How To: Install Xtec HID kit

[MajesticBlueNTO]

5000K H7 kit.

pics for now, write-up to follow in the morning/afternoon when i\'m not so sleepy :)

EDIT: write-up

2nd EDIT: Pics and write-up also found here (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/337094/3) ...pics removed from this post

1) on the driver\'s side, remove the cover attached to the battery air duct. it uses a fine philips head screwdriver but, if that doesn\'t work, stick a flathead screwdriver underneath the screw head, lift it up then turn with your fingers.

2) as you remove the plastic piece, be careful of the 3 screw holders that\'s loosely sitting on the piece.

3) you will see the h7 harness connector. squeeze the tabs in and pull on the connector to remove.

4) pull off the rubber weather seal by one of the 3 tabs.

5) standing from the front of the car, the retention clip will be towards your right side. while pressing down on the clip, pull up. the clip will come loose and then swing it over towards your left.

6) now you can remove the halogen bulb.

for pics of the bulb removal, refer to here - credit M3-GT (http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=4139)

test fire the HID bulb while it is still in the bulb holder -

7) connect the spade connectors to the stock harness. the -ve black wired spade goes into the female connection with the corresponding black wire. the +ve red wired spade goes into the other female connection.

(NOTE: according to the instructions, \"polarity doesn\'t matter\" doesn\'t apply to this kit...the wires have to go into the correct polarity. although I cannot confirm otherwise, I figured it was wise to follow the instructions :) ) plug in the other connectors, mating them properly.

8) once done, turn the headlight switch to ON to fire up the headlight.

9) if it fires up, great...if not, package everything back up and contact your vendor :(

10) now you can remove the bulb from the holder and place it into the headlight. don\'t forget to place the rubber grommet on the base of the bulb.

NOTE 1: be VERY careful placing the bulb into the headlight. the glass portion of the HID bulb is ~1.5 times the length of the halogen bulb.

NOTE 2: there is a particular way to seat the bulb. the flat part of the base should be pointing diagonally to your right (when looking at it from the front of the car). there is a notch where the bulb base will fit into. if you \"roll\" the bulb base between your fingers, the bulb should not move if it is sitting in the notch properly.

11) keeping the bulb in place with one hand, with your free hand, swing the retention clip back over. the bottom and the top of the clip should be making contact with the rubber grommet. it might take a while to get the clip in as there is quite a bit of spring tension with the grommet in place. this is a good thing since you don\'t want the bulb going anywhere while driving.

12) \"thread\" the wires from the HID bulb through the stock rubber weather seal. pull the rubber nub on the wires through the weather seal\'s hole. this will ensure that no water gets into the bulb. place stock weather seal back into its original position and press down firmly all around to ensure proper fitment (much like securing a timmy\'s coffee lid :) )

13) wire everything up...and cover the stock harness with electrical tape.

14) turn on the headlight switch again to confirm that everything works. then mount the ballast. you can mount the ballast anywhere you like. i chose to mount them in the positions shown with zip ties since i\'ll be moving them to perform the DRL mod.

15) repeat on passenger side.

16) once done, enjoy the better night driving!

I do a lot of driving on pitch black roads on the drive to niagara falls from welland...even driving back home on the 407 entails some pitch black areas. HIDs are like driving with the sun shining on the road :) they are literally a \"night and day\" difference from halogens.

[bubba1983]

i love that sexy look when some hid\'s start up a diff color....how much all in, tax duities, whatever....did you install yourself...and what did you do for drl...put in a relay...or disabled..re-route?, and are they philips bulbs and ballasts...?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by bubba1983


i love that sexy look when some hid\'s start up a diff color....how much all in, tax duities, whatever....did you install yourself...and what did you do for drl...put in a relay...or disabled..re-route?, and are they philips bulbs and ballasts...?

i got it as part of the group buy on M3F.com before M3-GT became a reseller.

$300US shipped....installed myself....will take care of the DRLs in the warmer months (or if there\'s a warm spell one weekend) and will be going the M3-GT way for getting constant DRLs.

for those looking for a xtec hid kit, devin has a good price going on. i did not buy from devin but from Matt/Umnitza directly.

as for the bulbs and ballast question...more info can be found here - scroll down to the post by umnitza (http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=13043)


Posted by umnitza
This is a perfect post to explain somewhat the differences.

Xtec is made with a Philips circuit board and ignitor inside a Hella-spec case. That\'s why- in terms of circuitry - it completely does away with the need for relays and additional wiring harnesses.

