Mazda3 HID Kit installation Guide

[RedRaptor]

Hey boys & girls,

Here is a NEW guide written by M3-GT (Oliver) from Mazda3Forums.com [M3F]. He details the installation process and it looks like its an total DIY job.

M3-GT\'s HID Kit Installation Guide for Mazda3 (http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=13050)

The result of the installation with XenonMatch H11 Fogs

http://www.xenonexpert.com/images/oliver_1.jpg
http://www.xenonexpert.com/images/oliver_2.jpg
http://www.xenonexpert.com/images/oliver_3.jpg

[Xenon]

Oh.. that is sexy...

[majic]

that does look nice.. especially the fogs..

it didn\'t say how much he said it cost him.. do you guys know? from that xenonexpert site it says ~500USD for the H7s (low beams right?) but then another ~500USD for fogs (H11s if i\'m correct)? so is it 1K USD for the whole set up? thx

[mEtH]

He didn\'t put HIDS in the fogs. I am pretty sure they are the xenon match bulbs from Hoen.

[majic]

oh ok.. xenon match != xenon..

i just got confused.. :p it\'s really easy..

[bluntman]

The \"Xenonmatch\" bulbs are just the name that Hoen used on one of their lines of fog lights. I have those in my car, I\'ll stick with those for now as I\'m not to keen on installing a universal Xenon kit.

[RedRaptor]

Thats right. M3-GT is using the XenonMatch from Hoen I believe and they are not H11 HIDs. I\'m waiting to see his guides on re-wiring DRLs and indepedent fogs.

The 4100K HID kit from XenonExpert (owned by M3-GT) goes for $485 USD and comes with a Philips ballast and bulb which is one of the industry\'s best. In terms of HID kits, you should look for a Hella or Philips ballast and a Philips bulb. You can go for 6000K for $585 USD, but shelling out $100 USD more for pure looks and less light on the road isn\'t something I would do.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by RedRaptor


Thats right. M3-GT is using the XenonMatch from Hoen I believe and they are not H11 HIDs. I\'m waiting to see his guides on re-wiring DRLs and indepedent fogs.

The 4100K HID kit from XenonExpert (owned by M3-GT) goes for $485 USD and comes with a Philips ballast and bulb which is one of the industry\'s best. In terms of HID kits, you should look for a Hella or Philips ballast and a Philips bulb. You can go for 6000K for $585 USD, but shelling out $100 USD more for pure looks and less light on the road isn\'t something I would do.

he liked the company so much, he bought it! :hoho

i remember he was looking around quite a bit...from XenonDepot to XenonFactory and now XenonExpert.

it will definitely be interesting to see his write-up on rewiring the DRLs...with the canadian dollar being 0.80USD, now\'s a good time to buy.

hmm...we should ask if he could give a group buy in Canadian $$ as the company is based in Montreal...why bother with the money conversions ;)

[midnightfxgt]

For nearly half the cost, I am looking at the XTec kit. I mean the guy seems legit, has a satisfied 3 customer, and literally hundreds of Bimmer guys backing his stuff. At a 1-2% chance of failure out of 1000 kits (lower than industry standard) I think he knows his stuff.

~JOHN

[RedRaptor]

The installation of the HID kit looks very DIY but I am not so sure about the re-wiring of the DRLs. I\'m just curious to see what it involves and I would still pay to have someone install the HID kit and re-wire my DRLs.

I can PM him on M3F and ask him to set up something here. There is another seller who is selling HID kits for $275 USD on M3F also and apparently he\'s really popular with the BMW forums also. I\'ll email him too.

[umnitza]

Originally posted by RedRaptor


The installation of the HID kit looks very DIY but I am not so sure about the re-wiring of the DRLs. I\'m just curious to see what it involves and I would still pay to have someone install the HID kit and re-wire my DRLs.

I can PM him on M3F and ask him to set up something here. There is another seller who is selling HID kits for $275 USD on M3F also and apparently he\'s really popular with the BMW forums also. I\'ll email him too.

Guys, that group buy is one and the same. We are sponsoring it.

