Hi all,

I am an ecstatic new owner of a 07 H3 5-spd Adventure. I took advantage of the 0%/60 month + $1950 incentives offer and picked it up last week. I ended up giving all that money back though as I worked the crossbars, side steps and factory light bar into the deal. However, the best upgrade is the Starr Bi-Xenon HID kit that I ordered from Clarence at G-Style. I had a 03 Nissan 350Z Track and my wife has a Boxster with factory Litronic lights and once you have good HID lights it is tough to drive with anything else.

I went with the Starr kit because as far as I know it is the only one designed from the ground-up for the H3 application. There are a few threads on here that rightly point out that putting an aftermarket HID kit in the stock halogen reflectors results in a poor light pattern. I can tell you first hand that the Starr kit with included projector-type housings is on par with the Porsche Litronic HIDs - about the best there is, IMHO. Maybe even better actually because the H3 with Adventure package sits twice as high as the Boxster with Sport package so the lights have a better angle to shine on the road. The beam pattern is very even and the cutoff is very sharp, so you can adjust them just a bit high to get maximum distance projection without being an A$$ to other drivers. The stock halogen lights are actually pretty decent, especially with the fog lights on, but these HIDs are just another league of lighting. The HID high-beams are fantastic and the best part is that they come on WITH the low beams so you get a really nice pattern.

Now lest you think I'm a shill for Starr or G-Style, I will tell you the negative points. Sadly I'm not a tinkerer or DIY-type so I had my kit installed at Hummer of Orlando (Cougar is the best tech there!) and it took them about 3-4 hours. He showed me the instruction manual and said that the suggested mounting positions for the ballasts and wires were "a bit ghetto" so he took it upon himself to do a super-sano job of hiding the ballasts and wiring so you can't see anything different with the hood open. I've read that Starr thinks it should take 2.5 hours to install the kit and I guess if you did what they recommend then it would probably take that long, but Cougar really did a great job and removed the grill and other parts to make a super-clean install. Even with the Starr instructions some dremeling of underhood plastic is necessary. The other negative is that when plugged back in to the factory connectors, the automatic running light system turns on the HIDs when you start moving. I remember reading in my Nissan Z manual that the HIDs should not be turned on and off a lot during quick trips because that can cause premature wear. If that's the case then I need to look into getting that part disconnected so they only turn on when switched to the "On" position. However, this is how Starr shows they should be connected and they have a 3-year guarantee so I'll hold them to it should anything break from the constant on-off.

Here is what it looks like installed - they replace the stock headlights completely and look like a skin-less Terminator skull with my stock chrome grill.

Now I can't say enough about Clarence at G-Style. I ordered a few other things from the G-Style website and he gave me a shipping discount in addition to the 10% sale prices his store had at the time. Plus, I'm in FL and they're in CA and I got the stuff in less than 5 days - that is superior price and service. I've got to gas up so I'll go take pictures of the light pattern on the garage door and post them.

Jeff

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Could you post some night time cut-off shots and underhood shots???

 

Just got back from filling up (16.49 mpg mostly highway at 75 mph), your wish is my command:

Pic 1: Low Beam pattern (no fog lights) @ approx. 10 feet - notice "step-up" to the right. I think this is to allow the furthest projection while not blinding oncoming traffic.

Pic 2: High Beam pattern @ approx. 10 feet - not as focused as I initially thought with some flaring noticeable, but you don't notice it at all in practical driving.

Pic 3: Close up of projector housing

Pic 4: Front end at night

Pic 5: On the road shot with Fog Lights also on

I forgot to mention that Starr claims to be the only SAE/DOT approved HID kit on the market for the H3 and you can see the "DOT" marking on the projector housing. This was another big factor in my decision to go with these. Overall, I am VERY pleased. I forgot to get a shot on the garage with the HIDs and the Hummer dual 60-Watt light bar on - those things are bright too!

Another observation: at least with the Adventure package, there is a lot of pitch when accelerating and shifting gears (I've got a 5-spd), so you can see the lights pitch up and I imagine they are momentarily directed at eye-level of oncoming traffic. In normal crusing they are aimed just fine (using the stock Torx screw adjustment) so I try to mitigate the pitching by accelerating less aggressively at night. This is where the Porsche Litronics are the best since they are auto-leveling and adjust automatically to pitch changes. I think this is a requirement for European DOT andI don't think the Starr kit would be legal there. Do they even export H3s to Europe?

Jeff

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SWEET!!!! And Congrats on the HUMMER!!!

 

Here are the underhood pics:

Pic 1: Looks completely stock (thanks again Cougar!)

Pic 2: Ballast tucked neatly away behind lamp assembly

Pic 3: Close-up of Ballast - notice red 3M tape for suggested "ghetto" install - obviously not used.

Pic 4: Looking down at tucked-away ballast



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will be interested to see the thread updates on how they continue towork out. i've had cars with HID's for the past 5 years or so, andjust picked up the H3.i can confirm that the HID'sdefinitely spoil you over thehalogens. Now,if they'd just make aftermarket HID kits that swivelaround turns as well........
anyway,from the pics,you're correct inthe "stepup" but the PIC 5 roadshot actually looks like the lights are adjusted "reversed" asnormally, the longer light field path ison the passenger side with the shorter field on the drivers so as to prevent blinding oncoming traffic.

 

wow, GREAT write up!!

and they come in black!![sm=wootwoot.gif]
Sucks that they're $1100 though. You get what you pay for I'm sure

 

I noticed that after I posted the picture. The right side of the road was wet from some sprinklers and it makes it look like the light pattern is favoring the left side (oncoming traffic side). However, on the road it is indeed like the light pattern in the shot on the garage with the "step-up" to the right - the technician even aimed the rightlamp a bit higher for this purpose.I'll take another shot at night on a dry road so the beam pattern is more clear.

Jeff

 

Did I plug Clarence at G-Style enough? Seriously, he beat that price by a considerable amount, you should check with him if you're interested. Let him know that you learned about it from Jeff in FL on HummerForums.com.

Indeed they are one of the most expensive upgrades for an H3, but considering what GM would charge you for the option (Porsche charges about $2K) and that it would likely be bundled with an option package with otherthings you may not want, it is a reasonable upgrade cost especially given the performance.

Jeff

 

GREAT writeup and Congrats on the H3 and the upgrade... My last vehicle had xenons, so I'm right there with you on missing them. It's one of the few things I miss about the last suv (along with automatic climate control)... The H3 lights are really good for halogen, but the HID's are just a different league, as you said. That is definitely the first upgrade I'd make to my H3 if I hadn't leased it. [:@] (If they let me out of this lease to order an Alpha, I'll definitely ordertheStarr kit- if I have any cash left over!) Keep us updated on how they're working out for you over the next few months...