New Mod For My '01 Es

lexusk8 · January 16, 2006

I've been laying low as far as mods go in my '01 ES, but I've patiently gathered all the right parts for the last 3-4 months (had to wait out for the right prices from the right seller) ;) The last of the parts came in just this past weekend, and I immediately got them installed with the help of a friend mechanic who had all the electrical parts and tools. It took us about an hour to do it yesterday. Many thanks to my friend for lending a hand (I'll definitely give him some help next time on his truck and/or Jetta) :)

So without further ado, behold in all its glory: My 2001 ES300 factory HID headlamps (a rare, hard-to-find feature on the ES)

Here they are, turned on after a couple of minutes. They instantly flick on, then turn bluish, and gradually turn into white. The remarkable features of HID lighting (not to mention the excellent cutoff) :D

Lastly, just a comparison pic with my previous non-HID headlamps.

Any comments or questions about the HID or the install procedure (which is actually pretty straightforward) are much appreciated. Thanks :)

-Doug

BTW, I do not have any nighttime pics since I do not have a tripod for my digicam. But you are better off seeing it in person; HID is like night and day compared to stock halogen or any upgraded aftermarket bulb. Once you go HID, you'll never go back!

steviej · January 16, 2006

Doug,

What did you go with for bulbs: Philips OEM, PIAA Super cobalt, Hella ?

Are you new HIDs autoleveling or did that feature/option debut with my 02 ES?

steviej

Toysrme · January 17, 2006

Niiiice what bulbs & ballast?

lexusk8 · January 17, 2006

The D2R bulbs are 4100K OEM Philips, and the ballasts are the Denso OEM's off of a '04 Lexus IS. Auto-leveling is not included with the bulbs and ballasts, although the feature comes factory with the '00-'01 HID-equipped ES. There is an indicator feature on the HID headlamps themselves where I can manually adjust with a socket wrench to get the correct level.