G-005: How-To: Install an HID Fog Light kit on a 4th gen TL

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Old 07-15-2012 | 03:24 PM
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G-005: How-To: Install an HID Fog Light kit on a 4th gen TL

I decided to install HID Fogs from HID Extra and since I didn't see many good how-tos figured I would make one since I use to do a few.

How To install HID Extra HID kit into your 4th gen 2009+ Acura TL factory fog lights.



Tools Required:

1 - Small flat head screwdriver
1 - Rachet
1 - 10mm socket
1 - small extension
1 - Snips
1 - Drop light

Parts Required:

1 - HID H11 35watt Kit 6k from HID Extra


Procedure:

1) Drive the car up on some ramps as seen below, or jack the front end up high enough so you can access the panels. (Put jack stands under the car to stabilize it if you go this route).



2) Look in front of your wheel where the plastic splash guards are. As seen below. Remove all 5 snap in connectors and 10mm bolts. Only the ones that have green arrows need to be removed. Pay attention to the longer bolts (the ones that go through the painted part of the body which are longer. Those need to go in those spots only). Remove those Snaps as seen below with a flat head screw driver.





3) Pry back the splash shield as seen below in the direction of the red arrow below.



4) You now can look inside that hole with your light and see the connector that is circled in RED. Picture below. This is your fog light connector. Push in the snap on the back of the connector (Red Arrow) and pull it down towards the floor while pressing it in (Green Arrow).



5) Once the connector is removed, twist the bulb out of the socket and remove.

6) Reinstall the HID bulb into the socket (you may need to twist till it fits into the slots. When it feels like it popped in, twist it so it locks into place as seen below.



7) Connector the factory harness into the HID kit connector like the Green arrows show below.



8) Next connect your ballast to the wires (As seen below). This is the correct way to install it for this kit and this car. The RED Circle means that connector needed to be backwards to allow the kit to work where the clip is on the other side from the bump that it locks into. Push all these connectors into the slots (Green arrows).



9) Test the fogs by turning the lights on. They should light up. If they do not, check your connections and check that one connection that can be swapped on the ballast to make sure you have it correct.

10) Install Ballast on top of the blinker housing (GREEN Line). There is a flat surface that the double sided tape will stick too which is included in the kit. Make sure to clean that surface with some cleaner (Windex works) and let it dry. Run the wires up the left side where the connectors on the ballast are sticking out towards the side of the car as seen below with the Red arrows on the left.



11) Use some tie straps to tighten up the wires if they are too loose and snip off the excess.

12) Once installed, and all working, close up the splash guard in reverse order as before and you are completed.

13) Make sure you push the liner back over this brake duct and the green arrow has a piece that sticks into a hole and that should be pushed back into that area as seen below.



Below some pictures of before and after on the fogs!

Left stock, right HID Extra 6k 35w kit. Note: My phone is making it look way more blue than it actually is.





Completed:


Last edited by pimpin-tl; 07-15-2012 at 03:26 PM.
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Old 07-15-2012 | 08:09 PM
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Where did you buy the kit? Can't seem to find one, but this looks super simple and totally worth it.
Old 07-15-2012 | 08:32 PM
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www.hidextra.com and look for the H11 kit.

http://www.hidextra.com/h11-slim-matte-black-hid-kit

This is the kit link. They have sales around Holidays all the time and if you have facebook get on their page and like it so you don't miss out, and you can get the kits for literally 50% or more off. I got this kit and the two bulbs for my headlights for $70 bucks.
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Old 07-15-2012 | 09:03 PM
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Great write-up. Thanks for this. Not sure I'm going to go the HID route...at least not soon, but it's nice to see a guide like this. Thanks!
Old 07-16-2012 | 12:27 AM
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Thank you for this DIY, I'm sure a lot of people have been waiting for photos on how to change out the fog lights
Old 07-18-2012 | 10:58 AM
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This is awesome! Thanks so much!

Quick question: do you need to purchase a "cancellor" or "relay harness"?

