Minor Upgrade Part Two - HID DRL w/Pix
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Minor Upgrade Part Two - HID DRL w/Pix
Alright here we go. Got the HID bug from upgrading the fogs, now I'm doing the DRL. Basically the same kit from eBay as with the fogs except these were 9005 with 6k temp. Cost was $38 shipped. Also needed the relay kit, $10 and the V-Led module $8. With shipping it all came out to about $60.00
relay
Install is pretty straight forward. Do not skimp on the items above, you need both the relay harness kit and the v-led module, otherwise it will flicker, (I know, it happened to me and I had to order the other parts delaying my install and wasted my time taking the car apart and having to do it all over again later.) Total install time was 1:30. could of been faster but I wanted to aim the DRL.
Passenger side -
Take the tupperware off as shown in the pictures (the panel right below the battery, the air box just has to be unscrewed as it just needs to be shifted a bit to access the bulb, and the front air collector)
Before:
After:
Driver side -
Just need to remove the corner box as shown. Just pull up slightly, then wedge it as in the picture. I have medium size hands and its a pretty snug fit to remove and replace the bulb. As someone with small hands to help.
All bulbs are counter clockwise to loosen and clockwise to tighten.
All the pieces on the car-
HID Left - OEM right - Before adjusting level
Both sides installed.
also note because this is essentially running highbeam all the time, I manually took adjusting the aim down on both sides to lessen any glare it may cause to on coming drivers. It is now at pretty much the level as the headlights.
Go behind here on both sides to turn the wheel to adjust. Note: If you do not remove the housing and just use a 10mm socket to adjust, you will be adjusting both headlight and high beam as they are connected with a screw rod, pretty much messing up your headlight aim, so do it right.
Final -
High beam and headlights - left side adjusted, right side need to be lowered which I did after photo.
relay
Install is pretty straight forward. Do not skimp on the items above, you need both the relay harness kit and the v-led module, otherwise it will flicker, (I know, it happened to me and I had to order the other parts delaying my install and wasted my time taking the car apart and having to do it all over again later.) Total install time was 1:30. could of been faster but I wanted to aim the DRL.
Passenger side -
Take the tupperware off as shown in the pictures (the panel right below the battery, the air box just has to be unscrewed as it just needs to be shifted a bit to access the bulb, and the front air collector)
Before:
After:
Driver side -
Just need to remove the corner box as shown. Just pull up slightly, then wedge it as in the picture. I have medium size hands and its a pretty snug fit to remove and replace the bulb. As someone with small hands to help.
All bulbs are counter clockwise to loosen and clockwise to tighten.
All the pieces on the car-
HID Left - OEM right - Before adjusting level
Both sides installed.
also note because this is essentially running highbeam all the time, I manually took adjusting the aim down on both sides to lessen any glare it may cause to on coming drivers. It is now at pretty much the level as the headlights.
Go behind here on both sides to turn the wheel to adjust. Note: If you do not remove the housing and just use a 10mm socket to adjust, you will be adjusting both headlight and high beam as they are connected with a screw rod, pretty much messing up your headlight aim, so do it right.
Final -
High beam and headlights - left side adjusted, right side need to be lowered which I did after photo.
Last edited by airtime; 05-21-11 at 10:25 AM. Reason: Just adding another day time shot of what driver head on will see
#3
Lead Lap
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hey airtime you did it man... good sheez. so let me ask you this, at night time can you see a difference now when you put your high beams on compared to the led's?? also do you have a link to the relay kit? thanks,
lookin good man,
lookin good man,
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
I'll play with these for awhile then may swap out the bulbs to 3k-4k temp to give it a HID yellow DRL. I believe the yellow would be more useful because I did lower the beam to headlight heights, I can then use the high beam in conjunction with the normal headlights when its foggy out, which happens a lot in Seattle comes fall and winter.
The 6k temp of the HID DRL does look whiter than the 4.5k stock headlights, not necessary a good or bad thing, just observation.
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
For my personal preference, I would like the yellow to be a bit darker. These HID are more yellow/light green than darker yellow as with traditional fogs but is way brighter with less wattage.
