Good HID retrofit to 2013 sedan - possible?

[sluggo]

Hello all - my first post on these forums. Picked up a 2013 3.8 sedan (Premium) last week and am loving it so far. I would like to upgrade the headlights (both the main and high beams) to HID. I searched the forums to see if this was possible but did not see a case where it's been done.

The main beam uses a projector and the high beam uses a reflector. I'd like to keep the cutoffs safe for oncoming traffic, and I understand that it's hard/impossible to do with reflectors originally designed for halogen bulbs. The projectors I'm more optimistic about, but would love to hear about any success stories here. Or failures.

Could have paid for the tech package to get the factory lights, but didn't. Not really regretting not paying $4000 for lights (and other stuff), but would like the better night vision without paying for OEM hardware if possible. Cheers.

 

[brfatal]

Factory HID headlights. You cannot use the stock optics even if they are projectors. They are still halogen optics and as such are completely different than HID ones. As we have seen already the results with HID kits is awful in the stock lights. Unless you want to buy shrouds, HID projectors, etc and cut out your old ones while fabricating new mounting for the new equipment, your only option is headlights made for them from the factory.

 

[sluggo]

Ah, boogers . Thanks for the reply, br. Everything I needed to know, even if it's bad news.

I wonder what the HID bundle goes for, and if I get the directional feature in the bargain.

EDIT: Oops, looks like I posted in the wrong forum ... sorry mods, rough day here.

 

[kman]

I disagree, the result of an HID kit in the halogen projectors on the Genesis is not awful. I agree that the cutoff is not as good as on factory HIDs, calling it awful in my opinion is far away from the truth.

I was driving with a kit for around a year, not a single complaint from other drivers. Again, I agree that the factory HID kit is much more reliable, sealed better, has better light distribution and a cleaner cutoff. With all of that, I enjoyed my kit and viewed is as a noticeable upgrade from stock lights. Light output was much better than stock, but I disliked the fact that the headlight is not sealed as well (since you have to cut a hole in the dust cap for wiring).

After a year of use one of my bulbs started flickering while starting, which was most likely the fault of the kit I used. I also started running into a problem of the low beams turning off with the turn signal when in the ON positions (not AUTO). At that time I thought that somehow my HID's caused it, even though I was using a relay with a battery terminal connection and not stock wiring for power to the lights. So I took them out, put the stock lights in to have the system all proper for a visit to a dealership. I then read on this forum that the low beam flicker is a relatively common issue in halogen lights too. The flickering issues occured again when my halogen bulbs were back in. So this is a separate non HID kit related issue. I was thinking about putting them back in, but I just don't like all the tucked in wiring for the kit and the fact that the headlights are not sealed as well anymore.

If money was no object, I would definately purchase OEM hid headlights with OEM bulbs and ballasts, but that is an expensive option to go with. I'm also not sure the headlights come with all the necessary parts such as leveling motors. I'm thinking those are all separate and add to the cost.

So the hid kits are good, but there are some downsides that I mentioned above. I also had some bulb fitment issues since all those non OEM HID bulbs are rebased and of various quality.

 

[nfetterly]

The headlights that come with the tech package (Xenon?) are really quite good IMO - but then again I was coming from lousy headlights.

 

[sluggo]

I've got a call in to one of the local dealers to see what they would charge for an OEM setup. The service manager who took the call acted like this was the most unusual thing he'd ever heard. His initial response was "well, with enough money anything's possible", so I'm not optimistic that this will be anything less than real expensive.

I have some friends in the salvage business. Maybe I can come up with a solution there.

Don't know how many folks are considering this kind of change, but I'll keep posting here. If the mods want to move this to the electronics forum I'd have no problem. Again, my mistake.

 

[brfatal]

I disagree, the result of an HID kit in the halogen projectors on the Genesis is not awful. I agree that the cutoff is not as good as on factory HIDs, calling it awful in my opinion is far away from the truth.

I was driving with a kit for around a year, not a single complaint from other drivers. Again, I agree that the factory HID kit is much more reliable, sealed better, has better light distribution and a cleaner cutoff. With all of that, I enjoyed my kit and viewed is as a noticeable upgrade from stock lights. Light output was much better than stock, but I disliked the fact that the headlight is not sealed as well (since you have to cut a hole in the dust cap for wiring).

