Hopefully the title sums it up, but just in case: :D
This is my guide for installing an HID kit onto your E30 already equipped with H1 bulb Euro Smiley ellipsoid projector headlights and late model H3 bulb foglights. I used the Apexcone kit (from DDM Tuning), but most systems should be fairly similar.
As a side note, the headlights are 4500K (roughly daylight color) and the foglights are 3000K (very yellow). Additionally, if you have US Ellipsoids, this HID kit merely plugs in between the stock harness and the 9006 bulb - that simple - the connectors are the same on the kit!!
Recommended tools and supplies:
-wire cutters/strippers/crimpers
-utility knife
-misc. drill bits
-soldering materials
-rotary tool like a Dremmel (with sideways cutting bit and cut-off wheel)
-misc. screwdrivers
-misc. small sockets/ratchet
-epoxy
-silicone
-sandpaper
-rubbing alcohol
-misc. electrical termials (male, female, butt-connectors, etc.)
-scrap ABS plastic
-good lighting
Optional tools and supplies:
-beer or root beer
-music
-patience
-ramps/jack to lift front-end
-gloves
-double stick tape OR misc. nuts/bolts/washers (preferred)
First off, note that I did not have to drill holes in the body AND all my original wiring/connectors are still in their locations on both the headlights and foglights.
The general idea, as illustrated below, is that you connect your car's wiring to the HID ballast, and then the ballast in turn is connected to the HID bulb.
Headlights:
I drilled a 7/8" hole on the back of both my lowbeam caps to make way for the rubber grommets that the new wires now use to enter and leave the light housing. Right inside the cap is where I made the connections from the orignal wiring to the new wiring. This new wiring now exits the grommet on its way to the ballast. Out from the ballast then comes the more new wiring that passes back through the grommet and onto the HID bulb directly.
There is plenty of room inside the cap area to hide the connection of the original wiring to the new wiring, keeping the appearance cleaner. The HID kit I am using has H1 bulbs that fit perfect, just like the old halogens. The difference you will see in here is that both the positive and ground wiring go out to the ballast and eventually onto the new HID bulb together... originally (inside under the cap) the positive lead connected to the center terminal on the halogen bulb and the ground connected to the body of the light housing right near the base of the H1 bulb.
Foglights:
The foglights are pretty much the same as above but with a few notable differences in modifications I chose to do.
The foglights originally have one positive wire inside that also connects to the center post of the H3 bulb, and then the ground connection comes from the base plate it rests on... this plate, as seen below, connects to the foglight's external terminals. I cut this connection so that I could use that ground terminal to connect the new wires directly, as necessary. The pictures shoud make this easier to understand.
Also, I used a rotary tool to open up the original caps to make room for the new grommets and wiring. The original caps have a very irreglar surface, so I cut most of it out before I made new flat caps to house the new grommets. I cut little discs out of 1/8" thick ABS platic and cut the 7/8" holes in those as well. I then used epoxy to attach them together... factory caps with a new flat surface ready for a tight seal with the grommets.
Mounting the Ballasts:
I was lucky and found 2 factory holes (on each side) in the engine bay that lined up with the mounting holes on my ballasts. I used some M4 stainless bolts, washers, and nuts to attach my ballasts to the car. I stacked both my headlight and foglight ballasts together with spacers. On both left and right sides, there was plenty of room up front under the headlight buckets to mount them stacked like that. The wires reach nicely up to the lowbeams and down to the foglights just like the factory wiring does.
Ok, pics:
I will update/change/correct this page as needed if I forgot something or screwed it up somehow.
Good luck and thanks for viewing!
EDIT: Finally, some night photos. Again, thank you for reading and I hope these night photos give you a good idea of what to expect: AWESOMENESS. I did my best to balance the ambient light with the headlight light in the pics to best replicate how my eyes see this all in the dark. The colors in the photos are also as correct as possible. Enjoy.
This is my guide for installing an HID kit onto your E30 already equipped with H1 bulb Euro Smiley ellipsoid projector headlights and late model H3 bulb foglights. I used the Apexcone kit (from DDM Tuning), but most systems should be fairly similar.
As a side note, the headlights are 4500K (roughly daylight color) and the foglights are 3000K (very yellow). Additionally, if you have US Ellipsoids, this HID kit merely plugs in between the stock harness and the 9006 bulb - that simple - the connectors are the same on the kit!!
Recommended tools and supplies:
-wire cutters/strippers/crimpers
-utility knife
-misc. drill bits
-soldering materials
-rotary tool like a Dremmel (with sideways cutting bit and cut-off wheel)
-misc. screwdrivers
-misc. small sockets/ratchet
-epoxy
-silicone
-sandpaper
-rubbing alcohol
-misc. electrical termials (male, female, butt-connectors, etc.)
-scrap ABS plastic
-good lighting
Optional tools and supplies:
-beer or root beer
-music
-patience
-ramps/jack to lift front-end
-gloves
-double stick tape OR misc. nuts/bolts/washers (preferred)
First off, note that I did not have to drill holes in the body AND all my original wiring/connectors are still in their locations on both the headlights and foglights.
The general idea, as illustrated below, is that you connect your car's wiring to the HID ballast, and then the ballast in turn is connected to the HID bulb.
Headlights:
I drilled a 7/8" hole on the back of both my lowbeam caps to make way for the rubber grommets that the new wires now use to enter and leave the light housing. Right inside the cap is where I made the connections from the orignal wiring to the new wiring. This new wiring now exits the grommet on its way to the ballast. Out from the ballast then comes the more new wiring that passes back through the grommet and onto the HID bulb directly.
There is plenty of room inside the cap area to hide the connection of the original wiring to the new wiring, keeping the appearance cleaner. The HID kit I am using has H1 bulbs that fit perfect, just like the old halogens. The difference you will see in here is that both the positive and ground wiring go out to the ballast and eventually onto the new HID bulb together... originally (inside under the cap) the positive lead connected to the center terminal on the halogen bulb and the ground connected to the body of the light housing right near the base of the H1 bulb.
Foglights:
The foglights are pretty much the same as above but with a few notable differences in modifications I chose to do.
The foglights originally have one positive wire inside that also connects to the center post of the H3 bulb, and then the ground connection comes from the base plate it rests on... this plate, as seen below, connects to the foglight's external terminals. I cut this connection so that I could use that ground terminal to connect the new wires directly, as necessary. The pictures shoud make this easier to understand.
Also, I used a rotary tool to open up the original caps to make room for the new grommets and wiring. The original caps have a very irreglar surface, so I cut most of it out before I made new flat caps to house the new grommets. I cut little discs out of 1/8" thick ABS platic and cut the 7/8" holes in those as well. I then used epoxy to attach them together... factory caps with a new flat surface ready for a tight seal with the grommets.
Mounting the Ballasts:
I was lucky and found 2 factory holes (on each side) in the engine bay that lined up with the mounting holes on my ballasts. I used some M4 stainless bolts, washers, and nuts to attach my ballasts to the car. I stacked both my headlight and foglight ballasts together with spacers. On both left and right sides, there was plenty of room up front under the headlight buckets to mount them stacked like that. The wires reach nicely up to the lowbeams and down to the foglights just like the factory wiring does.
Ok, pics:
I will update/change/correct this page as needed if I forgot something or screwed it up somehow.
Good luck and thanks for viewing!
EDIT: Finally, some night photos. Again, thank you for reading and I hope these night photos give you a good idea of what to expect: AWESOMENESS. I did my best to balance the ambient light with the headlight light in the pics to best replicate how my eyes see this all in the dark. The colors in the photos are also as correct as possible. Enjoy.
Comment