HID's Installed

[RisenequinoX]

Went pretty well, i got 6000k HID's and the installation was pretty easy (the hardest part was finding a place to mount the ballast on the light by the battery). Anyway i noticed some light flickering or stuttering or whatever you want to say, is that just the bulb heating up or interference? Ill post some pics in a little.

Thanks.

[cavaliers60]

depends on what year your Alero is, you might need to disable the DRL's. Are your DRL's the high beam bulbs or low beam?

[RisenequinoX]

I have an 03 my DRL's low beam.

[RisenequinoX]

Here are some pics:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-02-23_17-07-38_282.jpg Cheapo brand

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-02-23_17-42-01_324.jpg Comparison to my silverstar ultra

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-02-23_18-10-05_185.jpg Both installed

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-02-23_18-10-42_381.jpg Passenger headlight ballast

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-02-23_18-10-50_196.jpg Best For last.... Ridiculously mounted Driver headlight ballast (will someone tell me this isnt safe?)

[JLw7123]

you never mount anything on a battery.

[XanderWiFi]

Remove the DRL relay. I had the same issue. There is a different amount of voltage that is sent for the DRL compared to full on headlights. If you search for the HID install thread it outlines exactly which one to pull in the engine bay fuse box. I cannot remember it off the top of my head...

[sleepyalero]

2001 Oldsmobile Alero Locate the DRL relay in the main fuse box under the hood, it is #22 corresponding to the diagram on the underside of the fuse box cover. Remove the relay, snip pin 87, and re-insert.

idk if that applies to 03's too, idk if they are different then the 01's on the drl fuse.

[RisenequinoX]

you never mount anything on a battery.

Any idea where i should mount it? i was at a loss...


2001 Oldsmobile Alero Locate the DRL relay in the main fuse box under the hood, it is #22 corresponding to the diagram on the underside of the fuse box cover. Remove the relay, snip pin 87, and re-insert.

idk if that applies to 03's too, idk if they are different then the 01's on the drl fuse.

i think if i put tape or some other thin solid object between them it will do the trick. But i was just driving about 30 minutes ago and it was still doing it.. i dont think its a DRL problem or is it?

[Lucalare]

03 and 04 use low-beams for the DRLs, and I don't think you have to eliminate them to make HIDs work.

[robalero]

under the headlight is the best spot

[RisenequinoX]

under the headlight is the best spot

Alright im going to go out there now and check it out. Do you happen to have a pic of the placement? if not, no worries.

[RisenequinoX]

i relocated the drivers side ballast. I couldn't get it underneath the headlight though.. Now my car has a hard time starting up. It makes a loud noise and then starts up. what did i do wrong ? lol

[RisenequinoX]

here is the video of the start up:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/th_2011-02-23_20-48-02_656.jpg (http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/?action=view&current=2011-02-23_20-48-02_656.mp4)


here is the video of the flickering:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/th_2011-02-23_20-49-32_138.jpg (http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/?action=view&current=2011-02-23_20-49-32_138.mp4)

[jhubbz]

Is there a lead from the ballast to the battery? If not, I would check into getting one. Altho that might just be a solution to initial ignition of the ballast itself.

[RisenequinoX]

Is there a lead from the ballast to the battery? If not, I would check into getting one. Altho that might just be a solution to initial ignition of the ballast itself.

No there isn't. I don't see a problem with the HID's actually firing up, just the flickering.

[Alerojester]

ik that 01 has high beam DRL's too, and i don't have to disable mine to run HID's which will be ordered in a couple of weeks im sick of not doing anything with my car while its down

[Greencoupe2.2]

i relocated the drivers side ballast. I couldn't get it underneath the headlight though.. Now my car has a hard time starting up. It makes a loud noise and then starts up. what did i do wrong ? lol

You most likely drained your battery a little bit from running your hids with the car not running.

[RisenequinoX]

You most likely drained your battery a little bit from running your hids with the car not running.

i hope not i have enough problems with my battery as it is... but i do not recall running the HID's withouth my car actually running. It was running in all of the aboive pics/videos.

Still had the problem starting up this morning before work.

I did that trick with the relay and i have a question: Are my lights always going to stay on now that i disables the DRL's or should they be off during the day and on at night?

Thanks.

[a4d2a0m]

If you just take the relay out in your '03 the lights will still come on at night automatically but will not during the day.

[RisenequinoX]

I contacted the seller who i bought the HID's from to see if i can figure out this flickering problem. It seems to be a common issue via google but i can't really get a straight answer.

Anyone have any idea?

P.S a4d2a0m i was going to buy those wheels from tirerack but i waited too long. they are the Asa Ar9's right? i cant find them anywhere now im sad!

[XanderWiFi]

You must remove the relay to stop the flickering. Like the fellow said above: your auto lights will still function, your DRL will not. They are separate. I have been having electrical issues where now my DRLs are back on, but my auto lights are out...

[sleepyalero]

yeah just take the fuse out and cut the pin, as the other guy said, you will still have automatic lights at night but no daytime running lights in the day, which wont affect your auto lights.

