Planning on upgrading my stock halogen crap on the Optima, looking into the white halogens...

A a few years ago, I got a pair of Phillips Diamond Vision bulbs and that we're all kinds of awesome, sadly they were destroyed in an accident, but they were going on six months strong, very satisfied with them...

Anyway, here's the dilemma... My new (2011) Kia Optima uses H11B, not just standard H11, so there is a very limited selection of bulbs (Diamond Vision not in this size) for my car...

I got a pair of Silverstar Ultras, and they were a marginal improvement over stock at best...

Really considering these two >>>

PIAA Xtreme White Plus

Sylvania Silverstar ZXE

I feel like the PIAA's will be better quality than the ZXE, but both seem nice...


Or I could get the cheap Nokya bulbs on Amazon, meh...


Or I could go to the K5 Optima store and order the HID kit for 6x the cost of the PIAA's or ZXE's, and then use Phillips Diamond Vision in the high beams and fog lights for a near perfect match...

If it helps, I'm about to order two new headlights, an SX grille cuz mine has the lame EX grille and it will be easy to change that while everything's already apart, and have my fog lights repaired, they don't work because the previous owner smashed the car into a curb and the bumper clips are broken, so I'm gonna see if I can get someone I know to repair the broken clips with small nuts and bolts behind the bumper cover and install and repair the lights, but I need to know if the white halogen route work cut it for me...


Many pictures I've looked up show both bulbs emit white to nearly bluish light, however, I feel that that is a trick of many cameras focusing on the blue light... If these are white, that's what I want, if they are slightly blue that would be cool, but I don't want yellow at all, none...

Thanks in advance, I may post pictures I found on the Internet to see if they match personal experiences...

I'm very hesitant on HIDs because I find that they start to become troublesome after the first few months, I've been through hell before...

Thanks!!!

I moved this out of Ramblings for you.

Unless you weren’t looking for an answer. Then I can put it back.

I appreciate that more than you'll ever know, glad someone's looking out for me!!!

Where did this thread belong, I really don't know?

Ahhh, should've known

Thanks for all the replies, greatly appreciated!!!


I looked into LEDs from the K5 store as well, sadly, they are freaky expensive and still require drilling of the dust caps or an extended dust cap which I don't think DEPO brand lights have, I'm not replacing my headlights with OEM lights bacause they are crap and the reflective material in the projector goes bad with heat, so it won't be a good fit with hotter bulbs like HID or white halogen, that will only accelerate the deterioration of the housing, hence why I want an aftermarket brand and fingers crossed that will work out!!!

Sorry to unload so many details at a time....


But but I like the LED idea, I really thought they were cool AF when they came out a few years ago...

How could I slit the dust cap, yet leave it sealed so no moisture can get in, I'm not understanding the concept? But I will appreciate any advise, maybe I just need to watch a YouTube video about it, duh!!!


Thanks, but I hope this is an easy mod whatever route I go...

Maybe that's how mine is designed, if so, that may make my life WAY easier, however, will the Diamond Vision fogs match the LEDs, if it's not a close match, I'd be weary... Also, I'm still wigged out by having a non-serviceable light setup, either way, I'll research it, definitely worth a little research, and I do notice the bulbs slide in place tightly, which may indicate there is a seal present, and I hope that might work, will do a little research on this, but keep the ideas coming, I appreciate everything!!!

Thanks!!!

I'm really thinking the LEDs would be cool, looking through Kia forums... I saw a post from the K5 store saying that Optima dust caps will cover over the LEDs, I think, no drilling required...

Also, they have LEDs that match the foglights, which is great...

I was thinking LEDs for the highbeams, but at $149 a pair, thinking Diamond Vishion H1 for now, and save $120, I'm running out of funds...


Also, gonna do the SX grille since it's cheap and easy once apart...


And im gonna install the K emblems, so far, so good

Should've known... That's where I got the projectors and real may harness when I did that retrofit on the Sportage back in May 2014, sadly, that HID kit was wildly unreliable, which was a bummer...

Went back to white halogen a year after, and waisted almost a grand.... So these new LEDs seem really awesome!!!

Could've just been a shitty ground. That will destroy a kit eventually... and make it a bit wonky until then.

Thanks, def taking a look there!!! How long is the warranty?

