Who wants HIDs?

[the_saint]

I got myself a set of 6000K HIDs from the Helios sale going on in the approved vendors section. For my first foray into the HID world I would have to say I am impressed all around. Excellent customer service, smooth transaction, and excellent product (from what I can tell).

Here are some pics for you all to enjoy.

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4783/kit12jg.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kit12jg.jpg)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/1639/kit22al.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kit22al.jpg)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/3497/hidfog3it.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidfog3it.jpg)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1981/hidandhigh6ek.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidandhigh6ek.jpg)

[MP5_509]

Damn you and your fancy projectors. Those look freakin great!

[perfecto]

Yeah those look pretty hot. I gotta convince my wife that the safety aspects would make it worthwhile. :) <nudge nudge>

[the_saint]

Oh, these are DEFFINATELY worthwhile. You can see soooo much better on un-lit roads/highways. It's almost like having sideways mounted fogs!

[FrostyCarbon]

Holy Crap! So.....So nice!
Easy install??? For the average "scared to touch any electrical crap" joe?
Same cutoff as stock?
Anyone high beam you yet?
I want, I want, I want!

[the_saint]

Holy Crap! So.....So nice!
Easy install??? For the average "scared to touch any electrical crap" joe?
Same cutoff as stock?
Anyone high beam you yet?
I want, I want, I want!
Thank you.
Yes, the install was easy. It's "plug and play" meaning you don't have to cut any wires at all. The thing with that is the connection from the factory harness to the HID harness is done with plain old spade connectors. I taped the crap out of mine, but I am going to look around and see if there is an alternative to that. Other than that the hardest thing is finding a place to mount the ballasts and ignitors.
Yup, stock cutoff.
Nope, no flashy flashy (yet).

[SNike05]

Do you have a picture of the lights facing a wall I want to see the pattern that it puts out. The lights look really good especially with those projectors.

[the_saint]

Do you have a picture of the lights facing a wall I want to see the pattern that it puts out. The lights look really good especially with those projectors.
Is this good enough or do you need a picture from farther back?
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9258/hidgarage2gy.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidgarage2gy.jpg)

[ebmp5]

i am jeaulous

[Antoine]

Awesome review thread and thanks for supporting our Authorized Vendors...remember they help keep this community online! (thumb)


I got myself a set of 6000K HIDs from the Helios sale going on in the approved vendors section. For my first foray into the HID world I would have to say I am impressed all around. Excellent customer service, smooth transaction, and excellent product (from what I can tell).

Here are some pics for you all to enjoy.

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4783/kit12jg.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kit12jg.jpg)

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/1639/kit22al.th.jpg (http://img187.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kit22al.jpg)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/3497/hidfog3it.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidfog3it.jpg)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1981/hidandhigh6ek.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidandhigh6ek.jpg)

[Antonio DiMarco]

My 3 has HIDs and I love them.

However unlike Halogens, HIDs are more directional and less diffused hence need to be aimed more carefully. In cases where the rear end of the car is loaded up (passengers, cargo) the HID beam maybe be forced upwards and blind oncoming motorists (kinda like what happens when you engage your hi-beams).

To compensate for this my 3 has an 3-position adjustment control that will readjust the HID beam down. It's located to the left of the steering wheel next to the dash lum dimmer. I can actually hear a little motor readjusting the light assembly when I use the control and see the angle of the beam change.

Not sure how these aftermarket samples handle this.

[the_saint]

My 3 has HIDs and I love them.

However unlike Halogens, HIDs are more directional and less diffused hence need to be aimed more carefully. In cases where the rear end of the car is loaded up (passengers, cargo) the HID beam maybe be forced upwards and blind oncoming motorists (kinda like what happens when you engage your hi-beams).

To compensate for this my 3 has an 3-position adjustment control that will readjust the HID beam down. It's located to the left of the steering wheel next to the dash lum dimmer. I can actually hear a little motor readjusting the light assembly when I use the control and see the angle of the beam change.

Not sure how these aftermarket samples handle this.
They don't.

[FrostyCarbon]

I just thought of something. In Canada, we have the projectors being the DRL's. So, to have the HID, we would have to deactivate them right? Or, can we switch the DRL's to the fogs? Wonder how difficult that would be, 'cause I like that idea!

[SNike05]

Is this good enough or do you need a picture from farther back?
http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/9258/hidgarage2gy.th.jpg (http://img370.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hidgarage2gy.jpg)

If you can post one from farther back that would be much better. Thanks

[SNike05]

I just thought of something. In Canada, we have the projectors being the DRL's. So, to have the HID, we would have to deactivate them right? Or, can we switch the DRL's to the fogs? Wonder how difficult that would be, 'cause I like that idea!

Yes the DRL must be deactivated or else you have to drive with your headlights on all day. I'm also in the search of transfering the DRL to the fogs instead of the low beam.

[5thAve]

Yes the DRL must be deactivated or else you have to drive with your headlights on all day. I'm also in the search of transfering the DRL to the fogs instead of the low beam.

I've been looking for a way to do this that is clean, not a fire hazard, and ideally wouldn't void my warranty by messing with the sealed DRL module. I haven't found any promising way to do this. (Found one or two that looked like a possible fire hazard though...)

If anyone has any, uh, "bright" ideas POST THEM!!!

By the way, for those who don't know why this is a problem: Canada & EU DRL's on the Mazda3 / Mazda5 ARE in the projector (low beam) and operate at full voltage, but the current is pulsed on/off with square pulse, so that the halogen bulb burns at roughly 60%-80% brightness. Just plugging in a HID kit will cause the HID to flicker. This is also 'bad news' for the balasts and will ultimately shorten the life of all the parts in the HID system.

As far as I can tell, but I haven't seen a wiring diagram on this so I might be wrong, the fog lights and the turn signals are also controlled by the DRL module, so re-wiring is not a simple thing.

Just my .02 I'll post more if I learn more, because I sure am thinking about making this upgrade.

(freak)

[the_saint]

If you can post one from farther back that would be much better. Thanks
How's this?
This pic was taken looking out the sun roof
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/9733/img05865zu.th.jpg (http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img05865zu.jpg)

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/7347/img05847qj.th.jpg (http://img388.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img05847qj.jpg)

Inside view of the side cut off
http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/8791/img05945yw.th.jpg (http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img05945yw.jpg)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6931/img05904rz.th.jpg (http://img360.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img05904rz.jpg)

[Hobbit998]

very clean. NICE!