[Lucalare]

Will this throw an SVS light? Cause if not I'm going to go do this Sunday when it's warm, I hate the DRLs.

[Ttop191]

yeah just take the fuse out and cut the pin, as the other guy said, you will still have automatic lights at night but no daytime running lights in the day, which wont affect your auto lights.

it's not a fuse...it's a relay...and honestly...instead of cutting the pin and fucking up the relay...just pull off the plastic cap and stick a piece of cardboard of plastic underneath the contact for the relay...much better solution

[Cliff8928]

The best solution is to have low-beam DRLs and just remove the relay. Only the cars with high-beam DRLs will trip the SVS light.

[sleepyalero]

it's not a fuse...it's a relay...and honestly...instead of cutting the pin and effing up the relay...just pull off the plastic cap and stick a piece of cardboard of plastic underneath the contact for the relay...much better solution

yeah i meant relay. i have mine snipped off, never gonna use it, never liked the DRL's and no problems with it after cutting it off. have had it done for about 1.5 years now.

no it will not throw any type of light on, on your gauge cluster.

[robalero]

it doesn't just trip the SVS light on cars with the high beams it also stops one light ( driver side ) from working until you either put the pin back or put something in the pin location

[RisenequinoX]

I just put red electrical tape over the contact. I need drl's to work in case of bad weather in ohio you need them on with your wipers. I would forget to put them on... But yeah i don't see a difference anyways so i'm just going to remove the tape.

[XanderWiFi]

I just pulled the relay and replaced it with nothing. In light of that, just like your weewee, don't go sticking things in places that they do not belong. I did not get any SVS lights or otherwise. And if you did get one, move on to option B. Start with the easiest and simplest route and go from there. And it isn't anything major if you do get a light since it isn't taking the engine apart or anything.

I have a HUGE fear of jacking anything up on my car since it is a daily driver. Trust me when I say I have done all the worrying I can about such things and have suffered no repercussions.

[RisenequinoX]

the flickering no longer annoys me. does it seem stupid to put HID's in the hi0beams as well?

[cherrington17]

The flickering will dramatically reduce the life of your HIDs...

[RisenequinoX]

i guess i should remove that relay then huh...

[robalero]

ive had mine in the high beams, I took them out I never used it.

I wish these cars used the low and high at the same time it would of been more useful

[RisenequinoX]

ive had mine in the high beams, I took them out I never used it.

I wish these cars used the low and high at the same time it would of been more useful

I use my brights alot because i usually drive the most at night.

Also there is a how-to on making them all work:
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21715&highlight=high+low+beams

[jhubbz]

ok, i have an '01 and have ddm hid's in my lows and just noticed flickering this morning. I've never had this problem and have had them in for about 6 months. It was raining this morning so idk if moisture plays a part? should i just do the same thing with the relay?

[sleepyalero]

Hubbz yeah I would it wont hurt anything.

[robalero]

if your noticing flickering it might be a voltage issue too. and thats fine and all for a how-to but I already got rid of my 35 watt kit and im using my 55 watt kit on my lows. I never once use my highs even when I had both kits in and I drive a lot of night/morning driving

[RisenequinoX]

i just pulled the relay out today im going to see if i notice a differnece

[RisenequinoX]

After driving for a few hours i have not noticed a difference after pulling the DRL Relay.. i actually think its gotten a little bit worse... What now?

[robalero]

are you sure you pulled the right relay?

[RisenequinoX]

lol yeah its 22 in my car

[robalero]

then you might have a ballast or bulb issue

[sleepyalero]

then you might have a ballast or bulb issue

x2

[RisenequinoX]

well hell that sucks. I'll see what i can do.

[jhubbz]

Soooooo, I haven't pulled any relays or anything yet, but I noticed tonight that my HIDs flicker when I accelerate from a stand still and when a brake hard.... When I pulled in my driveway I looked at em and noticed one of the headlights was out :( Now... along with my issue of one of my fogs not igniting properly.... could I just have a drained battery? should i upgrade to a yellow-top or something? This sucks....

[sleepyalero]

Hmm either ballasts are bad or battery issue. Does car start fine? My battery was going bad and would barely crank over.

[robalero]

well hubbz if you have a battery issue already you may as well replace it with a new one and go from there

[RisenequinoX]

I've had my alero for 2.5 years and i've bought 3 batteries.... :(

[Cliff8928]

Wow, I've had mine for 6 years and 3 months and I'm still on the original, which is a year older.

[jhubbz]

So... things got more weird this morning. my auto lights (at least the one that works) turned on which I expected bc of low light, but ALSO my DRL's... wtf???? There was also an SES indicator lit up.

Anyway, I just got home and flip-flopped the bulbs and they both work fine, so it MUST be the ballast. I'll be in talks with DDM about that. Its a raptor ballast for anyone who cares.

