Kizashi Club

bootymac wrote:2000 lumen LEDs?! Awesome! Hope it works out as this seems like a great way to get whiter DRLs/high beams that are still functional. I've tried blue coated bulbs before for a whiter light but the reflectors would show the blue and it looked tacky

I wonder if something similar exists for reverse lights?

Yeah, 2000 lumens so it's finally a product that can be used as a headlight rather than just decorative or DRL use.

I have blue coated bulbs as well. My old ones were very blue. Light output was trash too. Not sure why previous owner wanted those. I took them out for some IPF bulbs I had laying around. They are a lighter blue so it's not as noticeable and the light output is better. Still, no match to white LEDs which is the look I'm going for. With 2000 lumens, it will actually be a better high beam too.

VLEDS has bulbs for ample lighting for back up purposes. Several years ago, it was hard to find good LEDs for that purpose. Now, they are more common.

Here's an update as I contacted Vleds to ask about their LED conversion kit.
Below is my message to them and under that is their reply:

I wrote to them:
"Subject: H7 5K CXA 2000LM fitment in Suzuki Kizashi
Comment: Hello,
I am very interested in the H7 5K CXA 2000LM for my vehicle which is a 2011 Suzuki Kizashi. The vehicle uses the same H7 bulb for both the DRL and the high beam. The vehicle also has an enclosed headlight in which the bulbs and their harnesses are contained within the headlight and sealed with cap.
I have a few questions regarding your product in how it may apply to the specific car:
1) Will the H7 5K CXA 2000LM function as both a low wattage DRL and a high beam?
2) What are the physical dimensions of the H7 5K CXA 2000LM bulb including the heat sink and fan? Due to the vehicle's enclosed headlight design, I want to make sure the H7 5K CXA 2000LM's bulb body and the fan can fit inside the headlight and be sealed with the end cap.
Thank you."


This is Vleds' reply:
"The CXA LED headlight does not work that well in projector housings, the stem that the LED is mounted to can get in the way of the light beam pattern.
They also should have plenty of fresh air for ventilation and cooling. A completely enclosed housing is not ideal.
We recommend installing an HID system for best performance.
http://www.vleds.com/hid-242/hid-conver ... ystem.html
Thank you,
Customer Support"

So, they obviously did not know/research that the DRL/high beam of the Kizashi is not in a projector but in a multi-reflector lens. The low beam is in a projector and I already have a HID kit for those.

However, they did verify what I thought would be an issue. They recommend the fan and heat sink be out in the open and not sealed in the headlight. This means that the headlight end caps would have to remain off. This is not something I want to do as it exposes the headlight to moisture and dust. That's a deal-breaker for me.

As of now, I'm going wait to see if there is a more compatible kit that can be found. The Vleds' kit looks nice, but it's too bulky and apparently generates too much heat. I'll probably wait for a newer generation or see what the JDM offers. The JDM Bellof kits did not have fans attached to them although it's unclear how much light they output. Probably not 2000 lumens like the Vleds kit.

As for the HIDs, Vleds also sells Morimotos, but getting them from Retrofitsource is cheaper and they appear to have excellent customer service.

Great update! Bummer that they would need the end caps off. That would be a dealbreaker for me too as I like to be able to make things better than stock without compromises (hence why I've not moved to anything other than the stock bulbs for now).

I wonder how much they knew about the dimensions of the housing though since they didn't even know that the high beam isn't a projector? Also, they never addressed the fact that the car uses the high beams for DRL, which could also be a dealbreaker if it causes issues.

SamirD wrote:Also, they never addressed the fact that the car uses the high beams for DRL, which could also be a dealbreaker if it causes issues.

X2 - I'm really interested in a "whiter" bulb, but it has to run reliably at the DRL voltage, which Silverstars, etc won't.

I'm certain that the kit runs the DRLs just fine. The guys over at other forums who have installed kits like these have stated it works fine with their DRLs that use the same bulbs. Photos uploaded look great. The DRLs have the same white color at lower lumen output much like a LED flashlight with different power modes. LEDs are known to be excellent dimmers, much like incandescent filaments. The plus side is that they maintain their color, unlike filaments.

That being said, if the Vleds kit cannot be safely used with the headlight end cap on, it's a deal breaker. I'm gonna look around as I'm eager to jump on LEDs to replace my halogens.

These should work as DRL, but probably won't be worth a hoot as high beams:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... 1583/3660/

I know it's a dumb question, but can this be used for a dim too? I believe my SX4 uses the same buld for the DRL as the dim...

~tc~ wrote:These should work as DRL, but probably won't be worth a hoot as high beams:
http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo ... 1583/3660/

Yup, these are worthless as high beams. You basically need high output SMD (Surface-mounted device) LEDS like Cree LEDs to cast a light in a reflector.
The most promising ones are the type like Vleds' kit that mimic how a filament in an incandescent bulb throws light onto a reflector or the kind that have mirrors inside the LED bulb to refract the light in the reflector, like the JDM Bellof LED kit.

I'm only looking to get a LED conversion kit that can actually serve as a high beam too.

sx4rocious wrote:I know it's a dumb question, but can this be used for a dim too? I believe my SX4 uses the same buld for the DRL as the dim...

Yes, LEDs can dim. This is why they are ideal for any type of lighting, home or automotive. They are great for dimming, immediate full-power activation, and flashing/strobe all while consuming much less power and lasting a lot longer.
The plus side of having a LED conversion kit in the Kizashi is that it will give the DRLs that elite white color output instead of the dim yellow that it currently is from the H7 halogen bulb.

I reconsidered these and did more research. People over at other car forums that run these types of kits claim they don't generate much heat. In fact, many other kits instruct that the bulb dust cap be put back on even with the fan on the bulb. However, the latest VLEDS kit uses 2 LEDs instead of one. Perhaps that could generate a lot more heat. On the other hand, I rarely use my high beams and want these more for their DRL performance as white LEDs. Heat should not be an issue because they run at much lower wattage as DRLs.

Also, the VLEDS kit includes ballasts that are unlikely going to fit inside the headlight so they will have to be mounted outside the headlight, much like my HID ballasts. In that case, I have to drill the dust caps to have the wires come out. Not that I mind since my low beams with HIDs have this set up. If the ballasts fit, I may leave them inside the headlight.

I may actually pull the trigger and try these out. I really dig the idea of white LED OEM DRLs. I will post photos and a review in case anyone else is interested.

I ordered them. Here it goes again with removing the bumper, the headlights, and the bulbs.