HID Headlights: Installing the Bulbs
- Materials and tools used here:
- HID headlight kit, which should include all needed electronics and mounting hardware:
- 2 high-intensity discharge bulbs
- Relays
- Crimpers
- Connectors
- Wires
- Standard mechanic's shop tools (wrenches, sockets, ratchets, screwdrivers, etc.)
- Drill
- Drill bits
- Marker
- Wood
- 25 mm hole saw
- Regular shop tools
- Electrical tape
- Safety goggles
- Gloves
- Important:
Before you begin any modifications to your car, check to make sure that what you plan to do is in compliance with the laws in your area. Also, when it’s time to begin working on your car, be sure to disconnect the battery before doing any electrical work.
- HID Headlights, Part 1
Headlights have undergone a number of advancements in recent years. A standard automotive headlight bulb works essentially like a standard light bulb in your house -- with a filament. A large amount of voltage passes through a small wire, and that wire heats up and thereby produces light. An HID (high-intensity discharge) bulb works on just 12 volts. In the HID bulb the filament is replaced with tiny electrodes in a high-pressure gas-filled glass bulb. The electrodes don't touch, but electrical arcs pass between the electrodes inside the bulb and ignite the gas to produce very bright light.
The bottom line:
HID bulbs burn brighter, produces better light and lasts longer than standard bulbs or regular halogen bulbs. The light produced by HID lights is closer in spectrum to actual daylight, which means better driver visibility at night.
The HID components come in a kit with the main components, relays, wiring and all the mounting hardware you'll need. The four main components are the ballast, igniter, bulb and relay. The ballast serves as a transformer that converts the standard volts from your car to a powerful 23,000-volt output -- which is needed to bridge the gap between the electrodes. The igniter uses the high voltage to power the bulb. The relay allows the lights to be run from the car's battery and still use the existing light-switch in the car. The bulbs themselves come in a variety of sizes, so when you order them, make sure that you have the right ones for your car.
- Installation steps:
- The first step in the install is to get the bulbs in. In the Accord, it's best to make some room behind the driver's headlight assembly by removing the windshield washer reservoir. Just remove the mounting bolt and the reservoir will pull right out.
- Twist off the bulb cover and disconnect the negative wire.
- Loosen the contact screw that completes the circuit between the headlight housing and the bulb base.
- Pull back the bulb retaining wire, and remove the existing bulb.
- Remove the contact screw from the housing.
- The power connections that were removed from the halogen bulb ran at just 12 volts, and while they can’t be used to power the new HID lights they’re still important. You’ll have to run wires from those connections through the dust cover to the relay so when you turn on the original headlight switch inside the car, the relay will see that signal and start the new bulbs. At the same time, you’ll need to get power from the igniter back to the new bulbs and that will pass through the dust cover as well.
- Take the dust cover to a workbench and clamp it down.
- Mark the center of the cover with a permanent marker and drill out the hole with a 25mm hole saw.
- The new bulbs come with the wiring and the grommet attached, so just push them into the new hole from the inside until the grommet pops into place.
- Back at the car, slide the new bulb into the housing and attach the eyelet connector to the screw that contacted the original bulb’s base.
- Then attach the spade connector to the negative wire in the housing.
- With the HID bulb installed and the housing connections complete, screw the dust cover back into place.
On the Accord, the second bulb goes in exactly the same way -- except that you'll need to remove the battery just like you removed the windshield washer reservoir for the first bulb installation.
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