[robalero]

rise I think you need to man up and buy a better battery instead of the cheapo ones ( even tho the cheapo ones aren't so cheap in price sometimes )

[RisenequinoX]

rise I think you need to man up and buy a better battery instead of the cheapo ones ( even tho the cheapo ones aren't so cheap in price sometimes )

i have an interstate one in right now...
i think those are pretty good?

also what would you prefer?


Edit: I ordered some DDM ballasts to see if they flicker as well and if they don't i'm going to return the ones i currently have in. I'm still trying to figure out why my car is making a rough scraping noise after i put these damn HID's in.... possibly starter?

[billytheman1188]

omg people....this is whats wrong....he bought a cheap hid kit.... the starting problem...could it be your battery since you MOUNTED the ballast to the BATTERY....lol...idk.... cherry is right, the life of the HID bulb is going to be much shorter....remember when your dealing with headlight bulbs DO NOT touch them with your fingers....and if they are flickering its because it's a cheap kit (as you saw when u researched it....many people had problems...) you get what you pay for....how much did you spend?

[robalero]

you've got a decent one I personally like interstate batteries so there must be a deeper issue

[RisenequinoX]

Billy i removed it from the battery i'm not sure what kind of issue that would cause except interference... I paid 45.00 for it but i heard people liked ddm so i ordered that. If its no good i will return it.

[Alerojester]

i just looked on the DDM site and they don't even show the Raptor kit anymore.... i think its more then just you rise that's been having problems with them they still offer the slim kit that iirc alot of people on here have which is whats goin into the g/f Escape and in my Alero both sets will be 8000k unless i can find a set of 30000k's then i'll get those for my alero

[RisenequinoX]

Yeah i have a set of DDM slim 6000k's on the way should be about a week or so. Hopefully i just got a bad ballast. Tooooo many issues with this car, but that one of the parts of being an alero owner :)

[cavaliers60]

I also ordered a set of DDM slims for my alero. If I like them, then I'll hopefully get a kit for my Tmax. :)

[billytheman1188]

i just looked on the DDM site and they don't even show the Raptor kit anymore.... i think its more then just you rise that's been having problems with them they still offer the slim kit that iirc alot of people on here have which is whats goin into the g/f Escape and in my Alero both sets will be 8000k unless i can find a set of 30000k's then i'll get those for my alero

30000k.....ur gonna go with either 8000k or 30000k? LOL....dude....your visibility is gonna SUCK...the higher you go the less light output plus 30 is just ridiculous. You WILL end up liking your girlfriends set better cause they are better :lol:

[sleepyalero]

I've got 8000k slim from ddm had em since christmas. Love em no problems just hate The hot spots

[robalero]

sleepy you only notice the hot spots vs reg bulbs more. they are always there its how people use the light to be aimed ( when cars don't have the level like the alero does )

[Alerojester]

30000k.....ur gonna go with either 8000k or 30000k? LOL....dude....your visibility is gonna SUCK...the higher you go the less light output plus 30 is just ridiculous. You WILL end up liking your girlfriends set better cause they are better :lol:

That's possible i will, but then again i got a buddy that has an 88 supra with 30000k's and they aren't that bad i actually love them..... only problem too purple for me, but your right i will like the 8000k's better....damn i hate being wrong but then again that's what life if full of right and wrong choices and getting other peoples oppinions

[sleepyalero]

Rob you're right I agree just wish I could get rid of it but plan on doing projectors when I got money

[jhubbz]

Ok, so I put my Silverstar's back in for the time being and things are still strange. The driver's side low-beam (the one I was having problems with the HIDs) only lights up to 50%. The other side is completely fine and lights up normally.

I still have the DRL's lit up when the auto-lights kick in AND when I manually turn them on.

I went to my local advanced autoparts and ran a code-test since my SVS light still lights up when the auto-lights are on. I didn't get any code whatsoever. The guy at advanced said I might have a bad ground running to my low.

Any input?? I'm not that great at electrical troubleshooting so if a bad ground is the case... what should I do?

[Cliff8928]

Sounds like either a bad ground or a burned out fuse.

[jhubbz]

Wow idk why my dumbass didn't think of that. Checked it this morning and sure enough #51 was blown. Thanks!

[cavaliers60]

just ordered the DDM slim kit a couple weeks ago, and is now being shipped. :) Love HID's!

[RisenequinoX]

Ddm took about a week to process my order but shipped Friday should be here by Wednesday and hopefully hey will be better than what I'm currently using

[jhubbz]

All in all I found out I had a messed up ballast that kept blowing the fuse. Went to the UPS store to send it away and it was $19!!! So I said eff that and didn't want to even bother with USPS. Just ended up ordering a new slim ballast kit with dual in/out. Also, ddm doesn't offer the raptor kit anymore? maybe they were having too many issues with em

[Alerojester]

DDM is bringing them back i clicked like on their facebook they said they are bringing them back, and something about starting to shipping them from China IDK i'll look it up and post what they said.....

DDM Raptor 35W: Expected back in stock in USA on about March 20-25. Its hard to say due to customs.

