Does anybody know where I can find an installation video or step by step installation instructions for HID Kit install on the 08 Coupe? I've done a search and poked around but can't find what I'm looking for. I really want to get an HID kit for my car but I've never done anything like that before and don't want to "screw" my new car up.

Also, is it true that your HID kit can melt your housing and headlight lense? Do they really get hotter than halogen bulbs?

Thanks!
-J

Also, is it true that your HID kit can melt your housing and headlight lense? Do they really get hotter than halogen bulbs?


Nope. Just make sure you buy a quality kit. HIDs should actually be running cooler than halogens. They use less wattage yet have higher light output, therefore less heat "byproduct."

hids burn cooler then halogens, you also have projectors so i wouldn't worry about your headlight housing melting.
if you know how to change the low beam, you should be able to install the hid kit no sweat unless you also get one with a relay harness.

What is the best kit to get? Only THE BEST for my baby.

theres no real "best", its more of a preference well besides tsx retrofit complete with oem ballasts.

theres no real "best", its more of a preference well besides tsx retrofit complete with oem ballasts.
Where'd you get yours? What color did you get, etc?

DDM tuning 6000k.
but i wouldn't recommend it to you since i had to modify my kit, and it seems that you're scared to install it none the less actually modify it.

DDM tuning 6000k.
but i wouldn't recommend it to you since i had to modify my kit, and it seems that you're scared to install it none the less actually modify it.
This is very true. LOL

Can you (or anybody else here) recommend me a excellent quality easy to install kit. I am pretty savvy when it comes to electronics. My biggest thing is taking the actual car "apart" (bumper and all that) or having to "hard wire" something. (Hence my request for a video or step by step installation instructions.)

Can you (or anybody else here) recommend me a excellent quality easy to install kit. I am pretty savvy when it comes to electronics. My biggest thing is taking the actual car "apart" (bumper and all that) or having to "hard wire" something. (Hence my request for a video or step by step installation instructions.)

Retrosolutions.com and Xenondepot.com are both great sites with quality kits. They are both sponsors of this site. Many people here have ordered from them, and I have yet to hear a complaint. Removing the bumper isn't necessary, but will allow for a cleaner install since you will have a flush, hidden surface to mount the ballasts on. You won't need to do any hardwiring, they are literally plug and play. Unplug old headlights from harness, plug ballast into that harness. Plug HID headlights into ballast. Done.

^one of them requires you to plug a relay harness into the battery then ground it off.....i just cant remember which one :D

Retrosolutions.com and Xenondepot.com are both great sites with quality kits. They are both sponsors of this site. Many people here have ordered from them, and I have yet to hear a complaint. Removing the bumper isn't necessary, but will allow for a cleaner install since you will have a flush, hidden surface to mount the ballasts on. You won't need to do any hardwiring, they are literally plug and play. Unplug old headlights from harness, plug ballast into that harness. Plug HID headlights into ballast. Done.
Do you know if you have to run wires to your battery or not? Which company did you get yours from and what color temp?

^one of them requires you to plug a relay harness into the battery then ground it off.....i just cant remember which one :D
Does the relay harness make things any safer or better?

^one of them requires you to plug a relay harness into the battery then ground it off.....i just cant remember which one :D

I believe Xenondepot gives you a relay. It's not necessary to use it, you can install the same way you would any other kit. As far as I know, the relay is recommended, and included for extra protection if you'd like to use it.

Does the relay harness make things any safer or better?

well the warm up time is cut down alot, which is a plus and they say its a safeguard from your stock wiring from melting, but all new cars should be able to handle it without a relay kit, its just the old cars you have to watch out for.

Do you know if you have to run wires to your battery or not? Which company did you get yours from and what color temp?

I don't have HIDs in my coupe yet, but have experience with retrosolutions, as I installed one of their kits on a friend's car about a year ago. He is still completely happy with it. As far as color temps go, basically the higher the "temp," the more blue/purple the light is.

