Xenarc X2020 HID's

Machine · November 4, 2004

Took the leap and purchased some Sylvania Xenarc X2020 HID's for the Suburbans. Pardon the pun, but the difference is day and night. Installation and aiming took 30 minutes, and the fitment is perfect. These are true HID's made by Valeo Sylvania - the same group that makes OEM HID's for Dodge, Ford, Mercedes, Cadillac, Nissan, etc. This is not an HID modification to your existing headlamp; instead it replaces the entire unit with a self-enclosed HID package.

The cost: $425 per pair, w/ shipping

Ease of install: cakewalk

Performance: at least 3 times brighter than any halogen

Warranty: 1 year

HID bulb life: 3000 Hours

10 out of 10 for this upgrade.

millerwd · November 5, 2004

Congrats on stepping up to the plate.

HID is the way to go.

Alll these halogen bulbs are just wanna bees

cit1991 · December 7, 2004

Agreed. I have them on my 2000 Z71. Very good light spread across the whole lane and shoulder.

I would recommend doing the 4-on-high headlight mod if you use HID's. Otherwise every time you turn off the brights, the HID's will have to restrike when the low circuit comes back on.

sperry · December 7, 2004

I thought of that too - What do the Caddy's do?

bigdogs · December 7, 2004

Took the leap and purchased some Sylvania Xenarc X2020 HID's for the Suburbans. Pardon the pun, but the difference is day and night. Installation and aiming took 30 minutes, and the fitment is perfect. These are true HID's made by Valeo Sylvania - the same group that makes OEM HID's for Dodge, Ford, Mercedes, Cadillac, Nissan, etc. This is not an HID modification to your existing headlamp; instead it replaces the entire unit with a self-enclosed HID package.

The cost: $425 per pair, w/ shipping

Ease of install: cakewalk

Performance: at least 3 times brighter than any halogen

Warranty: 1 year

HID bulb life: 3000 Hours

10 out of 10 for this upgrade.

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Does that replace both the low and high beams or just the low??

cit1991 · December 8, 2004

Does that replace both the low and high beams or just the low??

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The whole headlight assembly gets replaced. The low beam is HID, and the high beam is still halogen, though mine came with two new silverstars for the high beams.

The Sylvania is the only DOT legal HID kit.

The way lenses refract light depends on the wavelength (that's how prisms work). HID's have much more blue light than halogens. The blus light gets refracted incorrectly by the front lens of a stock headlight. That's why the HID's don't have lenses, they have shaped mirrors, with no lens in the front cover.

If you put HID's in a stock holder, you'll be blinding other drivers, and won't have a sharp cutoff to aim them down.

J-rod · December 8, 2004

Ok, stupid question I'm sure, but why are the high beams still halogen rather than HID as well? To maintain DOT approval???

cit1991 · December 9, 2004

Ok, stupid question I'm sure, but why are the high beams still halogen rather than HID as well? To maintain DOT approval???

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$$$$$$$

Though a 4-HID system would be awesome.

SS Crew · December 9, 2004

Ok, stupid question I'm sure, but why are the high beams still halogen rather than HID as well? To maintain DOT approval???

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Even in my wife's Lexus GS 430 the high beams are halogens and not HIDs.

meekrol · April 25, 2006

Ok, stupid question I'm sure, but why are the high beams still halogen rather than HID as well? To maintain DOT approval???

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hid lights do not project the light distances that a conventional filament bulb can. i watched the Motor Trend tv show when they tested them.

m_specs · May 10, 2006

Ok, stupid question I'm sure, but why are the high beams still halogen rather than HID as well? To maintain DOT approval???

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hid lights do not project the light distances that a conventional filament bulb can. i watched the Motor Trend tv show when they tested them.

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i think this is true unless you have projector lamp headlights.

bluntlunchbox · June 29, 2006

Any pics of the set up?

GetMore · August 10, 2006

One of the reasons HIDs are not usually installed in high beams is cost.

The other issue is startup time-the ballasts are not made for flashing the lights, they are made to be switched on and left on. Most HIDs have a warmup time during which the output stabilizes. BWM, for one has a different setup for their HID systems, where the lights are powered up partway all the time, so they can be flashed. This requires computer controls, AFAIK, to keep the voltage correct.

On top of that, if you have HID low beams, and they stay on with the highs, you don't need more than halogens for high beams, especially if they are focused for viewing down the road.

SoCalChris · August 28, 2006

Does Sylvania offer a kit like this for the 2006 trucks?

Zoltar · January 11, 2007

Took the leap and purchased some Sylvania Xenarc X2020 HID's for the Suburbans. Pardon the pun, but the difference is day and night. Installation and aiming took 30 minutes, and the fitment is perfect. These are true HID's made by Valeo Sylvania - the same group that makes OEM HID's for Dodge, Ford, Mercedes, Cadillac, Nissan, etc. This is not an HID modification to your existing headlamp; instead it replaces the entire unit with a self-enclosed HID package.

The cost: $425 per pair, w/ shipping

Ease of install: cakewalk

Performance: at least 3 times brighter than any halogen

Warranty: 1 year

HID bulb life: 3000 Hours

10 out of 10 for this upgrade.

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Does that replace both the low and high beams or just the low??

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Dont want to speak for him, but that kit is low beam hid and high beam silverstar halogens which match the color of the hid output. This looks like a really nice kit as it includes completely new housings that are designed for the hid light rather than the old halogen assemlies.