HID kits on the cheap.

[NikFu S.]

Originally Posted by immortal_suby

I've noticed mine seem to have a long warm up time. I'd guess a good 5 seconds until they are at max power. Anyone else with the 55w seeing this?

My 35W takes about 3 seconds after an initial bright pulse.

[Manarius]

I just ordered mine - so we'll see when I get them.

[2.5InchTrueDual]

Everyone still feeling confident on thier purchase of the HID kit? I'm getting seriously nerve-racked on my longer drive to work.(recent job change) I'm driving 45 miles through some of the most deer populated roads in Iowa, so i'm thinking this might be a great christmas gift. I'm thinking of going with the 35w 4500k for the low and 55w 4500k for the high. Also I did hit a deer in my SVX on wed of this week, I saw the bastard comin so i damn near put my foot through the floor trying to brake fast enough. Luckily I shed enough speed and swerved just enough to just bairly bump him in the rear. I work second shift so it was like 12:00 at night. I'd really like to get better lighting and well if everyone is happy with them i might as well join the bandwagon! Let me know whats up!

[processengr]

The new DDM HIDS have smaller 2 pc ballasts that are easier to mount than the old large ballasts...DDM ballasts on the left, cheap EBay set on the right. The slim ballasts tuck nicely under the headlamp housing in the SVX. Will they last? Only time will tell...Those who remember the conversion of magnetic ballasts on fluorescent fixtures to solid state will recall the solid state had a relatively high failure rate for about the 1st four years after initial introduction...
The inexpensive EBay set on the right also caused FM radio interference, where the new one didn't.
The set from OT were smaller than the cheap EBay set, but larger than the DDM, did not cause radio interference, and are going strong after approx, 500 hrs of operation on my daughter's daily driver...

[Ownbot]

Anyone got pics of how they mounted their ballasts? I would like to see how others did it.

[IppoJ]

Originally Posted by K_Dub

One last big vent:

Just got off the phone with these jokers, and apparently they won't be shipping my replacement bulb until next Monday. They said on Friday of last week that it was already on the truck. At this point I'm out almost $120, and it will be over a month of fighting them before I get two working lights in my car. This is the biggest mistake I've ever made in purchasing from an online shop. They're more than happy to keep me strung along, charging me more each time I call, and I'm unsure that they'll ever make good on their deal.

DDM Tuning = Thieves

Is this straightened out yet? I haven't been on here for a while but did ask them to take care of it since I fear it will be a reflection on me.
Why are you out $120? I'm not asking that to be a jerk.
Has anyone else had an issue? If so, I'll bring it up with them, fwiw.

[edit] I just spoke with them, their reply to this was (paraphrasing) no one laughed at the situation and offered a full refund if you didn't want to wait for the shipment.

[IppoJ]

Originally Posted by processengr

The new DDM HIDS have smaller 2 pc ballasts that are easier to mount than the old large ballasts...Will they last? Only time will tell...

The DDM/Apexcones have a lifetime warranty.

(Kdub, that was not salt, I promise.)

[processengr]

Originally Posted by Ownbot

Anyone got pics of how they mounted their ballasts? I would like to see how others did it.

Hi! I removed the power extension cable and cut off the molded grommet.
The original receptacle"plug" that was connected to the old 9006 bulb can plug directly into the pigtail on the ballast. Pix of unnecessary ext. cable and cut grommet.

When you plug the headlamp wiring into the ballast, you must insert it in upside down, as the SVX is a negative switched system. The "shark fin" retaining tab must be opposite the "doorway" or "keyhole" molded onto the SVX headlamp connector. This works good in this connector, since the opposite side has a c shaped cutout that the tab will fit into without latching, but the fit is tight enough that it shouldn't vibrate out. You may want to put a layer of electric tape around it tightly, for retention.

The slim ballast fit under the headlamp, you can just see the corner of it in this picture, the small igniter module (on the left) fits easily near the a/c dryer can and the extra wiring tucks under the ABS pumps raised mount.


I did not use the factory supplied double side adhesive foam tape, but opted for self adhesive Velcro strips so that:
1. The modules could be easily repositioned +/- 1/2 inch to fine tune location.
2. If/When they fail I can easily swap back to standard headlamp.



Regarding "Lifetime Warranties" , there is no guarantee like the test of time... When a "non-brick and mortar" company is in business <5 yrs. and they offer a warranty >10 years, I have to take a grain of salt with that....



I only have about 2 hr. of usage on my 9006 conversion, and a painless installation, and am a happy camper/pleased. In my experience as a car nut, you get what you pay for, and I wouldn't be surprised if these failed in the next 100 hr.

After you do the passenger side, the right side will be easy.