I used a Kensun 55w HID kit off amazon... No, I did not like the 55w kit, sure it's a little brighter, but just doesn't last... Or atleast not in this case, but the Kensun 35w kit from back in like 2013 was awesome, it was slow to warm, but once it did, it was awesome as hell!!! On par with Denso and only costed $45 I think... I was a cheap ass and still am... I know you get what you pay for, but $150 for an HID kit keeps me up at night.... But if it has a warranty in good... I will NOT be installing anything myself... I'm gonna go to a local tire shop who claims he can fix the headlights, and see if they're up to the job, if not, I'll start calling performance or body shops, but I ain't doing jack shit here... Just gonna bring everything in a cardboard box and say put this all on for me, haha!!!

I had to replace one of the ballast twice and it would also start misfiring or not light sometimes and it have to take apart the power harness to the HID kit and scrape the metal connectors within the pigtail to free it of some corrosion that would build up after a few weeks... In fact, I had a nightmare that it would stop working and I couldn't get it on, and that night it came true, needless to say I said things in vain infront of my neighbors and I'm still sorry about that, I was about pissed in the end having to pop the hood every other time I needed to drive at night which is every night...

The simple white halogen or even an HID kid done the ghetto way H4 in stock housings with no harness seemed like heaven on earth after going through that, but damn, it looked cool!!!

Is tha just the HID kit or LEDs too? Seems really cool, but I can't get there website to cooperate with my phone...

If I go HID I will stick to the best brands, TRS, Morimoto, ect...

By LED, I mean the new CREE LEDs that just came out like 2 years ago, the the old SMD tower bulbs that are dimmer than a flashlight, haha, did that before for fun...

Many people say that the new LEDs are like 75% as bright as HIDs...

I really want the least amount of connections and relays as possible, I don't want to have 10 things that could go wrong...

But I will still consider HIDs, but I am leaning toward LEDs for that reason, and because I'm going to try to convince a tire shop to install whatever I get, oh boy...

Thanks, but I can't justify doing that myself, but that's just me, and I have done stuff like that in the past with bulbs and stuff, when I couldn't decide between 4300K 5000K or 6000K, haha!!!

I'm really thinking of getting the kit from the K5 store because they specialize in aftermarket support for only Kias and particularly Optimas, so everything should work out better, they have a 12 month warranty...

Also, still can't get TRS's website to work

Oh baby, that just sounds so sexy...




Thats more what I want^^^

Also, they spent like 45 minutes getting the bumper nice 'n tight for me... And he will be willing to do the work at his shop...

They also lost one of my front drivers lugs when the installed the tires last week so he replaced it with a close match free of charge, but offered an OEM replacement free of charge if we wanted to come back next week, I couldn't see a difference in style really...

Securing the bumper was also free of charge!!!

Hahaha^^^^ I'm dying, people have been so good to me this week, I am entirely grateful for all of the help and time anyone has spent on this thread!!!

Seriously considering the LEDs H11B (low beam) and H8 (fog light) and an H1 (highbeam) of Phillips Diamond Vision for $25 on eBay!!!


I need to order the splash guard and SX grille and also the headlights and have it all put on!!!

My car will look more "SX" up front after this...


I hope the steering coupler helps the steering feel, so far, so good!!!

Thank you, we shall see, I'll keep y'all posted...

It it will be about six weeks or so until I have this work completed...



Thanks!!!

Glad to have the Optima back running again...

This past Monday, I was frantic because I had to have a tooth extraction (never had that done before) and I didn't know how I'd be through it all and after, but it was nothing...

Anyway, in the midst of all of complicated emotions I was experiencing I somehow lost the key, yes, the ONLY key....

I had had to use the RDX all week until today, and had to have it towed about 30 miles to the Kia Dealer in McComb... She's running now though!!!

I have to go back in a couple of weeks to get the metal key that goes into the keyfob which is currently being cut in Dallas, TX...


I had to use $350 of my $500 parts budget for the headlights...

I will get the parts soon though...

I think I need to order the SX grille first because it ships from Korea, but everything else will ship stateside, so I can wait a caulks weeks... Looking to have the front done in 4-6 weeks!!!

Just an update!!!

IDK? It only came with one... I'm the fourth owner, but CarFax says five, I think there was a titling issue and there was an owner for 19 days, I don't count that....

But yeah, this cars kinda a Dionond in the Rough with some roughness around the edges...

