2017 Expy Can you upgrade from halogen to HID headlights

[Stotadude]

I had a 2014 F150 with HID headlights before trading on a 2017 Expedition with halogen headlights. I really liked the brightness of the HID headlights. I've seen kits available to upgrade but I was at the local Ford dealer today and asked the service manager about upgrading and he basically said you CAN'T upgrade the headlights due to programming, electrical issues, etc. I'm sure he knows what he is talking about but has anyone done this successfully without smoking their vehicle?

 

[LokiWolf]

I had a 2014 F150 with HID headlights before trading on a 2017 Expedition with halogen headlights. I really liked the brightness of the HID headlights. I've seen kits available to upgrade but I was at the local Ford dealer today and asked the service manager about upgrading and he basically said you CAN'T upgrade the headlights due to programming, electrical issues, etc. I'm sure he knows what he is talking about but has anyone done this successfully without smoking their vehicle?

He has No idea what he is talking about! Many of us have LED and HID upgrades!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Adieu]

Halogen projectors? LEDs probably a better bet, cheap HID has a tendency to bake projector bowls designed for halogens

 

[G213]

Many people (myself included) have installed HID kits with zero issues. Use a wiring harness with a relay during your install and all will be well.

 

[chuck s]

I have HIDs in my '17 reflector low beams and LEDs in the highs. No "programming" or electrical issues. They're "CANBUS" capable (or something) and if they weren't they could be fixed by Forscan.

-- Chuck

 

[mossback]

There are quite a few threads on all this here in the archives. Some more info here:

http://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/2017-hid-headlamp-update.32801/page-4#post-285009

A very worthwhile upgrade.

 

[16plati]

I had a 2014 F150 with HID headlights before trading on a 2017 Expedition with halogen headlights. I really liked the brightness of the HID headlights. I've seen kits available to upgrade but I was at the local Ford dealer today and asked the service manager about upgrading and he basically said you CAN'T upgrade the headlights due to programming, electrical issues, etc. I'm sure he knows what he is talking about but has anyone done this successfully without smoking their vehicle?

I would shy away from HIDs, the brands I’ve seen used burn out constantly and not all brands have components that fit behind the dust covers and involve cutting and use of silicon to get it back together. I would look into a quality pair of LEDs instead. I have diode dynamics SL1 low beam projectors and SL1 high beam reflectors and they have been perfect for almost a year now. They match the factory fogs perfectly also

 

[sixsix]

I would shy away from HIDs, the brands I’ve seen used burn out constantly and not all brands have components that fit behind the dust covers and involve cutting and use of silicon to get it back together. I would look into a quality pair of LEDs instead. I have diode dynamics SL1 low beam projectors and SL1 high beam reflectors and they have been perfect for almost a year now. They match the factory fogs perfectly also

I've been running a cheap (they were $50 bucks I think) no name set of 55w hids from amazon in my Honda accord for 3 years with zero issues. I work shift work, so I'm either going to work in the dark or coming home in the dark, so I run with my headlights on a lot, and they've been perfect for the last 75k miles. I've also run the more expensive diode dynamics brand and saw no difference in performance to the cheap ones. Aftermarket LED's cannot match the light output that a HID set up will give you. The LED's will give off a nice pretty light, but none of that will translate to usable light on the road.

 

[16plati]

I've been running a cheap (they were $50 bucks I think) no name set of 55w hids from amazon in my Honda accord for 3 years with zero issues. I work shift work, so I'm either going to work in the dark or coming home in the dark, so I run with my headlights on a lot, and they've been perfect for the last 75k miles. I've also run the more expensive diode dynamics brand and saw no difference in performance to the cheap ones. Aftermarket LED's cannot match the light output that a HID set up will give you. The LED's will give off a nice pretty light, but none of that will translate to usable light on the road.

I prefer LED, sorry. Easier to work with, last longer, and don’t burn out. Thanks

 

[sixsix]

I prefer LED, sorry. Easier to work with, last longer, and don’t burn out. Thanks

Yup, until that fan goes out.