BTW - \"I\'m not just the owner, I\'m also a customer\"

http://www.umnitza.com/albums/album17/IMG_2316a.sized.jpg (http://www.umnitza.com/albums/album17/IMG_2316a.jpg)

http://www.umnitza.com/albums/album17/IMG_2315a.sized.jpg (http://www.umnitza.com/albums/album17/IMG_2315a.jpg)

[Devin98]

Hello Everyone, well I am new to this board long time member of Mazda3Forums, however I am going to order the Xtec kit and try it out, I will advise on how everything goes

[midnightfxgt]

Originally posted by Devin98


Hello Everyone, well I am new to this board long time member of Mazda3Forums, however I am going to order the Xtec kit and try it out, I will advise on how everything goes

An install guide, and a way to incorporate the DRL, would be GREATLY appreciated. I wont be buying the kit till after Christmas. Main reason being $$, second, it will give me a chance to hear a long term review. :)

~JOHN

[RedRaptor]

The DRL guide and independent fog guides are written by M3-GT(Oliver) from M3F who has put in a lot of time and work into figuring out how to handle DRLs on our cars. I invited him over to TM3.com and he is here as \"XenonExpert\" which is his own store/business.
His store is based in Montreal and I have asked him to post information and prices in CDN funds. That way we don\'t have to deal with customs, US conversion and with his guide, the DRL issue will be a thing of the past.

However, I am a firm believer in freedom of choice. So I have also invited \"Umnitza\" over to TM3.com and he sells a different kit. Its not as much as a competition as it is the fact that you get two choices in a \"cheaper in price/grade kit\" (Umnitza) and a \"more expensive higher grade kit\"(XenonExpert).

A lot of people here have been asking about HID kits and where to get them. Some of us have looked on Ebay but there isn\'t a source where we can get a kit that others have installed and reviewed. With Umnitza and XenonExpert \'s HID kits, they both have their own following of users so finding a review on them isn\'t hard at all as opposed to a Ebay kit that nobody knows about.

[majic]

Originally posted by RedRaptor


The DRL guide and independent fog guides are written by M3-GT(Oliver) from M3F who has put in a lot of time and work into figuring out how to handle DRLs on our cars. I invited him over to TM3.com and he is here as \"XenonExpert\" which is his own store/business.
His store is based in Montreal and I have asked him to post information and prices in CDN funds. That way we don\'t have to deal with customs, US conversion and with his guide, the DRL issue will be a thing of the past.

However, I am a firm believer in freedom of choice. So I have also invited \"Umnitza\" over to TM3.com and he sells a different kit. Its not as much as a competition as it is the fact that you get two choices in a \"cheaper in price/grade kit\" (Umnitza) and a \"more expensive higher grade kit\"(XenonExpert).

A lot of people here have been asking about HID kits and where to get them. Some of us have looked on Ebay but there isn\'t a source where we can get a kit that others have installed and reviewed. With Umnitza and XenonExpert \'s HID kits, they both have their own following of users so finding a review on them isn\'t hard at all as opposed to a Ebay kit that nobody knows about.

thanks!!! i like choices..

now.. maybe you or someone else who\'s had xenon experience before can tell me what is the reason for rewiring? is it that you don\'t want to run HIDs all the time? is it b/c they get too hot? is it b/c they can burn out easily?

from xenonExpert website (i think or M3F) i read that the approx lifetime of the phillips HIDs is about 5 yrs. now i would assume we\'re talking night time use (hence the need for DRLs??)

also in a regular bulb, whatever the material used for fillament (tungsten?) is the one that usually just overheats and breaks down causing it to \'burn out\' but with regards to HIDs is it the electrodes (in between which the xenon gas creates the arc of light) that control the lifetime of the HID set? also, how easy is it to get a replacement bulb (just one) in case one does burn out and w/o buying a whole new kit. is that possible? roughly how much?

i think i just answered my question here http://www.xenonexpert.com/bulbs.html yes? no? is it a projector or a reflector type then?

a few more questions.. feel free to refer me to some FAQ (or post one here) if these have been mulled over..

the HIDs are used instead of our regular lights correct? so do the high beams remain the regular bulbs? is it common to rewirie DRLs is to direct them to fog lights-i guess that\'s the only choice? and lastly.. how do you tell if the HIDs are legal in canada? ie. not too bright/distracting etc.. i know NEW vehicles have them and it\'s all ok but aftermarket.. i mean i would assume it\'s ok b/c XenonExpert is in canada selling to canadians and all but still just asking.. thanks!!

[RedRaptor]

Majic,

Very good questions. I will try to answer your questions.

