Sedan owners that have a hid kit installed (digital brand in particular), can you please post pics of your cars with the hid turned on... Head-on shots and shots of the light from the inside of the car would be great!

Thanks a lot!

:a voice from the heavens interjects:

Bri, are you planning to install an after-market plug-n-play HID kit to your '08 Accord sedan's halogen-reflector headlights -or- considering doing a projector-retrofit & HID plug-n-play kit install?

Tsk-tsk to the former, best-of-luck w/ the latter! ;)

:a voice from the heavens interjects:

Bri, are you planning to install an after-market plug-n-play HID kit to your '08 Accord sedan's halogen-reflector headlights -or- considering doing a projector-retrofit & HID plug-n-play kit install?

Tsk-tsk to the former, best-of-luck w/ the latter! ;)

I already went through 2 sets of retrofits for my 6th gen... The first one was a E55 single xenon projector and the second one was a TSX retro. I think that the light output I got from the retrofit was pretty disappointing... It's not worth it IMHO. I'm saying this because I have experience on them... I've seen other cars with HID kits producing more light than me. Plus, retrofits are more expensive and troublesome. HID kits (esp the one by Digital, which looks like a great quality HID kit) are cheap and easy to install.

I already went through 2 sets of retrofits for my 6th gen... The first one was a E55 single xenon projector and the second one was a TSX retro. I think that the light output I got from the retrofit was pretty disappointing... It's not worth it IMHO. I'm saying this because I have experience on them... I've seen other cars with HID kits producing more light than me. Plus, retrofits are more expensive and troublesome. HID kits (esp the one by Digital, which looks like a great quality HID kit) are cheap and easy to install.
Well, there you have it! Sounds like you already know what you're looking for to me. I say, go for it. I was going to save up and do the retrofit, but after reading your post, I don't think I will.:paranoid:

Well, there you have it! Sounds like you already know what you're looking for to me. I say, go for it. I was going to save up and do the retrofit, but after reading your post, I don't think I will.:paranoid:

When I had my retrofits, I would see other cars with hid kits and they're a lot brighter than mine! It would piss the hell out of me because I spent so much money and it didn't live up to its expectations. I thought that it would be the best. Maybe it's because it's not OEM designed so that's why it wasn't as bright....

Edit: Please don't use my opinion to help you decide on what you want. If you think retrofits are better than hid kits, as osiris_x11 says then go for it! Just let me know if the future what you think. You should experience it for yourself and decide after that.

Only thing I can infer from Bri's experience w/ sub-par performance of his projector-retrofit & HID install is perhaps the plug-n-play HID kits used weren't all that good (just a guess, as I don't know the brand of components used in the chosen HID kit). There's a world of difference in going w/ high-quality components and proven kits vs. economical/unknown alternatives. Without knowing the specifics, I don't know how or why your retrofit-projector HID kit was underwhelming.

With that said, don't just rule-out projector-retrofits & HID kit installs on the '08 Accord sedan. Quite a few individuals on this forum have done this w/ great success. The pictures/videos speak for themselves. Indeed, most of them spent a fair amount (IMHO). I personally would've been more thrifty/economical w/ somethings, but I still strongly & enthusiastically advocate going w/ a projector-retrofit.

Plug-n-play HID kits on halogen-reflector headlights are really, really wasteful, as well as an abhorrent eye-sore and annoying nuisance for others sharing the roadways w/ you. Obscenely-loud fart-can exhausts or brain-rattling bass from sound-systems pale in comparison to the annoyance & frustration caused upon others by improperly-installed HID kits.

Just my 2-pence... if you're gonna do it - do it right! :cool:

Only thing I can infer from Bri's experience w/ sub-par performance of his projector-retrofit & HID install is perhaps the plug-n-play HID kits used weren't all that good (just a guess, as I don't know the brand of components used in the chosen HID kit). There's a world of difference in going w/ high-quality components and proven kits vs. economical/unknown alternatives. Without knowing the specifics, I don't know how or why your retrofit-projector HID kit was underwhelming.