#7
i think u read my mind because i was just about to ask how change the drl and adjust them thanks save me a thread..lmao
i got my Drl in prob do this week thanks a lot AIRTIME
i got my Drl in prob do this week thanks a lot AIRTIME
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#8
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Can't answer the question as I never tried LED DRL. I drove out last night on a dark road, flashed on high and its bright everywhere but didn't have the throw/distance of beam I had imagined (may be because I lowered the aim of the beam too low.) I then turn off the headlights which then automatically turn on the DRL, and the lights is definitely brighter than the half wattage stock but still not a focus beam like the normal headlight is as it's no a projector.
I'll play with these for awhile then may swap out the bulbs to 3k-4k temp to give it a HID yellow DRL. I believe the yellow would be more useful because I did lower the beam to headlight heights, I can then use the high beam in conjunction with the normal headlights when its foggy out, which happens a lot in Seattle comes fall and winter.
The 6k temp of the HID DRL does look whiter than the 4.5k stock headlights, not necessary a good or bad thing, just observation.
I'll play with these for awhile then may swap out the bulbs to 3k-4k temp to give it a HID yellow DRL. I believe the yellow would be more useful because I did lower the beam to headlight heights, I can then use the high beam in conjunction with the normal headlights when its foggy out, which happens a lot in Seattle comes fall and winter.
The 6k temp of the HID DRL does look whiter than the 4.5k stock headlights, not necessary a good or bad thing, just observation.
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
thanks for the response... so if you left the aim what it was before you lowered it would it be a problem. i mean i only have my drl's on when it is daytime obviously and when it hits dusk i put on my headlights. would it be that annoying or distracting to other drivers if i left the stock height and put in these hid's? that way when you flick on the highs it should be like a stock but brighter high beam, no?
I re-aimed the top edge of the beam to be level with the top edge of the headlights so the cut off is the same. Guess you can call it daytime fogs too as it more concentrated towards the front of the car/ground.
That is why when I use the high beams at night in conjunction with the headlight, its more of an all around brightness vs downrange lighting. The LS doesn't really need more throw downrange as the stocks headlights does a damn good job of it already.
#11
airtime... Nice Mod... I already have the vled drl mod. I was wondering though. When installing the drl's with the hid mod. Are you going to need (2) V Led modules, One for each headlight?
#13
Racer
Thread Starter
So it goes,
One side DRL wiring (the passenger side) to v-led module (module bumps up the voltage to 12v) -
V-led module to relay (relay will not "switch" below 4volt, so module is required) -
Relay to the HID harness (it will power both driver and passenger) -
Pretty straight forward setup. Only difficulty is getting the factory bulb out and that will depend on how large/small your hand is. Small, bam you are done. Large, you're going be swearing up and down and eventually get someone with smaller hands to help you.
#14
Actually, you only need one v-led module,
So it goes,
One side DRL wiring (the passenger side) to v-led module (module bumps up the voltage to 12v) -
V-led module to relay (relay will not "switch" below 4volt, so module is required) -
Relay to the HID harness (it will power both driver and passenger) -
Pretty straight forward setup. Only difficulty is getting the factory bulb out and that will depend on how large/small your hand is. Small, bam you are done. Large, you're going be swearing up and down and eventually get someone with smaller hands to help you.
So it goes,
One side DRL wiring (the passenger side) to v-led module (module bumps up the voltage to 12v) -
V-led module to relay (relay will not "switch" below 4volt, so module is required) -
Relay to the HID harness (it will power both driver and passenger) -
Pretty straight forward setup. Only difficulty is getting the factory bulb out and that will depend on how large/small your hand is. Small, bam you are done. Large, you're going be swearing up and down and eventually get someone with smaller hands to help you.
So if I do this installation using the passenger side factory drl/high beam plug. I'm not going to need to use the driver side plug. Did you just tie strap it out of the way somewhere
#15
Racer
Thread Starter
Correct. If you got the relay harness exactly like mines, it has both the passenger and driver side. Just unplug the factory plug (then tie it away), run the wiring to the driver side. I ran it along above the radiator (the air intake tupperware will cover up the wiring).