MOST kits are actually NOT made by Philips - they are made by inferior Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese manufacturers.

Toshiba bulbs are good - from our experience. Philips buls are truly the best.

But for the price and 5 year warranty, hard to beat:)

[MAZDA Kitten]

That looks amazing...

So right now the HID\'s are running as DRL\'s? Would the auto lights be affected at all? or the just come on like normal headlights...?

[bluntman]

Neil, are you going to do mine whenever I get them? :)

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by MAZDA Kitten


That looks amazing...

So right now the HID\'s are running as DRL\'s? Would the auto lights be affected at all? or the just come on like normal headlights...?

thanks :)

until i fix the DRL pulse using M3-GTs (Xenon Expert on TM3) method, I have to turn my headlight switch to the ON position before i put down the handbrake.

If i lower the handbrake before i turn the headlights on, they HIDs will flicker.

in this case, the AUTO light function is affected, since i can\'t use it until i \"fix\" the DRL pulse. :(

just to clarify, M3-GT/Xenon Expert\'s DRL \"fix\" gives the HIDs a constant-ON signal so, you\'ll have the AUTO light functionality, and the HIDs will be on all the time (much in the same way as the stock lowbeams).

[keving]

The M3-GT way will keep your HID\'s on all the time, but it will be only at a fraction of the intensity right? What I mean is that your HID bulbs won\'t be burning at 100% intensity during DRL mode right?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by keving


The M3-GT way will keep your HID\'s on all the time, but it will be only at a fraction of the intensity right? What I mean is that your HID bulbs won\'t be burning at 100% intensity during DRL mode right?

HIDs are either on or off :) there is no filament to determine intensity, just an arc of gas.

for the M3-GT way, during DRL mode, the HIDs will be at 100% intensity.

the stock halogens look dimmer during DRL mode because of the rapid on-off pulsing and the tricks it plays with our eyes.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by bluntman


Neil, are you going to do mine whenever I get them? :)

arthur, damn PM limit...here\'s my reply to the PM you sent:

yup, the spade connectors get plugged into the factory harness. just match +ve to +ve and -ve to -ve (just look for the black wire on the factory harness :) ) ...i applied some di-electric grease to the connectors before plugging them into the factory narness then wrapped it in electrical tape.

the installation is pretty easy....another thing, aside from the clip being a pain, is to be careful inserting the bulb into the hole....the HIDs are longer than the stock bulb (about 1.5x) and the driver\'s side is kinda tight.

[majic]

very nice..

see i was thinking.. xtec.. 5 yr waranty on the set.. well why not run it 24/7 then? what can go wrong? are the bulbs protected from burning out under teh warranty? and i do like the \'rewiring\' method that can be easily reversed (M3-GT) :D

oh also.. for the frst 2-3min that the bulbs \'warm up\' is there much performance loss? just curious? will u see as far as the stock bulbs or not only till they gradually warm up? thanks

[majic]

ok as a followup..

i see 3 players in this game and i am a bit confused..

enter oliver/M3-GT/Xenon Expert, devin98 and umnitza

now oliver was the original PHILLIPS HID guy from M3F with all the how-to\'s and walkthroughs.. then came along umnitza with Xtec kits.. and after a little scuffle here and there.. now oliver carries the Xtec kits as well (350-25=325USD).. fast forward a bit and you get devin98 who sells it for 385CAD locally

yoy.. what happened? i\'m just a bit confused.. devin98 seems local, where\'s oliver from? does he deal in CAD currency at all 325x1.2=390 so 5 bux here or there + exchange rate sux on CCs.. so a little diff.. do they BOTH offer 5yr warranty? any difference b/w their Xtec kits?

Phillips, as good as it is, i cannot justify 5-600 USD when i can get the Xtec for 1/2 to 2/3 that. also the phillips ones seem to vary in price based on the K temp of the bulb, the Xtec is the same across the board.. also nobody mentions umnitza on this board.. can someone pls clarify? thx

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by majic


ok as a followup..

i see 3 players in this game and i am a bit confused..

enter oliver/M3-GT/Xenon Expert, devin98 and umnitza

now oliver was the original PHILLIPS HID guy from M3F with all the how-to\'s and walkthroughs.. then came along umnitza with Xtec kits.. and after a little scuffle here and there.. now oliver carries the Xtec kits as well (350-25=325USD).. fast forward a bit and you get devin98 who sells it for 385CAD locally

yoy.. what happened? i\'m just a bit confused.. devin98 seems local, where\'s oliver from? does he deal in CAD currency at all 325x1.2=390 so 5 bux here or there + exchange rate sux on CCs.. so a little diff.. do they BOTH offer 5yr warranty? any difference b/w their Xtec kits?

