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Yeah, I'm not sure why EU Compass model comes with projector lamps while US model does not. Perhaps we can order from EU dealership? :) Anyway, I got my fog lamp HID installed. See the attached pics.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to get a before and after shot. I will say that I'm happy with the new kit. All lights are now consistent to near diamond to xenon-white lights.

I'll get a better night-time shot on the cut-off. Will need to find a place to take the shot. I do see the fog-light cut-off light though and it complements the low-beam HID kit very nicely.

EDIT: the day-shot(right pic) shows the fog-light with a hint of blue(lens effect? or it hasn't taken long enough to heat up; took pic just after I turned on light) but that seems to be normal during the day and it depends on the angle of which you're looking at it. Nonetheless, it comes out with a nice bright-white light at night as seen from the first picture on left.
 

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Discussion starter · #62 ·
Yeah, I'm not sure why EU Compass model comes with projector lamps while US model does not. Perhaps we can order from EU dealership? :) Anyway, I got my fog lamp HID installed. See the attached pics.

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to get a before and after shot. I will say that I'm happy with the new kit. All lights are now consistent to near diamond to xenon-white lights.

I'll get a better night-time shot on the cut-off. Will need to find a place to take the shot. I do see the fog-light cut-off light though and it complements the low-beam HID kit very nicely.

EDIT: the day-shot(right pic) shows the fog-light with a hint of blue(lens effect? or it hasn't taken long enough to heat up; took pic just after I turned on light) but that seems to be normal during the day and it depends on the angle of which you're looking at it. Nonetheless, it comes out with a nice bright-white light at night as seen from the first picture on left.
Very nice!:super:

That is kind of a weird blue color, almost greenish. I know that when you look at projectors, there is a slight blue tint to the very top of the cutoff, also, aftermarket HID's have to warm up, so they must have a slight blue color when they first turn on.

I really need to get some HID's for mine now.

Question. Are the HID's you have all plug-n-play or did you have to use relays? Is there any flicker to them or do they stay on nice and bright?
 
MUST use relay. Used without them and you'll end up with random lights-out or slight flickers. Ever since I installed the relay on my low-beam HID, constant sunlight...:cool:

Another relay is on its way for my foglight...forgot to order with it. Relay should be here by Tuesday.

EDIT: it's pretty much plug-n-play...the only challenge is getting to the cables to make connections... :eek:
 
Discussion starter · #64 ·
Awesome, thanks for the info on the HID's!

I will have to make sure to get a relay when I order them for mine. I think I will go with 5,000k so that it can be the whitest possible.

I would love to see some night pics of your beam cutoff if you ever get a chance. I am excited to get HID's! I just really wish they had projector kits for the Compass here in the States or I could get a set from Europe...:eyebrows:
 
hey guys, new member here, and fortunately (for you) i work as a salesman at a chrysler jeep dodge dealership. i also own a 2011 compass lattitude.
IRSmart, can you please do us a favor and find out if there's a code, switch, or something we can do to enable DVD video playback while engine is on?

Right now, the DVD video player is enabled only when the car is parked.

Just finished washing car and took a wet-look pics... :eyebrows:

Thanks,
jav
 

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the only way to play DVDs while in drive on the media center radios is to buy a lockpick, an aftermarket device that plugs into the rear of the radio. it is several hundred dollars.

oh, and guys, please read the article i posted about HIDs. for the sake of other drivers on the road, please do not install HIDs in your compass until we have found a way to do it safely, namely by putting in the propor projectors to safely aim that light. here is the article again:

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
 
and remember guys, even if we were able to get a set of european projector headlights, there are still the two issues that i posted in here before to contend with, in addition to wiring them up. these cars have such tempermental computers in them now (believe me...) that it will be very difficult to get these to work properly.
 
and remember guys, even if we were able to get a set of european projector headlights, there are still the two issues that i posted in here before to contend with, in addition to wiring them up. these cars have such tempermental computers in them now (believe me...) that it will be very difficult to get these to work properly.
Jeep owners are creative people. Give us a set of projector lights and we'll make it work! :D

As for the HID kit warning, well, it's too late!! It's working beautifully and no Internet know-how is going to tell me what I can't do...:shadyhat:
 
Discussion starter · #70 ·
Jeep owners are creative people. Give us a set of projector lights and we'll make it work! :D

As for the HID kit warning, well, it's too late!! It's working beautifully and no Internet know-how is going to tell me what I can't do...:shadyhat:
Well put!:fistpump:

Besides, I live in the south and they don't care what you do with your car. Heck, they don't even have state inspections for vehicles so you can run around without anything on your engine like CC's or mufflers. Also, the :police: around here don't obey any of their own traffic laws, like using turn signals or completely stopping at the stop signs, so no worries here!:spinning:

I will probably be ordering the H11 HID kits here soon. As soon as I do and get them installed, I will post :pics:.
 
