HID replacement question

[jdombrowki21]

They are not actually!

I know a lot of friends who have HID or halogen in their Tahoes/Yukons and they replaced them with third party projection lenses (Hella to be more specific “Hella is a German Brand”) and the result is outstanding and phenomenal !

Check the projection at the attached image (not a GM car here)

God I can't wait to get them in ugh

 

[SARNCAN]

God I can't wait to get them in ugh

I don’t know the secret behind GM picking a horrible lens and use it with their cars, my assumption is government regulations regarding light output. I hope it wasn’t a cost reduction issue to them!

Here is a video of the Hella projection

 

[CMoore711]

They are not actually!

I know a lot of friends who have HID or halogen in their Tahoes/Yukons and they replaced them with third party projection lenses (Hella to be more specific “Hella is a German Brand”) and the result is outstanding and phenomenal !

Check the projection at the attached image (not a GM car here)

So this image above that isn't a GM car looks to be just of a HID projector retrofit, with a tuned projector to maximize color at the cut-off, it looks good. Obviously the intensity and width of the hot spot and light output exceeds our stock GM SUV projector headlights. I'm familiar with how much bigger the hot spot can be, more intense the light can be, and wider beam patterns of various HID projectors and headlight retrofit work. Previous vehicles of mine have had HID projector retrofits and the light output is significantly upgraded over stock.

So your friends with Tahoes/Yukons that have upgraded their projectors; Did they actually just upgrade the lenses on the Tahoe/Yukon OEM headlight projector or did they retrofit an entire different aftermarket projector into their headlights? And which parts were used for their upgrades? Are we talking 2015+ models or older ones?

 

[SARNCAN]

So this image above that isn't a GM car looks to be just of a HID projector retrofit, with a tuned projector to maximize color at the cut-off, it looks good. Obviously the intensity and width of the hot spot and light output exceeds our stock GM SUV projector headlights. I'm familiar with how much bigger the hot spot can be, more intense the light can be, and wider beam patterns of various HID projectors and headlight retrofit work. Previous vehicles of mine have had HID projector retrofits and the light output is significantly upgraded over stock.

So your friends with Tahoes/Yukons that have upgraded their projectors; Did they actually just upgrade the lenses on the Tahoe/Yukon OEM headlight projector or did they retrofit an entire different aftermarket projector into their headlights? And which parts were used for their upgrades? Are we talking 2015+ models or older ones?

Not a retrofit headlight
Shops here can upgrade the lens it self.
They use the existing OEM headlight with the upgraded Hella lens.
Tahoe/Yukon 2015+ yes.

They use an oven to break the seal of the headlight, then they take off the existing lens and install Hella lens. Then they test the output into the wall with a large measurement sheet attached to the wall as the picture.
HID is ok since they have a ballast and Osram D3S
Halogen ones they use Hella ballast with Philips D2S bulbs. On other cars they use Lexus (Denso) ballast. They also use Morimoto HID kit with relays.
It depends on the watts and the size of the lens/bulb socket.
Later then, they use silicon base to seal the headlight back and then into the oven again.

 

[SARNCAN]

 

[jdombrowki21]

Not a retrofit headlight
Shops here can upgrade the lens it self.
They use the existing OEM headlight with the upgraded Hella lens.
Tahoe/Yukon 2015+ yes.

They use an oven to break the seal of the headlight, then they take off the existing lens and install Hella lens. Then they test the output into the wall with a large measurement sheet attached to the wall as the picture.
HID is ok since they have a ballast and Osram D3S
Halogen ones they use Hella ballast with Philips D2S bulbs. On other cars they use Lexus (Denso) ballast. They also use Morimoto HID kit with relays.
It depends on the watts and the size of the lens/bulb socket.
Later then, they use silicon base to seal the headlight back and then into the oven again.

Wish people around me did this kinda shit

 

[SARNCAN]

Wish people around me did this kinda shit

I would say you may try to do it if no one can.
Buy a broken headlight from salvage and use the heat gun to break the seal, then try with a cheep or broken lens.
If you get succeeded, go for it!