Phillips, as good as it is, i cannot justify 5-600 USD when i can get the Xtec for 1/2 to 2/3 that. also the phillips ones seem to vary in price based on the K temp of the bulb, the Xtec is the same across the board.. also nobody mentions umnitza on this board.. can someone pls clarify? thx

umnitza is the supplier

devin and oliver are the resellers.

in both cases, the kits come from umnitza in cali who is a GREAT person to deal with.

[majic]

aaah excellent.. and thank you for your promt reply.. now i can go to bed :D

anyone know if oliver deals in CAD? he is from montreal but prices are USD only..

EDIT: and wrt running HIDs 24/7.. what do car manufacaturers do when xenons are STOCK on canadian vehicles (ie ones with DRL as requirement) do they run them non stop? esp with the 5 yr warranty on xtec that should be ok no?

now i am very tmepted to get these HIDs .. must wait till xmas shopping is over.. heh

[RedRaptor]

Originally posted by majic

where\'s oliver from? does he deal in CAD currency at all 325x1.2=390 so 5 bux here or there + exchange rate sux on CCs.. so a little diff.. do they BOTH offer 5yr warranty? any difference b/w their Xtec kits?

Phillips, as good as it is, i cannot justify 5-600 USD when i can get the Xtec for 1/2 to 2/3 that. also the phillips ones seem to vary in price based on the K temp of the bulb, the Xtec is the same across the board.. also nobody mentions umnitza on this board.. can someone pls clarify? thx

All Xtec kits from with a 5 year warranty whether its from Devin or XenonExpert.

Xenon Expert is based in Montreal. All his Polarion Philips HID kits are shipped from Canada while his Xtec kits are shipped directly from California, USA.

The Polarion Philips kits come with a 3 year warranty. The Xtec kit is a great deal but Philips is Philips. Its like the Intel in the CPU world and the Sony in the TV world. It really depends on what you are comfortable with. I purchased a 4100K Philips kit from Xenon Expert. It should arrive this week.

[majic]

Originally posted by RedRaptor


All Xtec kits from with a 5 year warranty whether its from Devin or XenonExpert.

Xenon Expert is based in Montreal. All his Polarion Philips HID kits are shipped from Canada while his Xtec kits are shipped directly from California, USA.

The Polarion Philips kits come with a 3 year warranty. The Xtec kit is a great deal but Philips is Philips. Its like the Intel in the CPU world and the Sony in the TV world. It really depends on what you are comfortable with. I purchased a 4100K Philips kit from Xenon Expert. It should arrive this week.

eeeeeew... Intel sux :p i\'m an AMD fanboy .. and i am not very fond of the sony WEGAs (LCD tvs.. ugh)

but all that aside.. thx.. and i can\'t wiat to see a comparison b/w your phillips kit and majestic\'s xtec.. especially the colour difference.. (which should be very slight) anyway.. off to dream about HIDs.. maybe santa will be nice to me? :p

[chaser]

AFAIK,


Originally posted by majic

yoy.. what happened? i\'m just a bit confused.. devin98 seems local, where\'s oliver from? does he deal in CAD currency at all 325x1.2=390 so 5 bux here or there + exchange rate sux on CCs.. so a little diff..



Olive is located in Quebec. And you need to pay GST/PST on top of the $325US.


Originally posted by majic

do they BOTH offer 5yr warranty? any difference b/w their Xtec kits?



Xtec\'s 5yr warranty is covered by the manufacturer. Whenever the kit goes wrong within 5 years, you need to send it back to the manufacturer to repair.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

for those wondering about the 5 year warranty, here are the stipulations from umnitza himself:


Originally posted by umnitza here (http://www.mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=13043&postdays=0&postorder=asc&sta rt=60)

Covers ballasts AND bulbs.

Here\'s how a warranty would work:

1) You receive, usually a failure happens first 30 days, so you test immediately. All is well, proceed with install.

2) You installed, failure first 30 days. You give us a serial number on what ever the failure point is. You can\'t just say \"It doesn\'t work\" - you have to test - swap ballasts from side working to non working to isolate bulb or ballast. Must identify if there is a problem on ballast or on bulb.

