Morimoto HID kit from TRS, review

[tdman]

The AUTO part is easy to understand. In that mode, the lights are trying to light at the same time as the engine is cranking. HID lights need a very large voltage in order to establish the initial electrical arc. Obviously, the period when the engine is cranking is the very worst time to try to get a very high voltage. A very small delay between the time you press the START button and the moment the lights turn on, say a second or less, would probably help quite a lot in resolving the problem. The OEM system might just be adopting a similar solution.

As for the problem happening when the bulbs haven't been used in a while here is my theory. To understand why, you first need to understand how HID bulbs work. If you look closely at an HID bulb, you will notice a white/yellowish powder is in there. That is a salt that gets vaporized by the initial (very hot) electrical arc. The initial arc requires a LOT of juice to produce because the thin gas inside the bulb is not very conductive. The arc is also initially blue. Once the salt is vaporized into the bulb, the gaseous medium becomes a lot more conductive and better able to sustain the arc. Ionization of the salt vapor by the arc is also what produces the white light color we all love.

Now, after turning off the car, it takes a while for the vaporized salts to re-condense into a solid. During that time, the gas inside the bulb remains more conductive, so a lower voltage is not as much of a problem: the lights should start easily even in AUTO. Once the bulbs have cooled completely and salts are condensed, then you get the problem agin on occasion...

I think your theory is correct. I only turn on the light after the engine crank has die down now but sometime it still won't turn on, I will wait a bit longer and see if the light will turn on more consistently. Would be nice if TRS would make the relay with time delay, this way it would be sure to work if the light switch is in AUTO. Just wondering if anyone here with OEM HID, how long after you start your car does the light come on?

 

[vroom]

Correct. The OEM HID's will not attempt to ignite while the engine is cranking.

Just one additional reason why it's best to stick with solutions that have been engineered to work as a whole.

Mike, if everythink were as black or white as you make it sound, life would be so much simpler.

That "solution" you speek of would have cost me 4850$ more. I don't know about your financial situation, but for me that's a fair bit of money. My "solution" cost me 150$. Sure it's not absolutely perfect, but a simple OFF/ON cycle of the lights solves the problem every time, and it only happened 3 or so times during an entire year of ownership. Even if I keep my car 10 years, that's 160$ per flick of the light switch, actually more than what the entire kit cost me. You can pay me to flick a light switch all day for that price!

 

[MikeM.]

Mike, if everythink were as black or white as you make it sound, life would be so much simpler.

That "solution" you speek of would have cost me 4850$ more. I don't know about your financial situation, but for me that's a fair bit of money.

I wouldn't pay that much either when I had lights that worked properly to begin with. I did pay more for the Tech Package, just to get the self-leveling HID lights that aim into the corners. But I would not pay $150 for a half-assed solution. That would bug me not knowing if both lights were illuminated or not (a cop might pull me over for that).

But everyone has different priorities and I can only suggest what I prefer.

 

[tibimakai]

Not everybody can afford all nice features.

 

[tdman]

I wouldn't pay that much either when I had lights that worked properly to begin with. I did pay more for the Tech Package, just to get the self-leveling HID lights that aim into the corners. But I would not pay $150 for a half-assed solution. That would bug me not knowing if both lights were illuminated or not (a cop might pull me over for that).

But everyone has different priorities and I can only suggest what I prefer.

Mike, it's not about priorities and more about affordability. As I mentioned before, I would get OEM HID if it was offer in the Touring trim even in FWD like in the US but that's not an option for us here in Canada, we can only get the OEM HID if we buy the GT + Tech and that an extra $5000 that I could use some where else like take care of my kids or pay down the mortgage. So I went with the next best thing out there for HID, the TRS HID kit is not OEM and it will never work like OEM, there're compatibility issue look like not only for this kit but other as well, and I'm willing to deal with little annoying thing to get the lighting I want. Beside this thread is about how well the TRS HID kit work, NOT how well the OEM HID work.

 

[MikeM.]

Mike, it's not about priorities and more about affordability.

Of course it's about priorities.