With that said, don't just rule-out projector-retrofits & HID kit installs on the '08 Accord sedan. Quite a few individuals on this forum have done this w/ great success. The pictures/videos speak for themselves. Indeed, most of them spent a fair amount (IMHO). I personally would've been more thrifty/economical w/ somethings, but I still strongly & enthusiastically advocate going w/ a projector-retrofit.

Plug-n-play HID kits on halogen-reflector headlights are really, really wasteful, as well as an abhorrent eye-sore and annoying nuisance for others sharing the roadways w/ you. Obscenely-loud fart-can exhausts or brain-rattling bass from sound-systems pale in comparison to the annoyance & frustration caused upon others by improperly-installed HID kits.

Just my 2-pence... if you're gonna do it - do it right! :cool:

What are you talking about? I said that I had a retrofit on my 6th gen before. My first setup was using a Hella E55 Single Xenon projector, Osram D2S 4300K bulbs, Hella Slim Ballasts... All of these components were used for a Mercedes W211 E55. These components were bought brand new straight from the Hella factory. As time went on, the popularity of the TSX, TL and s2k projectors started to emerge. People were saying that my E55s were sub-par in terms of light output. This is the reason why I sold my retrofit setup... After some time, a deal on a tsx retrofit couldn't be passed up. So I bought my second set of retrofits using Acura TSX (with clear lenses) projectors, Philips D2S 4300K bulbs and Denso Slim ballasts... Again, the light output wasn't something to be excited about. In fact, I felt that they were just a slight improvement over the halogens I had. Don't get me wrong, they were white and it was nice to look at but I wasn't after the looks. I bought these retrofits because I thought it would give me better vision when I'm driving at night.

It's true that I don't know what the hid kits were the other people using. But I know for a fact that I'm using OEM equipment on my retrofits and it should be producing more light output. However, the other people with hid kits were throwing more intense light on the road. Even my friends who don't care about cars can tell the difference (and this is one of the major things that made me sell my retros). Why would I pay for a setup 4-5x more than just a plug and play hid kit if it doesn't give me better vision at night?

Just my 2 cents.

When I had my retrofits, I would see other cars with hid kits and they're a lot brighter than mine! It would piss the hell out of me because I spent so much money and it didn't live up to its expectations. I thought that it would be the best. Maybe it's because it's not OEM designed so that's why it wasn't as bright....

My TFX retrofit headlights are brighter than anything OEM has to offer... Here they are... Note how the street lits up and how wide the beam pattern is. It could easily lit up 4-5 lanes to the left and 4-5 lanes to the right if the street was wide enough...

Apologies for the annoying beep beep noise. It was 2AM so I didn't think to buckle up for the short trip, that and one of the legs of the tripod was sitting on the seatbelt latch... Just mute the sound lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qm9zHtolCc

By the way, I think your perception of how bright the headlights are might be skewed. There is no way in hell a properly set up HID projectors could be out-gunned by HID kit in reflectors. The reflectors will throw lights everywhere, hence, appearing brighter to you. However, the projectors will ALWAYS put more lights on the street, where it counts. I did not retrofit for the looks. The retrofits I did lit up the whole street, without blinding anyone...

The vid is not working on youtube :(
Ice, i'd love to see the vid of LightWerkz's work.

My TFX retrofit headlights are brighter than anything OEM has to offer... Here they are... Note how the street lits up and how wide the beam pattern is. It could easily lit up 4-5 lanes to the left and 4-5 lanes to the right if the street was wide enough...

Apologies for the annoying beep beep noise. It was 2AM so I didn't think to buckle up for the short trip, that and one of the legs of the tripod was sitting on the seatbelt latch... Just mute the sound lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qm9zHtolCc

By the way, I think your perception of how bright the headlights are might be skewed. There is no way in hell a properly set up HID projectors could be out-gunned by HID kit in reflectors. The reflectors will throw lights everywhere, hence, appearing brighter to you. However, the projectors will ALWAYS put more lights on the street, where it counts. I did not retrofit for the looks. The retrofits I did lit up the whole street, without blinding anyone...

I think yours look brighter is because you're using the 55W kit. I only had the OEM 35W ballasts.

