Thanks for taking the time to shoot and post these informative pictures.
Big difference
LEDs by themselves
Highbeams
With HID fogs
The difference between them isn't that noticeable. Since the LEDs face up and down in the housing, the bottom LED functions as the low beam. Therefore, when the high beam is activated, there's a lot more light directed up.
And they look like 5000k, not 6000k.
In the first pictures, what bulbs were you using?
Live, Love, Forgive and Never Give Up
I honestly would love to modify my headlights to HID. Living in the backwoods of MD, my stockers are garbage, even with hi-beams on. Sadly, I have no experience working with HID kits and with headlight assemblies being a sought after rare commodity these days, screwing up isnt an option. I imagine I could find a shop to do it, but that means 2x the cost.
I did put some PIAA bulbs in my Crosstrek recently (the US got shafted on HIDs in them, boooooooo!) and they are excellent. I am gonna try them in my VX and if that doesnt do the trick, I will probably just bite the bullet on an HID transformation.
I sure do miss them in my old STi....
Gary Noonan
'01 S/C VX / '18 Forester XT
WormGod, switching to HID's is, literally, plug and play. The most difficult thing is trying to find a place for the ballasts that run the lights and getting the actual bulb into the headlight buckets. I had to remove my stock air cleaner box just to get enough room behind the driver side light to get the old bulb out and the new bulb in. There is no alteration to anything on the VX to get the HID's in so you could always go back to stock bulbs any time.
If you would like I can write up a step-by-step so you can see what's involved.
The HID's make a HUGE difference. I know our headlights weren't originally designed for HID's, and they can blind some oncoming drivers, but the light output is incredible even on "low" beam. If you switch over to high beam you could rival the sun.
"The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong, it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair."
-Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless
Glad I could help, Bill. I hope all goes well w/your install.
Alltech just called to advise they cannot install these LED lights, because they are not DOT approved. That was an unexpected curve ball.
Got mine installed last week. Much brighter and whiter than stock on the low beams.
High beams are so-so. Not much different than low beams.
Can they be used with projectors?
T.
'01 Keiser VX/'85 Defender 110/'97 Disco XD
Did anyone have any issues with overheating?? My bulbs cut out on me but they were from another source so I'm back to the crummy stock ones...