UPGRADING TO 55w HID HEADLAMP SYSTEM

[Larz]

I have an 07 M35 with the AFS feature and 35w ballasts. I'm thinking of upgrading this using the Morimoto 5FIVE D2S Elite kit. I haven't found a decent tutorial on how to do this. The 5FIVE kit comes with everything including Morimoto 5000k or 6000k D2S bulbs. However, seems the way to do it is to just use the kit and bypass the original ballast, runnig the wire through the little round cover that allows access to the bulb and then wiring the ballast and canbus adapter to the car battery.
Im curious for any of you lot who have done this mod to shed some light on how to proceed. I already know I'm buying the kit from Thr Rertofit Source as reasearch has shown me that lots of other companies sell 'konck-off' parts and call them Morimoto (especilly the bulbs). I also know that the bulb life will be about 20% shorter with a 55w ballast and that a 55w ballast makes the most light with a 5000k bulb instead of a 6000k bulb Correct me if any of the above is not accurate. Mostly I'm looking for a DIY for the install but any observations, experiences, or tech info would alsobe a huge help.

[EniGmA1987]

Exactly as you said to wire it up is what I managed to figure out on my own after the whole "plug and play" thing my kit was supposed to be was an utter failure. I used the DDM Tuning kit because it was so cheap and works well enough it seems. I did this mod almost 2 years ago now I think and the lights have been ok. The lights have started to "discolor" though from age already and are getting cooler in temp so I might either be replacing the bulbs soon or going with a whole nother kit of higher quality. I used a 55w ballast and 6K bulb and it gives a slight blueish hue to the light, but definitely towards a pure white. The wattage doesn't exactly have to do with the light output being more so at specific ranges compared to other wattages, it has more to do with those color temperatures just put out more "lumens" according to how we measure the light output. It is because how the human eye perceived visible light and what wavelengths we see best. the higher wattage though will "wash out" the light temperature a bit, so that 55W with 6K bulbs will look more like 5.5K color. I like this the best because using actual 5K temperature bulbs and a 55w kit will make them a little bit too yellow from the start for my tastes.

I did notice a bit of an increase in how far the light reaches after going up to 55W ballasts, however the most change was just how much brighter everything was lit up in the area the light reaches. If that makes sense. The light housings have a cutoff on them, so the light doesnt really reach that much farther it seems. All housings have this, park next to a wall sometime and have your lights shine directly at the wall. When you look at the light pattern you will see it is a semi-circle rather than a full circle of light. The bottom half of the circle is there and then the light cuts off abruptly about halfway up the circle. This is from a piece inside the light housing that makes this specific cutoff pattern. If you want the lights to actually shine farther it would be better to tilt the housing upwards just slightly, a couple degrees at most. Going too far up will blind other drivers cause it shines into their eyes and also doesnt illuminate enough of the road right in from of you because the light is pointing up too high.

I do have to warn you though, it took me 16 hours to get the new ballasts installed and lights working. Mostly because 10 hours the first day I was trying to figure out the best way to go about it and removed the headlight assembly entirely. I then figured out there is no way to do this "correctly" unless you completely disassemble the headlight and take the lens off. I didn't want to do that and break to seal so I ended up putting the lights back in and just going through the cover on the back of the low beam with my new wire and sealing it up around the hole once the wire was through. Still took me 6 hours the 2nd day to actually mount the ballasts, route all the wires, install a relay and some wiring spliced in to the old system to control the relay which now sends power to the new system, and get the system connected to the new bulbs. There is way too little space for the new sockets the bulbs connect too and my AFS doesnt work well anymore and I just keep it off so the system doesnt break. If I had known what I would have to be doing and the time involved before hand, I would have just payed the $1600 to the dealer to get new OEM ones put in properly.

[Ilya]

I turn the wheel, prop open the splash guard, and stick my hand in there and (not even visually) installed the bulbs last time I was changing them. I also am running Morimoto's in 50w from TRS. I am also running their harness for my lights as I had some flickering issues. Once you get all your parts and the harness, just lay it all out and you'll know what to do.

