Experience on Chinese HIDs

[Snomon]

Ok after trolling (and contributing!) to a few Tahoe forums, here is what I have learned on the road to doing the HID conversion. Some fact, some opinions from others. Hopefully new members will avoid posting stuff like what are my fog bulbs? if they read this post first.

1) 07+ Tahoe Low Beams are H11 bulbs
2) 07+ Tahoe Hi Beams are 9005 bulbs
3) 07+ Tahoe Fogs are 880 bulbs (Adam_Mav says H3's MAY work fine but unverified). Some reports that 880 HIDs will melt housings and lens, but the Z71 rectangulars are ok.
4) A great search engine for automotive bulb searches is here:
4) BiXenon kits (for both low and high) typically have a ballast per low and high beam. (4 total anyway!) I think I may have seen ONE combo ballast in my travels on the web, but it was cost prohibitive. Can't seem to find the link now.
5) Japan and German manufactured kits are the way to go but expensive. I believe the HID kit pricing as a market whole has been falling due to the influx of decent (and some crap) Chinese HID product.
6) If you go HID, be sure to get one with a relay kit so it draws main power from the battery and not from the factory bulb harness.
7) People say to avoid chinese HID kits because they are just crap.

I decided to take one for the team and go with my native heritage and buy Chinese to see for myself if they are crap.

I ran into this Ebay vendor that has 100% feedback. 100% positive feedback with a high post count is pretty unique for a HID vendor so I went with him and he boasts a one year warranty on all parts.

He also has a website here. I called the number on the website and dealt with Joesph the owner. A few other members here have dealt with him also... Nice guy and very informative. Note his Ebay Buy It Now auctions are lower price than his website direct. Go figure since he has to pay Ebay ad and "buy it now" fees.

I bought a set of 6000k H11s for $145 and added $30 for the "ultra slim ballasts". So as of a month ago, I paid $175 shipped.

Here is a pic of the ballast comparison:

I thought these slim ballasts would be easy to mount up but note there is no mounting clips like what comes with full size ballasts. Also note there is a dongle downstream of the ballast that isn't shown, but I found a pic below:

I did a Buy it now and the box showed up in two days! (NoCal to WA)

Here's out the installation went (sorry no pics available at time of writing):

a) I had to dremel down the 3 fingers of the H11 bulb to get them to fit inside the headlamp. No big deal, but instead of "plug and play", it was "dremel first, then plug and play". So it was kind of disconcerting. I sent an email to Joesph and he basically said "it happens sometimes" with certain applications, but he will be in touch "with the factory." I know what that means, future ones will probably be unchanged because of the cost of modifying a mold. I have read of other members both ways saying their H11's fit and others having to shave down their H11's also.

b) The slim ballasts are so thin and small, I was able to tuck them in just behind the lamps. No problems with the dongle either.

c) There is no relay wiring harness so I am currently running with the power feed from stock lo beam power wiring. I bought a relay wiring harness from this Ebay vendor for about $20+ shipped. So far (knock on wood) I haven't had any melting problems. I've had the lights on for almost a month now and only one issue. The other morning, one side wouldn't ignite on start up. I waited until the other side warmed up and I flipped my light switch on and off. It ignited the 2nd time and it hasn't failed again. I read that the relay kit should fix this issue regardless so I will keep you posted.

d) In my Ebay travels, I found another HID kit for $99 shipped. (Note the link I gave merely points you to the vendor. I still went with H11's 6000k!) The Ebay Ad showed the same slim ballasts so I decided that I need a "spare ballast and bulb" in case one side went down and I did a warranty exchange with XenonRider. I went ahead and order a full kit for $99 shipped.

It also showed up in 2 days with one difference, it didn't come in a box!!! Just a padded envelope with the pair of ballasts, H11 bulbs and instructions. What a joke! I guess I just saved $75 over Xenonrider for no box and no warranty! It was the EXACT same components as XenonRiders.

What is the moral of this story? Well there are many Ebay vendors pushing the new wave of Chinese HID products. Are they as good as the Japanese and Germen counterparts? Only time will tell, but so far in my first month no issues. The Chinese are getting better doing knockoffs.

