| harmonr1 |
Here are some pics from my Xenon Technologies HID’s install. It took about 2 hours to do the whole install but I cut the provided harnesses (power to the trigger relay only) to better fit the distances on each side to the battery. Otherwise an easy install. My only complaints are: 1) that the HID bulb leads were not wrapped like the rest of the harness and 2) the connection to the old 9006 plug for the trigger (Discussed below).
The ballast mounted on the frame rail just below the headlight. Passenger side mounted just in front of and below radiator overflow bottle. |
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| harmonr1 |
| The ballast mounted on the frame rail just below the headlight. Driver side mounted just under little black rubber pull-off cover protruding from side. In front of and below battery box. |
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| harmonr1 |
| Mounted the passenger side relay on to the inside fender where a bunch of wires ground. This is behind the washer filler tube. |
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| harmonr1 |
| Mounted the driver side relay on the fan shroud bolt |
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| harmonr1 |
| At this point I cut the power wires in the harness to fit better. I used the extra spiral wrap from the harness to “wrap” the leads from the Xenon bulbs which come loose. |
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| harmonr1 |
My only real complaint with this kit is that the relay trigger are two loose leads that you stick into the old 9006 plug and tape them in. This makes a very professional kit look otherwise very sloppy. My solution was to make a 9006 socket for the leads. I started by cutting and grinding the original 9006 bulb housing down to be just a socket with no pins or wires.
(L) 9006 bulb, (M) modified 9006 socket and HID trigger leads wrapped in spiral wrap, (R) new socket with leads inserted. |
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| harmonr1 |
| Next I got a piece of 3/4" heatshrink tubing about 1” long and shrunk it over the housing. I then filled the inside of the shrunk heatshrink tubing with epoxy to hold the leads in place. Probably did not need to fill this in but I wnated to be sure the leads didn't move. Also could have used silicon but I choose clear epoxy. |
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| harmonr1 |
| The result is a very clean looking relay plug that easily disconnects. But the cost is sacrificing your old bulbs. I also replaced the fog lights with SilverStars so I still have two standard 9006 bulbs “just in case”. |
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| harmonr1 |
| The end result is pretty dramatic. This is with HID & Silverstar’s on Left and OEM’s on right. The fog lights turned are on. I did have to adjust the left side up slightly. |
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| Warzau |
quote:
Originally posted by harmonr1
Next I got a piece of 3/4" heatshrink tubing about 1” long and shrunk it over the housing. I then filled the inside of the shrunk heatshrink tubing with epoxy to hold the leads in place. Probably did not need to fill this in but I wnated to be sure the leads didn't move. Also could have used silicon but I choose clear epoxy.
Very Nice and clean, cleaner than my modification. I think I might go back and redo the mod. |
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| harmonr1 |
| I started with your method in mind but once I got on the grinder I just lost control. :p |
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| xcel |
Hi Harmonr1:
___Nice job on the cabling as it makes the entire kit look professionally installed instead of just most of it. Maybe the HID aftermarket manufacturers will get onboard and steal some of your ideas/mods for their own kits so that the rest of us don’t have to worry about the cabling in the not to distant future?
___The difference between the OEM stock’s and the HID’s light output on the garage doors is very significant indeed! Thanks for the post and the pics.
___Good Luck and enjoy the HID’s.
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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| harmonr1 |
Just received a message from Jerry at Lavalighting where the group buy came from. He sells the 9006 sockets and pins so anyone not wanting to go to all the trouble of cutting up your old bulbs or taping the pins in, contact Jerry.
info@lavalighting.com |
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| dfj |
Hi Harmonr1,
Very nice, like the way it looks! Can you please list the items and cost? Since I'm electrical incompetent, I'll take my x to local dealer or body shop for install. Thank you.
Regards,
dfj |
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| harmonr1 |
I got the kit from Lavakigting for $450 as a group buy. Contact Jetty at Lavalighting at info@lavalighting.com. The modifications I made were the sacrifice of the OEM bulbs (value $15), shrinkwrap $ epoxy (value $5). It all just snaps together, no cutting necessary if you don't mind long wires. The difference is enormous. You can really see what's in front of you.
Good-luck:) |
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| dfj |
| Great, I'll contact Jerry. Thanks again! |
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| Warzau |
| Wait wait let get a group buy going :):2: |
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| BLACK-BLING-MDX |
| YEAH!!! GROUP BUY!!! :awais: :twak: :27: :7: |
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| dfj |
| Sorry, I was trying to catch the group buy that harmonr1 was in. But I'll wait. BLACK-BLING-MDX, like the smilie with the hammer, lol. |
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| harmonr1 |
quote:
Originally posted by dfj
Sorry, I was trying to catch the group buy that harmonr1 was in. But I'll wait. BLACK-BLING-MDX, like the smilie with the hammer, lol.
