# HID Headlight interference issues?



## jimbno1 (Apr 14, 2008)

I just got HID headlights which I love by the way. I can see the road at night again. I got my local goodyear to install them to save time. 

But there is definately interference on both AM and FM. It is worse when the ballast first fires up. It lessens as the HID warms up but I can still hear interference. I tried to determine if it is happening on CD but it is difficult. 

This is with the factory stereo. Before I install a new audio system I would like to eliminate the interference first.

Any suggestions, line filters or such? 

I hate to give up seeing at night for audio.

Jim


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## spl152db (Dec 20, 2007)

could just be a ground isolation issue. you would want to clear that up first before updating the audio.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

how much did you spend on said HID's?


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## jimbno1 (Apr 14, 2008)

About $100 + installation.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

there's your problem... cheap ballasts.


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## Jboogie (Mar 13, 2007)

Make sure the goodyear guys sanded your ground point down to metal. It sounds like you have a ground problem.


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## jimbno1 (Apr 14, 2008)

I will re-do the grounds. If that does not fix the issue any particular brands of HID or ballasts you would recommend?

I love this forum. I get the fastest best advice here.

Thanks,
Jim


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

Get a pair of OEM ballasts...ebay or HIDplanet.com/forums.

The brand doesn't matter too much, but some have different features than others. The Koito slims (OEM Toyota/Lexus) are tiny and only semi-potted. Matsushita Gen3s (OEM Nissan/Infinity) are larger but fully-potted, and have the ignitor cord coming out of the top so that may limit where you put them. So it depends where you want to mount them and how you want/can secure them to the car.

Then get a D2S -> Amp adapter to use the kit bulbs...like so:










Hope that helps


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## dbiegel (Oct 15, 2006)

You could try isolating the ballast cases from metal, running a separate antenna to the rear of the car, or RF shielding. None of this is guaranteed to work. If I were in your position I'd just use this opportunity to get satellite radio and avoid all the hassle altogether while improving my listening experience.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Seems like a lot of hell for a set of 100 dollar HID's in headlamps not designed for HID


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## jimbno1 (Apr 14, 2008)

I deserve that! I was thinking it was one of the best purchases I had made in a while and it is turning to crap right before my eyes. 

But really as an older life form I need the lumens to see at night. I'm spoiled. I cannot go back to halogens now. 

Stupid car companies should all have HID as standard equipment.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

it's illegal though. even IF there are reflector based HID housings specifically designed for HID then they have to have washers. Reflector based housings cause too much glare due tot eh fact that the discharge tube is not int he same geometric place in the reflector and it's focal length is off base. 

Although many get away with it it is illegal. ONE company I know of is getting ready to release a HID lamp that has an adjustable depth so you can adjust the arc tube tot he focal point of your lens... and they will still be illegal.


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## KP (Nov 13, 2005)

I got three full sets and 2 pair of bulbs to replace the OEM's here
HIDExtra.com - The Best Source for HID Xenon Light Conversion Kits

MECA members can use the MECA2010 coupon for an additional discount. There are sub $100 HID kits that work.

K


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Why don't they sell anything at 4300K?


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

9004/9007 Bi-xenon projector HID CONVERSION Kit Hi/Lo - eBay (item 130343266421 end time Mar-09-10 01:53:38 PST)

I'm going to be getting this kit most likely Friday. I have the set that just replaces the halogen and it goes have a ton of glare. This is about as easy and cheap as it gets to have a proper HID kit since there is a projector. You will also have a nice solid cutoff line.

You have to take the headlight apart and install it on the inside. Should work great.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

link is poo


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Again, within weeks if not days a unit will be out to allow you adjust the depth of the arc capsule... via remote... to hit the focal point of the reflector.

After that, I imagine everything else will suck.


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## mSaLL150 (Aug 14, 2008)

You need digital ballasts. I used to run cheapo Ebay HID kits in my truck and had radio interference and not to mention they were illegal and stupid bright. I then ran a Retro-Solutions Bixenon HID kit which uses digital ballasts and they also coat their bulbs to reduce glare. Radio interference went away, and although they had less glare it was still just too bright for a lifted truck (or ANY chrome housing for that matter). Its illegal for a reason and I won't ever use them again.

