GS - 2nd Gen (1998-2005) Discussion about the second generation GS300, GS400 and GS430 (1998 - 2005)

HID more defined line???

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Old 10-13-09, 11:30 PM
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Chumacher
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Default HID more defined line???

Does anyone know how to make the stock hid low beams have a more defined line on the top? I see BMW and Benz with this and I wish the GS had it.
Old 10-13-09, 11:33 PM
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GS4_Fiend
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You would need projectors pal...
Old 10-13-09, 11:50 PM
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vwynn
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LS430 Retrofit lol
Old 10-14-09, 12:47 AM
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swat1727
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i used to have a more defined line. but i changed my hid bulbs to after market 6000k. the light output looks a lil different now, not as clean cut. does anyone have that problem?
Old 10-14-09, 01:07 AM
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Kaydee
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^what you have is glare my friend
Old 10-14-09, 03:17 AM
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Kaydee, those guys all have factory HID housings. So, no that's not glare. The problem is that the GS factory HID uses reflector bowls while many of the more modern cars have projector based HID headlights. That gives the headlight a much more pronounced cutoff line and they also light up the ground much better than reflector based setups.

swat1727, did you get the el-cheapo ebay HID bulbs? If so, then theres the cause of your problem of the cutoff being slightly out of focus. There's a standard D2R specification for the focal point of the light. If you bought the Phillips 6000k bulb then you would be ok, however the ebay cheap bulbs may not have the arc in precisely the right place. Even if its off by just 1mm, it will cause your cutoff to be slightly more blurry.
Old 10-14-09, 10:32 AM
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TonyHC
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True dat.....in addition to what Jeff stated, Ive seen some el cheapo HID kits where the actual plastic BASE is manufactured out of tolerance which allows the bulb to sit either too deep or too shallow in the housing, which will throw off your focal point. The actual bulb glass and arc can be identical, but if the base in which is mounted or molded is off....you are going to have compromised results.

I was rocking aftermarket HID in my 1st gen GS3, but I love my OEM HID in my 2nd gen GS4. ( self-leveling too ! )
Old 10-14-09, 11:15 AM
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Yeah, the cutoff in the stock HID is not impressive at all. I have LS430 projectors now and although it has a much better cutoff than stock reflectors, I wish it was a bit sharper like the TSX. The beam pattern is extremely wide though.
Old 10-14-09, 11:29 AM
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You want this eh?
Old 10-14-09, 11:40 AM
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Damn you! I like my LS430 projectors, but it's definitely not as sharp as my previous TSX, or even my brother's TL projectors. I even tried swapping out the TSX clear lens with the LS430 projectors and it really made no difference. Didn't try to bend the shield or anything though.
Old 10-15-09, 01:01 AM
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a#'z
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You guys no anyone that does the LS430 retros?
Old 10-15-09, 08:25 AM
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luxurymod.
Old 10-15-09, 10:12 AM
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3UZFTE
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God, I love projector mods/swaps.... They look so damn cool on like all your cars, except the eBay ones... I love seeing the cutoffs, etc.
Old 10-15-09, 11:55 AM
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sleeper408
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Originally Posted by GSteg
Damn you! I like my LS430 projectors, but it's definitely not as sharp as my previous TSX, or even my brother's TL projectors. I even tried swapping out the TSX clear lens with the LS430 projectors and it really made no difference. Didn't try to bend the shield or anything though.
Really?? I hear that TSX lenses on LS430 projectors makes a huge difference for cutoff. I guess I'm glad I didn't have the extra work performed then.
Old 10-15-09, 12:40 PM
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Originally Posted by JeffTsai
Kaydee, those guys all have factory HID housings. So, no that's not glare. The problem is that the GS factory HID uses reflector bowls while many of the more modern cars have projector based HID headlights. That gives the headlight a much more pronounced cutoff line and they also light up the ground much better than reflector based setups.

swat1727, did you get the el-cheapo ebay HID bulbs? If so, then theres the cause of your problem of the cutoff being slightly out of focus. There's a standard D2R specification for the focal point of the light. If you bought the Phillips 6000k bulb then you would be ok, however the ebay cheap bulbs may not have the arc in precisely the right place. Even if its off by just 1mm, it will cause your cutoff to be slightly more blurry.

it was xeon depot? it's not as expensive as philip, but not a very cheap one either. im actually thinking of going back to oem.


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