The vid is not working on youtube :(
Ice, i'd love to see the vid of LightWerkz's work.

Try again, it should be working now. Took youtube a couple minutes to process the video. Mute the sound! :lmao:

I think yours look brighter is because you're using the 55W kit. I only had the OEM 35W ballasts.

You would still get 80-90% of that brightness with 35W... It's all about the quality of the retrofit and quality of the parts..

You would still get 80-90% of that brightness with 35W... It's all about the quality of the retrofit and quality of the parts..

So you're saying that the retrofit parts I used were not good? TSX projectors are one of the most popular projectors out there.

So you're saying that the retrofit parts I used were not good? TSX projectors are one of the most popular projectors out there.

TSX projectors are pretty darn good, behind only to S2K and TFX. I could only have a few explanations, assuming that the TSX projectors were not defective.

a) Quality of the HID kit?
b) Too high of temperature bulbs (above 6000 Kelvin)
c) Lack of relay harness
d) Installation issues

Again, you were not wrong when you stated that HID kit in reflectors are very bright. They are, I have seen them in person. However, you need to consider how human eyes work. For one, those who put HID kit in reflectors most likely use very high bulb temperature (6K+) so they APPEAR brighter. Also, add in the fact that they do throw lights everywhere, which seem to lit everything up near their vicinity. Sure, nice light show, and blind everybody, but I guarantee you it will NOT have the width nor the distance that projectors can do. You want to SEE better at night, right? Do it right and retrofit with projectors. You won't regret it.

TSX projectors are pretty darn good, behind only to S2K and TFX. I could only have a few explanations, assuming that the TSX projectors were not defective.

a) Quality of the HID kit?
b) Too high of temperature bulbs (above 6000 Kelvin)
c) Lack of relay harness
d) Installation issues

Again, you were not wrong when you stated that HID kit in reflectors are very bright. They are, I have seen them in person. However, you need to consider how human eyes work. For one, those who put HID kit in reflectors most likely use very high bulb temperature (6K+) so they APPEAR brighter. Also, add in the fact that they do throw lights everywhere, which seem to lit everything near their vicinity. Sure, nice light show, and blind everybody, but I guarantee you it will NOT have the width nor the distance that projectors can do. You want to SEE better at night, right? Do it right and retrofit with projectors. You won't regret it.

Please read my post above. I didn't use a hid kit. I used Philips 4300K D2S bulbs and Denso Slim Ballasts. Everything is OEM. I also have a relay harness to get power directly from the battery. Also, I'm not going to spend $1250 for a retrofit.

Please read my post above. I didn't use a hid kit. I used Philips 4300K D2S bulbs and Denso Slim Ballasts. Everything is OEM. I also have a relay harness to get power directly from the battery. Also, I'm not going to spend $1250 for a retrofit.

I must've missed that part, my apologies. How old were the bulbs? Were the ballasts new as well? Really, there are too many factors to pinpoint what went wrong. All I could tell you is this, even with 35W ballasts, TSX HID should destroy most OEM HID... Something along the line went amiss...

Also, no, you won't have to spend $1250 if you know where to spend your money. More like 700-800, installation included. Check your PM

I must've missed that part, my apologies. How old were the bulbs? Were the ballasts new as well? Really, there are too many factors to pinpoint what went wrong. All I could tell you is this, even with 35W ballasts, TSX HID should destroy most OEM HID... Something along the line went amiss...

Also, no, you won't have to spend $1250 if you know where to spend your money. More like 700-800, installation included. Check your PM

Maybe my parts were old but the seller said that it was relatively new. I would never know...

Maybe I can use TL bixenon... But I just don't want to go through the process all over again. It's just not worth it.

Thanks for your concern.

FWIW, I've only dealt w/ 35W HID kits made-up of OEM and/or after-market components. In a projector-headlight, the overall light production was on par w/ all OEM setups I came across, if not better than some.