DDM 55W: We are shipping in more this week. I have no idea how long it will take to get them from the other side of the country. I suspe...ct 10 days total

Long term: We are not bringing a lot more kits into the USA due to customs issues. We are putting together about 300,000 kits in CHina to ship from fulfillment centers where labor is cheaper by far, readily available, I don't have to deal with a warehouse that is too full to take another person and there is almost no parts leadtime. Interestingly, the shipping from CHina costs just almost exactly the same as shipping inside the USA. Except it will get out much faster. Its probably going to mean the death of overnight or 2-3 day shipping methods though. There's a limit to whats possible from 6700 miles away.

So, what this all means in a nutshell is, all kits will soon be available again although they will ship direct from the factories.

You should get your shipments about 7 days faster but express shipping will go away at some point.

The website is being redone now, as we speak to deal with this new shipping reality. The changes to the user will be that you may not be able to put HID and other items on the same order as things that have no customs issues will ship from... America and those that do have customs issues will ship from overseas.

Eventually this is also how warranties will work. You will return the parts to the USA locations and they will ship a replacement(s) from the factory.

Directly from their facebook status update, from last

[jhubbz]

Dang, that's some shit.... idk how i feel about all this...

[cavaliers60]

They are going through a transition, and since HID kits are technically illegal here, customs gives them a lot of issues.

[jhubbz]

This is straight from my confirmation email:

"Thank you very much for your recent order.

As you may have noticed from our website, we recently received the DDM Slim HID Kits. All orders with Overnight, 2day, or 3day shipping should be delivered within a week. The shipping times for all other orders is 2-3 weeks. We sincerely apologize for the delay in processing your order. We appreciate your patience and for your having chosen DDM Tuning.

Sincerely, DDM Tuning"

Wow. 2-3 weeks? Good thing I'm in no rush

[RisenequinoX]

yeah, fedex says they should be here today but im not complaining i ordered them on the second so 2 weeks exactly. i just hope they are better than the current ones i am using! maybe i will get around to it tonight...

[cavaliers60]

They are going through changing up the way they do things... They have recently grown quite a bit and can't handle the amount of orders they are getting, but they are fixing it. Just give them time. :) Mine should be in this week.

[RisenequinoX]

I got mine installed today, are the slim ballasts supposed to buzz or humm loudly when they first turn on then go to a softer buzz? that can get annoying i might switch back to the JLM, lol plus these were a pain in the ass to install compared to the other ones..

[cavaliers60]

I'd give them a chance... I mean they have a lifetime warranty.....

[sleepyalero]

I got mine installed today, are the slim ballasts supposed to buzz or humm loudly when they first turn on then go to a softer buzz? that can get annoying i might switch back to the JLM, lol plus these were a pain in the ass to install compared to the other ones..

Mine do that for about 5-8 seconds then it goes away. Doesn't bother me.

[robalero]

you never hear it when your in the car anyways, its only if you have the hood open.

last set I ordered took 4 weeks to get to me

[Cliff8928]

Mine do that for about 5-8 seconds then it goes away. Doesn't bother me.

Yeah, even OEM ones do that.

[cavaliers60]

It's probably just the time when the bulb starts up and warms up. I wouldn't worry about it. :) Do you have pictures of how you mounted them?

[sleepyalero]

It's probably just the time when the bulb starts up and warms up. I wouldn't worry about it. :) Do you have pictures of how you mounted them?

yeah it is, and are you asking me about how i mounted them? if so i can get pics of that tomorrow.

[cavaliers60]

yeah. Just curious as to how you mounted them and where you mounted them. :)

[sleepyalero]

alright cav, ill take pics of the L/R ballast's tomorrow during or after work, pics will be up anywhere between 11am-4pm our time. :p

the ddm slim kit came with the 3M double sided tape, so i just used that to mount.

Pics tomorrow. :D or i should say.... later today its 3 am lol

[cavaliers60]

Cool. I'm excited to get this kit!!! I loved the look of the 8k lights. :D

[sleepyalero]

did you see pics of mine?

i love the 8ks too, not to blue and not to white. :)

[sleepyalero]

Here u go cav60 this is with the lights on .. took awhile back. Bout to get some pics of the ballasts. They will be up soon.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad58/natesalero/2011-02-19_23-28-09_186.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Here's the driver side. Below the highbeam part of the headlight mounted on the plastic.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad58/natesalero/2011-03-17_10-12-28_123.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Passanger side. On plastic basically behind The turn signal part of headlight.

http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad58/natesalero/2011-03-17_10-11-51_987.jpg

[cavaliers60]

Thanks man! I'll probably put them in the same spot... I wasn't to thrilled letting my last kit just dangle off a small piece of metal. :lol:

[sleepyalero]

No problem. Yeah it comes with 2 squares of 3M tape that's double sided. I didn't feel like rigging something up so I just mounted em with the tape. VERY STRONG.

