HID and LED Help - Buick Rainier

[02Olds]

I'm begininning to get into that, "I wanna change things," groove on my car and my next is going to be HID's and LED's. I've searched around, so I have a basic idea of what I'm getting myself into, but I still have questions that I've been unable to find by searching.

I plan to put 35W 6000k HID's in for both the fogs and the headlights. I know that the headlights are 9006 bulbs and the fogs are H11 for the Rainier, but I have a few questions.

1. Do I need to use a relay, or will I be ok if I simply do the capacitor mod since my kit I plan to use is only 35W?
2. Where can I get a capacitor, and what size should I use? I want to keep my DRL's, so I don't want to use a killer.
3. Are the stock assemblies a good projector without scattering light? Can someone post a picture of their HID's without projectors so I can see how the cutoff appears?

Now onto the LED questions. I have stock tail assemblies, and I want a bright bulb so that I can put a tint over my tails and I'd still be able to have alot of light show through, as to not risk being pulled over. I also want to do the Rainier eyebrow LED's.

1. Will LED's show through a tint well enough for me to consider getting them?
2. What size are the tail light bulbs? I know the eyebrow LED's will be 194's, if I'm correct, but I'm not sure about the tails.
3. What bulbs will give me the best output and look?
4. Will I need resistors, or will I be ok just putting the bulb in, plug and play? If I do need them, what ones, and how do I do it?
5. Is it illegal to take out amber lights from the front of the car? If I do the eyebrows, I'd be removing the amber lights that are there from factory and replacing them with a white light.



Thank you for the help!
02olds

 

[ssmedt]

I'm begininning to get into that, "I wanna change things," groove on my car and my next is going to be HID's and LED's. I've searched around, so I have a basic idea of what I'm getting myself into, but I still have questions that I've been unable to find by searching.

I plan to put 35W 6000k HID's in for both the fogs and the headlights. I know that the headlights are 9006 bulbs and the fogs are H11 for the Rainier, but I have a few questions.

1. Do I need to use a relay, or will I be ok if I simply do the capacitor mod since my kit I plan to use is only 35W?
2. Where can I get a capacitor, and what size should I use? I want to keep my DRL's, so I don't want to use a killer.
3. Are the stock assemblies a good projector without scattering light? Can someone post a picture of their HID's without projectors so I can see how the cutoff appears?

Now onto the LED questions. I have stock tail assemblies, and I want a bright bulb so that I can put a tint over my tails and I'd still be able to have alot of light show through, as to not risk being pulled over. I also want to do the Rainier eyebrow LED's.

1. Will LED's show through a tint well enough for me to consider getting them?
2. What size are the tail light bulbs? I know the eyebrow LED's will be 194's, if I'm correct, but I'm not sure about the tails.
3. What bulbs will give me the best output and look?
4. Will I need resistors, or will I be ok just putting the bulb in, plug and play? If I do need them, what ones, and how do I do it?
5. Is it illegal to take out amber lights from the front of the car? If I do the eyebrows, I'd be removing the amber lights that are there from factory and replacing them with a white light.



Thank you for the help!
02olds

I have 5000k for lows and fogs and they are great. After you install the lows just aim them properly and you won't have any problems.

I have worked with 1 or 2 vendors on the OS and in my opinion LEDs look terrible in our tails for the break/turn. Since they don't shine back to reflect in the housing they put out less light then stock bulbs. I have 4 watt in mt reverse and those are awesome.

Also a easy led mod is your tag lights just 2 194 bulbs.

You will be fine with the eyebrows they are not the legal amber reflectors as those are in our bumpers next to the corner illuminations. You can also led the corner illuminators and I got a chrome bulb on eBay that flashes amber for the turn signal in the headloght housing and that will remove that amber hue from the turn signal

 

[02Olds]

I have 5000k for lows and fogs and they are great. After you install the lows just aim them properly and you won't have any problems.

I have worked with 1 or 2 vendors on the OS and in my opinion LEDs look terrible in our tails for the break/turn. Since they don't shine back to reflect in the housing they put out less light then stock bulbs. I have 4 watt in mt reverse and those are awesome.

Also a easy led mod is your tag lights just 2 194 bulbs.