[Larz]

Thanks Enigma! That was exactly what I was hoping for in a response. Based on your pioneering efforts and sharing your experiences in this project, you saved us all that first full day wasted in trial and effort. My experience with car repairs / upgrades never went past changing wipers until joining this forum and the education and knowledge shared by peeps like you has been priceless. I'm still no mechanic by any stretch, but I'm no longer hopelessly lost when it comes to car maintenance and mods. Thanks, also, for your detailed info on the brightness, light coverage and install tips! I may make a tutorial with pics as I do this project.
PLUS: I now have an intelligent, charming, and beautiful Italian assitant (Fetucini) who is over 1foot shorter than me, and at just over 100 pounds, she is built for getting into small places, LOL.

Ilya ! Great to here from you, mate! I hope you're out and about doing all sort of tricks and travels on that 2-wheel breezer of yours when the weather permits. We are all still using your FAQ sticky section and are eternally grateful for your efforts to set that up.

I'm wondering though ...
1) are you saying you bypassed the entire existing ballast, installed the 55w ballast outside the lamp fixture, and used the heavy duty relay / harness direct to the battery? And, if so, did you leave the factory bulb connector (that silver bit that turns clockwise onto the old bulb) hanging inside the light fixture? or snip it off and seal the ends. I'm concerened about leaving room for the AFS to function uncluttered.
2) I'm plannng to use the 55w kit and the 6000k bulbs included in the kit. Is that what you used? or did you use the 5000k bulb kit? I understand you get nearly the same colour light either way, but you get more actual lumens with the 5000k bulbs.
Yes, I thought it best to deal with TRS (The Retrofit Source). There are some absolutely brilliant 'copies' out there labelled to match Ultinon and other top quality brands. But TRS is one of very few companies that still gets parts direct from the manufacturer instead of outside distributors so you know you're buying the real deal every time.
For those who are wondering which kit Ilya and I are discussing:
The Morimoto 5FIVE D2S Elite kit:

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[Ilya]

Yeah, I still check in from time to time . I wrecked my first bike on a corner that had gravel strewn all across the road with no signs put up by the construction crew to warn me (mind you, at 10pm at night with poor lighting - I'm installing projectors on my new bike for this very reason) but I have since picked up a new one (well, rather, the same exact one just it's replacement lol).

I'm glad my FAQ is still in use (is someone updating it with new links?). The bike forum I am on could use a redo of the FAQ/HowTo section but it is such a mess that I don't think I'd ever be able to fix it.

I am running the 50/55w (they label them as 50's sometimes) 6000k as well which as Enigma states, washes out the color a bit and therefore lowering the kelvin temp...so they really look closer to 5000k. My personal rule of thumb is that [35w bulb temp + 50/55w ballast = 35w bulb temp - 1000k].

Anyway...as for your HID lights. Don't quote me on this picture, but I believe this is what the harness looks like for our cars as well so I took a minute and labeled it up for you. Remember, the longer wires go to the driver side since the battery is furthest from that side. Shorter ones go to the passenger side.

If this isn't our harness, it's basically the same principle. Don't cut anything off, just wrap it in electrical tape if not using it. You will only be plugging in one 'OEM' connector to the harness...this is just to let the harness know that, 'hey, you have to turn the lights on now'. It'll use that one signal to light up both lights thanks to the harness.

[Larz]

Ilya, you're the BEST, mate! Thanks for your time in labelling all those bits. Just one more question though. As I haven't taken the car apart yet, where shold I look for my existing OEM connector as shown in top left of the pic next to the passenger ballast connector and the relay harness? Do you remember if that was inside the light fixture or outside?

[Ilya]

It was in the fixture I believe. Once you unscrew it you'll see it. Pretty sure.

And no problems.