For warranty exchange, it seems the trend is there is a "warranty exchange fee" like $15 for a bulb and $25 for a ballast if you submit a failed parts anyway, so what is the point of a warranty especially if you have to eat shipping too and pay "the exchange fee".

I do expect the lifespan of the bulb and/or ballasts to be shorter but now I have a full replacement set for about the same/less total as a Japan/German set and I don't have to worry about going dark on one side for a few days if I have to do a warranty exchange!

If you go with vendors who will stand behind what they sell like Mike Johnson of Higher Level Automotive who is an approved vendor on the board here, you will be fine whether it's Chinese, Japanese or German made!

Will keep you posted on the outcome of these Chinese HIDs. Hope you find this post informative.

 

[Getwired]

Very informative. The "dongle" to which you refer is the ignitor for the bulb. Some kits have them separate from the ballast, yet connected, and a few types are fully integrated into the ballast.

For any Yukon owners, you'll need an H13(9008)-bulb kit; bi-xenon is best. Modified 9005's can be used for the foglights, but that's untested (at least until this weekend ). As soon as I receive my kit from Mike Johnson and get it installed, I'll post some results on the fogs.

My McCulloch H13 bi-xenon kit uses one bulb with a solenoid which moves the bulb to a slight angle for the hi-beam. Therefore, there's only one ballast for each side. I can't see using a bi-xenon bulb with two bulbs on one base, as how would that help with additional brightness? Seems just one more integrated thing that could fail, IMO...

And ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use a relay harness!

Thanks Snomon!

 

[Snomon]

Thank you for the clarification for BiXenon ballasts and my technical term for the igniter (dongle!).

 

[noble]

"And ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use a relay harness!"

where do i get this harness?

 

[Getwired]

You can get one from mikemjohnson on here. Just specify what type of connectors you need, and I'm sure he'll be able to get you a good price.

 

[VadersOwnZ71]

Snomon,

Update? How have those kits been working for you? Do you recommend, or is it better to buy "the good stuff". Did you ever install a relay? Did you lose your Hi beams with this install?

Thanks,

 

[Snomon]

Snomon,
Update? How have those kits been working for you? Do you recommend, or is it better to buy "the good stuff". Did you ever install a relay? Did you lose your Hi beams with this install?

1) I have had no problems with this chinese kit with the ultra slim ballasts. Only once about a month ago, did one bulb did not ignite on starting the truck, but did so after I turned the light switch on and off. No problems since.

2) Since the Tahoe is on "auto" lights and I'm in my garage every morning, there is a brief point when you are turning the key in which the HID's ignite, then go off (w/o full warm up) and on again when the key makes it all the way to "Start". I read that this is bad for HID's, but I believe in the Tahoe if you hold the light switch in "off" when you turn the key, the HID's won't ignite... but I think the auto lights will stay disabled until you manually turn the lights "on" (wait for full warm up) then back to auto, or when you start the car again normally.

I don't bother to do this. I figured I would abuse these chinese HIDs and wait and see. So far they have been fine with the short cycling.

3) I have also have been running fine without the relay kit. (knock on wood). I just checked the headlight feed wiring last week and no issues. Maybe these ultra slim ballasts and igniter are more efficient than the full size ones that have caused issues in some cars.

4) I did ultimately buy a relay kit from the Ebay link in my previous post, but when I went to install it the leads to the battery were too short because the battery in the Tahoe is at the firewall instead of the front near the lights. I've been procrastinating going back in and extending the leads...

5) Hi beams: The Tahoe has a a separate hi beam bulb which I did not convert to HID (whole new kit!). I think the 07 Yukon's have a shared hi/lo bulb. Getwired has had much success with his Bixenon's but they were name brand Mccullochs.

6) Recommendation? Maybe still too soon to tell for some people, but after a few months of running these chinese HIDs, they have been running awesome even with lack of relay wiring. I just recommended this same H11 set to a buddy running a 08 Silverado.

 

[VadersOwnZ71]

Great post Snomon, thanks for the update. Based on this thread, I'm sure I will follow suit sometime soon. I just can't see spending the extra dough for Mccullochs when the Chinese items are basically the same stuff for a lot less. Hey, if anyone did purchase Mccullochs, more power to you, but I can't justify the expenditure given Snomon's results so far.

