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10-19-2010, 09:59 AM | #51 | |
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I had a retrofit in my last WRX (04), but it was never as easy to deal with as the factory unit. I told myself that my next WRX would have factory HIDs at all costs.
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10-19-2010, 11:32 AM | #52 |
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Once again turned into the same polarized debate with the same players. Why don't we take an object look at this instead of breaking it down to one side claiming the results are awful and the other saying they are great? This is exactly what I did with '09. It is impossible to get any facts from these threads that turn into a flaming session so I did my own testing and bought a DDM 35 watt 5k kit. I figured the $35 was worth a try and if it didn't work then...it was only $35. Keep in mind I had no agenda when installing these, other than getting objective info and maybe a set of acceptable HIDs.
Here is what I found: Cons Reliability - This is really a no-brainer. There is additional hardware since you are installing ballasts in addition to the different bulbs so more hardware will logically increase the likelihood of failure. Also, make no mistake that DDM, no matter what kind of warranty they offer, is substandard when comparing to OEM quality. There is a reason these kits cost $35 and it is because DDM buys thousands of them at a discount from China (or wherever) and if you have a warranty claim you have to deal with shipping costs and being without headlights possibly for weeks. My experience is that they are in fact substandard. From day 1 of installing these, one ballast has had issues of igniting the bulb. Once ignited it is fine but it is about a 50/50 chance that it will ignite. Legality - Again, pretty obvious--they are illegal, period. You can't argue any other way because you are installing a system that is not DOT approved. If you run into a knowledgeable cop or inspection station they can fail you. Glare - I was rather surprised with the results. From the pictures I had seen with comparisons to halogen bulbs and cutoffs, I was expecting it to be pretty bad...but not really. A minimal amount of light does get above the cutoff but it certainly isn't blinding. I have had a few months to ask friends and have my wife drive the car so I could see for myself, and they are not as bad as some OEMs, e.g. Range Rovers and Acuras, but they are also worse than others. Sidenote: although anecdotal, I have never been flashed with these lights on. Pros Improved Visibility (?) - Big question mark on this one. I'm not convinced there are clear benefits. In some situations they look brighter, others not so much. I think changing the color temperature is confounding so the only way to compare would be to put in a set that is the same as halogens. I have noticed that the 35 watt kit is not even close to the brightness of an OEM setup. Many times I have been driving next to a car with factory HIDs and they ALWAYS illuminate the road better than mine. I'm not sure if they run higher wattage and/or it is function of better optics but there is a difference. The difference is huge for some cars. And if you go to a 55 watt kit you are 100% guaranteed to blind drivers so don't do it. Looks - Meh. I do like the look of a whiter color but near the cutoff there are all shades of blue and purple (much worse than any OEM). This is highly subjective so I won't say anything else. Final remarks: I really don't think that these 35 watt HIDs in my '09 halogen projector create more glare than some OEM sets, which is probably why there is such a debate. I regularly see HIDs in reflector housings and the result is always terrible but I would put these in the acceptable range. At the same time, I see no clear benefit to installing these either. You're installing substandard equipment leading to questionable reliability. At a minimum, I would suggest buying 2 sets so you have backup ballasts and bulbs with you at all times. And who knows if they actually increase visibility. As for my set, I will eventually take them out and go back to the halogens. My WRX will eventually turn into my wife's daily driver and I don't want her worrying about lights that might not work or potential harrassment from the police. Let the flaming begin. I'm sure there will be some from both camps claiming BS about my objective approach...at least objective in my opinion. |
10-19-2010, 12:02 PM | #53 |
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I had an H7 PNP in my 2006 2.5i for a little over a year and while it was certainly better than halogen in terms of output the glare it produced bothered me-even with the squirrel plates bent down. When the Morimoto minis came out in H1 I decided it was time to step up to projectors designed for HID and ordered the H1 versions with Morimoto H1 bulbs(capsules) in 4300k. The D2s versions are available with adaptor plates for my year but my ballasts are working fine and I was on a budget.
