TheWizard

I hope this does not leave the new member feeling insulted but there is some misinformation in the previous post. Let's start with LED bulbs emitting ultraviolet light... for the most part, they don't. In fact, one of the big selling points for outdoor LED lighting is that it doesn't attract insects (which are attracted to UV light). Yes, there is some ultraviolet light emitted just as there is some infrared emitted at the other end of the spectrum but the amount is not significant. I think you may be confusing LEDs with HIDs. HIDs do emit significant UV light which is why they look much bluer when viewed from a side angle than straight on. Not so with LEDs and the rated color temperature has absolutely nothing to do with it. Speaking of color temperature, the given temperatures are inaccurate. 3400K is not pure white, it's what's called warm white because it has a significant amount of yellow. It is also not the standard used in automotive headlights. Plain old tungsten incandescent bulbs are 2700K, standard halogen are around 3200K, OEM HID headlights are 4100K-4300K, and OEM LED headlights (Acura, Cadillac, etc.) are around 5600K. 5000K is generally considered pure white, 5700K is daylight, 6000K is "ice" white because it is tinged with blue, 8000K is mostly blue, and by the time you get to 12000K you're looking at violet light. Factory HIDs don't use pure white because it isn't the most effective light for the human eye. Our eyes have trouble with blue light so using a color temperature that has a little more yellow is easier on the eye and therefore more effective. The eye perceives bluer light as glare which is why higher temperature lights seem to be brighter even when they have the same lux or lumen rating. The effectiveness of the light, in terms of ability to see unlit objects ahead, is not as good but the appearance is of brighter light on the road. LEDs themselves produce almost no heat. However, the electronics to run them (the driver) does produce a fair amount of heat - not as much as an equivalent bulb of other types but still something to be dealt with. That's why you'll see powerful LED bulbs have large heat sinks and/or cooling fans. It's not that they get hot enough to damage surrounding items (like an incandescent bulb melting a plastic housing) but that the life of the electronics can be significantly reduced by too much heat. And most people buy 2700-3400K bulbs for home because they are used to the warm (yellowish) light they've always had with incandescent bulbs. That doesn't make it the best temperature for headlights.

Just to clarify... DRLs are Daytime Running Lights that are front only lights designed to be on during daylight hours when none of the other lights are on. They may or may not be linked to the transmission or parking brake because jurisdictions that require them only specify that they must be on while on public roads. They must have a certain specified minimum brightness usually expressed as a "clearly visible from a distance of..." clause in the regulation. Edge models before 2015 do not have DRLs in the USA. They do in Canada because the law requires them there. Your headlight switch does not have a DRL position - it has Off, Park, On, and (optionally) Auto. The Auto position merely turns on the lights (headlights and tail lights) when a dash mounted sensor determines it's dark outside. The factory bumper lights are merely accent lights because they only come on with the other lights and they are much too dim to work as DRLs. The DBL aftermarket replacements are true DRLs because they are much brighter and have modified wiring so that they turn on with the ignition and are on during the day when no other lights are in use. They are a great product that anyone interested in having DRLs should consider buying.

No question that it's a useful program for those who want those capabilities. But it may be overkill for those who only want to replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs and have no other use for programming changes (or even scan codes). Using resistors is a low cost solution that will work with basically any make or model (although I have had difficulties with some BMW motorcycles). And not everyone has a Windows laptop to use for the program so the Android and Apple mobile apps cost money... even though it's only $4.61 on Google Play. Also, have you noticed that there hasn't been a stable release for Windows in at least two years? Lots of releases but every one is listed as Beta.

My comment was directed at All Hat No Cattle who said that opening the hatch and having the lights come on would ruin his night vision (the post immediately preceding mine). If that was the only situation where he wanted to disable the lights then disabling the hatch switch would accomplish exactly that.

You could simply disable the "hatch open" switch so that the lights would not turn on. Or you could install a switch for either just the cargo area lights or for all courtesy lights depending on your needs.