3) You contact us - we get serial number, pass to engineers. You ship back the faulty unit. We test here.

4) Our tests will always prove conclusively if there is a problem or isn\'t.

5) You get your part returned if it\'s found not faulty (minimum 3 tests - one for 24 hours). You get a NEW part if found faulty.

6) If faulty, we deal with the rest. YOU are responsible ONLY for shipping to us.

BIG BIG BIG DISCLAIMER. Your warranty WILL NOT BE HONORED DUE TO ABUSE.

1) You must provide pictures of mounting area or install pictures if requested.
2) Returned part must be in same container and must not be damaged in shipment.
3) Parts received with water damage caused by poor mounting will not be covered. This has not really been a concern recently as the ballasts are double sealed inside now, but on the first kits that didn\'t go onto BMWs, somehow, water damaged them.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by majic

EDIT: and wrt running HIDs 24/7.. what do car manufacaturers do when xenons are STOCK on canadian vehicles (ie ones with DRL as requirement) do they run them non stop? esp with the 5 yr warranty on xtec that should be ok no?



the 3, in canada, wasn\'t designed for HIDs. most manufacturers that equip their cars with HIDs stock have either:

1) a \"driving light\" they use for DRLs (similar to the 6th gen maxima and the G35, in nissan\'s case)

2) the highbeams as DRLs

3) the amber parking lights as DRLs

4) the foglights as DRLs


the expected life of an HID bulb is 2500-3000 hours. running them while driving all the time (not exactly 24/7 ;) ) means little as YMMV as to when you drive. i do 95% of my driving at night, so my lights have to be on anyway.

[majic]

Originally posted by chaser


AFAIK,


Originally posted by majic

yoy.. what happened? i\'m just a bit confused.. devin98 seems local, where\'s oliver from? does he deal in CAD currency at all 325x1.2=390 so 5 bux here or there + exchange rate sux on CCs.. so a little diff..



Olive is located in Quebec. And you need to pay GST/PST on top of the $325US.


Originally posted by majic

do they BOTH offer 5yr warranty? any difference b/w their Xtec kits?



Xtec\'s 5yr warranty is covered by the manufacturer. Whenever the kit goes wrong within 5 years, you need to send it back to the manufacturer to repair.

so it looks like for the xtec kit devin98 would be a bit cheaper/more convenient?

[majic]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN



Originally posted by majic

EDIT: and wrt running HIDs 24/7.. what do car manufacaturers do when xenons are STOCK on canadian vehicles (ie ones with DRL as requirement) do they run them non stop? esp with the 5 yr warranty on xtec that should be ok no?



the 3, in canada, wasn\'t designed for HIDs. most manufacturers that equip their cars with HIDs stock have either:

1) a \"driving light\" they use for DRLs (similar to the 6th gen maxima and the G35, in nissan\'s case)

2) the highbeams as DRLs

3) the amber parking lights as DRLs

4) the foglights as DRLs


the expected life of an HID bulb is 2500-3000 hours. running them while driving all the time (not exactly 24/7 ;) ) means little as YMMV as to when you drive. i do 95% of my driving at night, so my lights have to be on anyway.

just saw the warranty info in M3F as i was browsing.. thanks!

so worst case.. 2500/5hrs a day (that\'s 2.5hrs each way to work - very high) = 500 days.. more conservatively 2500/3 is 833 days.. over 2 yrs.. sounds good to me (still very crude estimate)

[///M]

Looks like you\'re all getting HIDs...I\'m jealous hahaha

[bubba1983]

i jus want somebody to tell me which one is the better deal to buy....so i can buy the god damn thing!!! grrr

[bluntman]

Xtec

[majic]

heh.. i guess.. it\'s a better deal but EVERYONE will have a different opinion.. so u have to formulate your own.. imean it\'s kinda easy now.. phillips or xtec :D 700 or 400 hmm.. :p

[RedRaptor]

Originally posted by majic
heh.. i guess.. it\'s a better deal but EVERYONE will have a different opinion.. so u have to formulate your own.. imean it\'s kinda easy now.. phillips or xtec :D 700 or 400 hmm.. :p

Honestly, I think you are comparing apples & oranges here. You are directly comparing a known and well respected Philips kit to a relatively new kit like the Xtec?

