OMG!! HID installation gone bad!!

[generic808]

So, after finally having time to install the HID's, I come to find that they're not working!! I guess you really do get what you pay for. I got this set from a guy locally who "distributes" the X-Light here in Hawaii. I found the same thing on ebay from a trusted seller, so I went ahead and bought them thinking that they can't be that bad. Well guess what? They are!!

After spending a good amount of time taking my car apart to get to my headlight housings, I hook everything up and they don't work! Then I thought maybe I blew a fuse but I didn't. I placed my stock bulb back in and all is good. So, I know it's either the HID bulbs or ballasts. The bulbs seem to be in good condition and I doubt I'd get two dud bulbs in the same box; what are the odds of that happening?

I'll update this post after I put my car back together. I took pics along the way so I'll post those to help others out. Just to let you know, I started taking my bumper apart, but when I got to the removal, I noticed that there's way more than enough space to go through the well. I then took the wheel off and the lining for the well and that was good enough. No sense in taking everything apart when you have enough space through the well.

Now I got to get back to my car. I'm so mad right now it hurts

[audtatious]

That sux

I had a similar problem with my HD foglight upgrade. I had purchased new foglights since my lenses were broken and after fighting with it for a couple of hours I realized the damn replacement foglights had the +/- reversed from factory. A little work with a soldering iron and all was ok.

FWIW, I tested the ballasts connedted to the bulbs by directly attaching test wires to the battery. When they powered up I knew it was a wiring issue.

[Serkle K]

Man that sucks, sorry to hear that... did the ballasts click and buzz when you tried to fire them up? It could be the ballasts... did you test fire them with the battery before you took anything apart?

I'd be pissed too... hang in there, you know the finished product (when you get it working), is worth it in the end... good luck!

[stereoca]

I had the same problem with an installation in one of my other cars. The positive and negative leads on the harness for the HID bulbs were reversed, I'm guessing that might be the same problem you're getting. I just pulled the leads out of the plug on the harness that comes with the HID and reversed them. If one of the leads is black, that's usually the negative one. You can check the proper orientation of the leads by using a volt meter.

[leif927]

Sorry to hear about that Eric. I was kinda weary about my kit cuz it had really bad Engrish instructions. All was good though in the end. I hope everything works out and you get your beautiful HIDs. The difference is amazing. I am still amazed at how much more I can see.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

This really sucks. And to think of then irony when people were mentioning Eric's upcoming instructions and the growing anticipation for step-by-step guidance. I was also planning to buy HIDs on eBay, but now am weary of doing this. Can anyone recommend a proper place to buy HIDs (online) for a reasonable price? Preferably 5000-6000K.

Eric, what K rating was the kit you bought?

[generic808]

Sorry to hear about that Eric. I was kinda weary about my kit cuz it had really bad Engrish instructions. All was good though in the end. I hope everything works out and you get your beautiful HIDs. The difference is amazing. I am still amazed at how much more I can see.

Oh man, my instructions have absolutely HORRIBLE enGrish!! I should've took that as a sign.

Shift_2.5S, I got 5000K because I wanted to look as factory as possible.

I put everything back together already because it is getting dark and I don't have enough light to work with. I'll probably fiddle with it next weekend; I'll check the wiring of the ballasts and bulbs, but for right now, I just need to relax and have a few. Enough of this HID crap for this week!

Sorry guys. I'll post pics of whatever I did do though.

[audtatious]

pop a couple test wires on it and connect it to the battery terminals for a few seconds. You will be able to tell quickly if the wiring is crossed

[TheBourneAltimatum]

please take pics of every step you do. i dont want to take off my bumper. i want to see how you did it through you're wheel wells. good luck on the install

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Do you need to remove the wheel to get into the area where the ballasts are placed?

[generic808]

I'm sure you could get through without removing the wheel; however, I want/need the extra space to work with. Turning the wheel will give you enough room, but you may be a little uncomfortable.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Is it easy to work with the wiring when running it from the ballasts inside the wheel well to the bulbs in the headlamp?

[generic808]

Is it easy to work with the wiring when running it from the ballasts inside the wheel well to the bulbs in the headlamp?