[Larz]

Thanks ! I'm hoping I don't have to take off the bumper and open the headlamp fixture so once I get that far into the project, I'll see exactly what you mean. Sorry to hear about the mishap. Glad that you seem to be fine, though!

[Ilya]

I never took off my bumper or opened the headlight...you may have to remove the wheel and peel back the splash guard, that's about it.

And yeah, I had all my gear on (will admit I don't have it on sometimes) so I walked away from it. Don't know if you can view this link but here is the thread about it:

Build Log for Bike

Crash Thread

[Larz]

Holy Festers ! The road rash on your helmet is just plain scary and I don't even want to think about what you head would have looked like had you not been wearing it! Just goes to show that no matter how well we prepare, no matter how skilled we become ... there is still a patch of roadway or some other hazzard somewhere out there with your name on it and once it finds you ... you're not getting out of it untouhced no matter if you're pro or a total newbie.
I fully understand why you want to wear your full kit from now on. Maybe this was God's way of slapping your bum and making you re-consider riding balls-out and no helmit before summer arrives? Hope you continue to mend well !
Thanks again for all your help!

[Ilya]

Holy Festers ! The road rash on your helmet is just plain scary and I don't even want to think about what you head would have looked like had you not been wearing it! Just goes to show that no matter how well we prepare, no matter how skilled we become ... there is still a patch of roadway or some other hazzard somewhere out there with your name on it and once it finds you ... you're not getting out of it untouhced no matter if you're pro or a total newbie.
I fully understand why you want to wear your full kit from now on. Maybe this was God's way of slapping your bum and making you re-consider riding balls-out and no helmit before summer arrives? Hope you continue to mend well !
Thanks again for all your help!

It's illegal in NY to not wear a helmet...I just can't believe some people wear 'brain buckets' (open face helmets).

The gear I don't always wear is my jacket or jeans. I always have my helmet and gloves at a minimum. I just love the 'open air' too much...so I think this year I'm going to invest in some sort of hardshell vest and elbow guards so I can still enjoy the 'wind over my skin' but also have some level of protection. Anyway, sorry for taking your tread OT lol.

No problem...hope your install goes smoothly.

[kmiles]

This is my first attempt to add photos to my post - I hope it works! I installed the TRS Morimoto HID Elite System a couple of weeks ago with the Morimoto AMP 5Five DSP ballasts, XB35 5000k bulbs, and the H1 HD Relay. TRS recommended that the battery positive wire be run directly to the battery and that the two grounds (one for each side) be grounded to a good ground, but not to the battery negative terminal. The wires aren't very long and the only way to run them is from the battery to the RH light and then across the top of the radiator fan to the LH light. Finding a place for the ballasts and the relays is tight, but I was able to find good and dry locations. You'll see in the last photo, the trigger wire needed to connect inside of the light housing. I had to cut the trigger wires and then resplice them to get them through the cover grommet. I've had them in for two weeks now and they work great, no flickering and they fire right up.


Battery Positive Wire Connection

Right (Passenger Side) Ground Connection

Left (Driver Side) Ground Connection

Wire running from RH to LH over Radiator

Wires running through rear low beam cover and connecting to H1 connector (trigger for relay)

[Larz]

Thanks for that, Kmiles!
Although we have different bulbs (H1 Vs D2S), the rest of the set-up is nearly the same and it's good to see how others have tackled it. Even my Infiniti repair manual CD was useless for this project so any input from you lot is great.

[Ilya]

There you go Larz. I forgot about the trigger wire. Follow his post and you should be all set. My memory isn't as good as I once thought lol

[Larz]

Still not 100% clear on where that inside trigger wire is found, but I'm sure once I get my fat head in there, I'll find it. Now that I'm clear on NOT re-using that factory metal connector currently fitted on the back of the bulb, I reckon I shold be fine finding that other connector inside the housing for the trigger on the new harness. Thanks so much for all the help you guys !