After a year of use one of my bulbs started flickering while starting, which was most likely the fault of the kit I used. I also started running into a problem of the low beams turning off with the turn signal when in the ON positions (not AUTO). At that time I thought that somehow my HID's caused it, even though I was using a relay with a battery terminal connection and not stock wiring for power to the lights. So I took them out, put the stock lights in to have the system all proper for a visit to a dealership. I then read on this forum that the low beam flicker is a relatively common issue in halogen lights too. The flickering issues occured again when my halogen bulbs were back in. So this is a separate non HID kit related issue. I was thinking about putting them back in, but I just don't like all the tucked in wiring for the kit and the fact that the headlights are not sealed as well anymore.

If money was no object, I would definately purchase OEM hid headlights with OEM bulbs and ballasts, but that is an expensive option to go with. I'm also not sure the headlights come with all the necessary parts such as leveling motors. I'm thinking those are all separate and add to the cost.

So the hid kits are good, but there are some downsides that I mentioned above. I also had some bulb fitment issues since all those non OEM HID bulbs are rebased and of various quality.

I am saying having a decent understanding of automotive lighting and having seen pictures someone posted of an HID kit in halogen Genesis lights vs the results of OEM lighting.

Halogen w/ a kit:

Factory HID Genesis lights:

It's not only the cut off but how even the light distribution is, because on top of the glare, you can see the hot and cold spots in the beam, plus the light is not where it's supposed to be, at the very edge of the beam near the cut off. As light travels out, more and more light is needed to light up a spot further down the road, which is why the cut off should be the hottest part of the beam (as shown in the bottom picture). The bottom lights also show a wider beam, which means more of the road will be lit.

And OP, you regularly see HID Genesis headlights sell for ~$500 a pair online.

 

[brfatal]

Double post

 

[scottdk]

I've got a call in to one of the local dealers to see what they would charge for an OEM setup. The service manager who took the call acted like this was the most unusual thing he'd ever heard. His initial response was "well, with enough money anything's possible", so I'm not optimistic that this will be anything less than real expensive.

I have some friends in the salvage business. Maybe I can come up with a solution there.

Don't know how many folks are considering this kind of change, but I'll keep posting here. If the mods want to move this to the electronics forum I'd have no problem. Again, my mistake.

Your best choice is to be patient and watch for the headlights on Ebay. You might be lucky enough to find a "pair" from one seller, but more then likely you would have to find 2 sellers to make a pair. 2nd, the headlights will cost more $ since the 2012 model headlights are still pretty new. The 2009 - 2011 headlights are cheap now days

 

[sluggo]

The photos of the OEM kit are pretty impressive; somebody at the factory clearly spent some time getting this right. The aftermarket setup is about what I expected. If it's indeed a choice between a $150 cheapest-acceptable setup and $500 for the full monty, I'll spend the money.

Thanks for posting the photos!

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[kman]

Keep us updated if you buy any and what the cost is. I'm always worried that the headlight assembly for the OEM HID does not come with all the necessary parts, such as ballasts, bulbs, leveling motors, etc. I also wonder if the wiring in the cars that come standard with OEM HID is different (ex. rated for higher current). Since HID's have large spikes in current when they start up that might be the case, but then again, they could have used the same gage of wires on all models to save money during assembly of the cars.

 

[utog]

Been driving my 2012 with my newly converted retrofitted projectors for a couple weeks now. If you know how to, or can afford a shop to retrofit it, I would HIGHLY suggest you do it. You'll never drive at night the same. Aloha.

Darren

 

[Fast55]

There are headlights that can accept a PIP (plug and play) kit without it being a complete disaster, but brafatal is pretty much spot on. Rarely is a HID kit an improvement or even equal to what you have. I had an Audi A6 with projector halogens many years ago that I did a retrofit from LLTek on, and the results were pretty good. For 99.9% of every other "conversion", crap is the best word for it.

The factory HID's aren't all that great in these cars. The cutoff and beam pattern is just OK. As utog says, a quality HID projector conversion is a huge improvement, probably better than stock HID's.

