chauncey0337
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Does anybody know if LED bulbs will fit in the headlight housing space with Depo projectors? And is there any modification needed? 2000 Tahoe.
LEDs in Depo projectors?
- Thread starter chauncey0337
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camaroz1985
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I have Auxbeam LEDs in mine, high and low.
Austinite
Full Access Member
I have the Cougar Motor highs and lows in mine too. Way better than the HIDs I had before. No flickering or warm up time and I've had the lows for about a year.
OP
OP
chauncey0337
Full Access Member
Awesome! Thank you gentlemen. Does anybody have output pics? I already ordered them but it would be nice to see others.
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inmypassatlife
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Retrofit them don't put led into a halogen projector
MikeW
Member
Do these bulbs actually 'lock' into the Depos? Thanks!
Bart Hinder
Member
Details, please. I though projectors were the way to go.
Yes, but there are different levels of quality for projectors that has to do with light output and beam angle (how precise, and crisp the beam is so you don't blind, and focus the light where its usable). There are threads on this, (and I only have the parts sitting waiting to be installed, because of what I have read), but there are better projectors then the depos. For a long time people were retrofitting projectors into the factory housings to get projectors. If you put HIDs/LEDs into a factory Halogen style housing then you will waste light and blind people. There are many projector style housings . (I personally chose the Depos because they have a cleaner look and no Halos).
Here is a housing
Inside the housing is the projector, Here is the projector,
Retrofitting would technically be putting projectors into a non-projector housing. You can put high quality projectors into the factory housing, but its difficult to make it look clean, and to do it right. People were trying for years, they didn't come out perfect, and those who knew what they were doing were charging hundred for this service if you were lucky. What the depos (and other projector housings) do is allow you to use a projector housing that swaps right over, no fuss, with a simple remove and replace (R&R) so you can use HIDs or LEDS (without blinding people)...
This is (from what I have read) about 75-90% as good as it will get (without moving your washer fluid bottle, cutting your fenders up, and all sorts of other unnecessary ridiculous to even talk about fabricating to use the perfect projector). To get the best (realistic) projector option is to MODIFY the depo housings by swapping in the Moshimoto mini H1 7.0 projectors (shouldn't be much if any more than $100, and THEY ARE A SITE SPONSOR). Then there are several companies that make a bracket ($55-$70) you can swap the mini HI right over into the DEPO housings to replace the DEPO projectors. There are threads on this, (same as 99-02 silverado might help your search). It is hands down the best lighting upgrade we can do and the extra bracket makes it as simple as a few screws.
As far as "locking in", that's the base style. Its in your manual or a quick search will find out your bulb style (its either 9004, 9005, 9006), highs are different than lows, and it took longer to write this sentence then it would to search. Yes they will lock right in. Think of it as 9004 is a 4 x 4 inch square, 9005 is a 3" diameter peg, 9006 is a triangle with 2" sides. You buy the correct universal size to fit in its mount, and they will lock into place.
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BADRIDES
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I can speak from experience about the LEDS into a factory style halogen type housing. I couldn't see at night and the light output was awful. I ended up going back with stock bulbs just so I could see at night. I have a set of Mostplus high beams and low beams for sale if anyone is interested. I also have led foglight bulbs if anyone is interested also for sale.
Bart Hinder
Member
Dang, that was thorough!
Just to make it completely obvious to slow learners like myself, the low beams are on the outside and the high beams are on the inside. After looking it up and physically verifying this a dozen times, I came up with this mnemonic:
High Beams = High Inside or HI
Low Beams = Low Outside or LO
(High inside, low outside. Sounds like an intentional walk. Batter, take your base.)
I've made my share of mistakes with headlights, so I'll share this and maybe spare others my pain.
The headlight assemblies in my '03 Tahoe were fogged, so I replaced them with DEPO non-projector housing and standard halogen bulbs. Then I decided to upgrade and put HIDs in both high and low beams. The HIDs took about eight to ten seconds to warm up to full brightness, which made driving on dark highways exciting. And the HIDs in the non-projector low beams obviously irritated other drivers.
Next, I replaced the assemblies with DEPO projector housings, again with HIDs in the lows and Sylvania Silverstars in the highs. This was better, but I still wasn't satisfied and didn't really trust the HID ballasts. Around this time I became enamored with LEDs, and replaced all four bulbs. Finally, I added the relay kit that keeps the low beams on when you switch to high beams.
Now that I've traded the Tahoe for an '04 Yukon, I get to go through this again.
So just to reiterate and give you a chance to correct me:
With HIDs or LEDs, you need the low-beam projector housing to focus the light and not blind oncoming traffic.
You can pretty much do what you want with high beams, 'cause you're gonna switch to low beams for oncoming traffic anyway.
And Halos are gay.