There are two types of switchback LED bulbs known as AW (type 1 - Amber/White) and AO (type 2 - Amber/Off). The AW bulbs flash alternate amber and white when the secondary (parking light) circuit is active. The AO flash amber only regardless of whether the secondary circuit is active. If it is, they return to solid white only after the turn signal has stopped flashing amber. It sounds like a pair of AO switchbacks may not have had the hyperflash issue you experienced (although they still might have depending on the specific model). For automotive turn signal use there is absolutely no need to go with expensive resistors. Any of the $6 - $8 resistor sets with built-in heat sink that are sold for that purpose on Amazon or at most auto parts stores will do the job just as well and last just as long. I have some that have gone almost 80,000 miles already without any issues. And even if they didn't last as long, I could replace them four times over for the cost of one set of Phillips. Unless you work for Phillips or you drive around with your turn signals or hazards on all the time, they are just unnecessary expense for this application. BTW, unless you have done some modifications, your switchbacks are not DRLs - they're parking lights. That is a great idea except that using the app involves buying an OBD II adapter and the app itself. The app is only about $5 but the adapters range from $30 to over $900 so as long as you're not buying "name brand" resistors and don't have plans to make other changes, resistors are cheaper. Still, I like the idea that such obscure settings can be changed fairly easily so it's certainly worth considering.

Actually, Ford Performance (formerly Ford Racing Performance Parts) is a separate company that offers its own warranty corresponding to the Ford Motor Company original warranty. All Ford Performance parts are considered aftermarket and only some of them come with a warranty (none of which apply to the Edge). It's a small but important difference... if you have a warranty problem with a Ford Performance part, you have to take it to a Ford Performance dealer for repair... not all Ford dealers are also Ford Performance dealers.

The thing is... even if the sport was a performance vehicle (it's not, it's a trim level of a CUV with at best a V6), the difference in performance from higher octane fuel is minimal and not even noticeable in normal driving. Even the Mustang GT with Coyote V8 only goes from 412 HP on 87 octane to 420 HP on 93 octane. That's a 2% gain in peak horsepower at 6500 RPM - an engine speed most people never see except on the track. That small gain will show up in time slips but you would never notice it on the street. It's certainly not worth the extra fuel cost for anything other than racing. Now, if you want a "seat-of-the-pants" boost in power and throttle response, find some non-ethanol fuel. Often called marine gas because it is used in boats and sold at most marinas, it commonly comes in 89 octane mid-grade and is standard for many northern suppliers premium (91 or 93 octane) - especially in Canada. Pure gas has 32% more energy than ethanol so using it improves both mileage and performance. Unfortunately, it is usually just as expensive as E10 premium but at least you'll be able to feel the difference for your money.

Having had a 2015 Sorento EX V6 for almost two years now, I can offer a few comments about them... The V6 mileage has been outstanding compared to what we expected based on the EPA ratings and it seems to be mostly unaffected by increased speed. We get 30+ mpg on the highway whether we're going 70mph or close to 80. The seats are a mixed bag - they are quite comfortable when sitting up but can become uncomfortable when slouching a bit. This is because of the seat cooling module which is mounted under the bottom cushion and creates a hard ridge in the cushion. The seat heating/cooling works great. The electronics have been updated since the '15 model but they are still nowhere near state of the art. Simple things that we took for granted with our Edge are not even on Kia's radar. For example, with two drivers we became used to the seats and mirrors changing depending on which remote was used. Our Kia salesman had never heard of such a thing - you have to press a numbered button to switch settings. And the settings can only be saved if the vehicle is in park. You can't save the settings if you adjust the seat or mirrors while driving. Granted, those are minor annoyances but they show a lack of planning on the part of the designers. I'm not sure I would have chosen the turbo engine even if that choice had been available to us. We test drove the Hyundai with it (same engine) and found that the V6 was smoother and quieter with more power and about the same torque. Considering that the fuel economy is similar (ours ended up actually higher), we felt the V6 was a better choice and have been happy with that decision. Just as a side comment... the lack of DRLs is easily overcome - I posted instructions on how to convert the fog lights to DRL use on the Kia forum. Some wire and a relay is all it takes.

Our 2015 Sorento was the last year you could get the upscale EX V6 (leather, etc.) in a 2-row version. The 16-17 models force you to take the third row seating in the V6 EX and SX models. I like that I have the space under the floor where the third row seats would stow for use as hidden storage and I imagine the extra seats and associated hardware adds quite a bit of that weight increase in the newer models.

The Edge (FWD 2.0L Ecoboost) was listed as 3998 pounds. The Sorento (FWD 3.3L V6) is almost 300 pounds lighter at 3722 pounds. That surprised me because it certainly doesn't look or feel any lighter. Length and height of the two are almost identical but the Edge is almost 2 inches wider.