 

[sluggo]

Not a real update, but I got a laugh this weekend when I stopped by one of the local dealer's "service" facilities.

The guy that I talked to was not the most helpful - he had this adversarial tone when I told him what I was interested in. I assured him that I wasn't trying to install cheap parts but that I was just interested to see what it would cost to do a full OEM retrofit. He said "we ain't gonna do that". I asked if he knew if any of the other dealers in the area would, and he said "not if they're smart, not if they know what they're doing". He followed with "know what I'm sayin'?". I said I didn't, but got no reply to that. The guy had this sort of crazy look in his eye, so I thought I'd just move on to another shop sometime this week. Really, the strangest service encounter I've had for a car.

Maybe all they do there is install floormats and cargo nets and make their living on scheduled service and warranty claims. Anything they don't have a written factory procedure for is beyond them. Hard to say, but that's what it looked like. Stevens Creek Hyundai in San Jose, if you're wondering.

Anyway, thanks for all the replies - good to see there's some interest in the topic and it's not just me flappin' my gums at the ether. Cheers all.

 

[sluggo]

Been driving my 2012 with my newly converted retrofitted projectors for a couple weeks now. If you know how to, or can afford a shop to retrofit it, I would HIGHLY suggest you do it. You'll never drive at night the same. Aloha.

Darren

It sounds like you're pretty happy with the conversion - can you recommend a brand or source for your setup? And as much as I'd like to be in Hawaii right now, I'll probably have to find a more local service or do the work myself. Did you do your own or did you have it done? Wondering how difficult the conversion was.

I converted a couple of my previous rides to use an obscure HIR bulb and am pretty handy with electricals in general, so I could see doing this myself, as long as there's no complicated fabrication involved. Thanks for any info you can offer.

 

[utog]

Actually, I sent my headlights to a shop in NJ, Lightwerkz. I wanted the supposed 'best' for performance, so I had Honda S2000 projectors retrofitted in my assembly. Osram CBI 5000k D2S bulbs w/ Denso ballasts were installed. Also for that 'color flicker', swapped out the stock projector lens, for the Acura TSX lens. Had some other custom work done, so w/ shipping, the cost of this project came out a little over 2G's. Honestly, still don't know if it was worth it. To have a mod that very few Genesis sedans have, if any at all, kinda makes it seem worth it. Being able to light up 6-8 lanes on the road doesn't hurt either. Aloha.

Darren

 

[sluggo]

Okay, so I went ahead and did an HID retrofit onto my 2013 Gen sedan (premium pkg). After some looking around, I bought a system from The Retrofit Source. I got the Morimoto Elite System with 5Five ballasts and XB35 bulbs. Total price was $170.

To cut to the chase, I'm very happy with the results. Is it as good as the factory system on my wife's Mazda6? No, but it's close. Is it a significant and worthwhile improvement over the Hyundai factory halogens? OMG yes. Really no comparison. So much more light down the road.

The cutoff is sharp and at the correct height. There are tiny little bunny ears above the centerline of the beams, but they're basically negligible. The useful beam width is very good, and maybe better than the Mazda. The distribution below the cutoff is not as even as the Mazda, but it's far, far better than it was with the halogens and much better in terms of sharpness of cutoff. To me, it looks like these might be the same optics they would use for the factory HID setup, cause they're a pretty okay fit for the these aftermarket bulbs and were a pretty bad fit for the factory halogens.

Light-off when cold takes about 3-4 seconds. Re-light is instant.

The quality of the kit is very good. It comes with an optional harness to connect the bulbs directly to the battery (through relays), but you won't need it. The factory harness uses a wire gauge that's at least as heavy as the kit's relay harness and I didn't see any issues at all with brightness of the bulbs when going through the factory harness.

Mounting the ballasts was easy, as there are several 10mm studs available on both sides and the kit comes with the needed hardware. Once installed, the system is completely invisible until you pull the bulb access panels out.

For me, it was worth the money.

 

[brfatal]

Not a real update, but I got a laugh this weekend when I stopped by one of the local dealer's "service" facilities.

