First time HID 8000k installation write up/results

mike786

Member
:
2013 Mazda CX-5 GT w/ out Tech Package
So this was my first time ever installing HID's on a car. I ordered 2 DDM slim kits 35w 8000k (http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W) for my Black Mazda CX-5 GT w/out Tech Package. I did have a couple of problems but my friend (also a first timer) got it for me. Id say install time was about 2 hours (FOR ME) including putting everything back. FOG LIGHTS GAVE ME THE MOST PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TWIST THE BULBS IN PLACE BUT I FINALLY GOT IT AFTER 30 MINUTES OF TRYING. I think the 8000k look amazing on my black car especially the fog lights! It gives it such a sporty look. BEST UPGRADE EVER FOR $90. HERE ARE SOME PICS OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT IM SORRY I DON'T HAVE ANY PICS OF THE MOUNTING OR INSTALLATION. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.

COLOR: ICEBERG BLUE

Low beams: 30 mins
Fogs: 1 hour
Putting everything back (foglight bumper under car and stuff): 30 mins
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

This one has the original halogen (Yellow) on the left and the 8000k HID's on the right. I know you cant really tell in the DAYLIGHT.
http://i49.tinypic.com/vio02q.jpg

Daytime 8000k HID Low Beams Only
http://i46.tinypic.com/vyp5ih.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/2hykz8o.jpg

Daytime 8000k HID Low Beams w/ Fogs
http://i48.tinypic.com/22m5qs.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/2mr7bf4.jpg

Night 8000k HID Low Beams Only (SORRY THEY ARENT GOOD PICS BUT THEY LOOK ALOT MORE BLUE NOT YELLOW AT ALL)
http://i47.tinypic.com/2dijax5.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/14lu6j8.jpg

Night 8000k HID Low Beams w/ Fogs (SORRY THEY ARENT GOOD PICS BUT THEY LOOK ALOT MORE BLUE NOT YELLOW AT ALL)
http://i50.tinypic.com/2r5xee9.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/a4a648.jpg

DRIVER VIEW (LOOKS ICEBERG BLUE IN PERSON)
http://i49.tinypic.com/2z3qd0w.jpg

My next project that i will be working on will be changing the DRL to cool white xenon. I ordered these http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Daytime-Running-Light-For-Lexus-IS-GS-SC-p/led_sku45_r4.htm and these https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) and they should arrive Friday. I will test both out over the weekend and see which one i like more.
 
So this was my first time ever installing HID's on a car. I ordered 2 DDM slim kits 35w 8000k (http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W) for my Black Mazda CX-5 GT w/out Tech Package. I did have a couple of problems but my friend (also a first timer) got it for me. Id say install time was about 2 hours (FOR ME) including putting everything back. FOG LIGHTS GAVE ME THE MOST PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TWIST THE BULBS IN PLACE BUT I FINALLY GOT IT AFTER 30 MINUTES OF TRYING. I think the 8000k look amazing on my black car especially the fog lights! It gives it such a sporty look. BEST UPGRADE EVER FOR $90. HERE ARE SOME PICS OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT IM SORRY I DON'T HAVE ANY PICS OF THE MOUNTING OR INSTALLATION. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK.

COLOR: ICEBERG BLUE

Low beams: 30 mins
Fogs: 1 hour
Putting everything back (foglight bumper under car and stuff): 30 mins
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

This one has the original halogen (Yellow) on the left and the 8000k HID's on the right. I know you cant really tell in the DAYLIGHT.
http://i49.tinypic.com/vio02q.jpg

Daytime 8000k HID Low Beams Only
http://i46.tinypic.com/vyp5ih.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/2hykz8o.jpg

Daytime 8000k HID Low Beams w/ Fogs
http://i48.tinypic.com/22m5qs.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/2mr7bf4.jpg

Night 8000k HID Low Beams Only (SORRY THEY ARENT GOOD PICS BUT THEY LOOK ALOT MORE BLUE NOT YELLOW AT ALL)
http://i47.tinypic.com/2dijax5.jpg
http://i46.tinypic.com/14lu6j8.jpg

Night 8000k HID Low Beams w/ Fogs (SORRY THEY ARENT GOOD PICS BUT THEY LOOK ALOT MORE BLUE NOT YELLOW AT ALL)
http://i50.tinypic.com/2r5xee9.jpg
http://i50.tinypic.com/a4a648.jpg

DRIVER VIEW (LOOKS ICEBERG BLUE IN PERSON)
http://i49.tinypic.com/2z3qd0w.jpg

My next project that i will be working on will be changing the DRL to cool white xenon. I ordered these http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Daytime-Running-Light-For-Lexus-IS-GS-SC-p/led_sku45_r4.htm and these https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) and they should arrive Friday. I will test both out over the weekend and see which one i like more.