I'm not at all surprised (now) about the V6 Sorento (I was when we first bought it). We can easily get 31-32 mpg on an extended highway trip even running 75+ mph. It gets 22-23 mpg city consistently. Those are manually calculated numbers although the on-board computer is usually pretty close to that as well. Our '13 Edge Ecoboost was capable of 30+ mpg on the highway but you had to drive it like you had an egg between your foot and the accelerator. I did that once just to prove to my wife that it was possible. It was much more typical to get around 26 mpg highway and 19 city in real world use. Even that was much better than the six cylinder Envoy it replaced which got around 16 city and 23 highway.

I too have had customer service problems with them. I used the online chat on their website to get the item number for floor mats with the Mustang running horse logo (for my Mustang of course). When the mats arrived they were plain with no logo at all. Their customer service claimed it was my fault for not ordering the right item. Even after I sent them the transcript of the online chat (twice) it took almost two weeks and multiple phone calls before they finally admitted their mistake and sent replacement mats. I have no plans to ever buy from them again.

All of the various features of the satellite radio are lumped together as part of the 6-month free trial on new vehicles. After the six months, you can pick which features you want (fuel prices, traffic, weather, and to some extent music packages) with corresponding differences in pricing. I don't think Ford OEM radios are compatible with the "A La Carte" option which lets you pick which channels you want so you would have to go with one of their music (or talk) packages if you want more than just the travel options.

You don't have to let it lapse... just call them and tell them you would like to renew but that it's just too expensive for the amount you use it. They will fall all over themselves making offers of lower prices to keep you as a subscriber. I was fortunate enough to get a lifetime subscription back in 2004 for under $300. It has long since paid for itself (or you could say it cost me about $2 per month) and it has one big advantage for traveling - you can get uninterrupted programming anywhere in the country without having to search for local stations.

We can certainly agree on those couple of things... Always buy the best lighting you can afford - whether it is a complete HID retrofit or a conversion kit. Most ebay kits, and especially DDM kits, are cheap junk. The aftermarket DRLs are great as DRLs (the factory accent lights are completely useless) and I got them for that reason, but they serve no other purpose. True fog lights would have been much more useful.

No, I don't make money on conversions - I do them for members of our club (sometimes a case of beer will be payment). That still amounts to over 50 conversions in the past several years. Note that it is a safety club - we provide safety patrol and support for various charity events such as bicycle rides, triathlons and marathons. We would never make changes to our vehicles that we felt were unsafe. And no, I never said that LEDs are generally better... just that the particular LEDs I installed in my own vehicle are as good as the HIDs as far as light output and pattern and have the advantage of instant on and extremely long life. I have tried them in other vehicles without the same success so the jury is still out on that one. But you sound like someone who has been reading online lighting forums and is convinced he knows better than everyone else. Not everything is black and white. Just as an example, increased foreground lighting is not such a bad thing for drivers who typically spend their time in city environments and lots of traffic. It is not good out on rural roads because of the affect it has on one's night vision (i.e. foreground brightness tends to open up the pupils) but it is not the overwhelming evil you make it out to be and the majority of people here probably wouldn't even notice.

That's not the point... nobody is arguing that HID in an HID projector isn't superior to other combinations. What we're saying is that HID in a halogen projector is an acceptable alternative for far less money. You can see even in your last post that the halogen and HID in halogen have the same pattern. Granted, the hot spots with the HIDs are brighter and more noticeable because of their greater output but a good halogen projector shouldn't have had the hot spots in the first place (and the Edge projectors I've converted didn't have them). I think you're confusing theoretical best configuration with practical usage. I have never seen HIDs in good halogen projectors that are unacceptable for road usage... they may not be the absolute best configuration for maximum usable light but they are head and shoulders above the original halogen output without significant issues of light scatter and glare (I don't count your latest photo as being "good" projectors) and they are much more affordable. Your comments that someone would be better off staying with halogen are simply absurd.

The age of the video has nothing to do with it... physics doesn't change over time. And my point was that the pattern is the same for halogen and HID out of the same projector. If it's a good projector they will be equally good. And if it's a bad projector they will be equally bad. As I said, I'll stack my personal experience actually installing and testing dozens of conversions against someone's internet browsing any time. How many have you done?