4300K is white light, it will appear slightly yellowish in comparison with most aftermarket HID kits you see. This will give you the most "usable light," and therefore best visibility, especially in adverse weather conditions. 4300k is used in almost all stock HID applications.

5000k-6000k is what most people seem to go for. 5000k is usually the "cool-white" look, with a tinge of blue. 6000k is a little bluer than that. Anything over 6000k looks very blue, and will provide worse visibility than a lower color temp would.

Keep in mind the color varies depending on what brand HIDs you buy and the type of projectors they are in. Search for pictures of installations on here and see what the different color temps look like in our cars.

If the relay is safer then the relay it is!

Thanks guys! If you guys stumble across any installation videos or instructions let me know. Otherwise I'm going to give it a shot on my own! Wish me luck.

Thanks for info guys!

No prob, just keep doing your research and you should be able to install them by yourself just fine.

If the relay is safer then the relay it is!

Thanks guys! If you guys stumble across any installation videos or instructions let me know. Otherwise I'm going to give it a shot on my own! Wish me luck.

i guess there isnt any installation vids stuff is because its pretty self explanitory.
btw heres a pic of my 6k.
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/489/hid4zg7.jpg

i guess there isnt any installation vids stuff is because its pretty self explanitory.
btw heres a pic of my 6k.
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/489/hid4zg7.jpg

that looks great :thmsup: .... gonna get those 6k hid's from retro-solutions....

don't quote me wrong if yours dont end up looking like mine, different hid kits may vary in color/shade for the same k temperature. my last 6k hid kit from b-spec was white and slightly purple, this one from DDM tuning is white with slight blue in it.

don't quote me wrong if yours dont end up looking like mine, different hid kits may vary in color/shade for the same k temperature. my last 6k hid kit from b-spec was white and slightly purple, this one from DDM tuning is white with slight blue in it.

I have seen another pix of the retro-solutions 6k 55w hid kit in the 8th gen gallery section.... looks almost identical.... anyway I have placed an order.... so I should have some pix next week....

nice, good luck!

What's the difference between 35 watt and 55 watt? I mean I know one is higher wattage but why one over the other? Does 55w look better or something? Is 35w safer for wires?

55w is a bit brighter then the standard 35w kit and it gives off more light output...

i think its just a gimmick, we have projectors so the light spreads evenly. so i got the 35w kit.

Hi,

Colour output can vary slightly between kits.

Here are pics of our Xtreme 6500k kit installed in a coupe:

http://www.kbcarstuff.com/EasyEditor/assets/haccord7.jpg
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/EasyEditor/assets/haccord6.jpg
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/EasyEditor/assets/haccord5.jpg
http://www.kbcarstuff.com/EasyEditor/assets/haccord3.jpg

Steve

i think its just a gimmick, we have projectors so the light spreads evenly. so i got the 35w kit.

It is not a gimmick... projectors are used to focus the beam of light (meaning it directs the direction the beam of light takes). It has nothing to do with the intensity in which that light is emitted. 55w do have a slightly extended range and are brighter but nothing you will be able to notice without being in a pitch black road.

...

I installed two kits from Retro in my coupe and a relay harness isn't necessary because of exactly what Todd said. Check the link in my sig for a picture tutorial of how I installed mine.

How many people here used a relay when they wired their HIDs? I talked to Todd at Retro Sol. and he said I didn't need it. He said his ballast's only draw 7.5A which is half of what the factory wires are rated for. (Haven't heard back from Xenon Depot yet) Did anybody here install a relay anyway? (I'm paranoid) :paranoid:

I installed two kits from Retro in my coupe and a relay harness isn't necessary because of exactly what Todd said. Check the link in my sig for a picture tutorial of how I installed mine.
Thank you sir...