Discussion starter · #71 ·
I wonder where ohnoesaz is?:dunno:

I have not seen him on here for a while. :(

I wonder if he has found out anything else about the GC headlights and if he has done anything recently on his Compass?
 
Jeep owners are creative people. Give us a set of projector lights and we'll make it work! :D

As for the HID kit warning, well, it's too late!! It's working beautifully and no Internet know-how is going to tell me what I can't do...:shadyhat:
i understand, i can do the wiring myself. it wouldn't stop the swap altogether, i just wanted to reiterate the fact that the headlight swap themselves is not the only concern.

as far as the HIDs go, it is not the law that is my concern, it is the safety of other drivers on the road, and your own safety. the fact that you think you can see better with HIDs than hallogens is an illusion. your eyes are more sensitive to yellow light than blue light, so the HIDs are a problem there. they are brighter, yes. that is also a bad thing, because your eyes focus on the bright light right in front of you, hindering your ability to see long distances.

the biggest problem with the cheap HID retrofits is the fact that your hallogen housing is not meant to properly aim an HID bulb. the bulb itself is a different shape than a hallogen bulb, that's why the beam patterns are different. simply aiming them down doesn't solve this problem, it simply creates an even more dangerous situation. not only do you have a poor beam pattern, but now it's improperly aimed down at the ground.

trust me guys, i know what i'm talking about. my mustang has straight pipes on it after removing the 4 catalitic converters (a $40,000 fine from the EPA if i get cought, btw) so obviously the popo aren't my first concern. but people get HIDs without having any knowledge about the negatives about them, they only hear how awesome they are, and how much better people can see, which are both not true. i'm not trying to tell anyone on here what to do, i'm simply trying to make people more informed in hopes that they'll make the right decision. the only PROPOR way to install HIDs into a car that did not come equipped with them is to install them in a housing that was tested and designed to properly emit the light that comes from those HIDs. in our case, that would be the projector headlights from the euro compass or the american grand cherokee. any other way is simply a danger to yourself.
 
as far as the HIDs go, it is not the law that is my concern, it is the safety of other drivers on the road, and your own safety. the fact that you think you can see better with HIDs than hallogens is an illusion. your eyes are more sensitive to yellow light than blue light, so the HIDs are a problem there. they are brighter, yes. that is also a bad thing, because your eyes focus on the bright light right in front of you, hindering your ability to see long distances.

the biggest problem with the cheap HID retrofits is the fact that your hallogen housing is not meant to properly aim an HID bulb. the bulb itself is a different shape than a hallogen bulb, that's why the beam patterns are different. simply aiming them down doesn't solve this problem, it simply creates an even more dangerous situation. not only do you have a poor beam pattern, but now it's improperly aimed down at the ground.
IRSmart, we're just playing with you.. :giggle: But I respectfully disagree to some of your technical information. The beam pattern does not come from the bulb shape; the beam pattern is directly related to the bulb housing. The bulb housing is engineered so that it will properly project or mirror the lights coming from the bulb to specific areas on the road. If you look inside the bulb housing, you'll see curvature or patterns. These curvature patterns direct lights from the bulb into the road. If you don't touch the housing adjustments, you should be fine...and yes, there will be some extraneous lights outside of the designated projected zones but that is the effect of brighter and more powerful light.

The white light does produce some inconvenience to other drivers. When I see a white light far ahead, I know it's HID and I look at it. I think I'm more curious at it than anything else just because you don't see too many white(as opposed to yellow) lights on the road yet. From my experience, HID on cars does not produce a serious issue; it's serious only when other drivers stare at it(like me) and become distracted. I'm getting better at ignoring these lights...I look only to see if his "white light" is brighter than mine...hehee :D
 
Discussion starter · #74 ·
:yeahthat:

I agree with Javelin.:fistpump:

There are quite a few cars out there that have standard reflector type housings, but came with HID bulbs (ie some of the last generation Ford Mustang's, Lexus IS200, Lincoln Towncar, etc.) The point is that the light comes from a focal point and the reflector or projector pinpoint that light to a certain shape, regardless of the shape of the bulb.