As I already pointed out, I wouldn't spend even $150 more when I already had OEM quartz-halogen headlights that worked. Obviously you thought you could afford the $150 more. My point was I would rather have the OEM headlights that came with your car than pay more money to get HID headlights that weren't 100% compatible with your vehicle. You are happy so obviously your priorities are different than my priorities.

 

[kdaug]

Of course it's about priorities.

As I already pointed out, I wouldn't spend even $150 more when I already had OEM quartz-halogen headlights that worked. Obviously you thought you could afford the $150 more. My point was I would rather have the OEM headlights that came with your car than pay more money to get HID headlights that weren't 100% compatible with your vehicle. You are happy so obviously your priorities are different than my priorities.

I suspect that if halogen bulb manufactures had made greater strides in upgrading their filament bulbs to provide whiter light, with at least the same beam distance, but more importantly, that lasted the same length of time as the current oem halogen bulbs, we probably wouldn't be having as many conversations about having to find a workable HID/LED upgrade to match the output of the oem HID/LED higher optioned CX-5's(i.e. GT Tech).

 

[vroom]

My passenger light failed to light a couple times in a row last week on start-up while lights were on AUTO (just like me and others describe in previous posts). It was immediately obvious, and an off-on cycle solved the problem both times, so no harm done. That was the first time it had happened in about 6 months.

So this weekend I removed some paint where the ground wire is connected on the passenger side to get a better contact. So-far-so-good, but it rarely happens anyway so it means nothing right now. Will report back eventually to let you know how it goes.

 

[bluefire_xl]

I am just curious how to install them. Do you need to remove the headlights?

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[kdaug]

I am just curious how to install them. Do you need to remove the headlights?

Check out vroom's post #23 earlier on this thread. He has pictures and descriptions which are quite good.

 

[armymandres]

I just installed mine today, the longest part of the whole operation was trying to find mounting points for everything. Mine didn't come with the same mounting hardware as the pics I saw in this thread. So I did what I could with 3M double side tape. I'll tryi to find a more permanent solution for the relays later. The only issue I can see is the Relay to the Factory plug, it keeps wanting to come loose, and yes it clicked. I guess I'll get some electrical tape and tape it up. What do you guys thing?

[URL=http://s1055.photobucket.com/user/armymandres/media/20160305_151304_zpsxzesau1b.jpg.html]

[IMG][URL=http://s1055.photobucket.com/user/armymandres/media/20160305_151313_zpshbuvpaog.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1055.photobucket.com/albums/s506/armymandres/20160305_151313_zpshbuvpaog.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

 

[MikeM.]

The halogens:

The HIDs

This kit turns a modern DOT compliant lighting system into a non-DOT compliant system with three times as much glare in the eyes of oncoming traffic. You might not care about other drivers, at least not until one of them veers off the shoulder and over-corrects back into your lane resulting in a fatal head on collision. It won't matter if they are 70 years old and have cataracts, if you survive the impact you could be charged with negligent homicide. That is if there are enough recognizable components of your HID retrofit scattered about the accident scene for the accident investigator to figure out what happened.

The beam pattern I find particularly troubling for two reasons. One is the amount of additional light hitting the foundation wall just to the left of the garage door. This is the portion of the beam that will hit the road in the on-coming lane. If it's a dark and stormy night, this reflects directly off the wet pavement into the eyes of oncoming drivers. Secondarily, the amount of direct glare has roughly tripled. This combination of direct glare and indirect glare can make it very difficult for oncoming drivers to stay in their lane, a very hazardous situation. This is why lighting systems for use on public roads have mandatory standards.

If you have trouble seeing with DOT legal quartz-halogen units, how do you think a driver with quartz-halogen feels with all that additional glare in their eyes?

I get it, you don't care.

 

[armymandres]

This kit turns a modern DOT compliant lighting system into a non-DOT compliant system with three times as much glare in the eyes of oncoming traffic. You might not care about other drivers, at least not until one of them veers off the shoulder and over-corrects back into your lane resulting in a fatal head on collision. It won't matter if they are 70 years old and have cataracts, if you survive the impact you could be charged with negligent homicide. That is if there are enough recognizable components of your HID retrofit scattered about the accident scene for the accident investigator to figure out what happened.