I recommend you either get digital ballasts and aim you lights way the hell down (to reduce glare) or just get Silverstar Ultras. My fog lamps are 9145 bulbs stock, but can take a 9005 bulb which is a high beam bulb and with Silverstars it is almost as bright as my old HIDs but has a much safer cutoff and little scattering of light. While not quite as bright as full HID, the Silverstars give a much safer light spread and a nice white look to them...none of that blue ricer crap you get with 6000k+ HIDs.

If you want proper legal HIDs, you will need to do a full projector retrofit which will run about $300 in parts and then labor ontop of that. If you just put HIDs in chrome housings, you are going to HATE driving in the rain because of the glare reflecting off the precipitation. The person driving toward you is gonna hate it even more...


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

They look like this. For some reason the listing isn't working, or any of his other ones that he has. They fit all the bulb sizes that there are. The link i posted is for 9004/9007. It says he is away till feb 22 so he may have post poned the listing till then.

He sent me some instructions that are in "engrish" but they make sense and it seems like it would only take a few hours to do where taking the headlight apart would be the longest part.

If you guys pm me i can email you the pictures if your interested.


X2 on the grounding. Check the installation. If it is just a normal ebay kit then there is no ground, it should have just been a plug and play thing where it plugs into the original bulb connector. That's how my current one is.


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## mSaLL150 (Aug 14, 2008)

chad said:


> Again, within weeks if not days a unit will be out to allow you adjust the depth of the arc capsule... via remote... to hit the focal point of the reflector.
> 
> After that, I imagine everything else will suck.


Even if you can hit the focal point, it is still an arc shape and not the straight line of a filament. You will still have scattered light no matter what. HIDs either need projectors OR housings designed for them (like the 2nd gen prius).


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

No coating can reduce glare, it's based on the focal length of the reflector.

Silverstars are known for reduced life and burning up stock wiring harnesses.

Austin, those projectors are RICE, run away.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

mSaLL150 said:


> Even if you can hit the focal point, it is still an arc shape and not the straight line of a filament. You will still have scattered light no matter what. HIDs either need projectors OR housings designed for them (like the 2nd gen prius).


I agree


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## KP (Nov 13, 2005)

chad said:


> Why don't they sell anything at 4300K?


E-mail them. 

I just went to the 5K bulbs on my oem ballasts in the TL. When I got the Nitro it was difficult for me to drive it at night because I was used to the HIDs. 

I am curious about these new HID's coming out. Keep us posted.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

i have a forum down for updates, I'll get you vids when it's back up.

it's the only rig i will even TRY.


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## mSaLL150 (Aug 14, 2008)

chad said:


> Silverstars are known for reduced life and burning up stock wiring harnesses.
> 
> Austin, those projectors are RICE, run away.


People who claim they have reduced life installed them wrong by touching the glass. The skin oil burns hotter and will reduce bulb life. I know people who properly installed Silverstars and got 3-4 years out of them. As far as burning wiring harnesses, just don't be an idiot and put 100w bulbs on a 55w harness...

And I agree, those blue lights are trash.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Xenith Xenons - Premium Xenons in a Not-So-Premium Market

I'll try to get vids up soon.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

chad said:


> Austin, those projectors are RICE, run away.


Those are just the halo rings that are lit up. The projector isn't turned on in that picture. I can easily just not hook up the halo rings if i didn't want them. For $145 its hard to beat for a projector kit.

I contacted a company that does oem projector retrofit kits and the kit would be $360 shipped to me and then i would have to mutilate my headlight to get them to fit in the housing. I would rather keep the stock mounting and get a projector lense.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Moar info, faster than I expected.. I AM NOT A DEALER THIS IS A CROSS POST!!! If this is an issue PM me and let me know and I'll take it down.