As far as looking at bright lights on the road, I am guilty of that too. I am a huge light snob. I cannot stand yellow lights and I like to look for the white lights and see how they overpower yellow lights on the road. :D

Sometimes, I wish that it was dark all of the time, or at least overcast because I love lights so much! (at least when they are done tastefully) :)
 
:yeahthat:

I agree with Javelin.:fistpump:

There are quite a few cars out there that have standard reflector type housings, but came with HID bulbs (ie some of the last generation Ford Mustang's, Lexus IS200, Lincoln Towncar, etc.) The point is that the light comes from a focal point and the reflector or projector pinpoint that light to a certain shape, regardless of the shape of the bulb.

As far as looking at bright lights on the road, I am guilty of that too. I am a huge light snob. I cannot stand yellow lights and I like to look for the white lights and see how they overpower yellow lights on the road. :D

Sometimes, I wish that it was dark all of the time, or at least overcast because I love lights so much! (at least when they are done tastefully) :)
White-light junkies!!!! :rotfl: Last night coming home late from work, I intently followed a car on another lane from 40-50 feet away. As I sped up to pass, I watched my white light overpower his yellow lights even before I was head-to-head and once I passed him, his yellow light is almost non-existent...what a feeling...:p...that HID fog light rocks! :D I thought of taking a video off my phone...but that would have been dangerous.

BTW, I've only been flashed once by another Jeep...that was about 6 weeks ago...think he's just jealous... ;)
 
Discussion starter · #76 ·
WLJ's for life! :super:

I think the Compass already has great reflectors as it is because my lights overpower others on the road easily all the time. I love driving up by the side of vehicles or behind them and my light envelops around their car and lights up the road in front of them...:eyebrows: so if I get the HID's, it will be even better and will actually HELP them, not hinder them because then they can see better too! :eek:hsnap: :p
 
WLJ's for life! :super:

I think the Compass already has great reflectors as it is because my lights overpower others on the road easily all the time. I love driving up by the side of vehicles or behind them and my light envelops around their car and lights up the road in front of them...:eyebrows: so if I get the HID's, it will be even better and will actually HELP them, not hinder them because then they can see better too! :eek:hsnap: :p
I agree. My Silverstar Ultra 4100K was really good with it, except that it still had a hint of yellowness which I din't like. I'm not going back to halogen except for a temporary replacement... :D
 
Discussion starter · #78 ·
I agree. My Silverstar Ultra 4100K was really good with it, except that it still had a hint of yellowness which I din't like. I'm not going back to halogen except for a temporary replacement... :D
Have you or anyone else here or anywhere had any experience with Philips Crystal Vision Ultra's? I had the Silverstar Ultra's on my Focus, and they looked great and lit up the road, but i had them for a little over 2 years and one was a little yellower than the other, quite noticeable to me. Also, pretty expensive considering you can buy HID kits cheaper than a pair of Ultra's...

Just wondering how those are compared.:dunno:
 
But I respectfully disagree to some of your technical information. The beam pattern does not come from the bulb shape; the beam pattern is directly related to the bulb housing. The bulb housing is engineered so that it will properly project or mirror the lights coming from the bulb to specific areas on the road. If you look inside the bulb housing, you'll see curvature or patterns. These curvature patterns direct lights from the bulb into the road. If you don't touch the housing adjustments, you should be fine...and yes, there will be some extraneous lights outside of the designated projected zones but that is the effect of brighter and more powerful light.
you are correct to a point. but the arc in an aftermarket HID bulb is indeed shaped differently. the arc of light is in a diffrent location than the fillament from a hallogen bulb. imagine taking a maglight flashlight and shining it waaaay down into your backyard. now, take the end of the flashlight and turn it ever so slightly to the left or the right. the beam pattern changes drastically, and you've moved the bulb less than a millimeter. that is how sensitive the reflectors are.