The guy that I talked to was not the most helpful - he had this adversarial tone when I told him what I was interested in. I assured him that I wasn't trying to install cheap parts but that I was just interested to see what it would cost to do a full OEM retrofit. He said "we ain't gonna do that". I asked if he knew if any of the other dealers in the area would, and he said "not if they're smart, not if they know what they're doing". He followed with "know what I'm sayin'?". I said I didn't, but got no reply to that. The guy had this sort of crazy look in his eye, so I thought I'd just move on to another shop sometime this week. Really, the strangest service encounter I've had for a car.

Maybe all they do there is install floormats and cargo nets and make their living on scheduled service and warranty claims. Anything they don't have a written factory procedure for is beyond them. Hard to say, but that's what it looked like. Stevens Creek Hyundai in San Jose, if you're wondering.

Anyway, thanks for all the replies - good to see there's some interest in the topic and it's not just me flappin' my gums at the ether. Cheers all.

I'm unsure of what the issue is. Dealerships don't do fabrication work. You might be able to get them to wire up a set of OEM Tech package for V8 model HID headlights, but they aren't going to retrofit headlights. Most shops that do do fabrication work wouldn't know how to do it. You have to use a specialty shop if you want your headlights disassembled and rebuilt. Chances are, depending on where you live, there won't be a local shop to you that does it.

Okay, so I went ahead and did an HID retrofit onto my 2013 Genesis Sedan (premium pkg). After some looking around, I bought a system from The Retrofit Source. I got the Morimoto Elite System with 5Five ballasts and XB35 bulbs. Total price was $170.
.

*sigh* So after everyone telling you it was a bad idea, and even showing proof you still went ahead and ran an illegal HID kit (again, this is NOT a retrofit).

 

[sluggo]

I'm unsure of what the issue is. Dealerships don't do fabrication work. You might be able to get them to wire up a set of OEM Tech package for V8 model HID headlights,

Which is what I asked them to do ...

but they aren't going to retrofit headlights.

I guess we have a different definition of "retrofit". I meant it (and I believe I said this in the post you're replying to) in the sense that I was willing to pay for whatever it took to install the HID headlight assemblies in my car. No cutting, no grinding, no "I think we can make 'er fit" nonsense. Just put the entire HID headlight system in my car. No fabrication work involved.

*sigh* So after everyone telling you it was a bad idea, and even showing proof you still went ahead and ran an illegal HID kit (again, this is NOT a retrofit).

Yep, guilty as charged. I put things on my car. And I'll tell you why.

When I bought my first car in 1974 it was also illegal to run unapproved headlights. The only lights we were allowed to run were sealed-beam bulbs. Halogen lamps with replaceable bulbs? Those commie lights that the foreign manufacturers tried to import? Those got swapped at the docks with genuine DOT-approved dim, no-cutoff, catch-a-rock-and-you're-screwed 1920's sealed beams. I won't go through the whole sad history of shitty automotive lighting in the US, but can we agree that good lighting and safety have never exactly been high priorities at the DOT?

I can make a decision about the safety of my car. I don't like blinding oncoming cars any more than I like being blinded. Why would would I want to blind someone who's hurtling toward me at 70 mph wearing two tons of steel?

What I would like to do is see what's coming at me and what I'm approaching in the road. So yes, to that end, I put some illegal things on my car that make me and everyone around me safer.

And by the way, one dude's photos of his bad lights does not, in my mind, constitute anything close to proof that all HID installations don't work. Clearly you feel otherwise. Just the same - I was fully prepared to pull this setup out after testing it and stick with the halogens if this setup hadn't turned out to be as good as it is.

 

[kdyess]

Been driving my 2012 with my newly converted retrofitted projectors for a couple weeks now. If you know how to, or can afford a shop to retrofit it, I would HIGHLY suggest you do it. You'll never drive at night the same. Aloha.

Darren

Please post pictures and cost of retro fit, brand and cost of HID kit and anything pertinent. I also a 12 w/premium.

After searching many hours looking at options to get brighter and whiter lights so I can see at night and have not found a good solution yet. There really is not even good halogen upgrades you can do that will make all 3 sets of lights match.

Thanks for the info.

Kym