Halogen projector(the huge one) vs. Morimoto mini bi-xenon: Test fit so only two bolts are shown: Lowbeam: Highs: No contest in my humble opinion. |
10-19-2010, 12:11 PM | #54 |
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clean install....one of only a few! :::claps:::
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10-19-2010, 12:11 PM | #55 |
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Vehicle:06 Impreza2.5Bug-i OBP |
Road shots:
I've done other retros using all kinds of projectors but nothing else comes close in terms of output for size and ease of installation-especially considering that these are bi-xenon. For STI guys the D2S versions bolt right in using the available adaptor plates. Only two wires to hook up and one tiny hole(5/32") to drill after opening your lights, of course and you'll have bi-xenons. If you don't like them take them out, seal the hole you drilled and go back to stock. More expensive than a cheapie PNP yes-but far superior. |
08-06-2011, 01:14 PM | #56 |
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In the first picture, the black cap thing that goes into the headlight assembly through the engine bay, do you know whats that called? I need a replacement, i made the hole a bit to big, do you know where i could get it and how much it would cost? Thanks! and btw, ddm is either good or bad, the 4 times i ordered them for 4 different cars, only 1 failed but it was cheap so oh well. lol
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08-06-2011, 01:18 PM | #57 |
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Headlight back cover-thingy, lol. I know what you're talking about but I don't know what its called.
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08-06-2011, 02:57 PM | #58 | |
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08-06-2011, 05:21 PM | #59 |
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Back from the dead.
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08-16-2011, 03:21 PM | #60 |
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08-16-2011, 05:43 PM | #61 |
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I still at people that buy DDM. It's all crappy quality; a lot of aftermarket stuff really is.
There's a certain ingredient that determines the light output, color, and quality of the bulb: salt. Engineers (zomg DDM and Chinese knockoffs, do you know who they are?) carefully use the current amount of salts, and type to perfect the best bulb. This is why OEM always wins. No aftermarket bulb has done that. Morimoto says otherwise; pretty good quality, but quality control is ****ty and I've experienced it. So no, just no to aftermarket DDM garbage. You go to different aftermarket HID websites and their color advertisements are far from the same to others. Some say 6000K is pure white, while other sites say 10000k is white with a slight hint of blue. |
08-17-2011, 10:20 AM | #62 |
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Vehicle:2008 WRX Sedan Prem VF52, CAMTuned, Stage 2 |
I also did the retrofit from retrofitsource. We had a group buy on 3gWRX. I was able to get the Morimoto D2S projectors, Matsu****a (oem) ballasts that screw in on the bottom of the headlight (oem fit) and Phillips 85122+ bulbs for $305 shipped. Cutoff is correct and everything looks great.
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08-17-2011, 10:38 AM | #63 |
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Vehicle:2011 WRX Limited 4DR Satin White Pearl |
As someone who has the factory HID's, I can tell you that it is indeed a pretty big difference. The OEM ones are white (not blue). They are only blueish for the 2 seconds that they are warming up. Also, the factory HID's have a little switch inside on the dash (next to the dash light dimmer) that allows you to adjust them up and down. Not sure how many people actually use this as mine hasn't moved since I bought it but it does give you some semblance of control. They are obviously motorized since you can see them move up and down with that switch which makes me wonder why Subaru couldn't make the Limited a couple dollars more expensive and just put auto-leveling in there.
That being said, while I am not a fan of Fake-I-D's, it's not AS bad in a halogen projector as it is with those morons with 96 Ford Explorers that put HID kits into non-projector headlights. Talk about glare! There's more light in the sky than on the road with those things! Regardless, using HID's in a halogen housing is wrong. It's illegal, and it pisses people off. I can't stand people taking pictures from inside their car, looking ahead and saying there is no glare. Try being the person coming towards you on a pitch black winding roadway. That's where there is glare. I design roadway lighting systems as part of my job. We have to constantly take into account Illuminance, Luminance, Veiling Luminance, STV Ratio, etc. I won't bore you with the details but I will say that there is a lot more too it than what you see looking out of your front windshield. .. |
08-17-2011, 12:53 PM | #64 |
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^ This guy wins the internet for today.
