Thread: 98 Camry HID's?

So I have a 1998 Camry and I was wondering where's the best place to get an HID kit for my car? Ebay? Wut brands are the best that will last me a while? I'm looking to spend around $150-200 since I'm a college student. Any help would be awesome!! Thanks!

I'll play ball. The short and sweet answer is, those "plug-and-play" kits are complete crap. They attempt to fit an HID bulb in a housing that was never designed for it, so the light is scattered all over the road which is dangerous to oncoming traffic and actually less bright than a halogen bulb.

The right way to upgrade to HIDs is with a complete retrofit using the lens assembly from any number of factory-equipped cars. It's more expensive and harder to do, but the end results are well worth the effort and cash. Take a look at these links:

• intellexual net · m k i v
• The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications
• Bright Night Customs - HID Retrofit Service | Bright Night Customs HID Retrofit

Good luck!

^ What he said...

If you are just looking for brighter lights try the Sylvania Silverstars. It's much cheaper than the HID conversion

PIAA makes some great bulbs as well. They also come with a warranty if bought from an AD. They're a little more expensive, but having used their warranty before, it makes it worth it.

Originally Posted by Turbology

I'll play ball. The short and sweet answer is, those "plug-and-play" kits are complete crap. They attempt to fit an HID bulb in a housing that was never designed for it, so the light is scattered all over the road which is dangerous to oncoming traffic and actually less bright than a halogen bulb.

The right way to upgrade to HIDs is with a complete retrofit using the lens assembly from any number of factory-equipped cars. It's more expensive and harder to do, but the end results are well worth the effort and cash. Take a look at these links:

• intellexual net · m k i v
• The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications
• Bright Night Customs - HID Retrofit Service | Bright Night Customs HID Retrofit

Good luck!

Thanks for the information! I didn't realize that I would have to swap the entire housing. I think I'll stick with getting brighter bulbs as this car is not one I'll be keeping for a while.

Originally Posted by jcatrambone

^ What he said...

If you are just looking for brighter lights try the Sylvania Silverstars. It's much cheaper than the HID conversion

How long do Sylvania bulbs usually last?

Originally Posted by SpecB

PIAA makes some great bulbs as well. They also come with a warranty if bought from an AD. They're a little more expensive, but having used their warranty before, it makes it worth it.

Sorry for the dumb question but What's AD? Also how does their warranty work? I was looking at their website but it doesn't really specify. I may go ahead and just buy these or the sylvania bulbs and swap them with my halogen ones that I currently have. Seems much easier than getting a new housing kit for a 98 Camry.

Thanks for the help everyone! Saved me a lot of time and money!!

iirc HIDs are illegal for on road use if not OEM, hence why all packaging labels it as OFF-ROAD USE ONLY

AD = Authorized Dealer

Easiest is to clean your headlight lenses, I love Plastix does quick work of yellowing.

Originally Posted by Yanky

Sorry for the dumb question but What's AD? Also how does their warranty work? I was looking at their website but it doesn't really specify. I may go ahead and just buy these or the sylvania bulbs and swap them with my halogen ones that I currently have. Seems much easier than getting a new housing kit for a 98 Camry.

Thanks for the help everyone! Saved me a lot of time and money!!

Authorized Dealer would be correct....

Warranty was pretty simple- I kept my receipt and took the burnt out bulbs back to where I bought them and they gave me a new set.

Not sure if that's how it normally works, as I had a pretty good relationship with the shop, but you can either look it up on PIAA's site or ask when you buy them. Should be a 1-year warranty.

What is the current condition of the lenses? I see a lot of cars with lenses that are not anywhere close to "new". An hour or so spent with a cleaning and polishing kit makes a significant difference in the amount of light output without changing bulbs.

My lenses are practically new with a little yellowing on the top but nothing that would effect my lighting. It's just really hard for me to see at night so I just want something that will give me a little more visibility.

Originally Posted by SpecB

Authorized Dealer would be correct....

Warranty was pretty simple- I kept my receipt and took the burnt out bulbs back to where I bought them and they gave me a new set.

Not sure if that's how it normally works, as I had a pretty good relationship with the shop, but you can either look it up on PIAA's site or ask when you buy them. Should be a 1-year warranty.

I'll check out the local shops and ask them. Thanks!

So after 5 months I finally got an HID kit installed. My only problem is my high beams don't work. Does it matter how I install the bulb because my bulb had a silver protector around it. Do I have to take that off?