[geekasso]

I am about to order and install an HID conversion kit. I am looking into the 4300K Morimoto Elite from TRS (http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=3955{2}4{18}67{4}162{28}365).

I am wondering if anyone installed this kit? The reviews are great and I don't mind taking the plunge if I do not hear any negative stories.

Looking around at their other products and doing additional research, I am also considering the clear projector lenses. These are the same ones used in OE applications and provide the OEM look and most output with minimal glare to the other drivers. Personally, I am not even sure what size I'd need. If anyone has done this and/or knows what is involved, especially on the Sorento, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Link to the lenses: Clear Lenses from The Retrofit Source Inc

 

[kobi411]

be careful..

hi, i already retrofitted mine.. the only problem with our headlights is they have a perma-seal.. epoxy-like strength glue... if you have patience, it should be ok.. if you are not careful, you will destroy the headlights, here's a link (3rd post) on what i did.. a guide (post # 10), our lens in the sorento are 2.8 inch.. if you are upgrading to a lens, why not the whole projector and include the high beams... trs (theretrofitsource) are really expensive, about 50-60% of price more, i bought my supplies from china.. same source anyway...

http://www.kia-forums.com/2011-xm-sorento-forum/77574-anyone-buy-these-headlights-yet.html

i have now fxr 3.o in low beams and hella H1 for high beams... clear cut-off no scatter/glare on low beams...

with hid kits, in my experience, and research made...
in regards to hid, all are from china except a few.. (matsushita,denso ballasts)- from japan, (osram, philips, hella, valeo)- europe... in regards to prices, they are all based/depending on how the ballast look like, presentation, casing gimmicks.. i have tried them all.. same quality.. i have bought an hid kit which was 50$ nothing was wrong ever since, and some spent over hundreds, same quality.. plus they say lifetime warranty, which includes the price of sending a new pair in the end if ever your present ones stops working... sometimes its 50/50 chances either they go for a long time (2yrs-up) or for a while (3mos-6mos)
and its always good to keep a pair as a spare if ever it gets sent for warranty replacements while waiting for two weeks to get it sent and shipped back to you...

i have talked to a chinese supplier before, ballast are sold to me for 12-15$, and bulbs are 10-12$.. and you will actually see those ballasts and bulbs in ebay and some websites that sells them.. and it is sold for more than 50-60% of the original price.. explore aliexpress/alibaba(dot)com or madeinchina(dot)com and guaranteed you will see same design and and quality on the expensive kit that you have...

 

[kobi411]

some samples of retrofit

here is a nice view of my sorento, the cut-off you will see with bmw, land- rover etc. was achived with those fxr-3.0
hid 6000k..

below are sample of my retrofits done, shots of the projector on the wall and the ground... including my bike.. hehehe

 

[geekasso]

Kobi, thanks a lot for the information, it's very helpful.

The reason I do not want to replace the high beams is because my sorento is a lease and I do not want to change the visual appearance much, except for something like HIDs and lenses to assist me with visibility and provide additional safety. The stock headlights do not shine well enough for me, especially since my last few cars had HIDs and getting used to having a clear view of the road.

Thanks for the info on the Chinese suppliers, I will look into the sites you mentioned.

 

[geekasso]

You got me thinking.. maybe it'll be worth getting the headlamps and then installing the whole headlamp I can do on my own. Once the lease is up, I can remove them and sell them as used.

I wonder what something like this goes for: For KIA Sorento Head Lamp With Angel Eyes LED Left and Right 2009 - 2012 products, buy For KIA Sorento Head Lamp With Angel Eyes LED Left and Right 2009 - 2012 products from alibaba.com

 

[kobi411]

You got me thinking.. maybe it'll be worth getting the headlamps and then installing the whole headlamp I can do on my own. Once the lease is up, I can remove them and sell them as used.

I wonder what something like this goes for: For KIA Sorento Head Lamp With Angel Eyes LED Left and Right 2009 - 2012 products, buy For KIA Sorento Head Lamp With Angel Eyes LED Left and Right 2009 - 2012 products from alibaba.com

hmm i would but usually they have bad cut-off.. more glare.. designed for halogen only.. the leds drl should be nice though..
with our sorento, we are ok with the fresnel lense with hid, get 55w if you tend to go 6000k or 8000k get 35w if going towards 5000k-43000k

 

[geekasso]

I was looking for 4300K. You don't think 55w makes sense for this temperature?

 

[kobi411]

with 55w they tend to go below 1000k less kelvin temp example, a 55w 8000k will go towards the 6000k kelvin color temp, brighter but drops the kelvin temp. 6000k i experienced will look white but kinda daytime bright.. with 35w 8000k is bluish-white with 55 white with hint of blue... hope you get what im saying..

4300k at 55w is really2 candle light yellow like halogen yellow but bright... at 35 it looks oem...

 

[geekasso]

with 55w they tend to go below 1000k less kelvin temp example, a 55w 8000k will go towards the 6000k kelvin color temp, brighter but drops the kelvin temp. 6000k i experienced will look white but kinda daytime bright.. with 35w 8000k is bluish-white with 55 white with hint of blue... hope you get what im saying..

4300k at 55w is really2 candle light yellow like halogen yellow but bright... at 35 it looks oem...

Thanks a lot for this info!

 

[Mysticality]

35w is brighter than 55w halogen.
The HID's in your previous cars were probably 35w, anyway.

Why not go the whole nine yards, and grab some bi-xenon projectors?
Then you'll have four bulbs on high beam, instead of just two.
The HID's for the spread and the Halogen's for the spot. (Stock Sorento headlights are horrendous)

 

[roshan]

Stock Sorento headlights are horrendous

I respectfully disagree! Mine has the factory fitted headlamps (HID on low beams and halogen on high beams with self levelling) and they are quite good. I do quite a lot of driving in the night in dark and winding roads and find that the lights of the Sorento are actually pretty good.

 

[Mysticality]

I respectfully disagree! Mine has the factory fitted headlamps (HID on low beams and halogen on high beams with self levelling) and they are quite good. I do quite a lot of driving in the night in dark and winding roads and find that the lights of the Sorento are actually pretty good.

I was moreso talking about the high beams. Its simply a 'long'-range "dot in the middle" ... Its absolutely. Useless.

More often than not, I found myself just turning the high beams off and leaving them there. Was planning to mount some LED driving lights (like the Rigid Industries Dually D2) but I traded it in before I had the chance.

 

[kobi411]

updated post no. 3 wall shot of sorento's retrofit..

 

[sparcom]

Is there any difference using the stock projector vs retrofit projector with HID?

 

[BB6886]

Is there any difference using the stock projector vs retrofit projector with HID?

i'm just using the stock headlights which already come with the projector lens with a good aftermarket HID kit

it shines far just like the real thing

on the high beams i only put in regular LED bulbs replacement

still figuring out if the FOG lights are 881 or H8, then i'll probably change them to yellow HID for real fog driving, which is pretty common here during Spring / Fall season