I am not doubting the quality of Xtec but incase you didn\'t know, the kit contains Toshiba bulbs and a Hella ballast. The Hella ballast is just as good as a Philips ballast but you can\'t tell me that a Toshiba bulb is the same as a Philips bulb. Even Matt from Umnitza will tell you that Philips bulbs are the best. Thus the price of a Philips kit is significantly more because of the Philips bulbs. You can ask M3-GT or Matt and they will confirm what I\'ve said.

The Xtec kit is the hot buy right now. Great price, great reviews on the bimmer forums and a lot of satisified customers. But let\'s not get carried away here and start directly comparing the Xtec Kit to a Philips Kit. Its the same as saying a KIA Spectra 5 is better than the Mazda3 because it has \"Canada\'s Best Warranty\".

In the end its whatever kit you feel comfortable buying. If you want the best, you go Philips. If you want a decent kit go for a Muccolloch or Xtec.

Either way when you have HIDs, no one is going to know what kit you have installed when they look at your car. :p

[bluntman]

What about replacement bulbs, where do we, or can we, get those?

[///M]

They\'re Toshiba bulbs? I\'m in for the Xtec.

I thought they were some no-name bulbs.

[Devin98]

Hey guys,

I just noticed this thread, and thought I would pop in :)

I do have the Xtec Kits in stock here in Brampton so local no need to worry about shipping or customs.

Also with the warranty, I will honor the warranty so if there is a problem I will replace the faulty part with a new one and deal with the factory myself.

As far as replacement bulbs I do also have those as the kit does come in two parts, one box has the ballasts and one box has the bulbs so I would just sell you a box with the 2 bulbs, pricing I am not 100% sure about yet.

Now if you are interested in the Xtec kit we are having a little buy going in the group buy and section here:
http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=961

Where on the Meet on Nov 27th, 2004 provided it is not raining or snowing we could do the install.

Thanks everyone and please let me know if you need anything, either here or by email at xtec_hid@rogers.com

http://www.thexenonstore.com

Thanks Again
-Devin Montreuil

[Dr Butcher]

Damn, this is so tempting..... I\'m jealous as well.

Majestic, you bought 2 packages of grommets but you ended up only needing 1? I\'m assuming you thought you\'d need 4 grommets and they come in packs of 3?

How long did it end up taking to do the install?

What would you rate the difficulty 1 being easy and 10 beaing hard?

Thanks for the writeup. With you guys being the guinea pigs and adding your input, it makes things so much easier for n00bs like me. :)

*Runs to check the Xtec thread again*

[Devin98]

Let me tell you that the install was so easy except one part!

Releasing the stock bulb retainer clip, took me 45 mins to figure that one out, but once you get it there is no problem at all.

With the stock clip you need to push in lift up and pull away from the front, and the bulb comes right out, then install the Xenon bulb mount the ballasts plug the female connectors from the ballast to the male connectors from where you removed the bulb and connect all the adapters and you good to go.

-Devin


Originally posted by Dr Butcher


Damn, this is so tempting..... I\'m jealous as well.

Majestic, you bought 2 packages of grommets but you ended up only needing 1? I\'m assuming you thought you\'d need 4 grommets and they come in packs of 3?

How long did it end up taking to do the install?

What would you rate the difficulty 1 being easy and 10 beaing hard?

Thanks for the writeup. With you guys being the guinea pigs and adding your input, it makes things so much easier for n00bs like me. :)

*Runs to check the Xtec thread again*

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Dr Butcher


Damn, this is so tempting..... I\'m jealous as well.

Majestic, you bought 2 packages of grommets but you ended up only needing 1? I\'m assuming you thought you\'d need 4 grommets and they come in packs of 3?

How long did it end up taking to do the install?

What would you rate the difficulty 1 being easy and 10 beaing hard?

Thanks for the writeup. With you guys being the guinea pigs and adding your input, it makes things so much easier for n00bs like me. :)

*Runs to check the Xtec thread again*

Dr B, exactly...i thought i\'d need 2 grommets per bulb, but ended up only using 1 per bulb so one pack of 3 grommets is good. they are $4.98 at the local Home Depot.

the install took about 30 minutes. most of the time was playing with the retention clip when i had 2 grommets on the first bulb i installed. after realizing that 1 will do, the passenger side took me ~5 minutes (including test firing the bulb and mounting the ballast).

i dunno what i\'d rate it...if you can change a halogen bulb, you can install this kit. most of the time is being careful with the install.

no probs man :)

[bubba1983]

Originally posted by RedRaptor



Originally posted by majic
heh.. i guess.. it\'s a better deal but EVERYONE will have a different opinion.. so u have to formulate your own.. imean it\'s kinda easy now.. phillips or xtec :D 700 or 400 hmm.. :p

Honestly, I think you are comparing apples & oranges here. You are directly comparing a known and well respected Philips kit to a relatively new kit like the Xtec?