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08-17-2011, 04:40 PM | #65 |
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Vehicle:2011 WRX 5dr Premium WRB |
How did you guys attach the HID harness ? (If you took this option)
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08-21-2011, 01:06 PM | #66 |
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Harness? Are you running a full proper retrofit or just a plug n' play kit in your stock projectors?
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10-10-2011, 04:46 PM | #67 |
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Vehicle:05 WRX OBP |
I get a little tired of hearing people complain about HID's. You do realize factory HID's and halogen lights alike can "blind" you as well right? Every time an on coming car comes over a large or small hill in your direction, you get direct light in your eyes. Try training yourself not to LOOK INTO OTHER CAR's HEADLIGHTS! lol. How hard is that? Your parents probably told you not to look directly into the sun when you were little, right? Keep your eyes on the road in front of you and you will never get blinded. Holy cow.
Btw, the stock halogens on my old 05 car were so dim, it was dangerous to drive late at night. Let alone driving at night in the rain. If I wouldn't have upgraded those headlights, I would have been in an accident for sure. There are two sides to that coin, sir. Last edited by Zach9734; 10-10-2011 at 04:53 PM. |
10-10-2011, 05:32 PM | #68 |
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2005 WRX headlights weren't bad at all in my experience. You probably have oxidation/haze on your headlights?
There is irrefutable evidence in this thread alone to sway people away from PnP HID kits. The glare is one problem, the spread of light is another problem, and the fire hazard is another problem. In conclusion, if you have a PnP kit, go f*** yourself into a tree. |
10-10-2011, 07:03 PM | #69 |
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I started this thread to help others do a good install with the 2011 WRX. Why are we still arguing this? Obviously, this mod is not going away. Argue about our country's debt, politics, education, medicare, etc... those are real issues. And more importantly, driving under the influence. DUIs are more dangerous than an hid install.
Anyhow...hope this thread helped others out. |
10-10-2011, 08:18 PM | #70 |
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My wife and I both have HID's in our 07 and 08 WRX's. We drive home together from meets and events all the time in our cars and neither of us notice any annoying glare in our rearview mirrors when following each other.
An F-350 pickup truck pulled up behind me? Now THAT produces an annoying ****ing glare. |
10-10-2011, 09:01 PM | #71 |
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I just went on a 4k mile road trip with my brother in law, he drives a 2008 legacy. their halogen projector housings look identical to the 11' wrxs, if not really really similar. he installed some 35 watt 6k hids into his. I was usually leading the pack but we had plenty of scenarios where we'd drive past one another facing opposite directions etc and I was never once blinded by his setup, nor did I see any other driver on the road flash their high beams or anything.
not advocating one way or the other but I really think in a lot of modern halogen projectors, these cheap hid kits work decently. his cut off is really clean, too, you can see the lines of the light very precisely, unlike the other pictures that are shared here. |
10-20-2011, 07:08 PM | #72 |
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for anyone whos put hids in their 08-11 wrx routing the wires through the bottom did anyone see any moisture buildup without having the rubber blocking the hole?
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10-20-2011, 09:49 PM | #73 |
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aleutdude, those morimotos look awesome. Such a razor sharp cut-off, I hope to do something like this one day, not a bad price on that kit for the quality too!
Here is my experience with these DDM HID kits: I had recommended them to my friend if he wanted to try HIDs because it's very cheap, and not a big loss if a while down the road they crap out on him. Yes they do throw a bit of light, and there are some hot spots. But overall, it really isn't that bad, some of you guys make it seem like it's the end of the world, and you're committing some sort of mortal sin by installing these. And this amount of animosity and lack of "bygons be bygons" tolerance is why many threads with good information get drown in this childish banter. I've driven his car, and driven in front and toward him under several occasions, and it's not half as bad as any full size truck, especially lifted ones. He DID have them almost fail to ignite once, after 8 or 9 months. But so far, they have been fine for $35+shipping for his 35w kit. Just my $0.02 |
10-20-2011, 10:52 PM | #74 |
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i still cant believe someone did a write up on installing HIDs without doing a retro.
Stay tuned for my DIY thread. How to install carbon fiber m3 vents! |
10-27-2011, 01:37 PM | #75 | |
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