There are quite a few cars out there that have standard reflector type housings, but came with HID bulbs (ie some of the last generation Ford Mustang's, Lexus IS200, Lincoln Towncar, etc.) The point is that the light comes from a focal point and the reflector or projector pinpoint that light to a certain shape, regardless of the shape of the bulb.
correct (except for the mustang part, they use projectors. i'm a mustang guy ;) ). but in those situations, those housings were designed to properly project the light coming from the HID bulb. by changing from a hallogen to an HID bulb, you have moved the focal point, so no amount of up or down aiming can get that focal point back to where it belonged, thus the poor beam pattern.

this is an exerpt from the site i linked. it explains what i'm trying to say and has a diagram of the differences in the light sources.

Daniel Stern Lighting said:
A halogen bulb has a cylindrical light source: the glowing filament. The space immediately surrounding the cylinder of light is completely dark, and so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is along the edges of the cylinder of light. The ends of the filament cylinder fade from bright to dark. An HID bulb, on the other hand, has a crescent-shaped light source -- the arc. It's crescent-shaped because as it passes through the space between the two electrodes, its heat causes it to try to rise. The space immediately surrounding the crescent of light glows in layers...the closer to the crescent of light, the brighter the glow. The ends of the arc crescent are the brightest points, and immediately beyond these points is completely dark, so the sharpest contrast between bright and dark is at the ends of the crescent of light...When designing the optics (lens and/or reflector) for a lamp, the characteristics of the light source are the driving factor around which everything else must be engineered. If you go and change the light source, you've done the equivalent of putting on somebody else's eyeglasses: You can probably make them fit on your face OK, but you won't see properly.


here are three examples from the website that i linked. it shows a government test of HID bulbs. they tested the beam pattern from a hallogen bulb. then put in an HID bulb, and even aimed it the best they could. it still failed miserably. i wish they hadn't aimed it so that you could see the effect of just swapping one for the other. by aiming it, they tainted the results IMO.

1998 Nissan Frontier (skip to page 11 for test results)
1996 Chevrolet Lumina (skip to page 9 for test results)
1998 Nissan Frontier (test #2) (skip to page 12 for test results)

again, i'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, just trying to keep misinformation out of the forums. i go through this on almost every board i'm on, because the common misconception is that aftermarket HID kits are so much better than hallogens. just yesterday i had this conversation with the long distance kicker of the baltimore ravens. he had no idea about the side effects and took them out of his 2011 dodge ram.

but we're getting off topic. mods, feel free to split these posts up into another topic if needed.
 
here are three examples from the website that i linked. it shows a government test of HID bulbs. they tested the beam pattern from a hallogen bulb. then put in an HID bulb, and even aimed it the best they could. it still failed miserably. i wish they hadn't aimed it so that you could see the effect of just swapping one for the other. by aiming it, they tainted the results IMO.

1998 Nissan Frontier (skip to page 11 for test results)
1996 Chevrolet Lumina (skip to page 9 for test results)
1998 Nissan Frontier (test #2) (skip to page 12 for test results)

again, i'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, just trying to keep misinformation out of the forums. i go through this on almost every board i'm on, because the common misconception is that aftermarket HID kits are so much better than hallogens. just yesterday i had this conversation with the long distance kicker of the baltimore ravens. he had no idea about the side effects and took them out of his 2011 dodge ram.

but we're getting off topic. mods, feel free to split these posts up into another topic if needed.
First off, thanks for being persistent...hehee :eyebrows:

Now the facts:
1. The test were not done on 2011 Jeep Compass
2. The test subjects were older cars probably non-confirming to today's headlight standards.
3. You wished they haven't aim? You serious? When you removed headlight housing, YOU definitely have to re-aim. Otherwise, results would not be accurate at all. When we swap HID light bulbs, hint bulbs, we're exchanging bulbs and NOT the housing unit.
4. The Raven kicker is missing out. Not only that, he's got a great HID kit he probably can't return for refund.
5. Test. I think you missed it completely. Here's the test official report.
"Test failures identified were as follows: lower beam photometry and headlamp
color."


The test failure, to me, is non-consequential. My perception of the new photometry with the HID kit is perfectly fine...it's brighter, it's clearer, and the signs, specially road signs and the lines on the roads are illuminated well. These can help finding your road alignment when driving on snow days... ;)

As for headlamp color, what's bad about it? :giggle:
 
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