ddm hids for non-xenon cx-5

[s14akouki]

Hi guys,

Was wondering if anyone used the DDM tuning hids for there cx-5 with no xenons... Was wondering how bad the cutoff is and do you blind people?

also, how was the install? just plug and play? or did you have to splice some things?

if you have any experience of have used this yourself on your cx-5 please chime in and if you can some pics!!!

Thanks all!

 

[xwedge]

Hi guys,

Was wondering if anyone used the DDM tuning hids for there cx-5 with no xenons... Was wondering how bad the cutoff is and do you blind people?

also, how was the install? just plug and play? or did you have to splice some things?

if you have any experience of have used this yourself on your cx-5 please chime in and if you can some pics!!!

Thanks all!

While I don't have them in a CX5, I do have a pair of DDM slims in my Mazda 3. I can't comment on the cutoff of the CX5, but I imagine it shouldn't be a problem because all mazdas have projector headlights, which cut off the light after a certain height/width.

Also, the kit should be pure plug and play (I did use double sided Velcro to attach the ballast) . If at first you turn it on and it doesn't ignite, try reversing the way you put the plugs in.

Good luck!

 

[s14akouki]

ohhh, great

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

i was thinking of getting the slims too, which do you have the 35w or the 55w?

would either work fine on the oem harnesses? or would i need to upgrade them?


Do you have any pics of the output? compared to stock? by any chance?

 

[NinjaNoises]

I thought all CX-5s had projector style headlights.

 

[xwedge]

ohhh, great

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W

i was thinking of getting the slims too, which do you have the 35w or the 55w?

would either work fine on the oem harnesses? or would i need to upgrade them?


Do you have any pics of the output? compared to stock? by any chance?

I have the 35W and it's plenty for city driving. If I lived in the woods or a really dark area, then I might have opted for the 55w.

I believe I got the 4500K, which is pretty close to OEM hid color, but if I had gone back, I'd probably opt for the 5k, just so that the light has a whiter/bluer tint. Sorry, I don't have a comparison pic but it's a HUUUUUGE improvement over stock.

You should have no problem running either the 35w / 55w on the stock harnesses, however, the 55w one has a higher chance of burning out the bulb and ballast failure, so for reliability reasons, I went with the 35w.
I've heard a couple people on the Mazda 3 forum complain about the slim ballast reliability in recent days, but I've never had a problem and they're still going strong for the past 2.5 years. If you want TRUE reliability, most people go with the DDM raptor kit. Good luck!

 

[s14akouki]

thank you so much xwedge, i will def be getting the 35 watt slims than... only 30 bucks and if they break after 2.5 years so be it. bulbs go out in that time anyway.

Appreciate the helpful responses! can't wait to try it out. I'll report back when i get it installed and stuff.

 

[xwedge]

thank you so much xwedge, i will def be getting the 35 watt slims than... only 30 bucks and if they break after 2.5 years so be it. bulbs go out in that time anyway.

Appreciate the helpful responses! can't wait to try it out. I'll report back when i get it installed and stuff.

Wow, didnt realize they were down to $30 a pop. When I bought them they were $50!

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Having after market HID's arc lamps in halogen projectors does not necessarily mean the cut off and beam spread will be superb. The results I cannot comment on as I have factory HID's.

 

[Suddueth13]

The cutoff won't change much with an HID kit. It will still be fuzzy since the stock lenses are fresnal and not clear. But HIDs in halogen projectors does accentuate the problems of the halogen projectors. Namely too little width, not enough intensity at the cutoff, and too much foreground light. All of these combine to give you a poor field of view.

Just for added clarification, ALWAYS use a relay harness with any HID system. It's not necessary for it to physically work, but it is necessary if you want it to work properly. Ballasts need stable input voltage which the stock headlight connectors cannot provide since its power source goes from the battery to the fuse box, through the headlight switch, back through the electrical system to the connectors. Using a relay harness takes the voltage directly from the battery. Unstable voltage can lead to flickering, failed ignition of the bulb, premature bulb failure, or premature ballast failure. In some cases, direct damage to the vehicles lighting system has been reported.

If you want actual quality products and not Chinese junk, The Retrofit Source is where you'd look to buy, not DDM. I have a 4500K DDM kit in my 3 with a heavy relay harness, and even with Black Series clear lenses and blocked squirrel finders, they don't put out quite as many lumens on the road as my H9 halogens did. Color temperature in mine is also not accurate as they are closer to 6000K. But this setup will do until a proper retrofit can be done.