The beam pattern I find particularly troubling for two reasons. One is the amount of additional light hitting the foundation wall just to the left of the garage door. This is the portion of the beam that will hit the road in the on-coming lane. If it's a dark and stormy night, this reflects directly off the wet pavement into the eyes of oncoming drivers. Secondarily, the amount of direct glare has roughly tripled. This combination of direct glare and indirect glare can make it very difficult for oncoming drivers to stay in their lane, a very hazardous situation. This is why lighting systems for use on public roads have mandatory standards.

If you have trouble seeing with DOT legal quartz-halogen units, how do you think a driver with quartz-halogen feels with all that additional glare in their eyes?

I get it, you don't care.

So what is your excuse on all the cars with factory HIDS that are this bright? If you aim your lights in the proper fashion then you don't have the bleed off. I installed mine yesterday, and have no bleed off, and no glare. I checked. Just because you don't know how to install them or aim them properly doesn't mean the rest of us don't.

 

[MikeM.]

So what is your excuse on all the cars with factory HIDS that are this bright?

No excuse needed. Factory HID meet standards for glare. They are not HID bulbs in a reflector designed for quartz-halogen. The more light you have to control, the better your headlight optics need to be to meet DOT standards. Why do you think proper HID lights cost so much?

If you aim your lights in the proper fashion then you don't have the bleed off. I installed mine yesterday, and have no bleed off, and no glare. I checked. Just because you don't know how to install them or aim them properly doesn't mean the rest of us don't.

That's laughable. All headlights have glare. The question is how much and does it meet the minimum DOT standards. These do not.

 

[vroom]

The glare is about non-existent, I assure you MikeM. I stood on my knees with the cut-off lighting my nose. The headlights appeared less bright than my fog lights. As I said, my wife's Hyundai's reflectors with original bulbs are much brighter above the cut-off. All things I mentioned in my detailed posts.

You are being fooled by camera exposure effects (that I describe at length in my original post, you know, when these pictures were in context).

You do need to be careful about how you load your car though, as I was very honest about in another post.

But we all know how you LOVE your car in its original, unaltered blissful state. I mean, who would even consider deflower it's perfection, right.

I like you MikeM, but definitely can see how you get on people's nerves sometimes.

 

[MikeM.]

The glare is about non-existent, I assure you MikeM. I stood on my knees with the cut-off lighting my nose. The headlights appeared less bright than my fog lights. As I said, my wife's Hyundai's reflectors with original bulbs are much brighter above the cut-off. All things I mentioned in my detailed posts.

You are being fooled by camera exposure effects (that I describe at length in my original post, you know, when these pictures were in context).

No, the photos I quoted were the ones taken with consistent exposure from quarts-halogen to HID. There is no "being fooled by camera exposure effects". Standing on your knees facing the headlights is not an accurate way to measure glare. Specialized equipment is required. Europeans realize that glare will vary depending upon the amount of road grime and water on the headlights, that's why even HID's that otherwise meet beam pattern and glare standards are required to have headlight wipers. About all you can determine on your knees is that your lighting cutoff is above or below your eyes (at least with your present load of cargo and passengers). That does not determine whether the direct glare and reflected glare is above the limit.

You do need to be careful about how you load your car though, as I was very honest about in another post.

How do you be careful how you load your car?? After the big trip to Costco on that stormy December night you tell your wife to go return half the merchandise so you don't create a fatal head-on collision on the way home? Or you have the fat people sit in the front seat? Do you put the heaviest items on the passenger side floor?

I like you MikeM, but definitely can see how you get on people's nerves sometimes.

I am fully aware that people trying to achieve brighter headlights at lower cost are going to be chaffed if anyone points out that their "handiwork" is out of compliance with headlight safety standards designed to keep the roads safe. And that anyone doing this is basically saying they just don't care about other road users rights. They only care about themselves.