[K_Dub]

Originally Posted by IppoJ

The DDM/Apexcones have a lifetime warranty.

(Kdub, that was not salt, I promise.)

Sorry to come off like such a jerk on this thread. I shouldn't type mad. With that in mind I feel I've reached an amenable arrangement with a positive outcome. Today I removed the one working HID and installed a set of HELLA high performance "xenon look" halogens. They don't look blue, but that's all right. 'Cause they crank! I left the HID in and installed one HELLA first and drove it round the block. The light was pretty even on both sides. I took some phone pics with one of each in, and the HELLA on the passenger (camera left) side seems the brighter of the two. Pics attached. They cost $55 from AutoZone, and matched OEM wiring perfectly.

So DDM emailed me a return shipping slip and I'll send the whole kit back tomorrow. They've already refunded the 2 day shipping agreeing that 2 1/2 weeks is slow to ship the first set. They have not refunded the $30 deposit I placed on the replacement bulb they couldn't deliver or the $74 initial purchase until they receive their parts back. I spoke with their manager to arrange this after being passed between two very rude and incompetent phone jockeys. But the manager was good, I feel like a A-Hole for how I talked to him, but I was enraged by that point. I wouldn't recommend doing business with this company (they still don't have any 9005/9006s and it may be a while), but I also see that mine is a one in a million case for them. A lot of little things went bad with my order, and their service staff leaves much to be desired. I'm glad everyone is so happy with their lights, I liked the one I had with it's cool blue light and no dark spot in the center of the beam. But HELLA is a name I know, with performance that's known, and I can buy them from someone I know.

Rant off... I promise.

[svxash]

Originally Posted by K_Dub

Sorry to come off like such a jerk on this thread. I shouldn't type mad. With that in mind I feel I've reached an amenable arrangement with a positive outcome. Today I removed the one working HID and installed a set of HELLA high performance "xenon look" halogens. They don't look blue, but that's all right. 'Cause they crank! I left the HID in and installed one HELLA first and drove it round the block. The light was pretty even on both sides. I took some phone pics with one of each in, and the HELLA on the passenger (camera left) side seems the brighter of the two. Pics attached. They cost $55 from AutoZone, and matched OEM wiring perfectly.

So DDM emailed me a return shipping slip and I'll send the whole kit back tomorrow. They've already refunded the 2 day shipping agreeing that 2 1/2 weeks is slow to ship the first set. They have not refunded the $30 deposit I placed on the replacement bulb they couldn't deliver or the $74 initial purchase until they receive their parts back. I spoke with their manager to arrange this after being passed between two very rude and incompetent phone jockeys. But the manager was good, I feel like a A-Hole for how I talked to him, but I was enraged by that point. I wouldn't recommend doing business with this company (they still don't have any 9005/9006s and it may be a while), but I also see that mine is a one in a million case for them. A lot of little things went bad with my order, and their service staff leaves much to be desired. I'm glad everyone is so happy with their lights, I liked the one I had with it's cool blue light and no dark spot in the center of the beam. But HELLA is a name I know, with performance that's known, and I can buy them from someone I know.

Rant off... I promise.

Do you have any comparison pics of the HID and Hella bulbs against a wall or garage door?

[siceclipse]

Just spoke with one of the guys in the sales department.

He appologised about the wait time and said they are getting an air shippment of 9005 and 9006 bulbs in on Monday/Tuesday.

Orders will be processed next week and shipped out.

What can you expect when you are selling HID's for 50-70 bucks and everyone on the internet found out about it?

[Maxo]

Anyone else have issues with a bulb not firing up? I have the headlights set to automatically turn on when I start my car. It's happened twice (that I've noticed) where I've been driving with only one headlight during the day. I did have to turn the connectors around since the plugs are spliced wrong but they're still snug, just not clipped in.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by siceclipse

What can you expect when you are selling HID's for 50-70 bucks and everyone on the internet found out about it?

Impossible-to-meet demand for customer service, and that feeling of regret that you didn't hit for 55-75 bucks?

[siceclipse]

Originally Posted by Maxo

Anyone else have issues with a bulb not firing up? I have the headlights set to automatically turn on when I start my car. It's happened twice (that I've noticed) where I've been driving with only one headlight during the day. I did have to turn the connectors around since the plugs are spliced wrong but they're still snug, just not clipped in.

The problem i see here is that the initial fire up takes a lot of power, and if you are just starting your car up the amount of power from your battery is being shared by the lights and the rest of the motor.

For more reliable start up i would recomend starting the car and then turning on the lights.

[Zandar]

Just picked up the 35W 9600 4500K and the 35W H3 3000K.

Can't wait to put them in! Does anyone have a shot of how big the Apexcones are? I've seen the DDMs, and I'm wondering how much bigger I'm in for.