I am not doubting the quality of Xtec but incase you didn\'t know, the kit contains Toshiba bulbs and a Hella ballast. The Hella ballast is just as good as a Philips ballast but you can\'t tell me that a Toshiba bulb is the same as a Philips bulb. Even Matt from Umnitza will tell you that Philips bulbs are the best. Thus the price of a Philips kit is significantly more because of the Philips bulbs. You can ask M3-GT or Matt and they will confirm what I\'ve said.

The Xtec kit is the hot buy right now. Great price, great reviews on the bimmer forums and a lot of satisified customers. But let\'s not get carried away here and start directly comparing the Xtec Kit to a Philips Kit. Its the same as saying a KIA Spectra 5 is better than the Mazda3 because it has \"Canada\'s Best Warranty\".

In the end its whatever kit you feel comfortable buying. If you want the best, you go Philips. If you want a decent kit go for a Muccolloch or Xtec.

Either way when you have HIDs, no one is going to know what kit you have installed when they look at your car. :p

see, now that wasn\'t hard....point me in the right direction and i\'ll go do it....thanks Red!! BTW red...your getting a 4100k kit corect.....will the 4500 from xtec say, for arguments sake..be roughly the same...because i am also looking for that clean white light myself...

[RedRaptor]

Originally posted by bubba1983
see, now that wasn\'t hard....point me in the right direction and i\'ll go do it....thanks Red!! BTW red...your getting a 4100k kit corect.....will the 4500 from xtec say, for arguments sake..be roughly the same...because i am also looking for that clean white light myself...

Bubba,

Yeah I ordered the 4100K Polarion Philips kit from Xenon Expert. I should have it soon and when its installed I will do a complete review with pictures.

Personally I have seen a 4300K being test fired and the light resembles the flourescent lights in houses. It starts off as a white light with a very very slight blue hint and then turns into a complete clean white light. With the 4100K kit I am expecting the same result, which gives off the OEM look.

With a 4500K-4700K I would have say its going to have a blue tint in the light since 4500K-4700K kit is getting close to a 5000K colour temp.

However, when I have my Philips kit installed and whoever installs a Xtec 4500K kit, we can do a picture or in person comparison. I believe the Philips kit will have a cleaner white light.

Hope this helps.

[Devin98]

Red,

I think the 4100K phillips kit will have a more yellowish look, when are you expecting your kit? I would like to see the colour, I know that Audi\'s and Most BMW\'s are using a 4300K-4700K bulb a friend of mine just picked up new bulbs from the dealer for his A4 and they were 4700K

Thanks


Originally posted by RedRaptor



Originally posted by bubba1983
see, now that wasn\'t hard....point me in the right direction and i\'ll go do it....thanks Red!! BTW red...your getting a 4100k kit corect.....will the 4500 from xtec say, for arguments sake..be roughly the same...because i am also looking for that clean white light myself...

Bubba,

Yeah I ordered the 4100K Polarion Philips kit from Xenon Expert. I should have it soon and when its installed I will do a complete review with pictures.

Personally I have seen a 4300K being test fired and the light resembles the flourescent lights in houses. It starts off as a white light with a very very slight blue hint and then turns into a complete clean white light. With the 4100K kit I am expecting the same result, which gives off the OEM look.

With a 4500K-4700K I would have say its going to have a blue tint in the light since 4500K-4700K kit is getting close to a 5000K colour temp.

However, when I have my Philips kit installed and whoever installs a Xtec 4500K kit, we can do a picture or in person comparison. I believe the Philips kit will have a cleaner white light.

Hope this helps.

[RedRaptor]

Sorry bro,

You are wrong. A Philips 4100K and 4300K bulb give off the same colour temperature. If you say a non Philips 4500K bulb is close to 4300K, how would a 4100K bulb be yellowish?

The colour temperature rating isn\'t uniform across all the HID manufacturers. So its hard to compare colour temp when the kit are made by two different companies.