LOL .. how did your question about the relay harness come after my answer? I must be a psychic :nuts:

How many people here used a relay when they wired their HIDs? I talked to Todd at Retro Sol. and he said I didn't need it. He said his ballast's only draw 7.5A which is half of what the factory wires are rated for. (Haven't heard back from Xenon Depot yet) Did anybody here install a relay anyway? (I'm paranoid) :paranoid:

You can have one added for piece of mind, we do that for anyone that wants it. But it is not needed on our kits. You will likely get a different answer from other vendors, which would also be a correct answer based on the efficiency, or inefficiency rather, of their ballasts.

You can have one added for piece of mind, we do that for anyone that wants it. But it is not needed on our kits. You will likely get a different answer from other vendors, which would also be a correct answer based on the efficiency, or inefficiency rather, of their ballasts.

Iseewhatyoudidthere :D

Iseewhatyoudidthere :D

Hey, every once in a while you have to brush off the sugar coating, you know?

correct answer based on the efficiency, or inefficiency rather, of their ballasts

I can't speak on retro-solutions product but our ballast efficiency is just under 90% which is roughly on par with Philips OEM ballasts. As for vendors having inefficient ballasts that is certainly true! Unfortunately the market is flooded with HID products that are more cost oriented as opposed to quality oriented. Just look on ebay. You can find tons of kits out there for very low prices. Having said that, most if not all do not come with a relay harness regardless of what the ballast efficiency is (or what it is claimed).

We have been selling HID lighting products for 7 years and have been supporting vendors on many forums since then. The harness debate has gone back and forth on many forums. You will get people that say you need it and you will get people that say you don't. We include it with our kit as a safegaurd. If you choose not to use a relay harness that is your perogative. We include the harness free of charge.

Hope this helps,

Steve

Steve,

So you are saying that XD kit should be fine without the harness? I'm going to install it this weekend.

The harness debate has gone back and forth on many forums. You will get people that say you need it and you will get people that say you don't.

Hey, so I havent been involved in this thread thus far so let me make an impact...

You dont NEED it. Waste of money to get one. nah, Im just teasing... I have no idea, but speaking as a Retro Solutions consumer, I have to say that the ballasts has been performing incredibly well without any additional harness. :thmsup:

uscratch,

We have had many customers install our kit with the relay harness. I personally suggest using it which is why we include it with our kit. As I posted above, you will get conflicting viewpoints on this both from vendors and from the members of the forum. I'm sure you will find pros and cons with each perspective.

Steve

Hey, so I havent been involved in this thread thus far so let me make an impact...

You dont NEED it. Waste of money to get one. nah, Im just teasing... I have no idea, but speaking as a Retro Solutions consumer, I have to say that the ballasts has been performing incredibly well without any additional harness. :thmsup:
Ditto :banana:

uscratch,

We have had many customers install our kit with the relay harness. I personally suggest using it which is why we include it with our kit. As I posted above, you will get conflicting viewpoints on this both from vendors and from the members of the forum. I'm sure you will find pros and cons with each perspective.

Steve
Naturally, if a seller includes the harness in the kit, they will say you should use it .. simple business practice of covering one's ass. The pro of a harness is the extra peace of mind you get and the con is it takes longer to install.

Bottom line is that you don't need it, but omit it at your own risk (however small that may be).

retro-solutions.com. 6000k 55w digital i love mine and also have the same set in my 08 ridgeline. i work at a honda dealership and the techs said it is very high quality also has lifetime warranty.. :wave: search my post for pics :thmsup:

^ I had to search it out so I figure I'll link it here for the next guy
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16137

Tyler, is your cutoff line lower on the left side than on the right or does it just peak in the middle and level out? For some reason my cutoff line is lower on the left .. I thought it would eventually even itself out but it's been two weeks and it's the same (if not very slightly better)

BTW, those wheels look absolutely stunning on your car

headlights are designed that way, its so you don't blind oncoming cars, and can see people on the side walk. if you got jdm headlights they would be higher on the left and lower on the right.
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/jdmgear/P1010059.jpg
heres a pic of the tsx cut off.

