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Convert High Beams to DRL's
Hey guys, so I have always wanted to find a way to dim my high beams so i can drive with them through the city similar to DRL's seen on lexus's and hondas. I know it sounds like a worthless ricer mod but I personally think that our 5th gens would look nicer if we were able to keep them on giving our headlights the effect of a longer stretched look. I do live in LA where there are city lights EVERYWHERE and because of that, I never had to use my high beams except for pissing people off. So like any other car modder, I decided to go for it. After searching up on the org and finding pretty much nothing on this idea i decided to stop by a local LED/lighting shop called iJDMTOY.com to ask them if they had anything like this. They gave me special LED H3B bulbs to take the place of the stock bubs. For those who have fog lights you may have to splice and rewire a few things to get your high beams, low beams, and fogs to all turn on at the same time.
Here are some pictures. (Yes I know they do not match with my low beams! My 8,000k HID bulbs burnt out during winter and I had to switched back to the stock bulbs. I will post another picture once I get my new bulbs) Pictures without high beams/DRL's: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19114948.jpg Finished product: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19104845.jpg Stock light bulb: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19105242.jpg New LED bulb: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19105114.jpg (The lower two rows are blue LED with the rest of the rows as white. Giving it a HID color effect) Stock bulb: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19105420.jpg Comparison: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19105427.jpg Night pictures:http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-18204517.jpg http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-18204459.jpg Finished product: http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...1-19104801.jpg I do have to warn you guys that because our headlights use a reflection method rather than projectors they will appear VERY blue (because of the two rows of blue LEDs) from the side close up to 10 feet. It makes it appear like it has blue angel halos such as those on BMW's which many be an upside but will attract a lot of attention to cops. From a distance while driving the two colors will mix and provide a color similar to the HID color somewhere between 8,000k and 10,000k. The LED bulbs will NOT blind other drivers because the lighting output is nothing close to the stock halogen bulbs and is purely for looks. BUT they do have the bulbs in all white which wont emit any blue. The reason why chose these was because they were still a testing product and they told me that I can exchange it anytime to the pure white bulbs. Since no one else had these bulbs I decided to give them a shot. You can order these bulbs from their website at iJDMTOY.com |
.... but DRL's dont run with low beams on. have you considered wiring just your highs in when your daylight sensor senses daylight? all canadian models use DRL's, search for something about that
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Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7897369)
.... but DRL's dont run with low beams on. have you considered wiring just your highs in when your daylight sensor senses daylight? all canadian models use DRL's, search for something about that
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O.
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I like this. Nice aesthetic mod that no one has thought of before. I might even consider it if I didn't use my V2 angel eyes as DRLs.
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jowo, yours is a canadian model, don't you have DRL's?
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i like this :D
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I'm reading the first post, thinking "WTF?" Then I saw the after-photo... and it's pretty. No doubt about it.
I doubt you'd pass inspection with those bulbs, but that's easy enough to swap in/out for your tag. Also, your fogs will turn off with the high-beams on. Although there's probably some kind of re-wire for that. And of course, you're SOL for proper lighting when you need highbeams. But if you live in an urban area, I suppose that's not a big issue. OP, you get props for thinking outside the box. jowo9, this mod should be right up your alley. |
Originally Posted by Rochester
(Post 7897487)
I'm reading the first post, thinking "WTF?" Then I saw the after-photo... and it's pretty. No doubt about it.
I doubt you'd pass inspection with those bulbs, but that's easy enough to swap in/out for your tag. Also, your fogs will turn off with the high-beams on. Although there's probably some kind of re-wire for that. And of course, you're SOL for proper lighting when you need highbeams. But if you live in an urban area, I suppose that's not a big issue. OP, you get props for thinking outside the box. jowo9, this mod should be right up your alley. It's too bad because I really like that look in the after picture. It would be great with some whiter, possibly color-matched bulbs. |
The ribbed edge of the high-beam reflector creates a really unique look.
And I bet some HID fogs could satisfy most high-beam situations. Has anyone ever done that, used fogs as high-beams? |
Originally Posted by Rochester
(Post 7897639)
The ribbed edge of the high-beam reflector creates a really unique look.
And I bet some HID fogs could satisfy most high-beam situations. Has anyone ever done that, used fogs as high-beams? |
Originally Posted by Rochester
(Post 7897639)
The ribbed edge of the high-beam reflector creates a really unique look.
And I bet some HID fogs could satisfy most high-beam situations. Has anyone ever done that, used fogs as high-beams? when I say "useful", I mean nighttime driving down dark highways with deer. |
Anyone ever thought (if you don't mind butchering your highbeam reflectors a little) of mounting a few single LEDs in the high beam just to act as DRLs?