Very easy. It's essentially a plug and play deal. You remove old bulb, replace with HID bulb and wire to the ballast.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Very easy. It's essentially a plug and play deal. You remove old bulb, replace with HID bulb and wire to the ballast.

Also great to hear. Thanks for all of your help. Now to find a good HID kit with a good K rating...

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Eric man I'm sorry to hear about your grief! Check the + - wires like audtatious suggested. I know that was an issue on the kits that I've installed.

[generic808]

Yeah, I'm going to check the wiring BUT it'll have to wait. I'm a bit frustrated so I think a little time away from HID will do me good. I'll probably redo everything next Sunday. I think the next time I ever buy an HID kit, it'll be from a reputable company like Sylvania. I went the cheap route and I guess you really do get what you pay for; bad EnGrish and all

[opekone_1988]

This really sucks. And to think of then irony when people were mentioning Eric's upcoming instructions and the growing anticipation for step-by-step guidance. I was also planning to buy HIDs on eBay, but now am weary of doing this. Can anyone recommend a proper place to buy HIDs (online) for a reasonable price? Preferably 5000-6000K.

Well i Installed my 6000K HID's this Saturday and it wasnt too bad, took about 2hrs. Removed the bumper and of course tested the HID's first by conecting them directly to the battery and both fired up right away. I did get my kit from Ebay for around $175 and comes with a 1 year warranty. So far so good and havent had any problems. heres the link. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...93405

[LongBeachCoupe]

All these kits have a 1yr warranty.... add amex to it and its 2yrs...

160 is expensive in my mind... You can get them for almost half that... if you are going ebay

[opekone_1988]

160 is expensive in my mind... You can get them for almost half that... if you are going ebay

Well, I'm a true believer that you get what you pay for, and good HID kits go for about $400, so mine would be considered mid-range. I did a lot of research and finally agreed on the JDM HID's. This seller Has lots of satisfied customers and even provided me with a direct number. Yes, they do sell some HID kits for less than $100 out there but seriously!!!.. you do get what you pay for and am I willing to risk/sacrifice quality in order to save a few bucks? nope. I've learned the hard way that skimping on a few bucks might cost me Even more in the long run.. But then again' that's just my opinion and experience.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

You're right. It's better to invest a bit more and know that you're getting quality, rather than spending money on an inferior product and then having to purchase another one on top of that. I would say $175 is a decent price for mid-range HIDs...that's actually what I'm looking for myself.

[SHIFT_CR]

I bought some McCullochs on ebay for $180 plus $10 dollars for upgraded 6000k bulbs and $7 for shipping so a total of $197. You could have spent alittle bit extra for some name brands.

Mostly likely warranty on ebays are useless, once you leave feedback, or past 45 days from purchase for paypal, there is no such thing as warranty.

[generic808]

For those wondering, there is WAY more than enough space to go through the wheel well. There is no need for bumper removal; I personally think it would be a waste of time to do so. That's the mistake I made when removing my bumper. Just save time and go through the well!! Here's a couple of pics to show you how much space is available.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

^^^ Well thats quite useful! Good to hear you don't HAVE to go through all that other crap.

[SHIFT_CR]

i think if you take off the bumper, you can relocate the ballast better though. i place both of my ballast on the side of the bumper frame.

[generic808]

There's a lot of points you can mount the ballast when going through the well. I personally think it's a waste of time removing the bumper. Getting the thing back on is such tedious work; lining up the liner and bumper to fit correctly. Not to mention the white clips holding the splash guard to the inside of the bumper itself. Two of those wedged loose and I had to remove and replace them after almost completing the reinstallation. When I redo my lights, I'm def going through the well again. No doubt about it!!

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Seems to be easier and less of a hassle. Wheel well it is. Thanks Eric, great work.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

This is probably the same case with the coupe. I already had the factory HID in my headlights but I did my fogs and it was quite easy.

[generic808]

Tyler, you did your fogs through the well or bumper? And did you add aftermarket fog housings, or did you just replace with HID bulbs and ballast?

[generic808]

BTW The Altima's are pre-wired for foglights. The harness is located on the inside of the bumper. I know some were wondering, so I'm just confirming.

[audtatious]

Houston, we have a problem.....

I believe the "orange" wire should go to red and not black