Current price is $64.99
Old 07-18-2012 | 11:16 AM
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Not required. Just get the H11 kit for the fogs. Slim kit recommended. I'd wait for a special. Or email them to see if they have any specials coming up. Much cheaper that way.
Old 07-18-2012 | 11:22 AM
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Originally Posted by pimpin-tl
Not required. Just get the H11 kit for the fogs. Slim kit recommended. I'd wait for a special. Or email them to see if they have any specials coming up. Much cheaper that way.

Awesome, thanks a lot! It's been about a year since I've done anything on my car - I think this would be a nice upgrade, bc I hate the stock yellow bulbs
Old 07-18-2012 | 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Shellyduchsk8s
Awesome, thanks a lot! It's been about a year since I've done anything on my car - I think this would be a nice upgrade, bc I hate the stock yellow bulbs
Just get the 35w kit and it should be safe. Don't even look at the 55watt one.
Old 07-19-2012 | 08:23 AM
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That looks awesome. I'm wondering how long these will last. That seems really inexpensive for a HID kit, even at full price.
Old 07-19-2012 | 08:25 AM
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Had them on my 07 TL-S for over a year and they were fine through down pours, and long drives to other states on the whole time.
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Old 07-19-2012 | 08:43 AM
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Thanks for the write up and taking the time to do the pic's

This is on my list of mod's and will be very helpful.
Old 07-19-2012 | 08:56 AM
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The only issue I can see is that when you turn your high beams on the fogs turn off. HID lights aren't meant to go on and off like that, which is why cars with HID headlights either keep the HIDs on when the brights are turned on (separate bulb), or they employ that mechanical shutter to raise the cutoff level with a single HID bulb that's on all the time (like my Mazda 3 and EVO did). Charging and discharging HID bulbs is not good for them.

Is there a mod that would allow the fogs to stay on even if the brights were flipped on?

EDIT: Before someone jumps my s and says "that's not why..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-in...discharge_lamp

"Factors of wear come mostly from on/off cycles versus the total on time. The highest wear occurs when the HID burner is ignited while still hot and before the metallic salts have recrystallized."

Last edited by i64X; 07-19-2012 at 08:59 AM.
Old 07-19-2012 | 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by i64X
The only issue I can see is that when you turn your high beams on the fogs turn off. HID lights aren't meant to go on and off like that, which is why cars with HID headlights either keep the HIDs on when the brights are turned on (separate bulb), or they employ that mechanical shutter to raise the cutoff level with a single HID bulb that's on all the time (like my Mazda 3 and EVO did). Charging and discharging HID bulbs is not good for them.

Is there a mod that would allow the fogs to stay on even if the brights were flipped on?
Truthfully I don't use high beams on this car as they aren't that great. So I just use the low beams with fogs. My GTI had much better high beams as it had the shutter on the HID headlight.

If you keep it in Auto, and it's dark, it's the only time I have noticed an issue is when it turns on and off and on when it starts the car. Sometimes one side will flake out and not turn back on. So now I just manually turn on the lights and haven't had an issue since.

On other cars in the past I modified the relay. I found the sense 12v wire on the relay and moved it to the parking lights and this would allow the fogs to stay on even with high beams. And it would allow you to turn on the fogs when the parking lights are on and not the headlights. Not sure how hard it would be on this car to do it yet.
Old 07-19-2012 | 09:04 AM
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Gotcha. I don't like the Auto feature. I'd prefer it to be below "ON" on the switch, since I manually turn the lights on and don't like them quickly turning off and on again when I turn the switch from AUTO to ON, since as explained above, quick charge and then discharge isn't good for the bulbs. My Mazda 3 combination switch was the same way.

AUTO is really bad for the bulbs if it's between dark and light either at morning or at dusk, and you're driving through trees and things where there are a lot of shade spots. I drove to work with a Lincoln MKZ behind me that had the AUTO setting turned on, and he had HIDs. In the 30 minute jaunt up the highway, going in and out of shaded areas, his headlights probably cycled on and off at least 15-20 times. Not only was it really annoying, but I'm sure he's going to love going in to the dealer to get those bulbs replaced when he sees how much they charge to replace them. :-)
Old 07-20-2012 | 12:57 PM
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Thanks & tagged.
Old 07-22-2012 | 06:03 PM
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Do u need the relay
Old 07-22-2012 | 07:06 PM
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You do not. Car has a factory fog relay already. No need for it as it doesn't pull that much current once on.
Old 07-28-2012 | 03:57 PM
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Thanks for this. These directions were a million times better than the ones that came with the kit. I actually threw them away and used this. Made it a piece of cake!
Old 07-29-2012 | 09:38 AM
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This ia a great "how to"! Thanks for taking the time and posting all the pic's.

