HID Retrofit

[abdomega]

I decided to upgrade the headlamps on my 2005 PA Ultra. This was the first retrofit I've done and it was a challenge to say the least but after I did the passenger side, the driver side was much easier.

Instead of using the headlamp housings on the car, I swapped out for an OEM replacement I bought on Ebay, went about opening them up and commencing with the retro. The kit installed is the G5 D2S Bi-Xenon Projector Retrofit which I purchased everything from Lightwerkz. All in the cost was just under $600.

Thanks for looking!

 

[DrivenDaily]

I have some familiarity with your challenge. I have a 2011 Malibu that I tried to retrofit with HIDs. It was more than I was able to manage after just one, so I cut my losses, bought a housing, and swapped to LEDs.

On my 2005 LeSabre, when I turn on the high beams, the stock circuitry turns off the low beams. My Malibu did/does not do that. I would need to ensure that the LeSabre's low beams stayed on anytime the headlights are on, then add the high beams.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I decided to upgrade the headlamps on my 2005 PA Ultra. This was the first retrofit I've done and it was a challenge to say the least but after I did the passenger side, the driver side was much easier.

Instead of using the headlamp housings on the car, I swapped out for an OEM replacement I bought on Ebay, went about opening them up and commencing with the retro. The kit installed is the G5 D2S Bi-Xenon Projector Retrofit which I purchased everything from Lightwerkz. All in the cost was just under $600.

Thanks for looking!


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how easy was this to install for your experience. like was the plastic cutting and removing the covers from the housings something you found easy or etc. I have extra park avenue housings (2 pair) and this looks interesting. Do they run always when headlights are on or do you have a shutter that keeps them from cycling?
When using the high beams, the lights switch, so youd cycle a lot when using flash to pass or come up on traffic etc

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I have some familiarity with your challenge. I have a 2011 Malibu that I tried to retrofit with HIDs. It was more than I was able to manage after just one, so I cut my losses, bought a housing, and swapped to LEDs.

On my 2005 LeSabre, when I turn on the high beams, the stock circuitry turns off the low beams. My Malibu did/does not do that. I would need to ensure that the LeSabre's low beams stayed on anytime the headlights are on, then add the high beams.

then youd lose distance visibility if your low beams stayed on with high beams, the forground being illuminated kills your adjustment to the further items

 

[DrivenDaily]

then youd lose distance visibility if your low beams stayed on with high beams, the forground being illuminated kills your adjustment to the further items

I agree for the most part. But I drive on country roads to and from work and other activities. The high beams do not illuminate the sides very well.

My 2011 Malibu keeps the low beams on and then just adds the high beams.

In both vehicles, I can see down the road farther with high beams than with low beams, and the added light just in front of my car from the low beams does not negatively affect my ability to see down the road enough to be of concern to me. However, on country roads with only a center line and no fog lines, having the low beams turn off is a concern to me.

 

[abdomega]

how easy was this to install for your experience. like was the plastic cutting and removing the covers from the housings something you found easy or etc. I have extra park avenue housings (2 pair) and this looks interesting. Do they run always when headlights are on or do you have a shutter that keeps them from cycling?

Removing the lens from the housing after baking it (around 220f) and using plastic trim removal tools is fairly easy because the butyl rubber is soft and elastic when warm.

As for mounting the projector, if you are familiar with a Dremel and cutting and shaping, it will give you a leg up. The biggest issue was fitting the projector housing inside the overall housing because there really isn't a lot of the of room front to back. Fortunately there is enough room for it to fit and can be adjusted (up/down and left/right) with the factory adjustment screws.

The bi-xenon feature is not installed. I opted to replace the stock halogen hi-beam bulbs with LEDs so the xenon are only low beam. They turn on and off as the stock halogens. If you do splice the bi-xenon wires to the high beam leads, when you activate hi-beams, itdrops the cut-off shield.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

Removing the lens from the housing after baking it (around 220f) and using plastic trim removal tools is fairly easy because the butyl rubber is soft and elastic when warm.

As for mounting the projector, if you are familiar with a Dremel and cutting and shaping, it will give you a leg up. The biggest issue was fitting the projector housing inside the overall housing because there really isn't a lot of the of room front to back. Fortunately there is enough room for it to fit and can be adjusted (up/down and left/right) with the factory adjustment screws.

The bi-xenon feature is not installed. I opted to replace the stock halogen hi-beam bulbs with LEDs so the xenon are only low beam. They turn on and off as the stock halogens. If you do splice the bi-xenon wires to the high beam leads, when you activate hi-beams, itdrops the cut-off shield.

So your kit would keep the beams from on-off all the time if you had wired it up? I know that kills HIDs lifespan

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I agree for the most part. But I drive on country roads to and from work and other activities. The high beams do not illuminate the sides very well.

My 2011 Malibu keeps the low beams on and then just adds the high beams.

In both vehicles, I can see down the road farther with high beams than with low beams, and the added light just in front of my car from the low beams does not negatively affect my ability to see down the road enough to be of concern to me. However, on country roads with only a center line and no fog lines, having the low beams turn off is a concern to me.

