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Low Buck True Hid Kid Reivew

aviator

By aviator
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aviator Enthusiast

aviator

Posted
Posted

Okay, to all, I am not a "new" member of the site, I've been around for a long time but don't post very often. When I do, I like to have something valuable to say. I hope this review helps some people out:

 

I purchased a HID headlight kit (H11 bulbs) from zgperformance on E-bay. This kit is for my 2009 Silverado.

 

TRANSACTION

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Transaction was very smooth. the seller had a "make offer" option, so I offered him $15 for the kit and he accepted! Shipping was a reasonable $29.99 (I'm sure he recoups his money with the shipping) so for a total of $44.99, I figured I couldn't go wrong really. The seller communication was good and the part shipped quickly and arrived in 5 days. I chose the 4300K bulb color, which turned out to be a perfect match to the BMW's and Lexuses I see driving around.

 

PARTS

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The kit arrived in a nicely finished boxed, all the parts were there, the bulbs were in good shape. The ballasts are sealed and waterproof (plastic housing), and the kit came with all the necessary wiring to install the kit without cutting the OEM harness. The instalation manual (or PAPER more accuratley) was HORRIBLE. I was expecting some really bad Chinese to english translation, and got what I expected. The wires were all pre-loomed and of the right gauge. the OEM style connector was pre-crimped, and all the molex connectors are of the waterproof variety. I was happy! sadly, this was a "mini kit" - which meant the ignitor was a secondary box in the wiring harness, but that was no big deal, our trucks have PLENTY of room. This is a single bulb kit (meaning not hi/lo option) which is perfect for our trucks, considering there are two separate bulbs in the housing for hi and lo beams.

 

INSTALLATION

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Installation is pretty straightforward. I did some research on the net to find out how to remove the grille and headlights from the truck and was ready to install in only minutes. Initially, I wired the kit per their instructions using the ground supplied in the harness of the lights - no luck. Apparently the ground isn't strong enough to allow enough current to flow to the ballast to ignite the lights. No problem, I just ran a ground to chasis and voila, the lights were up and running! It's important to note that, as a precaution, I used a voltmeter to ensure I was wiring the lights up properly. The H11 bulbs fit right into the openings and lined up perfectly,

 

After the initial install, we hit a cold snap here in Oklahoma and the left headlight decided to be a little stubborn. (not lighting every time) a simple flick of the headlight switch got it going, but this was very annoying!!

 

The kit recommends that you use their "relay harness" to power the lights, so I examined the schematic they supplied and realized it was just a 30A relay. a couple of Bosch relays I had in the garage would work perfectly. Luckily our Trucks are super-easy to add accessories to thank to the 12V power tabs supplied in the front of the fuse box under the hoot. I added a small fuse block with the appropriate fuses, wires the relays up (using the power from the headlight harness as the "trip" of course, and haven't had a single problem since. It's important to note that these lights don't draw a TON of current, BUT the pure power coming through the relay seems to have fixed the issue

 

The kit comes with enough zip-ties and double sided automotive grade tape to install everything neatly and tie it up. I chose to loom everything to keep the wires clean and maintain that OEM look in the truck.

 

QUALITY

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Now I KNOW i sacrificed quality for price here, there's no doubt about it. so far, I haven't been able to to where though! and I've been running these lights about a month and haven't had a SINGLE problem, once the relays were installed. They fire every time, put out GOBS of white light and perform perfectly. I couldn't be happier! Hey, for under $50 bucks, I'd do it again! In fact, I AM doing it again, I will be installing a set for the brights as well as for the fog lights.

 

CONCLUSION

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If you have some electrical knowledge, aren't afraid of disassembling the front of your truck and want a set of HID's on the cheap, these may very well be a good choice! Look him up on ebay and give them a shot.

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Trav_13 Senior Enthusiast

Trav_13

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I think this is a helpful post, and I'd second your thoughts on the Relay. I bought a Harness from SUVLights.com and my lights have worked great for almost 2 years now, with the exception of that stubborn left headlight every now and then...which is pretty rare! I actually just ordered another set of lights to trade these out since I have been running them for 2 years, I don't want to take any chances on bad ballast or bulbs.

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