NasdTrader Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 I thought I would make a quick post about my HID install, as I couldn't find a good description last week when I wanted one (apparnetly Scans007 has a great web page, but it was down when I looked!). This install went super easily, and I really think anyone can do it. You really can't mess up much, and just need a few tools and patience. I used a McCulloch HID kit that I bought off vendor classifieds on this site. It is for the H7 bulbs on my OB (low beams only). I want to pre-empt the rest of this by saying this is a do at your own risk install. I have no clue if anything I did here will result in a malfunction or anything else bad to your car or the HID's! (though, I seriously doubt it!). There may be much better locations to mount your ballasts and ignitors, I did no empirical research to find my mounting locations - just put them where it looked best to me.. so if you find what you think to be a better spot, go for it! So, basically, I take no responsibility for what you may do if you follow my install. The first part of the install was the easiest -First, disconnect the negative terminal to the battery! Then, take off the large plastic dust cap covering the low beam light and remove the halogens. On the drivers side, I had to unclip the windsheild washer resevoir and bend it under a hose to hold it out of the way. Once the halogen is removed, you will notice the wire set that powers the bulbs. This wire is run through a small rubber grommet dustcap to the lower right of the large bulb opening. I think many people decided to leave this wire be, and re-route it through holes drilled in the grey plastic dustcap. I didn't like this idea too much because it means that silicone has to be used to seal the holes, and didn't make sense to me because why run a wire into a housing, just to drill holes and run it back out?! The rubber grommet is not removable because it seems to be super glued or siliconed onto the wires. So I cut the wire as close as possible to both ends of the grommet and replaced it in its hole to re-seal it. The power wire is now outside of the housing, which is where I want it. Here is just a pic of the grommet I am talking about with wires cut, ready to be put back into place: (on another note, how lame is the pic. upload program? It says file is too large - max is 800x600, yours is 600x800!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NasdTrader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 So the next step is to prepare the plastic dustcap for installation. With the McCulloch kit, the bulb has a handy rubber dustcap already built on, so I wanted to use that, instead of having to mess with silicone. I think it probably is a much cleaner install that way as well. I used a 5/8" wood speed bit to drill the hole into the dustcap. I also had to use a small saw to make a tiny notch in the circle to allow one of the larger bulb plugs to slide through. I then installed the bulb and rubber dustcap into the plastic dustcap before installing the bulb into the car. Doing this made it much easier to get the rubber grommet to fit perfectly, as I had to use a small screwdriver to push the ends into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NasdTrader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 Then, I installed the bulb into the socked and installed the plastic dustcap over it. Next, I had to decide where to mount the ballasts and ingnitors. On the drivers side, I mounted the ballast under the battery mount, and on the clear plastic housing of what i think is the windshield wiper resevoir. I used only the double sided sticky foam that was included with the kit. After looking around alot, and deciding I didn't want to screw the ballasts into place, this seemd like the best option. Knowing that I was only using the sticky tape, I wanted to mount it in a flat horizontal position so gravity wouldn't be pulling on it. It fit well in this positon, and seems nicely out of the way. I mounted the ignitor under the rail where the front of the hood sits. There is a small groove under it, into which the ignitor fit sidways. I used more sticky tape and two large pull-ties to secure the ignitor. So far, both locations seem extremely secure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NasdTrader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 Next, its time to run and connect the wires. First the hardest part, which is really not hard at all. After cutting the power wires, I just wanted to hard wire and solder the connection from the ballast to the power wires. It only took about 2 minutes to do, and is well worth the effort, IMO. I wrapped them up in some electrical tape, and bundled all the wires together as best as possible using pull-ties. I secured them too the stock wiring already in place. Then, I just had to connect the plugs from the ballast to the bulb wiring, and wrapped a few pieces of electrical tape around that too just for extra moisture resistence. That's pretty much it! You can run your wires so they are hidden, or do whatever you feel is necessary, but I stopped at the point where everything was secure and safe. The passenger side install was slightly different. You have to remove the plastic intake piece covering the space over the headlight. There are 2 clips holding it in on the front part of the hood that look like screws. Turn each one counterclockwise about a quarter turn until they pop up. You can then pull the clip out. Pull the intake piece up and out. I couldn't mount the ballast at the same place on this side because there wasn't enough room. Instead, I mounted it in the groove under the top of the