The group buy ended in January but Jerry only wanted 5 buyers. You might give him a call and see if he'll do another one. It looks like you already have three interested. |
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| jswift2000 |
| If we have a group buy I'm in. |
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| dfj |
| Besides the cost, is this HID better quality than SPP 5000 or McCulloch? After reading previous threads, I'm having some doubt about the quality issue. What do you think? |
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| jswift2000 |
| You really want the Phillips Bulbs and Ballasts. Check out hid4less.com or lavalighting.com |
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| Warzau |
| Just to clarify, I was interested in a GB for the 9006 socket to the ballast. Not the whole HID kit, I have one already.:2: |
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| jswift2000 |
Heres the print from the site:
Osram HID Kits
Osram, like Philips, is Original Equipment(OE) on many cars such as Audi/VW, BMW, and Acura/Honda. This kit features Philips ballasts paired with Osram bulbs with custom molded bases. Plug-and-play kit for simple installation. Just plug the harness to your original headlight plug, insert other end into ballast, and connect ballast to bulbs.
Osram 6000K yields a white light beam with a blue hue.
2 Osram Bulbs
2 Philips Ballasts
Plug-and-Play
1 Year warranty
Orsam is just as good as phillips. The 6000k will produce less usable light. the 4300k will produce the best amount of light - like the honda s2000, tl, rl, bmw, lexus, etc. I hope this helps. |
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| dfj |
jswift2000, thanks!
I’ve just called Jerry, he is only carrying Philips HID Kits: which includes 2 Philips bulbs (9006 in 4300k for $479, 5000k for $499, and 6000k for $499), 2 Philips ballasts, Properly insulated Wiring Harness, Plug-and-Play, One Year warranty, and Detailed Instructions. Due to problems with his supplier, he is no longer carrying Osram HID Kits. Depending on # of interested buyers, GB is still possible for Philips HID Kits. Warzau, sorry I forgot to ask him about the 9006 socket to the ballast GB! I on the other hand, am still uncertain on which one to get. It sounds like harmonr1 is happy with his purchase and I do agree that it looks pretty good, but what do other HID owners think about lavalighting products? |
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| Warzau |
| No prob I'll try to call this week, going on vacation next so its not that much of a issue. |
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| xcel |
Hi All:
___You guys are going to Break me I tell you, Break me!
___I am not sure if I can swing the HID’s this month or not yet given I just spent a ton on X accessories and am about to spend another ton on chrome wheels and tires but in a Group Buy, are we talking $450.00 or less for the 2 Phillips manufactured Ballasts and 4300K Phillips bulbs, Insulated Wiring Harness, cabling, and a properly constructed trigger cable/socket like the one Harmonr1 created, 1 Yr. warranty, and the instructions? If this Group Buy is for next month, I am in! Please don’t tell the wife however ;)
___Thanks again to Harmonr1 for the pics and Dfj for the possible GB.
___Good Luck to you all.
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net |
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| Warzau |
quote:
Originally posted by xcel
Hi All:
Please don’t tell the wife however ;)
LOL:19: :whip:
I never told my wife, she assumed they came with HID. I cringed once when we went to the dealer to get the car washed and the sales person who sold us the X, was talking to us and told us the X still didnt come with HIDs. I guess my wife didnt hear. :) |
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| dfj |
One other thing, based on our conversation, in couple more weeks, Jerry will no longer be selling HID to individual buyers, he only wants to be a distributor for aftermkt BMW's. However, if you purchase from him, he will still honor the 1 yr warrantee.
Warzau, your wife is going to wonder why $500 is missing from your bank account...maybe accounting error? |
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| Warzau |
Shhh we got a hefty return and gonna pay them CC bills :)
Shhhhhhhhh.... |
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| harmonr1 |
| I'm really happy with the 4100K (4300K) kit. The light is an intense white just like my CL had from the factory. I added the SilverStar bulbs for the fog lights and they go really good together. I'll probably add the SilverStar's for the highbeams too but haven't decided yet. But the HID's make the big difference and are woth the $$$ in my book. |
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| BLACK-BLING-MDX |
| harmonr1, can i see some more pics of your headlights, i am looking for a front shot, i wanna know what these lights look like, which HIDs, BMW? Mercedes? Lexus? Which ones? Thanks! |
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| harmonr1 |
| I'll try to get some front shots tomorrow night. Camera battery in need of a recharge. The ones I took were to washed out so I'll try some around dusk. |
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| harmonr1 |
| Here's two pictures I took a couple of days ago. Not the best, but... |
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| BLACK-BLING-MDX |
| They dont look as intense as i thought, but maybe that's just how the pic came out... I am thinking of buying my HIDs from www.hid4less.com there is no need to grind or mod anything, everything is already prefitted which is awesome, and it comes with velcro to hold the ballast into place. That is the only problem I will have. Where do i put the ballast? |
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| harmonr1 |
Like I said, the pics don't do them justice. I mounted my ballasts with the included Velcro on the frame rails under the lights. Look at my first couple of pics and then look in your engine compartment. There's lots of places but these are close by, out of the way and consistent.