> Hi everyone,
> 
> We here at Xenith Xenons are proud to announce the official release of LUX, our new brand for the world’s first glare-free xenon conversion kit. Now you can have the affordability and convenience of a conversion kit as well as the functionality and performance of HID projectors, all in one easy-to-install product.
> 
> ...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

posted youtube vids....

YouTube - LUX 2005 Subaru Test



> Also, here are some before and after photos of the product in two different vehicles: 2005 Subaru WRX w/ 4300K, and 2002 VW Passat w/ 6000K
> 
> *Before*
> 
> ...



Again, if this post is against forum rules let me know...
Chad


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

that looks awesome. I am holding off on those projectors and waiting for a pair of 9007 bulbs. Thanks for the heads up chad.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

No problem, I got word a couple months ago on them and it perked my interest. I know you drive an older ford, are the lenses on the headlights oxidized and cloudy? You WILL need to polish them up  Or it's glare city.


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## Greg S (Oct 21, 2009)

AcuraTLSQ said:


> I got three full sets and 2 pair of bulbs to replace the OEM's here
> HIDExtra.com - The Best Source for HID Xenon Light Conversion Kits
> 
> MECA members can use the MECA2010 coupon for an additional discount. There are sub $100 HID kits that work.
> ...


While the HIDExtra kits are inexpensive they do cause FM interference. I've got them in the projectors on my xB and there is a noticeble drop in FM reception with them on. The lighting improvement is worth it for me as I really don't care too much about FM reception.


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## Menace Kustoms (Jan 31, 2010)

Man, I wonder how long it will take for 9007 bulbs.


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## PureSound15 (Jul 13, 2009)

I agree that HID kits in reflector housings look terrible and blind other drivers... 98% of the time. Obviously the design of the housing has a lot to do with it, but I think a majority of it is stupidity within the install. 

A few of those decisions being -

1) Installing in a flutted lense. The light is going to be scattered no matter what.

2) Lights over 5000K - distracting and reduced visability to the user

3) Not re-aiming the headlights


I have done a few projector retrofits and made a decision to install a kit into the reflector housing of my Cobra Mustang. After aiming and adjusting, the cutoff from my Mustang is JUST as good if not BETTER than the OEM HIDs in my Acura CLs. 

I think it can be done. Regardless of legality. People who insist that one must retrofit a projector in order to make it LEGAL are only kidding themselves. Cutting apart and intalling a projector is no way MORE legal than installing and properly aiming a kit into reflector housings. (Especially when you get into bending shields to produce more color... how is that not distracting to other drivers?)


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Stealing playboys is more legal than murder, but it's still illegal 


Just ribbin you man.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

chad said:


> No problem, I got word a couple months ago on them and it perked my interest. I know you drive an older ford, are the lenses on the headlights oxidized and cloudy? You WILL need to polish them up  Or it's glare city.


yeah it isn't too cloudy but it does have the little bumps on the inside so it isn't a perfectly clear lense. I don't want to clean it up right now since it could unleash the deadly force of more glare haha. I have a somwhat uneven cutoff line but i have seen worse. There is still a lot of glare though. 

I was thinking about just cutting a square out of the lense and replacing it with clear plexi...would that work at all?



Menace Kustoms said:


> Man, I wonder how long it will take for 9007 bulbs.



XX2


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## Menace Kustoms (Jan 31, 2010)

I love this thread in the SQ Forum, lol.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Menace Kustoms said:


> I love this thread in the SQ Forum, lol.


Its HQ, Headlight Quality


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## KP (Nov 13, 2005)

I have no issues with the FM reception in the Nitro and I have four ballasts under the hood. 5K is my preference in bulb color.

Sorry for the OT. And I am not asscociated with HIDEXTRA in any way other than seeing them on other forums.

Kirk


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## rommelrommel (Apr 11, 2007)

I'm pretty damn close to just shooting the headlights out of these assholes and their incorrectly installed/aimed HID's. If you're too blind to drive at night, don't.


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## Xenith Xenons (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi all,

Thanks to Chad for informing me about this place. I am open to answer any of your questions or concerns regarding the LUX brand of glare-free HID kits.