Basically anywhere that the wires will reach and ballast is out of the way of The headlight will do fine :)

[RisenequinoX]

mine didnt come with any tape... ill put pictures up here in a lil for you to see

[RisenequinoX]

Drivers Side
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_11-45-53_917.jpg

Passengers Side
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_11-45-31_933.jpg

This is all that it came with
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-16_17-08-51_341.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Plastic bag that comes with it should have had zip ties and 2 pieces of tape (white sqaures.) Looks like its there next to the ballast in the box. Oh wait that's cardboard Hahaha my mistake.

...did you mount the driver ballast on your radiator fans???

[RisenequinoX]

Plastic bag that comes with it should have had zip ties and 2 pieces of tape (white sqaures.) Looks like its there next to the ballast in the box. Oh wait that's cardboard Hahaha my mistake.

...did you mount the driver ballast on your radiator fans???

i did it above it there, i looked all around where i "Pre-Mounted" it there and didnt see why i couldn't, its not interfering with anything and its there for quick access.

I didnt get a back i just had some zipties that were tiewrapped in one of those trash bag ties

[sleepyalero]

Hmm weird. I do like the thought of quick access but u really don't have to mess with them that much. (Atleast I dont). That's why mine are hidden.

I haven't messed with my kit since I installed it.

[RisenequinoX]

Hmm weird. I do like the thought of quick access but u really don't have to mess with them that much. (Atleast I dont). That's why mine are hidden.

I haven't messed with my kit since I installed it.


i never know with my car what it will do next lol.

But its not really on the fan itself just the fin that is above it.

[sleepyalero]

Oh okay. I like my alero. I really don't want to get rid of it. Lol its very reliable. But it really depends on the owner/ previous owners on how it was treated and if it got its regular matinence done.

[RisenequinoX]

Oh okay. I like my alero. I really don't want to get rid of it. Lol its very reliable. But it really depends on the owner/ previous owners on how it was treated and if it got its regular matinence done.

For sure i try and take care of mine to the best of my ability. I will probably drive this thing to the ground.

Back on the subject though, im thinking about eventually getting HID's in my fogs and brights. good idea? i will have fun mounting alot of wires :)

[sleepyalero]

HIDs only come in either a low beam bulb or a bi xenon bulb. Which is hi beam and low beam in one bulb. So you really can't just have a high beam HID.

Fog lights are optional. Unlike me. I hit a raccoon and broke the driver fog light so I just got led strips and put them as fogs. (As you see in pic above)

[XanderWiFi]

Did DDM tuning stop selling the 55w HIDs? I am looking at getting a set of 9006 bulbs but I can only select 35w.

[sleepyalero]

Look at page 4 on this thread. Post by alerojester. It could be dealing with the same thing that he mentioned.

[RisenequinoX]

Well the only reason i'm asking is because i have this spare set of HID's i'm going to try them and see if they fit in the fog light with a little persuasion because i will be bored tonight when i get off work. But what you're saying is that the "standard" hid bulb will still go in the Hi-beam if it were the right connector? although i'm not sure it would be good for brights seeing as it shortens the life of the ballast if you turn them off and on frequently, or so i've read... Anyway no matter how it works out i will probably let you guys know of my success or failure tonight.

[sleepyalero]

Well the hids for the headlights are a totally different bulb then your fog lights. Also probably to long and wont go in all the way and or lock in place.

Basically if u want hi beam hids just get a pair of bi xenon ones and put em in place of where your low beam hids are. Yet idk if they will work because the car wasn't ment to have them and when you flip on your hi beams it will want to turn on your stock hi beam bulbs instead of the bi xenon one.

I don't know if anyone one on here has bi xenon in there car or not. But I know it wont work. You would have to wire it somehow into your hi beam wiring im guessing..

[RisenequinoX]

well what would problem be with having HID's in the brights? i mean its technically the same bulb but different connector? idk but i don't see why they wouldn't activate when i flipped on the brights..

[cavaliers60]

Well the hids for the headlights are a totally different bulb then your fog lights. Also probably to long and wont go in all the way and or lock in place.

Basically if u want hi beam hids just get a pair of bi xenon ones and put em in place of where your low beam hids are. Yet idk if they will work because the car wasn't ment to have them and when you flip on your hi beams it will want to turn on your stock hi beam bulbs instead of the bi xenon one.

I don't know if anyone one on here has bi xenon in there car or not. But I know it wont work. You would have to wire it somehow into your hi beam wiring im guessing..



With the dual hi/low beam HID's, you would get the dual in/out ballasts. I'm guessing you would run the high beam plug to the ballast and it will output to just the one bulb? or maybe it outputs to two bulbs... I don't really know...

[sleepyalero]

Im not sure either. All I know is you CAN'T get a high beam hid bulb. The only options they come in is either low beam, or bi xenon (hi and low in 1 bulb)

[RisenequinoX]

With the dual hi/low beam HID's, you would get the dual in/out ballasts. I'm guessing you would run the high beam plug to the ballast and it will output to just the one bulb? or maybe it outputs to two bulbs... I don't really know...