Never had a single issue with any HID kit I've ever used over the past 14 years going back to the first set I ever installed back in 2005 in my Colorado. I have had lot's of LED interior bulbs, and LED house hold bulbs fail on me tho.

 

[16plati]

Yup, until that fan goes out.

Never had a single issue with any HID kit I've ever used over the past 14 years going back to the first set I ever installed back in 2005 in my Colorado. I have had lot's of LED interior bulbs, and LED house hold bulbs fail on me tho.

Been 2 years with two 2016 Expeditions both with full interior exterior LED conversions and never once had a light issue. Buy quality products get quality results, HIDs are better retrofitted. Not in stock housing. They burn the lenses and aren’t very reliable

 

[mossback]

No problems or issues at all with the HID’s I installed. Tremendous light output, nice well defined top cut-off with the projectors, match the fog light color temp perfectly. No ‘burning’ or any discoloring of the housings or lenses whatsoever. The few times I’ve checked them the ballasts run cool- just slightly warmer than ambient. The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner.

 

[creef14]

Yup, until that fan goes out.

Never had a single issue with any HID kit I've ever used over the past 14 years going back to the first set I ever installed back in 2005 in my Colorado. I have had lot's of LED interior bulbs, and LED house hold bulbs fail on me tho.

They both have pros and cons...I think at this point they’ve gotten close enough that it’s just a preference question now

Personally, I’ve never had a HID kit that hasn’t failed at some point, but when they work they're the best. I’ve been running LEDs for 6 months now and they give me slightly less light than the HIDs but their still leaps and bounds better than stock.

 

[chuck s]

My HIDs (in all 3 of my cars) all have a slight warm up period making instant On LEDs a better choice for high beams. I'm told HIDs dim over time but the 13-year old set in one car is still bright. No HID problems in the 5-year old car but the halogen high beams had to be replaced earlier this year. HIDs and LEDs in the Expedition have been there almost a year but the truck runs well under 10K miles a year. Dramatic improvement over OEM.

The LEDs have dramatically improved the last year or two and filament placement in some of the better bulbs fits the reflector's beam patterns very well. Finding the right bulbs isn't as simple as buying halogens at AutoZone.

-- Chuck

 

[Fred Moore]

Based on the recommendation from 16plati, I visited the diode dynamics SL1 website. Please forgive my ignorance, but does my 2017 King Ranch Expedition have projector or non-projector headlights? What's the difference anyhow?

And....I have searched the forum but did not see anything that definitively explained things sufficiently.

 

[16plati]

Based on the recommendation from 16plati, I visited the diode dynamics SL1 website. Please forgive my ignorance, but does my 2017 King Ranch Expedition have projector or non-projector headlights? What's the difference anyhow?

And....I have searched the forum but did not see anything that definitively explained things sufficiently.

 

[16plati]

Based on the recommendation from 16plati, I visited the diode dynamics SL1 website. Please forgive my ignorance, but does my 2017 King Ranch Expedition have projector or non-projector headlights? What's the difference anyhow?

And....I have searched the forum but did not see anything that definitively explained things sufficiently.

Projector has the little round bulb housing like picture above. So gear above have projector low beams and reflector high beams. Also if you go out to your expedition and look at the bottom of your headlight housing you will see stamped into the headlight lenses what size bulb each one is. They will be stamped directly below where the bulbs are, that way you don’t have to remove the housing and dust cap to see what size bulbs you need

 

[16plati]

 

[Stotadude]

Thanks everyone for your replies and experiences. I'm weighing between LED and HID and hope to decide soon. I'm 71 and assume this is something I can do myself. I was in electronics for about 20 years or so.

 

[16plati]

Thanks everyone for your replies and experiences. I'm weighing between LED and HID and hope to decide soon. I'm 71 and assume this is something I can do myself. I was in electronics for about 20 years or so.

LEDs are plug and play, not all the ballasts fit behind OEM dust cap perfectly though. I can verify any info about diode dynamics SL1s if needed as that’s what I run