I should have my Philips Kit installed by Meet#7.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Devin98


Red,

I think the 4100K phillips kit will have a more yellowish look, when are you expecting your kit? I would like to see the colour, I know that Audi\'s and Most BMW\'s are using a 4300K-4700K bulb a friend of mine just picked up new bulbs from the dealer for his A4 and they were 4700K

Thanks


the 2002/2003 maxima has 4100K HIDs stock.

in this pic, you can see that 4100K is not yellow (the pic is versus an 8000K aftermarket kit)

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/8/web/320000-320999/320379_13_full.jpg

[Devin98]

No that is true, it does not look yellow, fair enough proved me wrong :p

[///M]

btw...are there any places that carry the CATZ HID kit? I googled and couldn\'t find many places that sold it...

also locally I\'ve seen an Appolon HID kit for sale. Apparently it\'s 100% made in Japan. Are those any good?

[Devin98]

Have yet to hear anything about Appolon HID

I think Catz HID might have went out of business someone please correct me if I am wrong

[bubba1983]

all this hype...HID\'s....ahh, i\'m almost at a decider.....so far...im finding myself with xtec\'s buisness....but the search continues for a few more days before the christmas bonus rolls in....this week i\'m goign out for a small audio upgrade...one amp...and one sub....yay me!

[bubba1983]

double post...one LAST question for Red....after seein\' tommy36\'s OEM HID\'s from Buffalo...i fell in love....Red....were you at meet 7? and was it roughly the same as his if u seen it? and....all in ....if u don\'t mind me asking, pricing of your polarion kit...in canadian funs please including any extra duties or whatever, i would liek to knwo the bottom dollar?

[RedRaptor]

bubba,

Were you at the meet? I don\'t believe I\'ve ever met you. Yes I was at Meet #7. I came in together with MajesticBlueN and Big__M.

Unfortunately I didn\'t get a chance to see tommy36\'s OEM HIDs. But I can share my HID experience with you.

My 4100k HIDs start off blue/white and after about 15 seconds warm up to a bright white colour with NO blue hint in at all. Its very very OEM looking but for people who want a blue or purple hint with a Philips bulb, I would go for a 5000K or 6000K kit.

From the meet yesterday I noticed that Philips bulbs give off less colour. If you saw Weijdas\'s 6000K Philip kit, when its all warmed ,its pretty much a white light with a small hint of purple. Where as on Devin\'s 6000k Xtec kit, the purple colour was really evident.

There is no question 4100K gives off the best light output. When I drove home last night, the light output was simply amazing. I don\'t have to strain my bad eyes to see anymore. But again if you want a blue or puple tint, you have to go for a 5000K or 6000K kit.

All Xenon Expert\'s Polarion Philips kit are shipped from Montreal, Quebec so there are no duties. There is also only one tax GST (7%). I would email Oliver and talk to him about pricing and see what he can do for you.

[bubba1983]

AWSOME....thanks red....i godda apologize if i post the same thing over in another thread...i have a bad memory as to where i posted what, when i need to go back and check somethign out...yes, i was at the meet...but i left at 5pm just as the pictures were being taken..had to get back to kitchener to be at work for 7pm...honked the horn while at the lights on the road bla bla....anyways, thanks for the reply...i am pretty sure that what you have is what i am wanting to achieve...as i said...after seein tommy36\'s on his Tigrey...as mine is Tigrey, and how it looked...thanks again red...

[RedRaptor]

bubba,

I\'ll take some pictures and do a complete review of my 4100K HIDs when I get a chance. Been really busy these past few days.
They are really sweet looking and light up the road big time. HIDs work so well with our stock projectors that a 4100K Philips kit, no one can tell its an aftermarket project.

[bubba1983]

red raptor...your the shizzznit....jus emailed oliver...and talk about an unbeatable price...WOW>....once i get the financing problems out of the way that i\'m having with my car....i\'ll be Polarionized.......the price is too good to pass up!!

[bluntman]

I have seen the light!!!

I just had my Xtec (5K) kit installed by Sam, what a great guy! I went for a short drive to the local Home Depot in order to return a few pieces that I thought I would need to install my HID kit. What a huge difference HIDs make, I will never go back to halogens again.

After much debate I decided to run the HIDs off of the fog lights instead of the high beams like RedRaptor. Eventhough Red\'s configuration looked so attractive at the meet I opted for the way wtom and 3WhiteS\'s lights were configured because I didn\'t want to be flashed during the daylight hours.

I love how when I first turn them on I can see a greenish/bluish tinge to the light being cast and then they soon turn to a pure white light.