Would that be necessary if you have a cobalt which only uses one bulb IIRC? But it makes more sense to have 1 ballast for 2 bulbs... this is definitely something to learn about though

[sleepyalero]

Im not sure. I know that one ballast powers 1 bulb. Lol

[RisenequinoX]

well i will see tonight whether or not they will work in the highs, if not then fogs, if not then i have and extra HID kit haha

[sleepyalero]

Yup you could sell it or keep it just in case something happens. Let us know.

[robalero]

ok first off, 9005 and 9006 is the same bulb all you need is the little rubbers around the light. DDM always gives you both. as for that 3m tape well it was great at first really good and stuck on but after a month it came off on me so I used zipped ties

[sleepyalero]

Haven't had problems with mine yet.

[RisenequinoX]

i think im going to order 9005 bulbs cheap because, despite what robalero has to say, they actually have a smaller base than the 9006's do ( see pics Below). I was unable to fit them so i have an extra set :)


9006 on left 9005 on right
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_19-38-13_21.jpg

fog light is just a hair shorter, and has a smaller base as well.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_19-42-52_632.jpg

As you can see i broke my blue fog light (not that blue when lit lol) trying to put it back in :(
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_19-46-45_153.jpg

What i was trying to achieve
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-17_19-37-53_724.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Good luck careful not to break the hid or touch it!

[cavaliers60]

off topic, but does anyone else have issues with their fog lights rusting out? I seem to be having this problem a lot! I replaced the plugs, and the fog light housings and still have this problem....

[RisenequinoX]

off topic, but does anyone else have issues with their fog lights rusting out? I seem to be having this problem a lot! I replaced the plugs, and the fog light housings and still have this problem....

yeah i frequently (2:1 compared to passenger side) replace my drivers side fog light... the projector is cracked but i put some clear nail polish over it. hopefully that does the trick

[cavaliers60]

Mine is the passenger side.... but the driver side just recently died as well... The bulbs were only 4 months old.... It frustrates me to no end... The housings are in really good shape... I can't figure out how water gets in them! I even tried using silicone adhesive in certain spots on the housing that looks like water could get into, and still no luck.... Water gets in there somehow and rusts out the prongs to the lights....

Here's what the old plug ended up looking like:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/cavaliers60/May%20Car/others011.jpg

And my new ones I put in:
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/cavaliers60/May%20Car/others012.jpg

And I know I had a picture of the bulb.....what was left of it..... I just can't find it. lol

[sleepyalero]

I had the same problem. That's another reason why I didn't want to buy more cause mine filled with water

[cavaliers60]

I just thought that the ones that were on the car when I bought it were cracked or something... So I bought new ones.... Guess I was wrong. :lol: Oh well... I'm going to come up with something different for fog lights...

[colonel6632]

ummm, this might be off topic,

but i have a set of hids in my lows, and a set of hids in my highs.
i have 4 ballasts, and rewired my headlights under the hood with relays powering the ballasts directly from the batteries.

[sleepyalero]

I just thought that the ones that were on the car when I bought it were cracked or something... So I bought new ones.... Guess I was wrong. :lol: Oh well... I'm going to come up with something different for fog lights...

what do you have in mind?

ummm, this might be off topic,

but i have a set of hids in my lows, and a set of hids in my highs.
i have 4 ballasts, and rewired my headlights under the hood with relays powering the ballasts directly from the batteries.

im sure risen would like more info on that.. i also think we all would.. :p

[cavaliers60]

I was thinking of trying a different set of projector fogs from a different car.... That or just get some LEDs and put them in the housings I have now

[sleepyalero]

either or would be cool.

[robalero]

you have to change that rubber at the bottom of the light to a smaller one and they fit perfectly fine. you need the black or blue one and it fits the red rubber like shown is for 9006

[RisenequinoX]

ummm, this might be off topic,

but i have a set of hids in my lows, and a set of hids in my highs.
i have 4 ballasts, and rewired my headlights under the hood with relays powering the ballasts directly from the batteries.

Would you need a wiring harness/relay? i would only think that if you were running the fogs and lo's with HID's. i don't think it would matter if you ran lo's/hi's because they can't be ran at the same time (without mod)... but thats just my thought

you have to change that rubber at the bottom of the light to a smaller one and they fit perfectly fine. you need the black or blue one and it fits the red rubber like shown is for 9006


In my headlight the hole is smaller where the 9005 goes and the plastic that goes into that hole is too big too fit, its not the o-ring.

[colonel6632]

i have the relays so that the hids get direct power from the battery, and they also make the highs and lows on at the same time. you would not want hids and have them turn off when you go back to high, might be scary until they got bright again.

and i bought a 9005 hid kit, and a 9006 hid kit from ddm tuning. they just twisted in the socket like a regular bulb. i believe i made a post previously about this with a wire diagram on how my relays are hooked up

[RisenequinoX]

i have the relays so that the hids get direct power from the battery, and they also make the highs and lows on at the same time. you would not want hids and have them turn off when you go back to high, might be scary until they got bright again.

and i bought a 9005 hid kit, and a 9006 hid kit from ddm tuning. they just twisted in the socket like a regular bulb. i believe i made a post previously about this with a wire diagram on how my relays are hooked up

i'll try and find that post, if you can find it do you mind linking it?

