ChuckP

For those of you who went with an aftermarket HID kit, where did you run the wire into the housing from? I'm thinking of drilling a hole into the back plastic cap, but was wondering if anyone has done something different. I'm thinking silicone or a grommet around the wire should keep particles from entering.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...=788745&page=3

Post #97. Literally just answered this questioned here.

ChuckP

Thanks! Do you pull off the stock ballast as previously mentioned and plug with a cap? Good to know about using dialectric grease. I'll make sure to do so.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

Yes, remove the old ballast. This is where you should mount the new ballast as the space has sufficient airflow to keep the ballast cool thereby increasing its lifespan. If you plan on using aftermarket ballast, consider the manufacturer Morimoto, which can be purchased at TheRetrofitSource.com for an affordable price...especially over the cost of factory ballast. They are, by far, the BEST aftermarket ballasts sold IMO.

As for the installation of the ballasts themselves, the front bumper will need to be removed. As difficult as this seems, it's actually quite simple and involves maybe 4-6 screws and roughly 8-10 clips. Once these fasteners are removed, the bumper simply pops off and this gives you access to the headlamp assembly mounting bolts.

It's much easier if you remove both headlamps at the same time to enable you to place them on a table or workbench. Start by removing the dust cap and so you can pull the bulb socket (aka igniter) off the bulb. Then, unbolt the ballast by unscrewing the torx bit fasteners that fixate them to the headlamp housing. You will then be able to pull the igniter out as well as the ballast.

More than likely the ballast you will be installing will not have a removable igniter which means you must route the socket around the headlamp body cutting a hole in the dust cap to attach to the back of the bulb OR as we do in the shop enlarge the hole on the bottom just enough to slide the igniter through. Once you do one or the other, attach the ballast to the underside of the headlamp covering the hole and finish off using a light bead of silicone around the ballast where it meets the headlamp to prevent moisture buildup/condensation inside the lens. You may also do this one the dust cap if you chose to cut a slit in it. If the headlamps are not sealed properly, condensation will not only become a huge annoyance in appearance and performance of the lighting, but will also greatly shorten the lifespan of the bulb itself and the electronics.

ChuckP

Appreciate the reply. I ended up enlarging the small factory notch at the bottom of housing to slide the wires in behind the cap. I made sure it was a good seal. I've heard nothing but great things about Morimotos on a couple of the HID retrofit forums. Those will definitely be my next set of HIDs. For this install I already have a 55w DDM kit I pulled from another car prior to selling it. So I figured, what the heck. I contemplating leaving the stock ballast in place but with the bulb connector removed. while adhering the DDm ballast right beneath it. Then I dont have to worry about the sealant giving up down the road and the ballast coming loose. I'll figure it out tomorrow. Thanks again.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

Sounds likes a plan.

You'll enjoy the 55w ballast in the TL's projectors. I'd consider keeping oem manufacturer bulbs in over aftermarket. The overdriven 35w bulbs will not last as long as the kits 55w bulbs but they will burn much cooler and you will save the bowls of your projectors.

I have a brand new set of 5000k Silverstars for $80ea. PM if you're interested.

ChuckP

I was under the impression that the ballast is the determining factor in wattage output. There are no specific 35 or 55w bulbs. All HID bulbs are capable of up to 60watts. Aside from some phillips bulbs that are specifically 50w.

I actually had some stock, 5000k and 600k bulbs on me. Stock was far too yellow running at 55w for my taste. 5000k looked pretty good, but next to the 6000k, my inner ricer came out and I went 6000k. I know I'm trading lumens for color, but screw it.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

This is true to an extent, yes. For oem manufactured ballast and bulbs, 35w is not only the standard, that's as the highest wattage made.

