Question about aftermarket HID on Honda?

Hello,

Heres some background:

I have a 2005 Accord EX Sedan auto. I am considering adding aftermarket
Xenon HID lights. The real ones, not the fake halogen types. I live in good
old Rhode Island where its fasionable to have winding, hilly streets with
little or no street lights. Anyway I called a local installer in my area and
the kits are between $250.00 USD and 300.00 USD. The instalation according
to one place is $80.00 USD. I know that you can get the white lights which
is 5000k and the blue is 8000k and then the purple is 12000k. I'm thinking
of the blue ones. All are legal in all states from what I heard. I have a
lease so I would probably just leave them in the car after trade in.

My questions are this:

1. Would adding aftermarket HID void my car warrenty?
2. Aside from the low probability theft risk*, are there any known problems
with aftermarket HID kits?
3. I heard the kits have a one year warrently, are there known troubles with
these?
4. What about weather extremes? Frigid New England temps or bump roads?

Thanks,
Al


* Theft of HID lights in cars is more known to be a problem in cars that
already have them as theives are less likely to look for them in cars that
don't offer them from what I heard.

 

I would be careful to check out the terms of the lease. You may not be
able to have the HID kit installed. There could be a good chance they
would void at least parts of the warranty. No, not all HIDs are legal in
every state. Make sure to check out the laws in RI. If they are quality
and made well, the temps and roads should not be an issue. Though some
of the huge potholes that used to be an issue in the 90's could cause
problems, though you would also be having problems with your rims and
frame alignment too in that case. I used to live in Narragansett and
know about the weather there.

-- Nicholas

 

No, HID lamps are onyl legal in the USA as original factory-installed
equipment. There is no DOT-approved aftermarket kit; thus, there is no
"street legal" aftermarket kit. Anyone selling/installing a kit who
says it is legal for anything other than off-road or "exhibition"
purposes is lying.

You will likely void the terms of your lease, which usually requires
that your vehicle be returned in "original factory condition".

Probably not, but you'll have a fun time arguing that with a dealer.

If they were a high-reliability item, they would have a longer warranty.
Understand that the ballast is a high-voltage power supply that needs to
generate more than 10,000 volts to get the arc to strike, and anywhere
from 70-100 volts to keep it going, powered by your car's dirty 12V
electrical system. If a kit is $250, it likely cost less than $50 to
build in China. You're not necessarily getting automotive grade
electronic components for that kind of money.

If you've ever seen any condensation in your headlights, forget about
these lamps. If water ever collects on or hits the lamp, it will
shatter when it heats up, or possibly not even strike. As to rough
roads, since the lamps have no filament to speak of, just two arc tips,
they're probably more resistant to vibration than a conventional lamp.

--Gene

 

Glare is increased. Your reflectors and lenses were not designed for HID
use.

Aftermarket installations are not recommended.

 

Okay thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I am going to put that idea
of getting HID at rest!

Now another thing I was wondering about is if getting a factory installed
GPS Navigation is a good idea in a 2007 Civic in terms of theft risks? Is it
antitheft coded like the radio is?

Thanks,
Al

 

Call Honda Customer Relations and ask the questions; see what "they" say.

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Just get a portable unit. Less expensive to purchase, and you don't have to
take the car in if the unit needs to be serviced.

 

The factory Nav units have an anti-theft code just like the radio. I've had
factory Nav systems in three different cars since the '00 Acura and this is
the first suggestion of any sort of theft risk I've seen associated with
them. It's more likely the thieves will go for your air bags.