You could run a wire to the parking lights, or directly to an accessory so they were on whenever the car was on. GM and a lot of other companies do it this way...and pulled off properly, it can be done pretty discreetly. |
Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7897448)
jowo, yours is a canadian model, don't you have DRL's?
Originally Posted by Rochester
(Post 7897639)
The ribbed edge of the high-beam reflector creates a really unique look.
And I bet some HID fogs could satisfy most high-beam situations. Has anyone ever done that, used fogs as high-beams? |
Originally Posted by jowo9
(Post 7897789)
Yeah, but mine shorted out a year ago and I have been happy about it ever since :)
I have HIDs in my fogs and aimed them higher. I almost never use my highbeams now. |
Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7897792)
lol, they're SERIOUSLY too bright, I guarantee. Like the 99-06 Silverado 1500's and Chargers...
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I'd aim mine up too, and let them help like that, but I feel like I cant see crap at night with just low beams, when bright fogs cant be used...
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Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7897798)
I'd aim mine up too, and let them help like that, but I feel like I cant see crap at night with just low beams, when bright fogs cant be used...
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from how far away? over a longer distance, say 100 feet, they probably aim higher than the headlights
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Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7897806)
from how far away? over a longer distance, say 100 feet, they probably aim higher than the headlights
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Originally Posted by Prophecy99
(Post 7898313)
very interesting, like the custom approach and how you went about finishing the idea all the way through.
sometimes after a night of driving and i leave the Highs on after parking and locking, and have noticed, it definately astetically looks great having the light in the normally voided areas. the blue is rough, but understand your choice. to the rest of the non urban world, i wonder if theres a way to do this and keep your HI beam functional %100... I have started to see alot of stock TSXs with this high beam area on while driving but not have it the high beams, it may be the drl area, but its in the same spot as ours.. any one else see that out driving? |
^^^good to know... hmm...
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Originally Posted by luvlexus101
(Post 7898318)
If I'm not mistaken I think some of those acuras have an 'integrated' fog light in the main headlamp area that points down since their projectors are bixenon. I may be mistaken though. I know an 05 tl and a 06 g sedan I had been looking at had 'integrated fogs'
and 6th gen maximas... retarded in my opinion... |
Originally Posted by avciugroar
(Post 7899362)
and 6th gen maximas... retarded in my opinion...
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Nice Mod Didnt really care for the High Beams but i like dat blue /white effect. And since these are just LED's and not HID's I may do it. Now if u flash someone here n there as time goes by would the LED Lights have trouble in the long end? Askin this because with HID's if u constantly turn them on and off its no good. Just want to make sure its not the same with this?
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Originally Posted by showstoppa01
(Post 7937616)
Nice Mod Didnt really care for the High Beams but i like dat blue /white effect. And since these are just LED's and not HID's I may do it. Now if u flash someone here n there as time goes by would the LED Lights have trouble in the long end? Askin this because with HID's if u constantly turn them on and off its no good. Just want to make sure its not the same with this?
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Originally Posted by showstoppa01
(Post 7937616)
Nice Mod Didnt really care for the High Beams but i like dat blue /white effect. And since these are just LED's and not HID's I may do it. Now if u flash someone here n there as time goes by would the LED Lights have trouble in the long end? Askin this because with HID's if u constantly turn them on and off its no good. Just want to make sure its not the same with this?
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Originally Posted by Rochester
(Post 7897487)
I'm reading the first post, thinking "WTF?" Then I saw the after-photo... and it's pretty. No doubt about it.
I doubt you'd pass inspection with those bulbs, but that's easy enough to swap in/out for your tag. Also, your fogs will turn off with the high-beams on. Although there's probably some kind of re-wire for that. And of course, you're SOL for proper lighting when you need highbeams. But if you live in an urban area, I suppose that's not a big issue. OP, you get props for thinking outside the box. jowo9, this mod should be right up your alley. If I did this it would be on a separate switch and rarely used (shows, etc.) Props on a fairly unique Maxima mod though |
Heres an update:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...z/IMG_0335.jpg http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...IMG_0334-1.jpg http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...z/IMG_0331.jpg I decided to put a bit of masking tape over the two rows of blue which covers up the blue but not totally giving a HID color look which I was looking for in the start. As you can see from the pics, they match pretty well with my white LED parking lights but for some reason turned out blue from the pictures. :p AND yes I still have OEM bulbs and they don't match :mad: |
Are the LED's blue or white? Higher quality White LED's would produce a better match. You could get UV LED's too but they aren't very bright.
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If you're looking for a whiter LED bulb, I would look at something from VLEDs.
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-LED/D...22474-1-2.html |
Looking at this thread again, this would be awesome to do with a projector retrofit.
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