You will be fine with the eyebrows they are not the legal amber reflectors as those are in our bumpers next to the corner illuminations. You can also led the corner illuminators and I got a chrome bulb on eBay that flashes amber for the turn signal in the headloght housing and that will remove that amber hue from the turn signal

Thank you! I guess I'll hold off on tinting the tails until I have the time to do some real mods for light output. Sorry to bother, but do you mind taking a picture of your HID's cutoff line on something? I'm very skeptical, as I've seen way too many dispersed lights, and was blinded by a few on my way home last night. I know HID's are illegal in our cars, so I'm trying to have minimalistic problems, while still upgrading the appearance and output on the lights.

Thanks again!
02olds

 

[mrphoenix80]

I have HIDs in the highs and the lows with no clear cut line like a projector. However I have them aimed down a bit. I rarely get flashed and have been in front of my truck on a drive. The lights did not bother me in the mirror.
If you are going to to do highs and lows in HID I recommend the 4 light upgrade. The warm up time when you go to the highs means NO LIGHT for a few seconds with out the mod. At 60MPH on the back roads this can be a bit frightening.
I did the Capacitor thing in mine and it helps but I still have the odd issue with the right light not coming on. OF course the first thing I did was try to "outsmart" the auto headlights. I removed the sunlight sensor in the dash wraped it in black plastic. This way the truck "thinks" it is dark all the time. However is did not work because the permiter lighting feature runs at 70% so the lights still did not come on when I unlocked the truck(at least the right one didn't). Then when I started the truck it stayed off until I cycled the switch. The cap fixed this issue for me. But when I get a chance I am going to upgrade the system with relay harnesses. I just got to find a way to hide them. Maybe I will get a couple shots of my lights tonight and post them. The guys at my shop pick on me beacuse the 6" rounds I have on the brush gaurd look like turn signals compaired to my headlights.

 

[02Olds]

I have HIDs in the highs and the lows with no clear cut line like a projector. However I have them aimed down a bit. I rarely get flashed and have been in front of my truck on a drive. The lights did not bother me in the mirror.
If you are going to to do highs and lows in HID I recommend the 4 light upgrade. The warm up time when you go to the highs means NO LIGHT for a few seconds with out the mod. At 60MPH on the back roads this can be a bit frightening.
I did the Capacitor thing in mine and it helps but I still have the odd issue with the right light not coming on. OF course the first thing I did was try to "outsmart" the auto headlights. I removed the sunlight sensor in the dash wraped it in black plastic. This way the truck "thinks" it is dark all the time. However is did not work because the permiter lighting feature runs at 70% so the lights still did not come on when I unlocked the truck(at least the right one didn't). Then when I started the truck it stayed off until I cycled the switch. The cap fixed this issue for me. But when I get a chance I am going to upgrade the system with relay harnesses. I just got to find a way to hide them. Maybe I will get a couple shots of my lights tonight and post them. The guys at my shop pick on me beacuse the 6" rounds I have on the brush gaurd look like turn signals compaired to my headlights.

I don't plan to do my highs, as I hardly use them now, and I'll probably never ever use them when I have HID's. I picked up a capacitor yesterday, so that mod will be done in preparation before I order my HID's.

 

[Jkust]

Thank you! I guess I'll hold off on tinting the tails until I have the time to do some real mods for light output. Sorry to bother, but do you mind taking a picture of your HID's cutoff line on something? I'm very skeptical, as I've seen way too many dispersed lights, and was blinded by a few on my way home last night. I know HID's are illegal in our cars, so I'm trying to have minimalistic problems, while still upgrading the appearance and output on the lights.

Thanks again!
02olds

Believe it or not the 9-7x's came with factory HID's if you got one of the v8 options (optional on an i6). I actually don't care for the sharp cut off to be honest. I like the color and the 'brightness' but they are clearly designed to not bother oncoming drivers. Also for fun go ebay search a replacement headlight housing for a 9-7...used are going over $700 each and new were way more. My wife has a Rainier and I prefer her halogens light output and dispercement.

 

[ssmedt]

here is a pic of the LED's that I tried in the tail. I do not have a night pic but this is them lit up during the day. Way worse light output then stock

The fogs have a nice cut off line but the lows don't (this was before i put the HID's in the lows)

This is the only shot i have of the cut off line but i don't think the lows are HID in this pic