting horrible now about paying claims that are legit - they want to blame inspection stations for every accident, etc - this is because the state regulates insurance, and it's all a big joke... just like the stickers here too... but that is another story.

In anycase, thanks for the help guys - one last thing - the new pig tails that I got were color coded WRONG! - and I almost missed it - but they had the Green and Red wires reversed - the Black was right - but glad I caught that!

 

D2S and D2R hod are legal in the USA now. About convrsion..... it is not legal evrywhere, but in some states and contries cops are liberal, in some other states cops say that conversion is dangerouse till not all cars/trucks have HID.
the situation is like with h4 bulbs.
and what's going on now.... seems to me DOT is going to aproove ECE light requriments. Just look at some cars/trucks.... for example Freightliner Columbia has Mercedes ML headlamps with H1/H7/H3 bulbs aprooved in EU ore D2S HID bulbs. And I see that there are ECE and DOT labels on headlamp...


BTW! Do not try to use H4 bulbs with HB5 headlamps. They are not compatible.

 

Strictly speaking, none of those HID conversions are legal, as none of them are DOT approved. My HID conversion looks like a very bright halogen light, so it illuminates much better than halogen but does not attract attention. Those light bulbs that have been dipped in blue paint provide horrible illumination due to their scattering, so avoid at all costs. Running higher power bulbs in can cause melt downs, as most light housings made today are plastic.

 

I agree. D2S and D2R are dot approved only.... I advice not to use over 6000K conversion HID bulbs, else blue light attract cops.

Well, pic of my other vehicle.


100/70WT 9007 bulbs, relay controlled and 6000K 55WT hid (very bright), but ajusted low to prevent blinding. People say that for rainy roads yellow fog lamps are good, but I say, 6000K are very good to see pedestrians in black in ghettos. It is not a joke, people in bad districts where all bulbs from light poles are stolen and sold usually wear black and walk drunk on streets. Accidents happen, but anyway they prefere dark cloth.

driving in center I used to forget to turn healamps on on my aero (so bright light everywhere) and cops reminded me twice to turn light on, so I put DRL relay in. Tausus has automaticly controlled exteriour light.

 

IMO. To have low beam HID is enougt,really enought, to convert all light to HID is no reason. I built very bright aero, but I use all light on driving off road somewhere, not on public roads.

 

While the Aerostar does have a poor beam pattern, and the lenses can turn yellow and block more light, I have found that almost all Aerostar I have looked at are incorrectly aimed. Its like the guy at the factory dropped his alignment tool one too many times and did the alignment with his eyes crossed. Often the factory beam is aimed too low, so you get all this forground lighting, but no light on what is actually down the road.

With a good high output halogen bulb, a wiring harness to handle the load, and a corrected alignment, the Aerostar has a pretty descent beam. When I go driving on the highway at night, I can see the roadside markers lighting up from over 1/2 mile away. I have been in front of my van driving other vehicles and the beam does not shine up and blind you.

 

This is a little off topic, but since we are talking electrical...

Does anyone know if you can put the newer 3G Alt in a 3.0L aero? (just wanted to replace the stock alt with the best thing I could put in there...)

 

That's on a sticky on the front page of this forum.

I was also going to add that HID bulbs will make bad fog lights; the color spectrum for most of them is too blue. Those higher temperature spectra will scatter way too much in the fog. My conversion uses a yellow salt to bring the light down to "normal" appearance. You can yellow or amber lenses in front of HID bulbs, but that just cuts out more of the hotter light that you got the HID bulb for in the first place. Fog lights are supposed to provide low angle, broad, but short distance illumination, so you don't really need high powered bulbs for them.

For those "ghetto" conditions that Pablo describes, I think a good low beam with the E4 style pattern that rises to the right helps a lot to see things to the side of the roads. A HID bulb here really helps.

 

I saw the sticky, but it never addressed if they work in the older 3.0L vans - only the 4.0L? - Cliff was great to post it, but I don't know if he has one in his 3.0 (I think he has the same 89 as I, if not more than one)

Thanks

 

this alternator fits 3.0. I have bosch alt. it was easier to put it then to 4.0 engine compartment.

Well, about rainy weather.... I used to think that HID are not for wet paement. But, belive me, no reason to look for 3800K yellow HID bulbs. 6000K light is better, I dont know why, but better. It is my experience. My brother used to drive my vehicles and my friend used to drive when it is raining and all they say, 6000K bulbs are good for rain. May be for fog yellow bulbs are better, but just use 3800K hid bulbs ))

Other myth: HID lamps are cold and do not evaporate water from lens. It is not true! They are not so hot like stock bulbs, but hot enought to make lens dry at any weather condidions, but glass lens newer overheated and never crack driving in puddles.

This myth was supported by ECE and ECE regulations say that we must have headlamp washers if we have HID lamps.

 

I'll have to see how the ones I just did fair in fog - ever since I've been driving my explorer with the fogs in bad weather, it gets you spoiled... yeah, I think a warmer color temp for fogs works better, plus it's easier to see oncoming traffic through the fog too...

So, I can use a 3G alt with the engine and wiring I already have in my 3.0L or no? what is the stock amps vs the 3G? will it fry the wiring, if I don't up the gauge? mostly wondering about the the cable for charging.