pimpin-tl

I decided to upgrade my fogs and lights with 6k bulbs and since I didn't see many good how-tos figured I would make one since I use to do a few.

How To replace/install HID bulbs in your 4th gen 2009+ Acura TL factory headlights.

Tools Required:

1 - Small flat head screwdriver
1 - Drop light

Parts Required:

1 - D2S HID Bulbs. These were 6k HID Extra ones.


Procedure:

1) Jack the car up and remove the front wheel from the car on the side you plan to work on.

2) Look inside around your fender liner, and you will see some snap in connections. See both pictures below with green arrows. 2 of the snaps have a slot while the rest do not have any.





3) Remove those connections with a flat head screwdriver as seen below in the picture. Stick iit between the outer plastic and inner plastic and twist the screw driver to pull the inside portion of it out. It will not come completely out. Just get it to release then you can pull the whole snap out of the fender liner.



4) Next you need to PULL the fender liner down. It will be a bit hard, but it will come down. It's going to give you room where it's bent into a V near the the strut assembly. Don't worry it will form back into shape once you are done.

5) This is the one area I forgot to get a picture. But as seen below, this is the silver CONNECTOR that goes into the back of the HID bulb. There was a BLACK cover with a sticker on it that you twist off to show this part.

6) You want to switch that silver connector (Picture Below) (circled in green) to the right (clockwise) in RED, and you will feel it stop around 2pm direction. Once it stops, pull it straight off. It will have some ground cables attached to it so there is little play. What I did to move it out of the way was stick it in the bottom of the headlight housing.



7) Should look like this once you have it out of the way.



8) Next you need to unsnap the little metal clip from the bulb (See picture below) (Green circles) (this holds the bulb in it's slot). Slide the circle ends in GREEN towards the inner part (RED Arrows) and once you reach the inner part pull down (Blue Arrows) towards you. This will lower that clip assembly out of the way.



9) Next grab the bulb base and remove it straight out. Keep an eye on the orientation of the bulb so you can place the new one back in the exact same way. It has a SLOT on the top that guides it into the correct position of the headlight. Don't touch the lightbulb directly so the grease wont get on it!

10) Once removed, re install the bulb with the slot opening to the top. You should feel it slip into that slot and feel flat in the socket. Once you do that, re install the clips the same way you removed them.

11) Reinstall in reverse order as you did taking things off and you are good to go. Make sure as seen below, the brake cooling duct (red circle) liner is all push in around this vent, and the clip that sticks out is in it's slot (green arrow).



12) Completed! Hope this helps you folks do this on your own!

Pictures on how the headlights look vs the stock ones below:

Stock:



HID Extra 6k D2S:

Laws

P.S..dont touch the lightbulb directly so the grease wont get on it!

Mugszy

Great write-up, thanks for posting!

pimpin-tl

Thanks. I should have added that but I can't edit it now.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I took care of it for you. It's in step #9.

pimpin-tl

Thank you Steven!

i64X

Where did you buy this kit? I can't seem to find it for sale.

pimpin-tl

www.hidextra.com

All you need to look for is D2S bulbs.

AAPL3TLS

Just got the D2S 6000K bulbs from IJDMTOY.COM. BTW, did you disconnect the battery during the process?

pimpin-tl

I personally did not. I just made sure the headlights were turned off.

AAPL3TLS

Many Thanks. : )

HeartTLs

iTrader: (5)

Thanks & tagged.

mr_raja

Thanks for write up OP. I dont need to replace my HIDs yet, but this will come in handy in the future...

TLmyPIC

what is the OEM light temp the bulbs? 6000K?

MoAbbas

i believe they are 4300k

TinyRK

Correct!

Brian Ichi

Can you do a walk-through of how you changed your fog lights to the HIDs as well? Or direct me to it if someone already has?

I would like to update all of my stock lights to HIDs.

TLmyPIC

that's boring! lol.. does anybody know what the light temp is, on the Benz S class? they look blue-ish.

pimpin-tl

Please search next time. Already. Done.

https://acurazine.com/forums/4g-tl-2009-2014-123/g-005-how-install-hid-fog-light-kit-4th-gen-tl-863117/

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

Put into 4G Garage.

JayTeeL

Seriously?? All this just to swap out the bulbs??

Adrian Orat

How is the color match on the HIDs in the headlights and in the fog lights? I realize they're both 6k, but are they are near perfect match? It's hard to tell in the picture... considering all the variables like angle, positioning, lightning, camera flash, etc. Thanks!

pimpin-tl

They match almost perfectly.

NwTSXmt

Its not the work its the results which I dont see in the pictures.

tvgaman

i planned to upgrade this myself over the weekend, and this has confirmed it, so i can do it with confident, Thanks so much

alienstudio

Will your fogs have a more blueish colour compared to the low beams?

pimpin-tl

Because of them not being projectors you see a little more blue from the fogs. But barely noticeable.

Adrian Orat

Any tips on taking off the black covering with the warning sticker on it off? (The part you forgot to take a picture of... Step 5.)

Which direction do you twist it? Clockwise? Or counter-clockwise?

I tried my hardest to twist that sucker off, and it would not budge... at all.

Very depressing knowing I'm steps away from getting to the bulb... and having a thin black piece of plastic in my way =\

pimpin-tl

I can't recall, but if you shine a light up there it has a grove near the top that a screw would go into a hole to lock it in, but no screw was on mine. Move it in the direction where it can move that section sticking up. It was HARD to turn that thing, but once it moved it moved. I think it was counterclockwise to undo it.

rodtl

Is all you need is the bulbs? Do you not need the kit? I would imagine that you do not need the kit but just want to make sure. I just replace the fogs with the 6K's and the fogs look blue compared to the head lights, want them to match up a bit more if I can get them to match?

pimpin-tl

Yes only the bulbs.

py0413

great write-up OP. BTW, quick question, do you think the process can be done without removing the 2 front wheels?

pimpin-tl

It would be really hard I think and not possible.

jpd985

I have a 2012 and my owners manual gave a different procedure. It has you change them from the engine bay rather than the wheel well. I haven't tried it so I can't tell you how difficult it is.

pimpin-tl

I replaced the drl from the engine bay and will say it was tight. Getting to the hid is probably going to be almost impossible as there was no space for a hand to fit through that area too.

rodtl

Had anyone tried a set of 6K from HIDEXTRA.com for the head lights and the fog lights? These are the head lights I am trying to match up with the fogs. Like I said the fogs are way too blue now than the head lights.

http://www.hidextra.com/d2s/6000k/

http://www.hidextra.com/h11/6000k/

Thoughts on the color match?

pimpin-tl

Um yeah me the OP of this thread. LOL.

rodtl

Since you did it already pimpin... I will roll with that too then! Thanks for posting such great how to's you are the man!

jeffquadski

Your instructions were spot on Pimpin
Here's thee missing pic, maybe you can get Steve to move it into your original post. It was counterclockwise to remove. it has raised tabs all around it that make it very easy to turn.

KaimacTL

Nice DIY! I'm new to the site but been lurking for a while now. I installed HID bulbs only on my 10' TL and last night they started to strobe/blink for about 15 seconds. Anyone know what would cause this? I didn't buy my bulbs from HIDextra or IJDMTOY. Got my bulbs from a friends lighting company, Diamond Lighting Technology, here is Washington State. Could it possibly be the bulbs?