DRL issue: Right on the Mazda3s, the lowbeam H7 is also used as the DRL. DRL means that 1/2 voltage is sent to the bulb which is more than enough in the daytime. DRL was made a law in the early 1990s and every car manufacter has have them in their cars. A few people I know who moved here from the US, had to get their US spec cars who didn\'t have DRLs rewired to have DRLs. The PROLBEM is the fact that when you just install an HID kit in our cars, it will run as the DRL also because there is a trigger wire that goes to our lowbeams. Since HIDs regular more voltage (V), this will cause the HID bulb to flicker ON/OFF because it doesn\'t have enough voltage to light up. This eventually will kill the HID bulb and ballast. This is why we need to rewire our DRL trigger wire to either the fogs lights or highbeams. Once you have the DRLs required, then in the daytime you will have DRL, and at night time you will turn on your HIDs. The other solution is to run HID lights 24/7 like some mofos do in the GTA, because this will cause your HID bulbs to burn out faster.

Depending on the quality of the HID bulb, they will last up to 5 years of \"actual driving\". Most of us drive between 1.5-2 hours at night a day so if you do the math, technically the HID kit will last longer than the life of your car.

An HID kit is comprised of the bulbs, ballast and wiring harness/relay. The bulbs are the bulbs and the ballast is the unit that packs the voltage from the battery and starts the bulbs off. If you have fluorescent light at home, there is a black box unit and that is a ballast also. HIDs take up more voltage (V volt) but less power (W watt) than regular halogens. So in terms of melting your housing, this isn\'t really an issue with HIDs since the Wattage is lower. However, if you were to open up the ballast and touch it, you will probably get \"fried\" because it packs a lot of V voltage.

The actual HID kit installation is easy as you can tell by M3-GT\'s guide. I would do it myself but re-wiring the DRLs is a completely different story, this is the only time I wish I was an UofT Electrical Engineer rather than a Computer Engineer. Until M3-GT posts his DRL rewiring guide, NO ONE (other than people who do this for a living) knows how to handle the DRLs yet.

I\'m looking to get a HID kit this month and finding an installer. I do not feel comfortable enough re-wiring DRLs even if I had the guide, so I\'ll pay a professional to do it. The installation fee is expensive because the installer has to rewire your DRLs first and then install the HID kit. This means at least 2 hours of work, at $150 or so, this means about $75 an hour, its no different than a dealer labour rate when you need to get your car fixed.

Hope this helps.

[majic]

thanks a lot.. that\'s exactly what i was looking for :D and i wish i could help you but i\'m no comp eng too :p

i wonder why this hasn\'t been stickified yet? :sarc

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Umnitza is a very respectable person/company.

My friend Nathan has purchased his Angel Eyes for the 2002/03 Maxima and they are very good quality ....so, from what i\'ve seen in the Maxima community, Umnitza wouldn\'t sell an inferior product.

Once the DRL rewiring is complete on my car I will be purchasing an HID kit from Umnitza in the very near future.

[bubba1983]

when\'s M3-GT goign to post that write up for the DRL\'s....i have been waiting ever so paitentally for it...

[majic]

why don;t you ask him yourself..

besides.. relax.. do you even have your HIDs? no? oh then what\'s the rush

[RedRaptor]

Guys...don\'t ask Oliver for it.

He has put in a lot of time to getting it organized and putting it together. The way I see it is he is doing us a favour by even releasing the guide since no one in the Mazda3 community can do the write up for this mod.

There is a reason why he is waiting to release it but I cannot comment on it. All I know from talking to him is that it should be out anytime now.

[bubba1983]

Originally posted by majic


why don;t you ask him yourself..

besides.. relax.. do you even have your HIDs? no? oh then what\'s the rush

sarcastic lil effer aren\'t you? then when someone jumps on you, you cry...wahhhh
straight up, don\'t be so arrogant...

[majic]

Originally posted by bubba1983

then when someone jumps on you, you cry...wahhhh


right.. when someone puts words in my mouth or lies about what i said i take it personally.. wouldn\'t you?


Originally posted by bubba1983
straight up, don\'t be so arrogant...

arrogant? i wasn\'t arrogant.. since i believe he\'s not on _this_ board.. i just told u to go ask him yourself.. but apparently red knows something ;) so all you need is pateience (since you\'ve already \'ever so patiently been waiting for it\') and check out the M3F for your answer.. :sarc

[bubba1983]

i have been, thank you very much, and have a nice day *thumbs up*

[majic]

Originally posted by bubba1983


i have been, thank you very much, and have a nice day *thumbs up*

you\'re welcome..

trick or treat? :D happy haloween..