LED? HID? Swapping out

[Fried_galaxy_fist]

So i just bought the base stinger a few weeks ago, it doesn't have the GT/GT2 daytime running lights LED strip that almost copies Audi (yes i know audi boughtout kia) but instead mine is a circle, with the bulb in the middle. i've done some research and found out the stock bulbs are halogens bulbs. Super ugly obviously, i want my shit to match and white is the new black and vise versa, not yellow. Never yellow. So, i called kia see if they had any of the stock bulbs from the higher priced stingers available (just because ordering aftermarket is a waiting line and i'm impatient) and he was trying to tell me i would be paying like 1k or less for a whole new headlight housing. i don't think i need a new headlight housing to change out headlights haha but my REAL QUESTION isssssssss:

The beam, the line. perfect cut from side to side, with LEDs i love how bright they are whether its white or blue, but LEDs also tend to have less lighting being dispersed evenly outward and around the car in front of you. I had a 2015 jeep cherokee and just the housing unit itself kind of made the bulbs look like shit on the road, no perfect beam or anything, kinda just thrown out there in front of me and didn't really have a way to adjust the bulb or beam itself.

i want my shit to match, be bright white but still give me that close to perfect beam/line going across from mirror to mirror. i'm also aware of how LEDs would be a nightmare to install in the stinger, but i'm trying to be able to see better so should i be going with HIDs or LEDs and if i go with either, does anyone have a recommendation of what brand or style i should be getting? I feel like no one really cares about the Stingers headlights but i didn't have an extra 15k to throw around for the GT2 so i ended up with stock halogens...big mistake. SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

 

[Stinger4Banger]

So i just bought the base stinger a few weeks ago, it doesn't have the GT/GT2 daytime running lights LED strip that almost copies Audi (yes i know audi boughtout kia) but instead mine is a circle, with the bulb in the middle. i've done some research and found out the stock bulbs are halogens bulbs. Super ugly obviously, i want my shit to match and white is the new black and vise versa, not yellow. Never yellow. So, i called kia see if they had any of the stock bulbs from the higher priced stingers available (just because ordering aftermarket is a waiting line and i'm impatient) and he was trying to tell me i would be paying like 1k or less for a whole new headlight housing. i don't think i need a new headlight housing to change out headlights haha but my REAL QUESTION isssssssss:

The beam, the line. perfect cut from side to side, with LEDs i love how bright they are whether its white or blue, but LEDs also tend to have less lighting being dispersed evenly outward and around the car in front of you. I had a 2015 jeep cherokee and just the housing unit itself kind of made the bulbs look like shit on the road, no perfect beam or anything, kinda just thrown out there in front of me and didn't really have a way to adjust the bulb or beam itself.

i want my shit to match, be bright white but still give me that close to perfect beam/line going across from mirror to mirror. i'm also aware of how LEDs would be a nightmare to install in the stinger, but i'm trying to be able to see better so should i be going with HIDs or LEDs and if i go with either, does anyone have a recommendation of what brand or style i should be getting? I feel like no one really cares about the Stingers headlights but i didn't have an extra 15k to throw around for the GT2 so i ended up with stock halogens...big mistake. SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

From what I've been reading and seeing on the forums, LED's just wont look right in the housing the base 2.0 stinger has. The light will be really bright but it wont be thrown far or evenly. There are some HID options such as the Morimoto Elite HID Conversion kits, but those are gonna run you a pretty penny and you might have to make space for the ballasts given the tight space in the headlight housing we have. You could look at alternatives to the Morimoto on Amazon, try to look for ones with slim ballasts.

The bulbs I went with were the halogen Philips Diamond Vision 9005 after seeing and reading Marty17's post. For about $42 they match the outer ring perfectly and still give a nice even cutoff line when sitting in the drivers seat. Visibility wise, I'd say its as bright as the original halogens the base 2.0 came with. They're gonna hold me down until I go HID down the line.

 

[mandasol]

The bulbs in the base 2.0 are halogen HB3/9005, and you're right LED kits do not perform well with the projector headlamps. I went with an HID kit that I bought and had installed by a local shop that's done thousands of installs. The light kit with bulbs, ballasts, relays, cancelers, and installation ran about $300. It was about $50 more than they usually charge because they charged for more time since it was the first time installing in a Stinger. They did said the side halo lights are actually closer to about 4500k so they mentioned 5000k would be a closer match, but that 6000k is more popular, so I went with 6000K. I can say that they were correct, with the HID installed it makes the side halo's look slightly yellowish, so if you want the lights to match then 5000K would be the way to go.

I didn't take before pictures but these are pictures with the HID's installed.

 

[Fried_galaxy_fist]

The bulbs in the base 2.0 are halogen HB3/9005, and you're right LED kits do not perform well with the projector headlamps. I went with an HID kit that I bought and had installed by a local shop that's done thousands of installs. The light kit with bulbs, ballasts, relays, cancelers, and installation ran about $300. It was about $50 more than they usually charge because they charged for more time since it was the first time installing in a Stinger. They did said the side halo lights are actually closer to about 4500k so they mentioned 5000k would be a closer match, but that 6000k is more popular, so I went with 6000K. I can say that they were correct, with the HID installed it makes the side halo's look slightly yellowish, so if you want the lights to match then 5000K would be the way to go.

I didn't take before pictures but these are pictures with the HID's installed.

