1999-2009 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I recently put a set of xenon headlights in my 2002 Aero SW. I bought the car from dealer stock so I couldn't get the factory headlights, but a local Saab dealer recommended a set that he had. $1000 Canadian later I'm happy to say that I'm very impressed with the performance these lights offer. My original plan was to buy the Saab parts and retrofit them to my car- forget that! the xenon headlights from your local Saab parts department go for $1000/side and that doesn't include the sensors used to level the headlights or wiring. The aftermarket set goes in place of the halogen bulb and the ballasts/starters plug into where the old halogen bulb plugged into. You will have to cut a 25mm hole into the back cap of your headlights to allow the wires to pass through (which will be sealed by a grommet included with the kit) You will also have to find a place to mount the ballasts and starters somewhere near the headlights. It is also recommended that you pull the stock 15A fuse and replace it with a 20A for the low beams (the ones you will be replacing) as the lights require quite a bit of juice at first to get the electricity to jump the gap between the electrodes. DO NOT touch the bulb with your fingers as the oils left behind will create a hot spot and burn out the bulb in no time. Be careful when you install this setup- were talking about 32000 volts to get these babies fired up. The link I've included is for a set that is the same as the one I got from my local dealership, I think my '02 used the H7 kit but I'm not sure what would go into a '99 (probably the same)go to the Sylvania web site to find out the correct bulb for your car. This kit works nicely- I've noticed that most of the kits I've found on the 'net have similar packaging with different brand names, but the stuff is the same inside the box- look for a kit similar to the one shown in the link and you'll be satisfied. The aftermarket kit doesn't include new reflectors so you'll have to be satisfied with the stock halogen reflectors which work fine anyways. You will also not get the self-levelling feature that comes with the factory units, not a big deal for me but if you frequently carry a heavy load you may want to reconsider this modification for other's sake.
Get the 6000K crystal white kit, these will start out looking a bit purple and after a few minutes you'll have nice bright white light. The headlights will have a slightly blue tint from other's perspective but will appear white to you.
Beware of "HID" or "blue" kits which are simply a regular halogen bulb with a blue dicronic coating- these bulbs actually provide less useable light and are not true HID systems. A true HID system uses a capsule which is filled with a mixture of noble gasses including xenon. Light is created when electricity is forced to jump a gap between two electrodes, there is usually some kind of starter to provide the high amount of electricity required to initially jump the gap. Imitation HID kits simply filter out all but blue light which means that you will actually be getting less light than a traditional halogen bulb (and blue light is the least useful to the human eye as well) A set of $40 bulbs are not a substitute for a $600 HID setup.
Good luck with the installation, and your new car!
posted by 216.191.14...
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