We are also planning on becoming a supporting vendor if the responses from this thread prove positive. No sales for now though as we haven't paid our dues yet, but again, open to any questions or concerns you guys have about our products.

Thank you!

Best,
George


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## Jboogie (Mar 13, 2007)

Im a little confused about which kit to buy. Can someone tell me the diff between a "regular" and "slim" kit. and how do i know what wattage i need? My choices are 35 and 55 watts. Whats the benefit of the 55 watt kit over the 35 watt kit?

Thanks. 

J.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Jboogie said:


> Im a little confused about which kit to buy. Can someone tell me the diff between a "regular" and "slim" kit. and how do i know what wattage i need? My choices are 35 and 55 watts. Whats the benefit of the 55 watt kit over the 35 watt kit?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> J.


The slim kits are talking about the ballast being shorter. The slim ones are abut .25 inches thick while the regular is closer to an inch. 

Not sure about the wattage. 35 is the usually for HIDs and those are plenty bright.


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## Austin (Mar 12, 2009)

Xenith Xenons said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Thanks to Chad for informing me about this place. I am open to answer any of your questions or concerns regarding the LUX brand of glare-free HID kits.
> 
> ...



Hi George. When do you plan on getting a 9007 bulb for your remote adjustable kits?


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## Greg S (Oct 21, 2009)

Jboogie said:


> Whats the benefit of the 55 watt kit over the 35 watt kit?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> J.


The 55 watt kit will have more light output but will reauire you to wire a relay for each balast as the stock wiring will be unable to handle the current draw. if you are not putting these in a projector housing DO NOT use the 55 watt kit. If you think the normal HID bulb in a reflector style housing is bright you don't even want to see the 55 watt in one.:mean:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

One would think that the retrofit ballast would be like a car amp by now... having a ground and a battery input along with a remote trigger thus pulling the brunt of the current from the battery.

There you go George! Hop to it


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## ryan s (Dec 19, 2006)

Greg S said:


> The 55 watt kit will have more light output but will reauire you to wire a relay for each balast as the stock wiring will be unable to handle the current draw. if you are not putting these in a projector housing DO NOT use the 55 watt kit. If you think the normal HID bulb in a reflector style housing is bright you don't even want to see the 55 watt in one.:mean:


You can use 1 relay for both ballasts  Good ballasts pull ~8A each at startup, while the crap ones pull in the neighborhood of 10-15A each.

Either way, with a 30A relay...good to go


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## Jboogie (Mar 13, 2007)

Greg S said:


> The 55 watt kit will have more light output but will reauire you to wire a relay for each balast as the stock wiring will be unable to handle the current draw. if you are not putting these in a projector housing DO NOT use the 55 watt kit. If you think the normal HID bulb in a reflector style housing is bright you don't even want to see the 55 watt in one.:mean:


My car is a 2008 Pontiac G8 GT and has the projector housing.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Halogen projectors have a different cutoff than HID projectors.. If it's halogen I'd go 35W to be save.. then look into cutoff mods. Or tossing a real HID projector housing in it.


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## Xenith Xenons (Feb 19, 2010)

Thanks Chad, happy to be here.

@Austin: The 9007 is not available at the moment, however we are constantly testing new bulb sizes and making molds for our adapters. It's not only the actual process of adjusting them that we're concerned with, we also take into account whether the cars that utilize 9007 bulbs will have enough room in their engine bay to accommodate our LUX bulbs and whether the way OEM bulbs are kept in their socket will affect the LUX bulbs negatively in any way.

The best way to stay up to date on our technology and products is to follow us on Twitter at Xenith Xenons (xenithxenons) on Twitter. We also hold contests once in awhile cash prices and free HID kits and accessories.


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## mjgonegm (Jun 21, 2008)

Fix.

10A Noise Filter | Parts-Express.com

Put one on the Switched and unswitched power(memory and ) for your headunit factory or not.

If IS REALLY bad and i define bad By no radio reception 100% full static you might want to pick up one of these aswell.
American International AS100 Antenna noise filter at Crutchfield.com

Otherwise the first one should fix it.


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