There is one thing I don't care about, and that is whether or not my honest and accurate analysis chaffs the nerves of these inconsiderate motorists who feel it is their personal right to have brighter headlights at the expense of those who remain in compliance. The roads are shared by all. If you want brighter headlights, spend the money to acquire DOT legal solutions that address the issues brighter lights bring. And don't fool yourselves that your jury rigged solutions are no different that DOT compliant HID's.

 

[vroom]

I won't get into a pissing match with you as you have done with others MikeM.

What I can bring to this thread, on the subject of Morimoto HIDs in the CX-5 projectors, is actual experience. And don't ever go bringing experience down. All of the pressious knowledge you think you have previously came from someones experience.

What I know from experience is that my family's life is possibly owed to these. A deer jumped in front of me on the highway right at the fringe of my lights and I barely avoided it. With the old set I almost certainly would not have. And yes, I'm an experienced and good driver and know a lot about emergency maneuvers. Ans yes I know all about night vision : the foreground is not too bright or these would be out in a second.

What I know from experience is that on my daily drive on a dark country road I crossed paths with tens of thousands of oncoming cars at night and have not once been flashed.

What I know from experience is that when I know my car will be loaded more than usual (camping, Christmas, etc.) I put my halogens back in. I've done it several times, it takes 5 minutes. I do this because I know the limits of the system from experience. And no, I don't go to Costco (I find the concept of mass consuming appalling) and know no fat people.

So if you have any information about how the Morimoto kit reacts in the CX-5 projectors, like measurements or personal experience from using them, please do share. In my line of work I thrive on having my views challenged by fact. I'm quite fine with that.

If you have any question about the kit or how to install it, please ask.

If all you have to barge in here and insult everyone about being careless and irresponsible is your personal, arbitrary opinion (because yes, if you don't have any actual fact to back them they are just as arbitrary as any ones) then please bugger off to polute someone else's thread.

We all know this modification is not legal. It does not automatically make it dangerous.

 

[MikeM.]

All of the pressious knowledge you think you have previously came from someones experience.

Tell that to Albert Einstein!

What I know from experience is that when I know my car will be loaded more than usual (camping, Christmas, etc.) I put my halogens back in. I've done it several times, it takes 5 minutes. I do this because I know the limits of the system from experience.

Having to change out the bulbs/wiring harness every time I was going to have a load in the back is not something most people are willing to do. That would rule out HID conversion for me right off the bat! I will guarantee you I encounter people on my normal route on winter nights that do not change their HID conversions out just because they have a full load. And the glare is bad enough even when the cutoff is properly positioned.

So if you have any information about how the Morimoto kit reacts in the CX-5 projectors, like measurements or personal experience from using them, please do share. In my line of work I thrive on having my views challenged by fact. I'm quite fine with that.

I used your measurements. You said your digital camera measured three times the light output (and I would say the photos you posted are consistent with that). Assuming the arc of the HID was a perfect match for the quartz halogen filament, this implies there is three times as much stray light. Simple physics. It could be more than that because of differences in the shape/position of the source (arc vs. filament). But it would not be less.

If you have any question about the kit or how to install it, please ask.

OK. Is there any way to install it so it is legal and doesn't compromise others visibility on rainy nights?

If all you have to barge in here and insult everyone about being careless and irresponsible is your personal, arbitrary opinion (because yes, if you don't have any actual fact to back them they are just as arbitrary as any ones) then please bugger off to polute someone else's thread.

The "actual facts" were supplied by you (three times as much light in the OEM headlight). That's all you need to know to know there is (at least) three times the amount of glare. OEM HID's are much more expensive because the optics need to be higher quality to control glare more effectively (not to mention the auto-leveling function).

We all know this modification is not legal. It does not automatically make it dangerous.

Right. The DOT headlight standards only exist to keep people from having headlights that are truly safe and effective! (drunk)

 

[armymandres]

Didn't realize the HID police was in town.

 

[MikeM.]

Didn't realize the HID police was in town.

(trolls)