 

[CMoore711]

Not a retrofit headlight
Shops here can upgrade the lens it self.
They use the existing OEM headlight with the upgraded Hella lens.
Tahoe/Yukon 2015+ yes.

They use an oven to break the seal of the headlight, then they take off the existing lens and install Hella lens. Then they test the output into the wall with a large measurement sheet attached to the wall as the picture.
HID is ok since they have a ballast and Osram D3S
Halogen ones they use Hella ballast with Philips D2S bulbs. On other cars they use Lexus (Denso) ballast. They also use Morimoto HID kit with relays.
It depends on the watts and the size of the lens/bulb socket.
Later then, they use silicon base to seal the headlight back and then into the oven again.

I understand the process of upgrading just the lenses of the projectors. But the result of that varies significantly between projectors.

The picture of the headlights against the wall you posted you specifically said (not a GM car here)...

I would be highly interested in seeing before and after pics of 15+ Tahoe/Yukon headlights with just the projector lenses upgraded.

 

[SARNCAN]

I understand the process of upgrading just the lenses of the projectors. But the result of that varies significantly between projectors.

The picture of the headlights against the wall you posted you specifically said (not a GM car here)...

I would be highly interested in seeing before and after pics of 15+ Tahoe/Yukon headlights with just the projector lenses upgraded.

OK sure, check this video.

 

[CMoore711]

Thanks fo the link, very informative video of what our headlights look like inside once opened up and the projector mounting position.

I'm not sure if that video is for just a lens upgrade... While driving around the driver keeps activating the high beams and if you look at the beam pattern on the building @ 2:56 it looks exactly like the beam pattern of a bi-xenon projector with the high beam activated rather than separate high beam bulbs. Which would require a completely different projector than a stock GM SUV projector. I could be wrong...

 

[SARNCAN]

Thanks fo the link, very informative video of what our headlights look like inside once opened up and the projector mounting position.

I'm not sure if that video is for just a lens upgrade... While driving around the driver keeps activating the high beams and if you look at the beam pattern on the building @ 2:56 it looks exactly like the beam pattern of a bi-xenon projector with the high beam activated rather than separate high beam bulbs. Which would require a completely different projector than a stock GM SUV projector. I could be wrong...

High beam is just an LED, he keeps mentioning that we upgraded that to LED.
Low beam they used Denso ballast with Philips bulbs, as well as Hella 4 projection lenses.
Outstanding!

 

[CMoore711]

I see, that would make more sense.

Seems like it could be a viable upgrade to just swap the lenses in the OEM GM projectors.

However, if I’m going through the trouble of baking and opening up OEM headlight housings I’m going all-in. RX350 projector retrofit/swap in lieu of OEM GM projectors, upgraded headlight harness that activates high beams on the RX350 bi-xenon projectors and 9005 bulbs, and upgraded LED DRL light strip. Done.

 

[CMoore711]

I got these..... if I can get them in smh

View attachment 229554

Get those OSRAM CBB’s bulbs installed yet?

 

[jdombrowki21]

No lol. I am going to make my mechanic do it when I get my oil changed, I can't get my hand in there to turn the clip holding the bulb.......smh

 

[SARNCAN]

No lol. I am going to make my mechanic do it when I get my oil changed, I can't get my hand in there to turn the clip holding the bulb.......smh

It is super easy, trust me.
Just disconnect the negative terminal, and use a pliers to twist ring’s arm.

 

[cmatt]

Mine were stubborn the first time as well. I used a pair of bent, long needle nose pliers to get them loose the first time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jdombrowki21]

I was trying to figure some kind of tool to use...... I know there is something similar to use

 

[tjohn0617]

I used pliers to twist the ring,,

Replaced mine with this set, and it is better than the Osram in term of colour, beam sharpness, and clarity

https://www.powerbulbs.com/eu/product/philips-xenon-whitevision-gen2-d3s-single

I know we probably have 35W stock bulbs, know if there are any 55W that will plug into what we currently have from the factory? I’m coming from 55W 6000k HIDS behind projector lenses on my 4Runner and the brightness was just amazing.

 

[jdombrowki21]

I had 55w in my old Tahoe because of the smoked lens on my headlights, and I agree 100% the output was a huge difference from the 35w