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CHATROOM: HID / Xenon Headlight Conversion

269K views 1K replies 166 participants last post by  1llezt_sfs 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Santa fe HID kit - Video Dailymotion
Just a quick video about my HID conversion. If anyone knows how to aim the headlights please let me know...thanks!
Thanks for posting. Did you happen to notice if your factory headlights were pointed at the same level as these HID ones are before you swapped them out? Does the owners manual say how to adjust light leveling? (I haven't looked)

BTW, any chance of drawing up a diagram of what connects to where in your system, for example it looks like the wires run from the headlight unit to the ballast, but I couldn't see what ran from where to where for the HID relay, etc. Maybe it is really obvious if you have the stuff in front of you, but it wasn't obvious to me looking at the video. :)


COMPLETE HID INSTALL VIDEO BY IMSTRICKEN06 of YOUTUBE.COM/IMSTRICKEN06
 
#3 · (Edited)
i have a morimoto kit from the retrofit source that works great. got 4300k if i remember right and it matches the oem led strip in the headlamp pretty much perfectly after the 3 seconds or so it takes for them to warm up.

hid's made it very much apparent that the lights were incorrectly aimed from the factory, though. i'm a tech, so i know they were installed correctly. so i used a headlamp aiming machine and found each side to be aimed wayyy too high. this may or may not be a widespread issue, i'm not sure... i'd like to think it was just our santa fe, not all of them.

installing them was easy, just drilled out the headlight bulb access covers to route the wiring cleanly through a grommet. i mounted the ballasts under the headlamps on the radiator support where you can't see anything. very clean install with the can bus wiring harness ( i opted for this harness to keep it clean...seemed like way more work to route and keep everything clean looking with their standard relay harness they offer...but either harness is included free, you just have to request which one you prefer).

i honestly don't know the difference between this expensive morimoto kit vs. a cheap kit i have in another car, though. in my accord i have a $50 or so kit from ddm tuning. it has been working for the past 4 years or so just fine. if i did it again i don't think i'd spend alot of money for a so called "good" kit, as all the kits now are warrantied. i wouldn't go as cheap as an ebay kit, but cheap kits that are reputable and easy to get in touch with their customer service should be safe.
 
#11 ·
Aim is adjusted by an adjusting bolt. I used an aiming machine so I knew they were aimed perfectly, but I also work in a shop with access to it. If you guys feel like your headlamps are aimed too high you can complain about it and get them aligned by Hyundai...it'll probably be covered for the first year or 12k miles under warranty as an adjustment.

Only tools I needed was a unibit to cut out the headlamp access covers and a test light to ensure polarity was correct since HID's are polarity sensitve. I think maybe a 10mm socket as well to remove the coolant overflow to have more room to work, and a 12mm and 6" extension to remove battery hold down and move it away. I did them when we first bought the car in September though so I may be forgetting something.

I don't have any pictures nor know how to host pictures in order to post them like you have to on most forums, so I doubt I'll be messing with that. But having worked on Hyundais, the Santa Fe will be easier than the new Sonata in terms of finding places to mount the ballasts and simply installing the bulbs too.

Morimoto kit D2S: Morimoto Elite HID System - HID Systems from The Retrofit Source Inc

Cheap kit that I have in my Accord DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits
 
#13 ·
To those who have installed an HID kit on their SF, could you confirm that the low beam bulb is H7?

Also, did you use a relay harness? I ask this because on my NF Sonata, I wired straight in without a relay and never had any problems. I would prefer to skip the extra wiring if it's not needed.

Thanks!
 
#14 ·
HID on the 2013 Santa Fe

I had HID installed on my SFS last Friday, and the effect was not as dramatic as what I expected. The driver side was clearly not aimed correctly, as its much different than the passenger side. This was not apparent when using stock halogen H11s, but real obvious when the HID were installed. I don't know if the installer "mis-aligned" the bulb, if that is possible, or the headlight assembly was off in the first place. I had to use a canbus version of ballast with the anti-flicker circuit build in, which was more expensive and more robust design. It did light up very quickly, more so than my previous HID installs.

I plan to take it into the dealer to have them check the alignment, since I'm getting my fuel gauge sensors replaced as part of the "wonky fuel gauge" issue.

The white light (6000K) of the HID was very nice, and it matches nicely with the LED eyebrow. The fog lights now look yellowish and doesn't match the other lights. They also replaced my license plate lights with LED to give it a white light, but its too bad the tail lights are not LED to match! I read somewhere that there is a special HID bulb which matches the projector housing. I don't know if that is valid since all HID bulbs should work better with a projector housing. Any comments from others? Thanks.
 
#15 ·
I read somewhere that there is a special HID bulb which matches the projector housing. I don't know if that is valid since all HID bulbs should work better with a projector housing. Any comments from others? Thanks.
There are projectors for HID and projectors for halogen. The SFS in the US comes with one for halogen so HID capsule (as it can't be called bulb) will never work as well in there. Brighter, yes. But not necessarily sharper than halogen. A projector for HID takes DxS capsules (can be D1S, D2S, D3S, maybe a few more). Not the Hxx bulbs that are used for halogen stuff like the SFS.

Depending on the size you could use a real projector there instead of the one it comes with but that would be for someone that has opened the headlight to tell.
 
