Xenon HID upgrade

[frequencydip]

Does the new HID firmware also apply to cars where the home-brew Xenon upgrade was performed?
Nearly 2 years later since the OP of this thread does everyone with the home-brew upgrade still like it?
Did any of you swap out for the official HID package?

 

[strider]

IIRC the new lights use a shutter to aid the high beams so I assume the software update was to control that. No upgrade needed for the aftermarket swap. I still love my 55W aftermarket system. Haven't looked at the official ones side-by-side but they worked fine for me all winter. I have no complaints.

 

[mpt]

IIRC the new lights use a shutter to aid the high beams so I assume the software update was to control that. No upgrade needed for the aftermarket swap. I still love my 55W aftermarket system. Haven't looked at the official ones side-by-side but they worked fine for me all winter. I have no complaints.

I'm of the same mind; law of diminishing returns.

Has anyone looked at adding LED daytime running lights?

 

[DrComputer]

Does the new HID firmware also apply to cars where the home-brew Xenon upgrade was performed?
Nearly 2 years later since the OP of this thread does everyone with the home-brew upgrade still like it?
Did any of you swap out for the official HID package?

I still have my home brew lights and think they are great. Haven't compared them with the official Tesla ones but I'm sure they are very close (and a lot less expensive).

 

[Timothy]

Thanks to all of you and your posts and photos. I am not usually one to try this type of upgrade, but after studying the posts and photos I took a deep breath and decided to give it a try. I went over to a friend's house--he had a low profile jack I could use--and he has restored many cars from Model A Ford to Lotus Elite. Anyhow, with his adult supervision I did the full installation all by myself--1 hour for the first side and 30 minutes for the second side! Fast, huh? Not if you add the couple hours reading and re-reading the entire thead the evening before.

I tested the lights last night--work great and a substancial improvement!

The suggestion I wish I had followed in this project--which was mentioned in the thread but I unwisely chose to ignore--was WASH under the wheel well with soap and water before starting the project! Who'da figgered how much dirt and grime is under there in a car without oil? I got really grubby--and the Levi's I was wearing my wife has now

retired to 'work only' jeans.

The other suggestion I have I learned from my friend. I was about to cut a 1" hole in the rubber cover to put the wires through--and use a circle and an Xacto knife. He pulled out a 1" punch he had made from a bicycle fork that he had sharpened--and one hit with a hammer made a really neat, clean hole! Much better than cutting with a blade.

Thanks again for everyone's advice.

 

[mpt]

Well done!

 

[smorgasbord]

Several weeks back I also installed the 55W 4500K HID lights from ddmtuning to replace the low beams. Very impressive.

1) Using my ancient Sekonic light meter, output went from about 160 foot candles to about 640 foot candles at a distance of a few feet.
2) Light pattern is pretty good, cutoff remained intact
3) Did not need to loosen any screws, so did not need to re-aim.
4) I used a 7/8" Forstner bit in a drill press to drill the hold in the rubber grommet for the wires - came out cleanly.
5) Hardest thing is figuring out where to put the ballast and then mounting it. Note that ddmtuning also sells mounting plates now.
6) The 4500 K color temp is just slightly bluer than the stock high beams.
7) I do not recommend replacing the high beams due to the startup time of these HIDs. Unless you don't care about flashing the high beams. Doing the high beams does require some wire cutting/joining - the low beams are plug and play.
8) I don't understand MPT's thing about putting the wheel on the hub in the same place - it's not like the tire/wheel is balanced on the car or anything.
9) It is true that HIDs run cooler than the stock Halogens, as measured by the hand over the headlight housing test.

Bottom-line: for $35 plus shipping, this is a great upgrade for your Roadster. Put the money you save towards the extra sound installation kit!

 

[jerry33]

7) I do not recommend replacing the high beams due to the startup time of these HIDs. Unless you don't care about flashing the high beams.

In any event, you never want to flash your HID lights because that will shorten their life dramatically.

 

[DrComputer]

In any event, you never want to flash your HID lights because that will shorten their life dramatically.

Unfortunately it flashes the lights every time you lock or unlock the car.

 

[jerry33]

Unfortunately it flashes the lights every time you lock or unlock the car.

Ouch. Maybe Tesla will do something about that.

 

[mpt]

Not seen any issues in the last two years with all lights as xenon. Digital controllers are great. The initial first cold flash of the 55w bulb is quite good but I still wish they'd warm up faster - we need a fast start xenon.

fyi: Our BMW ActiveE only has single shuttered xenon bulb that it uses when flashing the lights.

 

[jerry33]

fyi: Our BMW ActiveE only has single shuttered xenon bulb that it uses when flashing the lights.

My Prius has a similar mechanism where the reflector changes angles when going from low to high. I was assuming that the Roadster HID upgrade for high beams is just on and off because it's a separate set of bulbs.

 

[ElSupreme]

In any event, you never want to flash your HID lights because that will shorten their life dramatically.

If they are off. If they are already burning, and you flash your brights it doesn't actually affect the lighting element. It just moves a shutter to change the beam pattern.

And if you have your HIDs in an automatic mode. When you drive under a lot of bridges/tunnels (say Atlanta downtown on the connector) turn them off or on, and out of auto, as your lights will cycle numerous times greatly reducing their life.

- - - Updated - - -

Well I guess we were all on the same page with a shuttered HID brights.

 

[smorgasbord]

Just a note that the use of the word Xenon isn't specific enough, especially considering the misleading labeling manufacturers are using these days. There are both Xenon Incandescents as well as Xenon HIDs. Xenon gas is often used in incandescent bulbs (to reduce blackening), and that's where that labeling comes from.

The way to know that you're getting a true HID is that you're also getting a ballast with it.

 

[Doug_G]

Just FYI, the Tesla HIDs are shuttered and also have separate incandescent high beams. Low beams are two shuttered HIDs. High beams are two unshuttered HIDs and two incandescent.

 

[wycolo]

Just what does a 'true HID' consist of??

Isn't the highest tech headlight an LED? If so, you'd think TM would have them in the ModelS. Truckers have them and they are expensive. Maybe they are too big in diameter for the S (or the Roadster).
--

 

[Doug_G]

Yes, LEDs are more efficient and may last longer, but are currently more expensive. I don't think the power consumption difference is significant compared to the power requirements of the drive train.

I believe HID still has the edge in brightness. The are likely also more widely available at the moment.

 

[jerry33]

Prius halogen lights use 55W per bulb, Prius HID bulbs use 35W, Leaf LEDs use 20W and Prius LEDs use 30W (presumably two LEDs and three LEDs respectively because each automotive LED is 10W), and BMW Laser lights use 10W.

 

[hcsharp]

Several weeks back I also installed the 55W 4500K HID lights from ddmtuning to replace the low beams. Very impressive.
<snip>
Bottom-line: for $35 plus shipping, this is a great upgrade for your Roadster. Put the money you save towards the extra sound installation kit!

I had to pay $70.69 including shipping (45 + 4(bracket) + 22(minimum shipping) ). How do you rate???:smile: Still it's a good price.

 

[wiztecy]

Also note that the projectors in the Tesla Factory HID lights have a greater magnification and focus as compared to the ones that come stock with the regular halogen lights. I was able to look and compare a roadster with HID projectors VS the halogen stock projectors this weekend and it was a big difference between the two glass eyes! That's how the factory gets better results than with just the HID bulb/ballast combo with the halogen projectors.