[kmiles]

Being that our systems are different, I would recommend talking to TRS and validating with one of their tech specialists prior to placing your order. I've looked over the information on their site and don't see a clear answer.

[Larz]

Good advise, that! I plan on doing just that. The entire upgrade makes perfect sense to me and seems relatively straight forward thanks to the efforts and comprehensive posts from Enigma and Ilya. The only thing I remain nervy about is the location of the existing trigger wire that must be connected to the new ballast. General consensous is that the wire is inside the fixture and I will see it after I remove the factory connector and the bulb. I will see if TRS has info on that before I start the install.
Meantime, if Ilya, Enigma, or anyone else can remember any other details about where it is, please post. If not, well ... they found it so I should be able to find it as well.

[EniGmA1987]

Im not sure what the "trigger wire" would be exactly other than the power that turns on the OEM ballasts. I wired mine up by taking the positive and negative input from one of my ballasts and just went to the two inputs on the relay, one for positive and one negative. When the headlights switch on, now instead of going to the OEM ballasts they trigger my relay instead. The power for the new ballasts go from the positive terminal of the battery to the contact side of the relay, then on to the new ballasts. When the relay switches on then it allows power to flow through the contact side from the battery to the ballasts and my lights turn on. The return of the ballasts either goes to ground or the neutral side of the battery, depending on what the ballasts call for. So my trigger wire as other people are saying is simply the old wiring that used to go to the OEM ballasts.

[Ilya]

Yeah, Enigma's post kind of reminds me. I'm pretty sure this is how much setup is...but, I'll be changing the oil in a week or two so if you don't plan to do this for another month, I may be able to come back and update this thread.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the harness has a connector for the trigger wire because I now recall fighting the trigger wire a bit since it's so damn short. So, what I did was, on the rear 'dust cap' of the headlight (what you undo to get access to the bulb) is I cut a 1" or so hole out of the middle of it and that's what I feed the wires through to get to the bulb. I seal it with the stock HID bulb 'grommet' (I made the cut just a tad smaller than that grommet so it's all snug). That being said, I also have the trigger wire going out of that into the harness...BUT, I believe it's only one side not both. As long as you trigger the harness somewhere, that's all you need. As for the stock plugs for one or both bulbs, I believe that plugs in to the harness (not the trigger wire, the plug that connects to the stock ballast). So basically...

TRS HID harness has constant power and constant ground. The TRS ballasts are triggered to turn on by the stock ballast plug (likely on passenger side) + the trigger wire (also on the passenger side).

Again, if you wait a few weeks I will be under the car doing my oil and rotating my tires in a week or 2 (have like 700 more miles to go which is roughly two weeks).

[Larz]

That would be Excellent!
I won't be doing this project for at least a month. I'm busy with other projects at the moment. A mate and I are doing a paint correction on my 68 Fleetwood which I reckon has about 10 sq miles of paintedbody surface area LOL!
Also, in case you hadn't heard the loud gasps from my state-side mates, Fetucini and I are busy with family / friends in three countries no less, planning our wedding, LOL. She has relations in Scicily, I'm of course from a small country that you yanks whooped at Jamestown, and we both have dear friends here in the states.
I reckon you and Enigma are correct that the trigger wire IS inside the housing near the bulb location, and I need to un-hook it from it's existing harness and plug it into the new harness. I also saw in a Tutorial from TSL that when you use their harness, only one of the trigger wires need be connected. Apparently, it only takes one trigger and their harness automatically switches on both ballasts and bulbs. The 55 Elite version of the harness comes with the bulb connector and trigger wire already fed through a rubber stopper. You simply cut a hole in the bulb door of a specified size that allows you to use the stopper to close up that hole snug as a bug with the wires running thru and out to the ballast.
Aside from the ridiculous body contortions that ensue for any Infiniti project or repair, and the added time and manual labor they design into anything other than refueling, this seems like a relatively straight forward mod.

[Ilya]

lol. I'll keep you posted.