#18 ·
HID install on a 2013 SFS

I first tried to install a "regular" HID ballast and harness, and everything was fine until I started the car. The light would flicker on/off and it just won't work. The installer didn't have any BOW or bypass harness, so I had to pay the premium for a canbus ballast with matching bulbs. That is a much cleaner install, and everything works fine now. They also had to use a canbus license plate LED to replace the stock version. He mentioned that many 2013 vehicles are using canbus and have to use a canbus ballast. I am thinking perhaps a regular HID kit with a special harness might do the trick, but the canbus ballast/bulb combo may be a higher quality unit.
 
#26 ·
I first tried to install a "regular" HID ballast and harness, and everything was fine until I started the car. The light would flicker on/off and it just won't work. The installer didn't have any BOW or bypass harness, so I had to pay the premium for a canbus ballast with matching bulbs. That is a much cleaner install, and everything works fine now. They also had to use a canbus license plate LED to replace the stock version. He mentioned that many 2013 vehicles are using canbus and have to use a canbus ballast. I am thinking perhaps a regular HID kit with a special harness might do the trick, but the canbus ballast/bulb combo may be a higher quality unit.
I don't think that a can-bus system is used, even on the 2013 vehicles. (I pulled a headlight bulb, and never received an error indication, which leads me to believe that this is true.)
 
#24 ·
7miles,

Agreed, the SFS puts out an adequate amount of light. I've lowered the beams a bit and they're much better now compared to the factory-set height.

I admit I'm considering the HID kit more for aesthetic reasons than for the actual light output. I've also looked at regular halogen bulbs to cut down on the work, particularly PIAA Xtreme White which reviews have hailed to be very good.

Any of you had experience with that brand/model or have any suggestions for similar bulbs that produce a whiter light?

N :thumbsup:
 
#25 ·
I tried an aftermarket HID kit with a relay and i was still having flicker issues which could have been from a loose ground somewhere. I got fed up and took the kit out and i might reinstall it in the spring when it gets warmer out. I have since changed to sylvania silver stars and those seem to be very nice. They basically match the color of the 4300k hid kit i had in the car.
 
#27 ·
i replaced the stock hid d3s bulbs with 6000k
and i installed a kit i got from xenonsupply 6000k for the fog lamps . the fog lamp kits installed great , best is to remove front cover and there is a perfect spot on both sides of the rad support
for the ballasts , gives a nice clean install . sorry no install pics
 
#29 ·
Santa fe HID kit - Video Dailymotion
Just a quick video about my HID conversion. If anyone knows how to aim the headlights please let me know...thanks!
I am also want to install to my Santa DM HID conversion. could you say me where are you buy yours and which bulb you are used for low beam and fog lights. (H7, H11...)? have you any error problem? master where i am going to install HID said me that i need special wire system. i must change my original wire to special etc..
 
#30 ·
Is there any reason that the HID ballast couldn't be mounted completely inside the headlamp enclosure (mounted to the flat bottom with double-sided tape) eliminating the need to drill a hole through the access cover?

There seems to be a bunch of room in there, and it would be well protected from the elements. A good quality HID kit will have the proper connector for the factory headlight plug, so you should be able to conceal the entire install.
 
#35 ·
To anyone that's upgraded to HID's, or silverstars etc... Has anyone upgraded the bulbs in the fog lights? I think I read somewhere its a H8 but there are no H8 silverstars...
Any other "bright" options? Just don't want yellowish fog lights on e the headlights are upgraded...
 
#39 ·
I think they left it out to keep costs down and still sell a 'loaded' car for less than competition would. It they added a few more thousands they would get too close to something like an RDX and start losing the advantage of selling a good car for less. Probably looked at what can be left out and that most drivers would not care. In Canada I think they included this and cooled seats as the SFS cost more there so they have a little more margin to include these things and still be a good value. Too bad it's not even an option in the US, I'd pay for that. I'd trade my panorama sunroof for HID.
 
#42 ·
For me given a choice I would trade the NAV for HID . Also on a road trip in snowy weather at night I did have to stop and clean the headlight lenses several times to keep the road well lit. I am thinking of adjusting the lights downward a bit as 7 miles up did.
I think the OEM HIDs all have the leveling sensors and at least some have lens cleaning systems - so there is a degree of cost involved and not offering HIDs in the USA would appear to be a marketing decision.
I am still not a fan of some of the after market systems which can blind other drivers because they don't adjust or use ultra high output bulbs some which are not legal.
 
#48 ·
My TSX had HID but not self-leveling or cleaning mechanisms. If the car was loaded with passengers and trunk I admit the light would be a little high and could potentially bother other drivers. Normally it was ok but in those conditions self-leveling would be nice. The same car in Europe has it but in the US they left that out because it's not required and would save them money.
 
#49 ·
link to one Wiki article Xenon Headlights - Wikicars

It says that the self leveling regulation is in place in most of the world with the exception of north america.

Wiki also mentions that based on complaints regarding glare 24 companies were told to stop selling illegal (higher output) bulbs in the US . Based on my casual observations I suspect illegal lights are still being sold.

I wonder why the US hasn't adopted the European standard ? Something the US makers maybe lobbied against and as result can sell cars with HID for less than many competitors in the US market - this would only be correct if most makers choose to offer only the design that meets the European spec.
 
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