View attachment 6160 View attachment 6161

dude very nice. is there any way you can send me a picture of them at bulb level in front of the car so i can see the brightness? Do they still have a nice long beam with a level cut off like the stock halogens? i just ordered wheel caps, the front genuine E logo and the back Stinger logo so waiting to get those in and install them, if you're looking to change out emblems theres a korean aftermarket logo called, Brenthon. VERY unique looking. super 3D and etched well, they weight too and are alot more expensive but the quality is outstanding, so i've read and heard from other forums and videos. Haven't found a video of someone installing them though, but it looks like an exotic emblem but i mean so does the genuine E. Super excited considering i'm 25 so people always think its a maserati or i'm some spoiled rich kid, so definitely tinting the windows to like 27 since thats the legal limit in south carolina. You shouldn't of had to go to a garage to install them though? i popped the hood the night i got it and realized theres ALOT of room, i can reach my starter which sits on the floorboard and theres alot of accessibility to the headlights themselves, unless when you pull the bulb out its like a whole housing or something weird, from what i've seen, it looks like you just unclamp it and pull it out and switch out the bulbs. Hopefully its not one of those things where it effects the whole headlight housing cause if not, i can install it myself. my 2015 jeep cherokee was a nightmare cause i had to turn the wheel wells and unbolt the cover to access the headlights and fog lights.

 

[Fried_galaxy_fist]

dude very nice. is there any way you can send me a picture of them at bulb level in front of the car so i can see the brightness? Do they still have a nice long beam with a level cut off like the stock halogens? i just ordered wheel caps, the front genuine E logo and the back Stinger logo so waiting to get those in and install them, if you're looking to change out emblems theres a korean aftermarket logo called, Brenthon. VERY unique looking. super 3D and etched well, they weight too and are alot more expensive but the quality is outstanding, so i've read and heard from other forums and videos. Haven't found a video of someone installing them though, but it looks like an exotic emblem but i mean so does the genuine E. Super excited considering i'm 25 so people always think its a maserati or i'm some spoiled rich kid, so definitely tinting the windows to like 27 since thats the legal limit in south carolina. You shouldn't of had to go to a garage to install them though? i popped the hood the night i got it and realized theres ALOT of room, i can reach my starter which sits on the floorboard and theres alot of accessibility to the headlights themselves, unless when you pull the bulb out its like a whole housing or something weird, from what i've seen, it looks like you just unclamp it and pull it out and switch out the bulbs. Hopefully its not one of those things where it effects the whole headlight housing cause if not, i can install it myself. my 2015 jeep cherokee was a nightmare cause i had to turn the wheel wells and unbolt the cover to access the headlights and fog lights.

Also, have you ever though about getting it wrapped? i noticed yours is gray and mine is a snow white metallic so it sparkles but i want a matte gray wrap and my local window tinting shop said it would be 2500-3000 for a full wrap. D: so much money lol

 

[Stinger4Banger]

The bulbs in the base 2.0 are halogen HB3/9005, and you're right LED kits do not perform well with the projector headlamps. I went with an HID kit that I bought and had installed by a local shop that's done thousands of installs. The light kit with bulbs, ballasts, relays, cancelers, and installation ran about $300. It was about $50 more than they usually charge because they charged for more time since it was the first time installing in a Stinger. They did said the side halo lights are actually closer to about 4500k so they mentioned 5000k would be a closer match, but that 6000k is more popular, so I went with 6000K. I can say that they were correct, with the HID installed it makes the side halo's look slightly yellowish, so if you want the lights to match then 5000K would be the way to go.

I didn't take before pictures but these are pictures with the HID's installed.

View attachment 6160 View attachment 6161

Do you recall which HID kit it was you purchased? Lights look really nice! Would also like to see the light output and beam from drivers POV if possible

 

[robz32]

Get HID's. Much easier to install and you will not suffer from uneven light dispersion.

One of the main issues with aftermarket LED kits is that they require/come with a heat dispersion system, usually in the form of a fan and a heat sink, sometimes only a heat sink. The addition of those components is critical for the LED kit, but they make the installation in the sealed Stinger headlights a bit of a nightmare, as you will need to either open holes on the headlight casing or just leave the back cover off permanently, so that air can flow and cool the heat sink via the fan.

The HID kit is a much easier install as it does not require a heat sink and a fan to function properly, but you will need to drill a small opening on the plastic cover so that the wires for the bulb can pass through and connect to the ballast. You can seal the hole with silicone after install to prevent humidity and dirt to accumulate inside the headlight bezel.

Hope this info helps.

 

[Fried_galaxy_fist]

Get HID's. Much easier to install and you will not suffer from uneven light dispersion.

One of the main issues with aftermarket LED kits is that they require/come with a heat dispersion system, usually in the form of a fan and a heat sink, sometimes only a heat sink. The addition of those components is critical for the LED kit, but they make the installation in the sealed Stinger headlights a bit of a nightmare, as you will need to either open holes on the headlight casing or just leave the back cover off permanently, so that air can flow and cool the heat sink via the fan.

The HID kit is a much easier install as it does not require a heat sink and a fan to function properly, but you will need to drill a small opening on the plastic cover so that the wires for the bulb can pass through and connect to the ballast. You can seal the hole with silicone after install to prevent humidity and dirt to accumulate inside the headlight bezel.

Hope this info helps.

The only issue i have is going from LED to HID, i know the install will be easier, but the type of bulb whether its HID/LED, the make and model and the watts also effect whether or not the beam stays long range/even cut which is the one thing i'm worried about. i don't wanna spend months trying to find a super bright headlight that doesn't match the beam length/pattern which is what will be a pain in the ass

 

[robz32]

You don't need to worry about the light cut on an HID as the shields are built into the HID bulb, and the bulb only fits one way on a 9005 socket. The HID kit that I always recommend is the Sportiva. I have ran that kit on all my cars without any problems, my wifes G37 still has it on the fog lights and it is going on 3 years strong. I also had it on my M37S fog lights for four years and no problems.

Link below
Sportiva CANBUS AC 55W Boltz Digital Single Beam Or Bi Xenon HID Conversion Kits | eBay