HID Kit recommendations
Makes sense since the HID street lamps have all sorts of warning labels, although so do the high power Halogens (1000w+). Those lenses have to be rated to withstand the temperatures of hot glass in case the capsule (bulb) bursts.
Right, but if you disconnect the battery like you are supposed to when replacing electrical components, you'll be fine. The dealership simply wants to charge you hundreds of dollars to fix a bulb.SamirD wrote:Makes sense since the HID street lamps have all sorts of warning labels, although so do the high power Halogens (1000w+). Those lenses have to be rated to withstand the temperatures of hot glass in case the capsule (bulb) bursts.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
Yeah, probably why the bulbs are so hard to get to. Not as if the Japanese cars of the past weren't a pain in this department. I broke one of my rear caps on my Galant off because it just didn't come off where it should have.KuroNekko wrote:Right, but if you disconnect the battery like you are supposed to when replacing electrical components, you'll be fine. The dealership simply wants to charge you hundreds of dollars to fix a bulb.
Luckily, it still held fine. And I can't tell you how many cuts I got on my hands from the Accord and Altima.I think it's the newer cars. My 98 Suzuki Sidekick and 95 Subaru Impreza were very easy to change the bulbs on. I really could swap a bulb in less than 2 minutes.SamirD wrote:Yeah, probably why the bulbs are so hard to get to. Not as if the Japanese cars of the past weren't a pain in this department. I broke one of my rear caps on my Galant off because it just didn't come off where it should have.KuroNekko wrote:Right, but if you disconnect the battery like you are supposed to when replacing electrical components, you'll be fine. The dealership simply wants to charge you hundreds of dollars to fix a bulb.
My 05 Mazda was much trickier. You didn't have to remove the headlight, but you had to remove other components like the air filter box to get to the headlight bulbs.
The Kizashi is the worst. No clearance to change bulbs so you pretty much have to take off the bumper and the headlight to really have good access. This is why I like my HID kit as the bulbs last much longer than halogen so it's less fussing around with the headlights once the initial installation is done.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
I've seen cars where you have to jack the front up, remove the front wheels and pry back the wheel liners to access the headlights!
I have to remove the bumper on my GTI to get to the headlights but the whole process only takes 5-10 minutes since it's all bolts and screws. I haven't tried the Kizashi yet though. Any tricky bits to be aware of?
I have to remove the bumper on my GTI to get to the headlights but the whole process only takes 5-10 minutes since it's all bolts and screws. I haven't tried the Kizashi yet though. Any tricky bits to be aware of?
Also, this is the kit I'm considering in 4300K: http://absolutehid.ca/shop-by-model-pro ... d-kit.html
$100 CAD with lifetime warranty. I like that it has internal igniters but it has "German components" assembled in China with Taiwanese bulbs. Meh
$100 CAD with lifetime warranty. I like that it has internal igniters but it has "German components" assembled in China with Taiwanese bulbs. Meh
ALL the researching I did came up with only 3 names over and over ... Use stock components from another car, https://www.theretrofitsource.com and http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-H ... 35W-or-55W
Do your research, there's a lot of junk out there
Do your research, there's a lot of junk out there
2011 Sport SLS with nav Black Pearl Metallic
Personally, I'd go with the Morimotos from the retrofitsource.com or vleds.com. Both are reputable sellers with good customer service and they both only sell the same brand. Coincidence? I think not.
I've paid nearly $400 for a Made in Japan HID kit online for my Mazda several years ago. While it was good, I experienced ballast failure and had it replaced under warranty. With what I know now, I'd not pay more than $250 even for a very high quality kit made in Japan or Germany. Prices for kits have come down across the board for HID kits in the last several years.
DDMs are cheap and most people have okay experiences with them, but I think for quality, go with Morimoto. The main reason is that dealing with headlights on the Kizashi is a major pain in the ass. As you will soon experience, installing HIDs requires the removal of the bumper and the headlights. You'll most likely want to mount the ballasts under the headlights by either using double-sided tape or bolting on the ballast mount. A lot of people like DDM because the company has good customer service and a good warranty. However, I think it's best to try avoid needing warranty replacement by selecting a higher quality product in the first place.
Just as a tip, the best HID components tend to be made by Philips in Germany. The best bulbs are Philips. I've heard there are some Japanese ones that are just as good, but they are very hard to find. I've heard of a Japanese brand called Bellof that is supposed to be among the very best you can buy. However, they are very much for the JDM so finding their stuff even online is hard. Keep in mind that there are a lot of fake Philips so be careful about claims that sound too good to be true.
I've paid nearly $400 for a Made in Japan HID kit online for my Mazda several years ago. While it was good, I experienced ballast failure and had it replaced under warranty. With what I know now, I'd not pay more than $250 even for a very high quality kit made in Japan or Germany. Prices for kits have come down across the board for HID kits in the last several years.
DDMs are cheap and most people have okay experiences with them, but I think for quality, go with Morimoto. The main reason is that dealing with headlights on the Kizashi is a major pain in the ass. As you will soon experience, installing HIDs requires the removal of the bumper and the headlights. You'll most likely want to mount the ballasts under the headlights by either using double-sided tape or bolting on the ballast mount. A lot of people like DDM because the company has good customer service and a good warranty. However, I think it's best to try avoid needing warranty replacement by selecting a higher quality product in the first place.
Just as a tip, the best HID components tend to be made by Philips in Germany. The best bulbs are Philips. I've heard there are some Japanese ones that are just as good, but they are very hard to find. I've heard of a Japanese brand called Bellof that is supposed to be among the very best you can buy. However, they are very much for the JDM so finding their stuff even online is hard. Keep in mind that there are a lot of fake Philips so be careful about claims that sound too good to be true.
2025 Mazda CX-50 Preferred Hybrid
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Sold)
This was exactly my thinking, and $100 isn't a big deal to me over the 5+ year lifespan of HID bulbs. YMMVKuroNekko wrote:for quality, go with Morimoto. The main reason is that dealing with headlights on the Kizashi is a major pain in the ass.
2011 Sport SLS with nav Black Pearl Metallic
Ended up buying the HID kit I linked above. I really wanted to purchase from a Canadian vendor to avoid crossing the border when dealing with the warranty.
I'll also throw in some Philips Blue Vision bulbs as the city lights to better match the color of the HIDs.
Also thinking about yellow fog lights. Any recommendations? I have PIAAs in my GTI but I'm considering Nokya and Hella
I'll also throw in some Philips Blue Vision bulbs as the city lights to better match the color of the HIDs.
Also thinking about yellow fog lights. Any recommendations? I have PIAAs in my GTI but I'm considering Nokya and Hella