[cavaliers60]

Got my kit in today. A LOT smaller than I thought it would be! I like it! Now I just need my fiancee to get her butt home so I can install it! :D

[XanderWiFi]

Crud...it's giong to be a while before they get the 55w back...

[cavaliers60]

Crud...it's giong to be a while before they get the 55w back...

I would just get the 35 Watt.... There's really no significant difference from what I can tell... Other than the lights are brighter and "more annoying" to oncoming traffic. :lol:

[jhubbz]

At least they are using chinese labor instead of japanese labor or else we would NEVER get em....... wow i'm going to hell, but sounded funny in my head.

I'm a sick person. and I need help.

[RisenequinoX]

out of nowhere!

funny though. i'm sick too i guess.

i will see tomorrow when i get my bulbs in how they look in the hi's.

[robalero]

there is a HUGE difference between 35 kits and 55 kits. I love my 55's much more then my 35's or the 35's in the girlfriends neon or her fathers little s10 that I put my old 35 in's. the 55's just give more light

[RisenequinoX]

got the hi's installed today i'll try to get some night pics later.

[Christato71]

Well since ddm isn't selling the 55 watts as of right now, I'm thinking about getting the 35 watts in either 5000k or 6000k. I can't decide lol.

[jhubbz]

6k all the way! They're the perfect blend of white light with just a hint of blue. You won't be sorry

[Christato71]

6k it is then! How bright are the 35 watts?

[RisenequinoX]

here are some pics with the brights:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/IMG_3203.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/IMG_3204.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/IMG_3205.jpg

[RisenequinoX]

6k it is then! How bright are the 35 watts?

the 35's look okay, but the color is the best, not too blue but like LED white

[Christato71]

Are those 55w in your pictures?

[RisenequinoX]

Are those 55w in your pictures?

No, I have 6000k 35w in both hi's and li's. Once my hi's "charge" up they work pretty good

[Christato71]

Do you have any pictures of what comes in the ddm hid package?

[RisenequinoX]

This is all that it came with
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-03-16_17-08-51_341.jpg

posted this earlier. others were saying it came with 3m tape but i did not receive any. I didn't even get any instructions but i already knew how to install them...

I have two sets of ballasts, DDM and JLM. I would recommend the DDM over the other ones now that i have them installed.

[robalero]

none of them come with instructions as they have it online I think.

ill take pics of my 55 watt kit of how it is at night with low beams tonight

[cavaliers60]

i got 3m tape as well as some zip ties in my kit. :D

[Christato71]

It doesn't seem to hard to get these set up.

[RisenequinoX]

Yeah its really easy just wear gloves and try not to touch the bulb

but if you do have any questions we're all here to help.

[sleepyalero]

i got 3m tape as well as some zip ties in my kit. :D

Same here.

[robalero]

and you might need to put the connector upside down but thats nothing new to anyone with aftermarket HID's

[RisenequinoX]

I know that DDM doesn't say you need a wiring harness for the 35w ballasts, but i think i need one because they have a hard time charging when my lights selector is on "Auto". i have to actually turn them on for the HID's to charge up.

Any thoughts?

[robalero]

what year? mine are fine but mines a 2000

[robalero]

heres the pictures of my 55 watt 8k kit at night ( remb 8k 55 watts make it seem like 6k's ) I tried my best with the camera but she is a little old now so here they are anyways this is what I see on low beams at night on a dark road with no other lights.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c152/robbie69/DSCF6080.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c152/robbie69/DSCF6077.jpg

[RisenequinoX]

Damn those look good. Should of gotten the 55's while I had a chance.

[robalero]

they are much better then the 35 watt kits, mind you there is nothing wrong with 35 watt kits I just really like the 55 watt one better

[sleepyalero]

Rob do you have hot spots with those?

[Christato71]

wow very nice!

[robalero]

yes I do have hot spots, but it doesn't bother me any its only slightly there and it helps when aligning the headlights ( but so do the bubbles too ).

I have ran these lights for a couple hours non stop and the headlight itself isn't as hot as a regular bulb would be you can touch the lense and its warm don't get me wrong but not so hot you have to remove your hand from it right away

[cavaliers60]

Just installed mine yesterday. They look really nice and didn't have any problems mounting the ballasts. I did notice some flickering of the light when they first turn on and warm up, but once they are at their full brightness, I don't get the flickering. Other than that, I'm quite happy with them, and I'll be getting some for my Tmax as well. :)

[RisenequinoX]

hey cavaliers you mind taking pics, like at night and/or where you mounted. I now have 4 ballasts and its a nightmare with just zipties. i want to get some more ideas of where to mount but still have easy access

[robalero]

I mounted mine in the small corner area of the front bumper mount. I figured if im going to get in an accident in the front their going to get smashed anyways so why not mount them there

[cavaliers60]

It won't be for a little while... My fiancee has the car right now, and she's an hour away. She should be home in a couple weeks so I can snap a few photos. I mounted them right behind the headlight housings. They are right behind the turn signal bulbs on the black plastic piece that's there (not on the headlight housings themselves). I figured it would hold them and they won't go anywhere. They were out of the way of the headlights too, and it they did come off, they won't fall anywhere. The one on the drivers side, I put one zip tie on it to give it some extra security. The other side has a piece underneath it, so if it comes off, it won't fall down anywhere.