Good luck! |
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| jswift2000 |
Harmon1,
Love the pics. I have a question regarding the 1st set of pics - why did you have to use the shrink wrap? I dont understand that. Was it for weather protection?
Thanks.
Jeff |
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| Warzau |
quote:
Originally posted by jswift2000
Harmon1,
Love the pics. I have a question regarding the 1st set of pics - why did you have to use the shrink wrap? I dont understand that. Was it for weather protection?
Thanks.
Jeff
Im sure the same reason I did it. to protect the wires from the element. He used shrinkwrap to hold the epoxy he placed within the modded 9006 bulbbase. |
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| harmonr1 |
quote:
Originally posted by jswift2000
...why did you have to use the shrink wrap? I dont understand that. Was it for weather protection?
The pins on both the OEM 9006 base and the pins on the trigger relay have no way of staying in place. They lack that little "latch" that pins designed for sockets have. On the OEM bulb, they are held in place with silicon and once you cut the bulb off, they fall out. So as Warzau correctly pointed out, the shrink warp fits nicely around the base and contracts on the wires and epoxy insures they'll stay there. It just makes a much cleaner package than electrical tape does. |
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| DUBYA123 |
harmonr1
Gorgeous pix, of the 4300k, are those hids for the fogs or silverstars, look nice.
Dub |
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| harmonr1 |
| The fogs are Silverstars. They are a great match colorwise. |
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| darwinsdad |
Hi Harmonr1,
I just received my two sets of stage 2 6000k HID's today. I am looking at your pictures, and am wondering what devices you used to secure the ballasts? My kits came with self-tapping metal screws.
Did you use screws or velcro like i've seen some other people mention? Ant info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike |
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| DaleB |
[QUOTE]Originally posted by darwinsdad
Hi Harmonr1,
I just received my two sets of stage 2 6000k HID's today. I am looking at your pictures, and am wondering what devices you used to secure the ballasts? My kits came with self-tapping metal screws.
Did you use screws or velcro like i've seen some other people mention? Ant info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike [/QUOTE
Attached to very clean surfaces, double-back adhesive pads (tape) works very well |
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| BLACK-BLING-MDX |
| hey harmonr1, any new pics yet? |
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| harmonr1 |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
Originally posted by darwinsdad
...Did you use screws or velcro like i've seen some other people mention? Ant info would be appreciated.
Mike - I used the velcro strips that cape with the kit. Mine also came with self-tapping screws but I couldn't figure out how to get a drill in there. You'll love the 6000's. I went for the white look only because that's what I had before. The blueist you get from the 6000's is even better. |
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| mcgeesm |
Has anyone ordered bulbs from CLAS Performance (clasperformance.com)? They insist that all I need for the 2k3 MDX are $45 worth of bulbs. See my email thread below. Do you really need the $500 worth of stuff that comes with the other kits?
Thanks in advance.
---- EMAIL THREAD
There is no difference, they are just greedy!
Thank you,
CLAS Performance Automotive INC
2252 US 52W B2
West Lafayette, IN 47906
www.clasperformance.com
Office: 8am-8pm CT
(765) 497-0913
Warranty & Installation:
(317) 409-8039
----- Original Message -----
From: MCGEESM
To: 'sales@clasperformance.com '
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 9:57 PM
Subject: RE: Acura MDX 2003
Sounds great. I don't need anything else? Others are selling HID kits for $500. What's the difference?
-----Original Message-----
From: sales@clasperformance.com
To: McGeeSM
Sent: 2/28/03 2:40 AM
Subject: Re: Acura MDX 2003
You need a set of 9005 for the high beam, and 2 sets of 9006 for the lo
beam and fog lights! The total with shipping is $45.
Thank you,
CLAS Performance Automotive INC
2252 US 52W B2
West Lafayette, IN 47906
www.clasperformance.com
Office: 8am-8pm CT
(765) 497-0913
Warranty & Installation:
(317) 409-8039
-----Original Message-----
From: McGeeSM
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 2:57 PM
To: sales@clasperformance.com
Subject: Acura MDX 2003
Which bulbs are appropriate for highs/lows and fogs for an Acura MDX
2003? Also, why are your bulbs less than $20 when HID kits elsewhere
sell for $500? Thanks in advance. |
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| harmonr1 |
As long as you have $45 to part with, I'd do it. They obviously are NOT HID bulbs but rather halogen bulbs using zenon gas just like the Silverstars. For true HID lumens, you need true true zenon bulbs which require a much higher voltage (thus the ballasts) to energize the light.
But give them a try and let us all know how they work out. And beware of people selling bridges.:2: |
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