This is a mod I plan on doing very soon.
Old 08-05-2012 | 09:11 PM
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Put into 4G Garage.
Old 08-06-2012 | 08:47 PM
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WOW those look very sharp!
Old 08-24-2012 | 01:06 AM
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thanks getting 3000k for my fog lights
Old 08-27-2012 | 05:43 AM
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Got a quick question.......... do you know the wire harness serial# used for this conversion?
Old 08-27-2012 | 03:44 PM
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Thanks!!!

Just ordered some. Can't wait to install them.
Old 08-28-2012 | 04:54 AM
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You are the man!
Old 08-28-2012 | 11:21 AM
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anyone got a relay version of this?
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Old 08-28-2012 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by potmilkz
anyone got a relay version of this?
Why? No need for it.
Old 09-01-2012 | 05:42 PM
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Great Directions. 30 minute install on 2012 TL. Thanks!!!

Btw, I'm new to this forum thing.... Tried to post a picture of the install and it asks for a URL. How do you upload pictures saved to your computer that don't have a URL?
Old 09-01-2012 | 05:44 PM
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You need a photo site. Easiest thing. Get a yahoo photo account, smugmug, or other ones.
Old 09-01-2012 | 05:47 PM
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Look up a coupon code online. I got mine discounted to $50.00 with the code.
Old 09-01-2012 | 05:49 PM
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Originally Posted by pimpin-tl
You need a photo site. Easiest thing. Get a yahoo photo account, smugmug, or other ones.
Thanks!
Old 09-01-2012 | 07:03 PM
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Many many thanks to pippin-tl! I would have never made all the mods last weekend if it weren't for your detailed directions with pics.
I did the HID fogs and as long as i had the bottom shields down I installed some Bi-color 57 LED turn signals plus I put in some 128 -SMD LED DRLs. Here is a pic and thanks again "pimpin-tl".




Low beams Switchbacks and HID fogs



LED DRLs and new switchbacks
Old 09-01-2012 | 07:12 PM
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Links to the bulbs you got for the DRL and blinkers? Glad it helped!
Old 09-23-2012 | 06:39 PM
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Question Flickering?

I installed the HID fogs but now they are starting to flicker after they are on for a few minutes. I was carefull not to touch them. Could it have something to do with the shield in the fog light enclosure? The original instructions from the vendor said something about making a hole in the housing, I didn't do it. Could that also have something to do with the flickering, by the way it happens to both bulbs just at different times mostly. Is anyone familiar with this problem?
Old 09-23-2012 | 06:50 PM
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i just installed mine and havent had enough tine to find any faults. loose connections maybe?
Old 09-23-2012 | 07:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Big mo
I installed the HID fogs but now they are starting to flicker after they are on for a few minutes. I was carefull not to touch them. Could it have something to do with the shield in the fog light enclosure? The original instructions from the vendor said something about making a hole in the housing, I didn't do it. Could that also have something to do with the flickering, by the way it happens to both bulbs just at different times mostly. Is anyone familiar with this problem?
No issues. Did you use the same kit I had from HID Extra? Some kits require more power than this kit I used which will cause flickering. That is when the relay is needed.
Old 10-08-2012 | 12:48 PM
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On the HID Extra site, once you select the 6000k bulbs from your link above, it gives you several options. One of them is the Signature Series (35W) and another is Stealth Series (slim).

You reference both "slim" and "35W" in your posts above. Which is the one you went with?

TIA!
Old 10-08-2012 | 01:00 PM
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Both are 35w. Just one is slimmer which is the one I got.
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Old 10-08-2012 | 01:17 PM
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Thanks. Exactly what I needed to know.



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