No, this is often stated as though it was fact but is really only true with reflector lamps. The position, orientation, size and shape of the light source (the filament in halogen bulbs and the arc in HID capsules) is critical in reflectors because the mirrors are precisely shaped and positioned to reflect the source light in a controlled pattern. A projector's light source is far less critical because the focus is handled by the front lens and the shape is handled by the cutoff shield in front of the bulb/capsule. Yes, there are differences between halogen projectors and HID projectors... most commonly that HID projectors have a wider opening in the cutoff shield to take advantage of the more lumens and produce a wider light pattern. But those differences don't mean that HIDs in a halogen projector won't work properly, just that HIDs will work even better in an HID projector that can make full use of the capabilities. I've personally installed dozens of HID conversions in various vehicles with halogen projectors and always had good results. The beam pattern produced by the HID conversion is the same as the pattern was with the original halogen bulbs except much brighter. But for those who get all their information from the internet, here's a quick video I found from some guy comparing the output of OEM halogen projector on one side and an HID conversion on the other side of the same vehicle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIs8WPiNOgg . You will see that the pattern is the same but the HID is much brighter. Here's a comparison of the factory HID projector and halogen projector from the same car: https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/forum/general-discussion/general-discussion-aa/17345-hid-projector-vs-halogen-projector-differences?p=282400#post282400 . You'll see that although there are some differences designed to enhance the HID's capabilities, the two lamps are essentially the same. Obviously, the quality of the projector lamp is a big factor. I did a conversion once where the cutoff seemed to be fuzzy and unfocused so I thought something had gone wrong until I put the original halogen bulbs back and realized that the fuzziness was there even with the original bulb and was a factor of the lens in that particular lamp. So yes, if you want the absolute best possible lighting then retrofitting complete HID projector lamps is the way to go. But if you want to improve your lighting without that kind of expenditure and amount of modification, then an HID kit in a good halogen projector is a perfectly acceptable solution. But again... never put HIDs in a halogen reflector lamp unless you want to be that jackass that annoys everybody else on the road.

Before assuming the problem is light scatter and glare (which is actually quite uncommon with projector lamps converted to HID), you should check the aim of your headlights. Manufacturers are becoming notorious for extremely bad headlight aiming from the factory. I've seen various new vehicles from Ford, GM, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota with headlights aimed too high by a significant amount along with Dodge and Mazda models aimed much too low. If the lights are aimed too high, they will annoy other drivers regardless of the type of light but especially so with more powerful lights such as HID.

What I'm saying is that if your low beams are halogen projectors, you can install an HID kit and it will work well. Never ever install HIDs in halogen reflector housings. Photos I've seen of 2010 Edges appear to have reflector headlamps so HID is not a good idea.

HID capsules in a halogen projector will generally produce significantly more usable light in basically the same pattern as the original halogen bulb when used for low beams. It's when switching to high beams that the HID pattern suffers - not only with more foreground light but also with lots of scatter. This is because, unlike reflector lamps, the beam focus is handled by the front lens rather than mirrors around the light source. When using low beams, the shutter in front of the capsule/bulb blocks close to half of the output, essentially eliminating the excess that causes the light scatter and glare and allowing the lens to focus the light appropriately. You will see that the light output pattern on low beam is almost exactly the same with HID capsules as with halogen bulbs. However, when you switch to high beam, the different position, shape and orientation of the HID arc compared to a halogen bulb filament causes light to pass through the lens from angles that were not intended by the lamp designers. That's why you will see so many complaints about "useless" high beams on HID conversions - they light up the road directly in front of the vehicle along with the tree tops alongside the road. The saving grace here is that the greater light output of the HIDs usually reduces the need for high beam use for most people but it is still something to be aware of. The best option for a conversion is when you have separate high and low beams rather than a single projector with a moving shutter... that allows using HIDs for the low beam and retaining halogen for the separate high beams. That setup (HID low beams and OEM halogen high beams) has worked very well for my wife's Sorento.

Well now, there's a condescending start to a comment... did somebody pee in your cornflakes this morning? Personally, I like the capless filler neck. It hasn't caused the slightest problem in either the Edge or the Mustang - combined about seven years and 70,000 miles. It's a convenience that works well for the vast majority even though a few have experienced some issues. There are probably a similar number of people who have experienced issues with a conventional filler... I know I had to replace a cap on a GMC Envoy because it wouldn't seal properly. So suggesting a convenience should be abandoned simply because it doesn't work 100% of the time for all owners seems somewhat extreme. Perhaps you'd want to give up your power windows because they sometimes fail for some owners? After all, crank windows are less likely to have problems.

I worked for Honda for many years so I had access to ride almost every bike they made in the 80s. Had a lot of fun on some models like the FT500 thumper and VF750 Interceptor and almost killed myself on a VF1100 Sabre but found I liked touring or sport touring bikes the most. So I've owned GL500 and GL650 Silver Wings, a PC800 Pacific Coast, an ST1100, and several Gold Wings over the years (the GL1500/6 is still my favorite). I also had the granddaddy of huge touring bikes... the Suzuki Cavalcade.