Does the 2011 malibu high beam stalk work like it does on the lesabre and park avenue? where you can "Choose" to use high and low when you hold the flash to pass manually?

 

[abdomega]

So your kit would keep the beams from on-off all the time if you had wired it up? I know that kills HIDs lifespan

The part I didn't wire up is the part the moves the cut-off shield, thus giving the one bulb dual functionality which isn't necessary in the PA with its dual lenses/bulbs.

In my case, yes the HID bulbs turn off when the highs are activated so I will have to watch that for longevity and consider wiring them in the future. Admittedly, I almost never use my high beams.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

The part I didn't wire up is the part the moves the cut-off shield, thus giving the one bulb dual functionality which isn't necessary in the PA with its dual lenses/bulbs.

In my case, yes the HID bulbs turn off when the highs are activated so I will have to watch that for longevity and consider wiring them in the future. Admittedly, I almost never use my high beams.

im kinda curious if the one lamp could do the dual function in this car, properly, if it could, the center lamp could become a DRL only or a turn signal or a fog lamp

 

[DrivenDaily]

Does the 2011 malibu high beam stalk work like it does on the lesabre and park avenue? where you can "Choose" to use high and low when you hold the flash to pass manually?

Yes.

The Auto-Headlight switch is on the stalk as well, since the wipers are on the right side of the steering wheel due to having a console shifter.

When the stalk is in the "normal" position, the low beams are illuminated. If I push the stalk forward, the high beams turn on. If I pull it backward toward me, the FTP engages.

This is just like the LeSabre, except that the engineers designed it so the low beams turn off when the high beams turn on. But the low beams remain on when FTP is used. (Guess how I drive on my country roads for now? 😉)

 

[DrivenDaily]

im kinda curious if the one lamp could do the dual function in this car, properly, if it could, the center lamp could become a DRL only or a turn signal or a fog lamp

That is actually a really good idea!

The wiring to keep the "low beams" turned on when high beams are selected is pretty easy.

Plus, when using FTP, since all the HID would do is drop the shield, they could also flash the stock high beams, no matter if they were being used as DRL or fog lamps.

As a matter of fact, if it were mine, I'd wire it so the FTP would flash the 2 center bulbs (DRLs, fogs, etc.), and when the operator was changing from low to high or high to low beams, the 2 center bulbs would not remain on if the high beams were powered. I would separate the functions while being able to use them at the same time.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

(Guess how I drive on my country roads for now? 😉)

if it wasnt for the reduced distance visibility id install a 4hi mod plate to my fuse box for a chevy truck (I think they can be made to work for the cars), but id want to be able to select which it does as well in the cabin

but yes i frequently have my Flash to pass held on my truck and park avenue , my truck didnt come with fog lamps im looking into making that work with different lamps that point outwards

 

[DrivenDaily]

if it wasnt for the reduced distance visibility id install a 4hi mod plate to my fuse box for a chevy truck (I think they can be made to work for the cars), but id want to be able to select which it does as well in the cabin

but yes i frequently have my Flash to pass held on my truck and park avenue , my truck didnt come with fog lamps im looking into making that work with different lamps that point outwards

Depending on whether I understand you fully, that should be a very simple mod that can be reversible if/when you felt like removing the mod and restoring it to stock function.

The question would then be if you want it to not cut any stock wires, or allow them to be cut. The reason for cutting them would be to introduce in-line Deutcsh or WeatherPak plugs. This would allow the mod to be removed and then plug in the plugs to put it back to "stock", except for the new plugs being there. Functionally, it would still be stock. If you want no wires cut, then that may take a bit more ingenuity, but it's still possible.

The module that would plug in between the new plugs (either semi-stock or fully stock) would allow you full control. We would just need to decide what kind of control you'd want.

As a side note, I have a pair of fog lights on the front on my 2005 LeSabre that act as DRLs instead of my headlights. All I had to do was to find the DRL relay, bend one leg up, then solder a wire to it and run it to the lights. However, it's not as clean as I would like, so when the temps are not so cold, and after I get some other items off my list for my other vehicles and my home, I plan to do it better. It was a quick-and-dirty solution for an immediate need and I plan to make it better.

My plan involves being able to plug in a small base where the relay sits, then plug the relay into that base. The base would allow me to select which wire(s) to intercept. However, I just can't find what I'm looking for, but I've come close. There are Relay Bypass Switch kits, with and without diagnostic loops, but they are for temporary use and are just manual switches in place of the contacts for the relay.

 

[90sbuickrescue]

im kinda curious if the one lamp could do the dual function in this car, properly, if it could, the center lamp could become a DRL only or a turn signal or a fog lamp

I can't imagine not using the projector hid setup as it was designed, to do low/high. In a former life I had a little row of 600 watt metal halides, watching those things turn on, make weird noises and change color as they warmed up over a minute or so, there is no way I'd short cycle any metal halide. That's all those things are, tiny 35 watt metal halides. Depending on the beam pattern, I'd probably keep the factory high beams too. I live where there are a lot of deer, etc in the midwest.