 

[xwedge]

The cutoff won't change much with an HID kit. It will still be fuzzy since the stock lenses are fresnal and not clear. But HIDs in halogen projectors does accentuate the problems of the halogen projectors. Namely too little width, not enough intensity at the cutoff, and too much foreground light. All of these combine to give you a poor field of view.

Just for added clarification, ALWAYS use a relay harness with any HID system. It's not necessary for it to physically work, but it is necessary if you want it to work properly. Ballasts need stable input voltage which the stock headlight connectors cannot provide since its power source goes from the battery to the fuse box, through the headlight switch, back through the electrical system to the connectors. Using a relay harness takes the voltage directly from the battery. Unstable voltage can lead to flickering, failed ignition of the bulb, premature bulb failure, or premature ballast failure. In some cases, direct damage to the vehicles lighting system has been reported.

If you want actual quality products and not Chinese junk, The Retrofit Source is where you'd look to buy, not DDM. I have a 4500K DDM kit in my 3 with a heavy relay harness, and even with Black Series clear lenses and blocked squirrel finders, they don't put out quite as many lumens on the road as my H9 halogens did. Color temperature in mine is also not accurate as they are closer to 6000K. But this setup will do until a proper retrofit can be done.

I agree with everything you said, however, for his purpose, all he wants is more light that doesn't blind people. I don't think he'd do this if he had to drop $200+ on a proper HID retrofit. I say, give the DDMs a try first. Many people have had success using the DDM plug and play without the relay harness. I doubt 35W is gonna cause direct damage to the vehicles lighting system. However, if he opted for a 55w system, that's a bit more risky.

I personally have neither flickering, nor failed bulb ignition, nor bulb/ballast failure so far and it's been that way for 2.5+ years.

 

[s14akouki]

I agree with everything you said, however, for his purpose, all he wants is more light that doesn't blind people. I don't think he'd do this if he had to drop $200+ on a proper HID retrofit. I say, give the DDMs a try first. Many people have had success using the DDM plug and play without the relay harness. I doubt 35W is gonna cause direct damage to the vehicles lighting system. However, if he opted for a 55w system, that's a bit more risky.

I personally have neither flickering, nor failed bulb ignition, nor bulb/ballast failure so far and it's been that way for 2.5+ years.

hmm, that's interesting and this does look tempting to do. However, which retrofit project kit would I get there are so many =/. I saw some of the "plug and play kits" but ... how plug and play is it. I know you have to remove the housing and then reglue it together, but wondering how hard that is.

I wouldn't mind dropping 200 bucks on a kit if I could do it myself, if I had to go to someone and pay for labor too. Then, probably not worth it and just do the ddm kit instead.

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Having experience between budget kits like DDm and VVME, I suggest you guys look into VVME instead. Research online as there is a comparison between the two.

 

[shinjyo]

Did mine a couple months ago, pretty happy with the result, I didn't get DDM kit, instead I got the more expensive Morimoto. Plug and play with a little bit of tighten a bolt and nut and zip tight the wire. I took time, carefully installed it, about 2 hours. If I have to do it again, it will take 20mins. Very straight forward and simple.
Some pictures in my thread. I am in your area too, you may see our CX around the town. Hope this help!

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...Morimoto-Elite-HID-(non-xenon-pkg)&highlight=

 

[s14akouki]

ahhh, i see thats pretty sweet. thanks for the heads up, and there is no issue with "hot spots?"

 

[Suddueth13]

You would be amazed at what damage can be done. Keep in mind it takes 24,000 volts to ignite the salts in the capsule. He could just as easily run H9 halogen bulbs and get just as much or more light than DDM kits, it would be more reliable, and readily available replacements at any auto parts store.

As of right now there are no direct retrofit kits for the CX-5 like there is for the 3 and 6. If there is enough demand for such, I will get in contact with Matt at TRS and see if they can make quick brackets for them.

 

[s14akouki]

what damage are you speaking of sir?

You would be amazed at what damage can be done. Keep in mind it takes 24,000 volts to ignite the salts in the capsule. He could just as easily run H9 halogen bulbs and get just as much or more light than DDM kits, it would be more reliable, and readily available replacements at any auto parts store.

As of right now there are no direct retrofit kits for the CX-5 like there is for the 3 and 6. If there is enough demand for such, I will get in contact with Matt at TRS and see if they can make quick brackets for them.

 

[Suddueth13]

I've seen damage to the headlight harness, fuse box, and headlight switches.

 

[shinjyo]

so far so good, I have not seen any damage to anything after four months.

 

[Suddueth13]

And likely you probably won't, but they aren't performing up to specs either.

 

[shinjyo]

since I went with 4300k HID, the result is about the same as the halogen with a bit more light on the road. works fine on me.
And I have kept the fog light stock.