hood support (see pic). It again seems like a fine place to me, but there may be better. I mounted the ingnitor in the same place as the driver side, taking care to mount it far enough away from the gray plastic dustcap so it didn't interfere with its removal. Other than that, the install was the same. Re-install the intake piece. The next thing you will have to do before you connect the battery is to disconnect the daytime running lights (DRL's.) for more information on this search for "DRL disable" to get a great post with pics on how to do it (only takes a few mintutes). After that is done, re-connect the battery and test it out.. hopefully you will be good to go! As far as performance, I am so happy that I made the purchase. It is a huge and noticable differnece. With the projector housings on the '05 models, there is no glare that seems to be present with other model years. When the lights are on, there is that diffinitive cut-off point where you can see a blue stripe that so many people who install these seem to be looking for. I installed the 4600k kit, which is very bright white with a slight tinge of blue. It is closest to what you will see on OEM Audi's and others. Good luck, and hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
03Indigo Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Nice write up, interesting, almost every kit has a slight difference to them in the way they wire up for power, after that, they are all pretty much the same. Nicely done though, I dig the placement of the ballasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 very nice.. ill make sure to read this again when my HIDs come. http://forums.ircspy.com/images/smilies/thumb.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFar Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Sounds good but I did it without cutting anything. In my experience with Subaru headlights if you want thos wires back you need to buy the entire housing. I did it on my WRX and when one of them burned out I had to go and buy a new set. With running the ballast power wires through that grommet your saving the cutting but stilll getting a good seal. How did you mount the bulbs? Did you put the exterior post angles more up or down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevjam79 Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 Do you think you will have any problems with moisture entering the headlight assembly now that you have changed the seal configuration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NasdTrader Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 Thanks for the comments! Again, i'm sure its not the cleanest or best install out there, but it worked for me - and I would have liked something to atleast look at before I started my install, so hopefully it will visually help others. CFar - I thought about this as well.. But then I figured that i'm not installing HID's to go back to stock later on.. Its also a really simple thing to fix as well. I saved the clips that go back onto a regular H7 bulb, so if I need to put back to stock, I just need to solder on 2 small extensions onto each wire set, and pick up a new rubber grommet from subaru, which i'm sure costs very little. If I really had to hack up all the wires, it would be a different story, but I think replacing these yourself would be very straightforward. I'm not sure how I could have done what I did without cutting, or using silicone. The grommets are already in place on both the bulb wires and the stock power wires, and cannot be removed without cutting - nor can you run new wires throught them without cutting something. As far as bulb mounting - I just put them in place like I would a regular H7.. I didn't know anything about exterior post angles (and still don't, what are they?!). The resulting light was directed exactly where the stock beams were directed - so I didn't think twice about it. I went for a few long drives, and didn't get flashed by anyone, so it seems like the angles are fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFar Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Cool... I guess I wasnt too clear. Im not sure what theyre called or really what the are but if youre looking at the bulb head on, there is the bulb 0 and a little post (I think it was purple or blue that I assume was used for electricity and it was about 1/5 the size of the bulb but it ran parrallel to the bulb itself. If you mount it in the assembly there two ways you can put it, with that post more towards the bottom, or the top. I put it more towards the top. If you look at the base for the McCulloch bulb, there are two notches that you can put in the receiving slot in the headlight assembly. The stock bulb only has one making it obvious how to mount it. With this bulb I couldnt figure it out and thats why Im asking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scans007 Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 CRAP...I SUCK........sorry guys......... My whole site moved.......Funny stuff, I was play'n with paypal stuff to set up a buddy's business and put donations buttons on (playing around)...someone donated, so I decided what the heck I'll move it and put it on a real site....silly to ask for money...of course......... but people are donating ... Anyway here's the new site...WICKED sorry and this site will be up forever... www.pimpmyauto.com For the seal, if you put sillicon around it...it will seal up perfect, I've never had any problems with mostiure on 3 sets using the silicon to seal around the hole drilled in the dust cap...hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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