Discussions

Does anyone else find at night the lights aren't great? What if anything have you done to help it? It's a 2013.

Same issue. Headlights are terrible. I tried led Headlights and weren't the greatest. I ordered hids, easy install and very bright. I ordered mine from custom auto h13 kit plug and play. I looked at many replacment Headlights and found hids are the best bang for your $$

I haven't replaced the stock lights, but use the driving lights all the time.

Suck on every model of jeep built, for the TJ I went with a new higher lumen Halogen bulb that was a direct swap.  
 
Did the same upgrade on a CJ-7 and YJ which helped a lot for night driving.  
NAPA can order them in, never looked anywhere else.  

standupguy said "Same issue. Headlights are terrible. I tried led Headlights and weren't the greatest. I ordered hids, easy install and very bright. I ordered mine from custom auto h13 kit plug and play. I looked at many replacment Headlights and found hids are the best bang for your $$ "

How much was that kit? Are they dot? How hard to install?

Not all that bad for install. I removed grille and headlights. Hardest part was mounting the ballasts somewhere safe. Dot approved no but most hid kits aren't. I have never been bothered for them. One thing I will tell you is if you do go hids your DRL will very bright being on high beam with HIDS and you will get flashed lol. so I drive with low all the time

HID kits are not designed and not meant to be used in conjuction with reflector style headlight housings.  
 
HID lights are generally mounted in projector style housings. You can generally tell if you're in a vehicle with projector style lights because there is a visible "line" below which your headlights illuminate your path, and above which is distinctly dark. Most new vehicles of higher trimline come with projector housings, although not necessarily with HID's IN them.  
 
HID's in reflector housings, while outputting much more light, do not control it well and result in very serious glare to oncoming traffic. Projector headlights allow for more useable light because the line of vision of the occupants of oncoming traffic is below the "line" previously mentioned, where all the light is focused. This is why no vehicle manufacturer ever puts HID kits into reflector style housings meant for halogen bulbs.  
 
Think of the path of light from HID projectors as a laser beam and the path of light from HIDs in reflector housings as a shotgun birdshot blast.  
 
I will freely admit that out of ignorance I at one point also put HID's into reflectors until it was pointed out to me that while you likely wont be called on it, is not the proper way to improve forward lighting, can be dangerous and aiming your lights down often does little to correct the problem.  
 
If you are interested in doing things the right way, purchase an HID kit along with proper aftermarket lenses and I guarantee you will be much happier with the result, and so will everyone else on the road in front of you.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edited by Torque, 2016-01-19 12:19:14

I don't recommend the bulb gets to hot in that small of a housing and melts. Have seen it numerous amounts of times. 8 years experience in the field. Granted it will Throw light even farther but I have seen it melt projectors. I do lots of highway driving at night and have no problem with scattered light or not being aimed properly.

With projector lens you get this annoying cut off line in you light pattern which comes in handy driving at night and only seeing have a sign lit up. But that's just me. I don't care for them.

standupguy said "I don't recommend the bulb gets to hot in that small of a housing and melts. Have seen it numerous amounts of times. 8 years experience in the field. Granted it will Throw light even farther but I have seen it melt projectors. I do lots of highway driving at night and have no problem with scattered light or not being aimed properly. "

There are vehicles that run projector style housings with halogen bulbs, I know this because I own one. Newer Rams with the led turn signals contain projector housings but only have halogen bulbs in them.  
 
The melted projectors you're talking about were the result of installing HIDs into projector housings that weren't originally meant for them, such as the Ram I just mentioned.  
 
What you seem to be implying is that because you've seen people INCORRECTLY install HID's into projector housings that weren't meant for them, that it's just a wash and its correct to put them in any housing that will take them. No.  
 
Why is every vehicle that is manufactured with HID's from factory put them in properly engineered PROJECTOR headlights?  
 
Why are HID kits NOT DOT compliant? Because HID manufacturers and distributors can't control what you put them into and know people will and do put them into reflector housings and will in fact advise against doing so.  
 
This is directly from HID CANADA, one of the largest distributors and installers of HID kits in Canada:  
 
We're quite certain that either yourself or someone you know has been in a vehicle where another oncoming or following vehicle temporarily blinded you with their headlights. This is commonly due to one of two causes:  
 
1) The other driver accidentally left their highbeams on  
2) The other driver installed an HID conversion kit in a halogen reflector based headlamp system  
 
 
While we can't really help you with the first issue, we certainly can help prevent the second.  
 
Every jurisdiction has its own rules and regulations governing the use of automotive lighting. HID lighting systems that are supplied with the vehicles from the factory are DOT approved. There are currently no HID conversion kits available from any source which is DOT approved if installed outside of the automotive factory. Moreover, in the United States, this is not street legal for use on public roads. In Canada, a similar but less defined clause applies. As a result, we officially endorse the kit for exhibition and off-road use only. We are not responsible for buyers who violate the terms of sale while in which they will assume all responsibilities for any unauthorized or unintended use other than exhibition or off-road use.  
 
Having said that, we would like to add our "plea" for your consideration.  
 
ALWAYS re-aim your headlights / foglights after HID conversion kit installation. Due to the intensity of light from an HID system, it is not unusual to aim the lights a tad lower.  
NEVER install an HID conversion kit into a halogen reflector based lighting system, especially fog lights or high beam. This is really the basis for this page, and the cause of the issue #2.  
 
I don't mean to derail the thread, but i'd hate to see the OP spend money on something thats illegal and potentially dangerous, especially when there are proper ways out there to get it done.  
 
 
 
 
 
Edited by Torque, 2016-01-19 14:13:31

feel free to pm me and you can check mine out in person. and you can decide from there if you want to go that route. To Torque i didn't read all of your comment but talking about factory vehicles and projectors those hids are only 3000k or maybe 4 so basically cantmelt anything no better then halogen. And yes 6000k aftermarket hids get damn bright and will melt projector housing.

Is there are two guys running around with lights blue tinge to them that blind me every time I meet them one is in a Dodge Ram with a welder and the other one is a jeep wrangler. I drove a superduty so am not down low to the road. I think they are very inconsiderate drivers they will get caught one day and I hope they get towed.

Fyi: if you ever drive in Winnipeg, especially on a Sunday evening in the summer the police do compliance check stops. Jeeps and custom cars and trucks are targeted and they most definitely check for dot compliant lights. That was why I asked initially. Don't need the hassle or ticket.

They target the ones that can be customized more than others lol. I lived in Winnipeg for 4 years and had a 99 Ram 1500 aftermarket lights and chromed out with exhaust as well as a 74 Chev never been bothered. Was at car shows every weekend too

standupguy said "They target the ones that can be customized more than others lol. I lived in Winnipeg for 4 years and had a 99 Ram 1500 aftermarket lights and chromed out with exhaust as well as a 74 Chev never been bothered. Was at car shows every weekend too "

Not trying to get in a pissing match here. Just throwing a bone out. I know for a fact they target Jeeps specifically and watch for things like lifts and non dot lights and light bars. I personally know guys who have been stopped. I don't know when you lived there but this has been for at least the last two summers. Believe what you want though.

I was just saying as well.

I have a 2014, I haven't had any real issues with my lights, I only ever notice when they are dirty. Quick wipe down and there you have it. You will see some drivers use the fog lights at night as well, it does make a little difference. From my experience anyways.

Ok I will admit you proved me wrong with the temp. I read you link and re looked at it. I never experienced with different colors. and thought they would be hotter. I am wrong. But you do loose light on either end (fact) 6000k sits right in the middle for equal light and colour. Thank you for clearing that up for me.