[RisenequinoX]

Just ordered my 3rd HID Set, 55w ddm ballasts. I'm putting those in my High's and moving the ballasts that are currently in the highs down to my fogs to power 10k bulbs. now i will have to wait the excruciating 2 weeks to get them..... i wish i could have them shipped on my works ups or fedex acct. lol

[cavaliers60]

They are working on getting them out faster. I've been reading up on their facebook posts and it looks like they are getting more organized and getting shipments out. Their whole issue has been with customs seizing stuff. This is why they are starting to ship out from China directly rather than getting large shipments to their warehouse and having a much higher risk of it getting seized by customs.

[cherrington17]

For those who have had problems getting their HIDs working...

I had my driver's side not turn on a few times, i'd have to go from auto to "parking lamps" then back about 15 seconds later and it'd kick on. I'm pretty sure its the wiring not allowing proper voltage to kick the ballast on. I got one of the relay kits for it, and its worked flawlessly since. $14.99 isn't a bad price for everything to come together that you need.
...I did have to splice a couple wires and lengthen a few others.. but it wasn't a big deal at all...

All in all, I'm impressed with the difference. Much less hassle now.

[RisenequinoX]

For those who have had problems getting their HIDs working...

I had my driver's side not turn on a few times, i'd have to go from auto to "parking lamps" then back about 15 seconds later and it'd kick on. I'm pretty sure its the wiring not allowing proper voltage to kick the ballast on. I got one of the relay kits for it, and its worked flawlessly since. $14.99 isn't a bad price for everything to come together that you need.
...I did have to splice a couple wires and lengthen a few others.. but it wasn't a big deal at all...

All in all, I'm impressed with the difference. Much less hassle now.


I have had that problem but i just got used to switching the lights to on and let them ignite then switch back to auto or just leave it to "ON" until i get out of my car.

[cherrington17]

Beans to that! I'm too lazy. :lol:

[RisenequinoX]

Beans to that! I'm too lazy. :lol:

haha yeah just cant be too lazy to forget to shut em off or your battery will hate you.

[cherrington17]

hence why i did it my way. It still retains the delayed shut off when I get out. :thumb:

[RisenequinoX]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/supaskyliner34/whos-awesome.jpg

anywho, i think i should get that harness simply because i will have 3 sets of ballasts... thoughts?

[XanderWiFi]

hence why i did it my way. It still retains the delayed shut off when I get out. :thumb:

Ditto to that. DRL aren't all that great anyhow...love the auto function though.

[robalero]

LOL i loved that, I gotta save that picture lol

[cherrington17]

anywho, i think i should get that harness simply because i will have 3 sets of ballasts... thoughts?

i'd get 3 harnesses. Its better for the ballasts to get proper power, rather than the tiny wires that supply our normal lights.

You'll have less issues in the long run.

[RisenequinoX]

my engine bay will be full of wires, oh joy!

[robalero]

wire loom!

[RisenequinoX]

after 2 weeks of agonizing waiting i got my 55w ballasts in.

I moved a set down to my fogs (10K @35w)
installed my highs (6k @55w)

i will get more pics when its dark out if i remember.

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_16-49-24_517.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_16-49-34_969.jpg

55W
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_16-49-53_987.jpg

35w
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_16-50-04_478.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_17-29-12_158.jpg

Both 55w
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_17-29-38_496.jpg

[robalero]

too bad the low's and high's dont stay on at the same time thats what I wish it did I would of kept mine if it did that

[scott192]

anything can be done with relays and diode's

[sleepyalero]

Looks good!

[RisenequinoX]

Looks good!

Thanks man im headed out to take some night pics !

[sleepyalero]

Cool, ill be waiting lol

[RisenequinoX]

well my camera isnt that great with these lights at night but here they are

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_21-01-00_464.jpg

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/DaMilFShakA/2011-04-09_21-00-30_864.jpg

[sleepyalero]

Not bad!

[RisenequinoX]

yeah i didnt get a piic of the highs though.. the difference between the 35w and 55w in my highs is incredible

[Christato71]

So for the 55w 6K's do you like the color?

[RisenequinoX]

So for the 55w 6K's do you like the color?

yeah i really do. i know on ddms site it says if you want 6k for 55w get the 8k bulb but im using 6k in there right now and it looks great

[XanderWiFi]

DDM has their 55w HIDs back on the market. Just bought a set of 8Ks. You don't have to buy all the extra peripheral junk do you?

[robalero]

no you dont

[sleepyalero]

All plug and play xander. :p