In the aftermarket world, however, you can commonly find 55w and 75w ballasts and bulbs. It wasn't unusual when 55w ballasts were first made for the kits to be sold with "35w" bulbs. As many people begin to see, these bulbs being overdriven by 55w ballast, did not last and weren't very reliable. It was then discovered (finally) that the arc material deteriorated due to increased wattage thereby prematurely causing the ballasts to fail. This was because to push the arc across a wider gap meant the ballast pulling and providing more amperage to do so. Because most aftermarket ballast arent generally made with quality internals or electronics, they would fail. That's when manufacturers began producing appropriately sized bulbs in accordance to the wattage of the ballast. I've directly compared all bulbs and seen wider gaps between the arcs as well as thicker material to withstand the increased amperage and temperature.

The ONLY downside (IMO) to running a 55w or 75w bulb is the heat being notorious for damaging bowl surfaces of the projector and reducing light output over time...totally defeating the purpose of higher wattage in the first place. Oem bulbs have been tested and proven not to rise in temperature too much and damage bowls. Overdriving oem bulbs though will give the original problem of the 55w kits of premature bulb failure. It's a lose-lose situation.

ChuckP

Thanks for the knowledge! I regretfully installed a 55w kit (w/ 55w bulb) in my yamaha supermoto's reflector style housing. The reflective coating didn't last long. Should have gone 35w. Is this a known issue with the tl's projector?

So with a 55w ballast..the lumen output between a 35w and 55w bulb will be identical? assuming color temp is the same

What is the cure for bringing temps down on higher wattage setups? A different gas?

truonghthe

I wouldn't go for the 55w since they are hotter than 35w. As far as for the color temp just moving a scale, 55w 8000k will look like a 6k 35w.

guitarplayer16

iTrader: (8)

I installed an aftermarket ballast on the TSX's passenger side because the OEM ballast blew.

I kept the stock ballast in place to plug the big opening, and drilled a hole through the D2S cap to wire the D2S to AMP harness and siliconed around the hole.

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

Not really a common problem with the TL's Stanley projectors. In fact, my first MDX ran a 70w setup for over a year and never affected the bowls surface....that was using larger aftermarket 70w bulbs not oems.

Lumen output has been proven to be brighter when using oem bulbs with high wattage bulbs. That's because the materials and engineering is generally a much higher quality.

The cure for higher wattage ballasts as I mentioned was to run oem bulbs. Preferably one with a lower temp (kelvin) such as 4300k or 5000k. Higher wattage will "wash" colors to an even lower kelvin meaning a 5000k may appear more like a 4500k. This color wash happens immediately and will get darker (higher kelvin) with time so don't freak when your 4300 Philips D2S oem bulbs look damn near like 3000k bulbs at first. The same holds true for stock bulbs on stock ballast. Like the 2g TL bulbs start out at 4300k but then look pinkish or purple (12000k to 30000k) after many hours of use. Waiting until the bulbs color change this drastically is usually what causes ballast to fail and igniters to burn/melt at the contacts of the bulb sockets. Change bulbs once every 4 years to be safe...in pairs of course.

DeMAN

Is Morimoto similar to Canbus ballast in quality?

Also, How long would it take to change both sides (Retrofit/Aftermarket kits)
Is there a video of this being done?

yungone501

iTrader: (4)

First of all, CanBUS has been a term (or system rather) that has been corrupted by HID manafacturers for marketing purposes. CanBUS is a type of communication system added to late model cars (almost all cars past 2007) that enables single or dual circuit high speed communications practically in real time speeds. Anyhow, when cars with CAN came out and people were throwing on aftermarket HID's, it would create a "CanBUS error" by causing an error message or CAN module network "clog".

These CanBUS ballast are simply ballasts that are compatible with these communication systems and do not create any errors or issues. They are still crap (IMO) and the ones on eBay that are labeled as "CanBUS Pro" are still ,are by the shittiest company ever: Xentec. Lol, stick with the proven companies like Morimoto or even stock ballasts that have been retrofitted to use on other bulbs or your vehicles stock lighting connectors that you can buy either on eBay or where we buy them for our shop: theretrofitsource.com