Nice pics, I just installed the same kit (35w 6000k ddm kit) and barely after a week I noticed that one of the bulbs either had trouble firing up or flickered a lot. I called ddm and they had me troubleshoot the problem to see what the source was, but in the end returned it for a new kit. Because they couldn't reduplicate the problem the return was just a waste of timeand had to pay for them to ship the item back to me. After getting it back the same problem continues. Well my question is did you have any of these problems or did you get anything extra like a wire harness to the battery. Appreciate the input.
 
I have only had it installed for 4 days now and no problems so far. I got the hid's from ddm because i heard their life time warranty is excellent. I didn't use any extra wiring or harness. Did u make sure u installed everything right. Nothings loose and plugged in the wrong way or anything?
 
Absolutely hate blue headlights. Besides being illegal, they don't help your night vision, distract other drivers, and look tacky. Go back to stock.
 
After experiencing the problem I troubleshooted by alternating sides and combinations of bulb-ballast but the problem seemed to keep going back to one ballast, but ddm didn't seem to agree. Guess I'll order another ballast and hope that solves my problem. Thanks for replying
 
You wasted your money.
Looks like crap.

Foreground lighting is overwheming. Your killing your night vision and with the 8k color your distance will be BS

Go back to stock.
 
My next project that i will be working on will be changing the DRL to cool white xenon. I ordered these http://store.ijdmtoy.com/9005-LED-Daytime-Running-Light-For-Lexus-IS-GS-SC-p/led_sku45_r4.htm and these https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned) and they should arrive Friday. I will test both out over the weekend and see which one i like more.

I have the Touring without Tech package as well. I don't want to lose the high beam function so xenon look alike halogens are the only logical way for me. I actually put a similar bulb on my previous vehicle before and while it was not white looking as a true HID's, there is definitely noticeable change. The only problem I had with them was that they weren't bright enough and made driving in the dark difficult. I swapped mine out for low beam so it could be a different story for the high beam function.

When you get it installed, post some pictures! I would love to see how they look.
 
Jwlj: It looks badass lol. Go back to convincing everyone to "retrofit" lmfao. Just cuz u dont like it doesnt mean u need to b**** at everyone else. Im tired of u annoying the s*** out of everyone.

Andy409: sure no problem.
 
You dont know anything just shut the hell up. Ur just mad cuz it looks nice and u got proved wrong.
 
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You dont know anything just shut the hell up. Ur just mad cuz it looks nice and u got proved wrong.

I don't know anything?
I was proved wrong?

Have you even read the links I've posted about why the kit your running is a bad idea?... You know the facts?

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate you. I like how you did the tail lights..
But to cheap out on your headlights, danger yourself and others by
1) glaring on comming traffic
2) your pics appear to put out excessive foreground lighting ruining your night vision
3) running an odd color that distracts others and reduces your output.


When I first looked into HID I did a lot of research on it.
I took the time to understand how the tech works, and why a putting a HID bulb into a Halogen projector or reflector is a bad idea.

Take 10 minutes and read one of the links, or take an hour and read the long study I posted in another post.
 
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^ This guy is correct on all 3 points.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/images/BadBlueBulbs.pdf

How can there be more glare if there's less light?

Informal tests by the US Department of Transportation's Office of Crash Avoidance Standards found that a standard-wattage 9004-type blue headlamp bulb reduced the road lighting ability of a standard headlamp by 67%, and increased glare for oncoming and preceeding trafic by 33%. This apparent contradiction arises because of the way the human eye handles light of different colors. The short-wavelength colors (blue, indigo and violet) are very difficult for our eyes to processand focus on.

Does the scattering tendency of blue light affect headlampperformance and road safety in other ways?

Yes, in two ways:

Because blue light scatters very readily in the human eye, casting abeam that's blue-tinted by any amount in a rainy, foggy or snowy environment causes increased perceived backglare for the driver of a car equipped with blue headlamp bulbs. Also, blue light per secreates increased glare for oncoming traffic.

That's because blue light does not trigger a strong pupil-closing response in human eyes. It is yellow light that stimulates the human eye most strongly to constrict the pupil. Due to the comparatively weak pupil response to blue light, the human eye is very glare-sensitive to a blue signal image. With the yellow light filtered out by the blue bulb and prevented from reaching the observer's eyes, the pupils remain wider open than they should, and the eyes are hit with a blast of difficult-to-process blue light.

So, Mike, besides "ricing" out your car, you've made your headlights dangerous to both yourself (reducing your night vision) and oncoming drivers (causing more glare).
 
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Are you going for a retro?

I'm still waiting to see the xStrips from TRS.
I've also talking to HID ILLUSIONZ. If they do mine, it'll be a while. They are currently doing a group buy. (Discount on Parts and labor.)
I'm still contiplating about buying a set of lights and trying to force a LS430 in there. SO MUCH cutting. I'm sure the headlight will look VERY different as a result.
 
Do you think you can posts pics of where you bolted you ballasts? Also, how did you get the lights off? I've been trying to get them off, but it seems like there is not enough slack for the install? If you can give help me and some others out with a step by step guide or even some tips that would be greatly appreciated!
 
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