You can have one added for piece of mind, we do that for anyone that wants it. But it is not needed on our kits. You will likely get a different answer from other vendors, which would also be a correct answer based on the efficiency, or inefficiency rather, of their ballasts.

I should really ammend this comment. Ballast efficiency is not actually the correct term, Starting Current and In-Rush Current are the specific efficiencies I am referring to. These occur only when a ballast is first ignited and this is where the most power is used. These factors are what really determine the answer to harness to no harness debate. Overall ballast effieincy at steady state is of less concern.
The DIGITAL brand starts with under 7.5A @ 55w, 6.5A @ 35w, so they are truly safe without a harness. We are also under way with a 5.5A start-up ballast design soon, just making the best even better!

^ I had to search it out so I figure I'll link it here for the next guy
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16137

Tyler, is your cutoff line lower on the left side than on the right or does it just peak in the middle and level out? For some reason my cutoff line is lower on the left .. I thought it would eventually even itself out but it's been two weeks and it's the same (if not very slightly better)

BTW, those wheels look absolutely stunning on your car
Although this is a standard North American pattern for cars sold here, with a right hand flare, I do see where his passengedr side projector is aimed slightly higher. The bottom of each slope should form a level line across.

Hi,

You need to remember that the kits that you are buying are not made specifically for the "Accord." The kits are fitment specific ie: H11, 9006, etc...

While a harness may not be needed on a certain vehicle it can 100% be needed on a different vehicle. As a result, we include a harness. Yes, it may involve a little extra time when it comes to installation however at the end of the day you will have the peace of mind knowing that an no point in time is your OE wiring at risk. Furthermore, using the relay harness ensures that the ballasts always get a constant 12V. The OE halogen headlamp harness can fluctuate given that it is designed for a halogen bulb. A halogen bulb will dim if the voltage drops whereas HIDs will flicker. This will reduce bulb/ballast life.

To answer those of you that have send me a PM asking how the harness gets connected to your vehicle's harness; we use a proper H11 mating connector that literally plugs into your vehicle’s OEM headlamp wiring. We do not use spade connectors in our harness. Here is the picture as promised (sorry about the quality.. snapped it with my camera phone):

http://www.kbcarstuff.com/EasyEditor/assets/h11connector.jpg

Steve

Ok guys, Now that I think I have the install questions taken care of I need help picking a color. I want that "Luxury Look" so I'm thinking 5K or 6K but I can't decide which. It's so hard to tell from pictures. I don't want anything TOO blue (tacky blue), but I want it to be noticeably different from stock headlights and have good output. (I don't want to spend all that time and money and get nothing in return.)

I keep looking at EVERY car that drives down the road and some of them have HID's that don't look any better than my stock lights - I don't want that!

Ok guys, Now that I think I have the install questions taken care of I need help picking a color. I want that "Luxury Look" so I'm thinking 5K or 6K but I can't decide which. It's so hard to tell from pictures. I don't want anything TOO blue (tacky blue), but I want it to be noticeably different from stock headlights and have good output. (I don't want to spend all that time and money and get nothing in return.)

I keep looking at EVERY car that drives down the road and some of them have HID's that don't look any better than my stock lights - I don't want that!

Just don't go past 6000k. Brands will differ in color, intensity, etc. Our 6000k are a nice cool white with that slight blue hue mixed in, so those should be okay, the 5000k you may find to be just plain white with no other color.

Announcement:

Retro-Solutions will be providing properly mating H11 connectors for the DIGITAL brand HID kits at no extra cost. Great news for those looking for a pure plug and play compatible HID set without any extra wiring and low starting current requirements!

So how much "usable" light do you lose using the 35W 6000K vs. Stock?

So how much "usable" light do you lose using the 35W 6000K vs. Stock?

You don't lose any, you gain 1450 lumens, just over double the stock output.