I'm pretty picky when it comes to this type of stuff as well. Let me know how the 5k DDMtuning bulbs work out!

I'm wanting to try the 4300k bulbs by Philips offered by MENG Motorsports

http://stores.mengmotorsports.com/-s...HID/Detail.bok

Hopefully those won't be too yellow. But I cannot live much longer with the blue tint I have now. Judging by the youtube videos of the 4300k Philips kit, they appear very white with satisfied customers.

 

Received my 6000k 35w HID kit from HIDextra today. Took them 1 1/2 weeks to ship it, but surprisingly the free shipping from CA to VA only took 2 days. Unfortunately I wasn't able to install them today since it was dark outside by the time I got back from work. Here's pictures of the packaging and contents in case people are looking to order HID's from HIDextra. Hopefully I'll get back from work earlier tomorrow and have time to install it then.

Shipped in a flat rate mailing envelope from USPS:


White paper box is inside:


Contents are packaged in the box, doesn't come with any instructions, just the order receipt:


Picture showing the contents of the box, includes 2 mounts that fit length-wise and then one that can be bent to what I need I suppose, 2 unlabeled ballasts, 2 H11 bulbs, and a bag of zip ties, double sided foam tape, and screws for the mounts. All this for $60 from HIDextra (You can get it for $54 if you purchase from their facebook page, but I didn't find this out until after my order )


Quick question: What's the socket size needed to remove the ground wire from the battery in this car? Or is it not even necessary to disconnect the battery for this install.

 

Naaah no need. I left mine on the entire time.

 

Install Photos! The install took 30 minutes, and it was my first time ever performing a mod to a car, so it shouldn't take longer for anyone else...

Picture with flash:


Picture without flash (looks way cooler) :


Up close pictures:




Install pictures, I basically got the install location idea from Enzie but different in that instead pushed it all the way forward so that I could zip-tie the OEM connector-ballast wire to a hold in the car. I drove around a bit after the install and it hasn't moved around at all. I just used 2 on each side since the four zip-ties HIDextra provided me with seemed kind of small:




Overall, I think the 6000k bulbs from HIDextra seeem pretty spot on for what I expected for 6000k color. Satisfied with their product, and now just have to see how the reliability of these are.

 

For those of you running the 55W bulbs, are you blinding oncoming traffic? You get people flashing their brights at you a lot? Brighter is obviously nice, but I don't want to blind the guy coming at me in the process.

EDIT: Well, I decided to just do it. Bought 2 sets of the 35W, 6000K bulbs from DDM Tuning. One for my tC and one for the wife's Escape.

 

The 55w set is no more blinding than the 35w set. The factor that would cause you to blind oncoming traffic would be the cutoff. Since the lenses are still focused at their stocked settings, they arent getting in anyone's eyes, regardless of how bright the light is. I haven't been flashed once.

I'm sure the difference in brightness between the two isn't that great anyway. I just like how the 55's burn whiter than the 35's.

 

Got my HIDs installed and mounted this morning. I only have one picture with the lights on because we've all seen what HIDs look like. Most are of how I mounted the ballast.

With one bulb replaced


Driver side with the cables pulled out and then tucked away.



Passenger side with cables out, tucked in (just looking at the engine), tucked in (taken from right on top of the engine)




Last one is just how I zip tied the ballast to the frame.


I think it turned out really well. You wouldn't even know I swapped out the bulbs.

 

Those slim ballasts are freakin stealthy...I wish they were available when I got mine!!

You took great care in putting these bad boys in and it shows...awesome job making the rest of us look like amateurs

 

Haha, thanks.

 

So yea, I really lagged getting these photos up...but here they are
oh and dont mind my dirty car...the rain just stopped here

DDMTuning Raptor HID Kit 35W 6000K (low beam)
DDMTuning T10 LED (license plate lamp)
Retro-Solutions 9005 HPX bulbs (high beam)

HID night in garage with garage light (and close up)


HID night in garage without garage light (and close up)


HID & High Beam night in garage with garage light (and close up)


HID & High Beam night in garage without garage light (and close up)


LED License plate light night in garage with garage light

LED License plate light night in garage without garage light


Driverside placement, on battery

Passengerside placement, behind washer tube...it was hard to take the photo so i outlined what you can see of the ballast in red

 

Kool! So what's the deal with the high beams? Are they HID lookalikes?

 

what do u mean? they are just halogen bulbs

http://www.retrosolutionsllc.com/ser...halogen/Detail

 

Just always been leery of blue bulbs. Plus they can't possibly be brighter than stock clear bulbs, right?

 

^ if anything it sure looks better! ;P

 

brighter?...never really compared. more white though for sure

and only the bulb looks blue...as u can see in the pix its pretty white (compared to the HID of the same temp)

also during the day with them off...its give the house a nice blue hue

 

so wait, the 35w kits come with a connector for the stock harness but the 55w doesn't?

 

Both come with the harness. Only difference between 35W and 55W is the ballast.

UPDATE: Guess I lied. Sorry folks...

 

Mine didn't. Came with two pins that I insert into the stock connector. Not a huge deal but it would have been cool if it came with an actual connector...

 

I actually have a photo on page 1 of this thread post 4. It's labeled "OEM connector to ballast". I wrapped them in electrical tape once I inserted them just for piece of mind. A photo of that is on page 3 post 56.

 

Question for y'all with your HIDs, do the low beams flip off when you switch over to High beams? Not the pull back that 'flicks' the highs, but high beam only.

I know in my old Honda Pilot, switching to High left some power going to the low beam even with stock halogens, so the HIDs stayed on full brightness, it was a pain. Barely had my tC2 for 24 hours, so I have not checked this yet.