I'm thinking something was perhaps amiss w/ Bri's (2) HID projector-retrofit installations or perhaps he was comparing w/ anti-aircraft searchlights! :D

BTW, an HID projector retrofit can be done for $500-$600 w/ patience, diligence, and shopping around for components & a custom-fabricator. The "$1,000+" quote that individuals have stated in the past includes EXTRA OEM-headlights, top-price for components of the shelf (ie. projectors, shrouds/bezels, HID-bulbs, igniters/ballasts, etc'), and high-end labor-cost from a custom-fabricator. All these associated costs can be greatly reduced by shopping-around.

G/luck! :cool:

FWIW, I've only dealt w/ 35W HID kits made-up of OEM and/or after-market components. In a projector-headlight, the overall light production was on par w/ all OEM setups I came across, if not better than some.

I'm thinking something was perhaps amiss w/ Bri's (2) HID projector-retrofit installations or perhaps he was comparing w/ anti-aircraft searchlights! :D

BTW, an HID projector retrofit can be done for $500-$600 w/ patience, diligence, and shopping around for components & a custom-fabricator. The "$1,000+" quote that individuals have stated in the past includes EXTRA OEM-headlights, top-price for components of the shelf (ie. projectors, shrouds/bezels, HID-bulbs, igniters/ballasts, etc'), and high-end labor-cost from a custom-fabricator. All these associated costs can be greatly reduced by shopping-around.

G/luck! :cool:

I'm actually comparing it to baseball field lights!!! :D jk jk

Bri, I've been thinking of retros but since i've seen your posts here im having second thoughts...can you post all the pics you have of both your retros so i can get an idea of what you're talking about? i think you were expecting too much seeing you're comparing them to baseball stadium lights O.o haha

I don't know about your situation but my TSX retro is awesome! I love the distribution of the light and its eveness of the spread. I'm totally digging my retros.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/bchung4457/Accord/HID%20Retro/P1010411.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/bchung4457/Accord/HID%20Retro/IMG_0277.jpg

I don't know about your situation but my TSX retro is awesome! I love the distribution of the light and its eveness of the spread. I'm totally digging my retros.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/bchung4457/Accord/HID%20Retro/P1010411.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/bchung4457/Accord/HID%20Retro/IMG_0277.jpg

Yeah, the pictures of my TSX retro also looks like that but the real eye doesn't pick up that bright of a light. That's just a camera picture.

I already went through 2 sets of retrofits for my 6th gen... The first one was a E55 single xenon projector and the second one was a TSX retro. I think that the light output I got from the retrofit was pretty disappointing... It's not worth it IMHO. I'm saying this because I have experience on them... I've seen other cars with HID kits producing more light than me. Plus, retrofits are more expensive and troublesome. HID kits (esp the one by Digital, which looks like a great quality HID kit) are cheap and easy to install.

For what it's worth, I have a set of retros on my 7th gen (TSX projectors with custom shrouds, CCFL's, and special wiring harness (somewhat plug and play) - they used Nissan Ballasts with GE bulbs (not sure what color temp)). My retro's are extremely bright! I get flashed a lot when I drive at night! I bought a set of aftermarket HID's before my retro's - a lot less money, might I add - and the light output was seriously disappointing! I am not familiar with the Digital brand; but it seems to me that you are more familiar than me, with the quality of the product. It's too bad that you had such bad luck with your retros.

I'm digging my retro's also!!! :banana:
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q96/gtspaceii/DSC03436.jpg

I know, the garage door shot sucks... :dunno:

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q96/gtspaceii/DSC03402p.jpg

I totally agree. I guess it really depends on that person's point of view. IMO, the light output is insane compared to the factory reflector. I think I know what you mean by using the halogen headlamp housing with HID is brighter because and only because with halogen housings, there is a hot spot for the halogen lamp to focus on, hence the brightness. With HID projectors, they tend to spread the light out, so there's an even amount of light thrown from one side to the other so that's probably why you say they're dimmer.

Another thing to consider is that these HID's may be bright, but you can't expect them to be as bright as the lights you see at a baseball stadium, for example. Honestly, My cousin's '06 Touareg's bi-xenons are just as bright as my TSX lights so if you say they're dim, then there must be something that made them dim.

Now we're not gonna tell you what to do but try it out. If you're fine with what you have, then everything is gravy. If not, you can always do another retro and keep the ballasts and change the bulbs.