Snomon, let us know of any updates in the future, or if you ever get that relay installed. Thanks again!!

 

[leafman60]

How do you get access to the bulbs for replacement ??? Do the lamp assemblies come out ???

 

[hbrbmx]

How do you get access to the bulbs for replacement ??? Do the lamp assemblies come out ???

Through the back..........

No..........

 

[leafman60]

Todd, there's a long thread elsewhere with pics outlining removal of the lamp assemblies for bulb replacement on the 07-08 Tahoe. Did you "improvise" by cutting a hole behind the lamp?

 

[hbrbmx]

I didn't cut a hole, I pulled the air cleaner from the passenger side, and the washer fluid canister from the driver, then pulled the "rubber" back, wasn't real bad.

"Getwired" had a good post about getting to the lights without removing the housings.

The thread about removing the housings looked liked a PIA just to change some bulbs.

 

[hoopster240]

I'm glad to hear the HIDs are working great. Not to start any trouble or anything but most kits that are supposidly made in japan are actually manufactured in china. I know this because my father has business in china and he tells me. I actually sold the chinese kits for a while and they have been 99% reliable. The biggest thing is to have a relay with the kit and that 1 year warranty which you have. I've only had 1 kit go bad on me and it was a bad ballast which went bad within the first month. Other than that every kit has been working fine for the past 2 years. Anyways like i said not trying to start any trouble here just wanted to let you know and good luck with your HIDs.

 

[VadersOwnZ71]

Oh, that's no trouble. Actually its nice to know that you don't have to spend a fortune to get HIDs that are comparable to the expensive brands without a downgrade in quality. I would venture a bet that the expensive ones have nearly the same failure rate as the cheapies. Why pay more?

 

[Getwired]

Replacing headlamp bulbs without removing entire assembly...

I didn't cut a hole, I pulled the air cleaner from the passenger side, and the washer fluid canister from the driver, then pulled the "rubber" back, wasn't real bad.

"Getwired" had a good post about getting to the lights without removing the housings.

The thread about removing the housings looked liked a PIA just to change some bulbs.

I agree -- it looks like a total pain to remove the assemblies. The post to which you refer is this one (I believe). Sorry no photos, just read along and it should be evident what I'm talking about while you look under the hood. There's usually more than one way to "skin a cat", right?

 

[leafman60]

Yes, guys, and thanks . I saw that post earlier. That procedure was for a Yukon and Im not sure its the same for a Tahoe since they have different lamp assemblies. Also, I didnt like the idea of having to use a knife to cut the plastic covers open. Any thoughts ???

 

[Seavee33]

hey guys thanks alot on the post they've really helped out but i was wondering the fogs for the '08 yukons have they been put to the test with hid's? if so what do you recommend?

 

[Seavee33]

oh and one more thing HI/LO beams bi-xenon kits take care for that? i wouldnt want to be losing my hi beams? and i also heard that on yukons since they have DRL's (daytime running lights) that they damage the hid in the long run can anyone confirm that?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

bi- xenon means you get high beams, and high beams that are 8 times a good too.

yes you have to disable the DRLs as they operate at a lower voltage and that will damage the HIDS.

 

[Getwired]

bi- xenon means you get high beams, and high beams that are 8 times a good too.

yes you have to disable the DRLs as they operate at a lower voltage and that will damage the HIDS.

Close, but not quite, RT.

Seavee33, there are at least three types of "bi-xenon" HIDs. 1) Rotate / solenoid that moves the bulb to re-focus for HI; 2) Dual arc plasma bulbs with two ballasts on each side (one for each arc); 3) Single arc plasma with halogen bulb for HI, one ballast per side. I have the first style (McCulloch) installed on my Denali.

With regard to DRLs, if you're using a relay harness (i.e. most kits), you can leave the DRLs as is if you don't care if your HIDs run while the DRL's would normally be on. The power is drawn over the harness wiring, so there is no "lower voltage" that could harm anything. Or, you can do what I and others have done, and remove fuses 30 and 32 to completely disable the DRL feature, and lose no functionality with auto on / off / LO / HI beams.

Good luck!