2008 Toyota Camry SE 2.4 133k miles 3/3/17-6/8/17

2008 Acura TL base 102.9-106.5k miles 6/8/17-5/2318

2011 Kia Optima EX PremiumPKG 2.4 165-166k 5/23/18-current...

It's only been three cars...

Camry felt unsafe to drive (brakes, steering, ect...)

TL was a high maintenance bitch

Optima has TL fun and a good bit of power with Toyota equivalent reliability **win-win**!!!

Dere ya go, Beaudreaux!!!

Just ordered the SX grille, it's KDM, but looks exactly the same... I'll be happy with it, I know it!!! It was $112, and ships from South Korea, but I feel so good that I'm taking a step forward!!! I'm actually getting somewhere with this car!!!

:wink:


Got an appt. for Thursday afternoon to have my engine checked, probably gonna get a free oil change, and have the steering coupler replaced which should reinvigorate the steering feel, and eliminate that annoying clunking noise too!!!


166,605...

Found the other key!!!

It was in a bag that I opened like 50 times, it wasn't even on bottom, lol!!!

I was scared that I threw it away... However, I did accidentally throw away over $17 worth of change in a paper bag, sadly, I think!!!


Key will ill be ready coded Thursday too, at an est. $50 fee, oh well... I'll have two keys, which I admit not getting that first was dumb on my part, that can burden me no longer...

Trying to to shed the ghetto ya know!!!

OK, so I got the OK on the engine being good still, free oil change!!!

Steering coupler installed, steering feels a little tighter it seems (at certain speeds) less knocking when parked, so far...

Grille should arrive next week, also ordered a MotorTrend brand steering wheel cover that is black with red stitching... My wheel has peeled at the top and I notice it too much when everything else is nearly perfect... No wanting to spend hundreds on a new wheel, whatever, should make the car feel more modern, it's not a tacky design of anything, and if I don't like it, I'll pull it off... Only paid $12 for it!!!

Also, rear brakes (driver) has made a grinding from time to time, although never squeaked but slightly when humid and cold rotors, but it's grinding pretty much 50-65% of the time I go to stop or dust take off...

Gotta get on that...

Found my other key arms had it coded... They were going to charge $136 but I told them the other dealer only charges $47 for the job... Service advisor reduced the total to $53 with without hesitation...

I have the CEL again because they disconnected the battery, I told them, they took it back in and said its the MAP sensor had been damn aged from a dirty air filter, will be done in two weeks for $360...

I also noticed the airbag light on right before leaving out, went back in, she said when they replace the coupler, it sometimes damnages a neighboring part for the airbag... She ordered the part being 99% sure that's it... That will be done in two weeks and will also be free of charge!!!

Good deal^^^!!!!

Got all for brakes replaced Wednesday... $188!!! $40 under quote... Anyway, that's done... They lost another lug, this time fro t passenger... I noticed right away, they put a large one on, then got me the correct one today... NAPA brakes, ceramic, maybe not the best, but it works fine for what it is...

The tires are super, super sticky!!!

Only bad news is that money is getting extremely tight for me right now, so I still have no headlights... Only, the drivers light and it's super dim... Really hope thing get better before long, and I think it will... Sorry, had to vent... Anyway, here's to a good car being a good car!!! Hopefully, this will be a great car soon... Anyway, great then!!!

See y'all week after next!!!

All I have are the grills (top and bottom)... I need $1000 to get everything done, haha!!!

I may do the headlights, and have the grille installed... Don't know if I should have the HIDs installed with the headlights, or later on... I want to have work done in bulk, like go to a shop with a big box of parts and say put all this crap on for me...

Anyway, we'll see...

Also, any idea about the interior lights not working... I think it's a diode... Only my front map lights work and only when I either push one individually or switch the control to ON... But nothing with the door or upon approach as I think it may have? ...


Also, did you have parking sensors on the back... I do, but they never work, maybe once a month... I think they may be dealer or aftermarket, but they are painted... Last week, I noticed a small black box (speaker) near the rear drivers seat belt assembly on the deck lid, it's loose, just lays there... Also looks like an aftermarket SXM antenna if you know what I mean... This leads me to think one of the previous owners added it... I may need to trace the wires and see if somethings loose, seems simple...


Thanks!!!


Really love your Optima!!! I wish I could see my pano roof but my car is black, so...