I have to give thanks to Devin98 for supplying these lights a such a great price, RedRaptor for letting everyone know about Sam Peng and everyone with HIDs at the last meet for solidifying my want for HIDs...who said peer pressure is bad. :D

[Dr Butcher]

Bluntman, do you find there\'s a colour difference between the bulbs on your kit? I know Majestic said his were a bit different, Warren had a similar problem with his kit and I\'m wondering what the scoop is with you?

Everything good to go?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Dr Butcher


Bluntman, do you find there\'s a colour difference between the bulbs on your kit? I know Majestic said his were a bit different, Warren had a similar problem with his kit and I\'m wondering what the scoop is with you?

Everything good to go?

after about 15 hours of driving, the lights are slowly starting to even out :)

[Xenon Expert]

Ok let me set the record straight here because some people are saying stuff like if you go with Xenon Expert you\'ll pay duties and GST/PST.....

Actually, being in Montreal, you\'ll pay only GST and no PST if you are not in Quebec. If you buy from someone in Ontario, they are required by law to charge you GST AND PST. If they don\'t I hope they don\'t get their books verified by Revenue Canada....

We ship our Xtec kits from the US yes. But we ship them as gifts so you won\'t pay duties.

We are the biggest Xtec dealer in Canada and have been selling Philips HID based kits before that so you can rest assured that we won\'t disappear into thin air. It\'s great to have a warranty....not so great if the company is gone though....When it comes to things like HID don\'t let 5$ decide where you get your kit. Think long term.;)

Don\'t take my word for it: http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=192089#192089

Hope that clears some of the things some people have been saying....

Cheers!

Oliver

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Dr Butcher


Bluntman, do you find there\'s a colour difference between the bulbs on your kit? I know Majestic said his were a bit different, Warren had a similar problem with his kit and I\'m wondering what the scoop is with you?

Everything good to go?

I am happy to report that both lights are the same colour.

[Devin98]

Not trying to cause any problems at all but since this was targeted at me I just want to clear a few things up.

1) he is correct that we need to charge tax for anyone in Ontairo both GST and PST, and thats why I have included it in the price. Just think about at the meet if we were trying to work out the change in the cold and dark, so tax is included in the price for that reason.

2) I don\'t know if you are the largest Xtec supplier in Canada or not however i do know that we go though a lot of kits and we will not go up into thin air anywhere.


Thanks
-Devin Montreuil




Originally posted by Xenon Expert


Ok let me set the record straight here because some people are saying stuff like if you go with Xenon Expert you\'ll pay duties and GST/PST.....

Actually, being in Montreal, you\'ll pay only GST and no PST if you are not in Quebec. If you buy from someone in Ontario, they are required by law to charge you GST AND PST. If they don\'t I hope they don\'t get their books verified by Revenue Canada....

We ship our Xtec kits from the US yes. But we ship them as gifts so you won\'t pay duties.

We are the biggest Xtec dealer in Canada and have been selling Philips HID based kits before that so you can rest assured that we won\'t disappear into thin air. It\'s great to have a warranty....not so great if the company is gone though....When it comes to things like HID don\'t let 5$ decide where you get your kit. Think long term.;)

Don\'t take my word for it: http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=192089#192089

Hope that clears some of the things some people have been saying....

Cheers!

Oliver

[umnitza]

We have resellers all of the country and the world.

Local laws are the concern of the purchaser, we ship as we are requested to ship - be it Gift, 80000 value, or no value. The risk of this is solely at the discretion of the purchaser, we are merely the agent/suppplier.

Volumes of each reseller are kept strictly confidential between them, if anyone ever finds out the total volume of any individual reseller, it\'s NOT from us:)

Please do not let any of this minor nuance bickering dissuade you from a wonderful product. :)

[Devin98]

I am happy that you are happy :) and I look forward to seeing them installed when the weather turns nice again and we have another meet.

If you need anything at all please let me know

Thanks
-Devin


Originally posted by bluntman



Originally posted by Dr Butcher


Bluntman, do you find there\'s a colour difference between the bulbs on your kit? I know Majestic said his were a bit different, Warren had a similar problem with his kit and I\'m wondering what the scoop is with you?

Everything good to go?

I am happy to report that both lights are the same colour.

[///M]

Devin98: I\'ll be interested in buying a 6000k Xtec kit in a couple of weeks. Do you have any in stock and what\'s the price. I\'ll come pick it up.

Thanks.

[Xenon Expert]

Originally posted by Devin98


Not trying to cause any problems at all but since this was targeted at me I just want to clear a few things up.

1) he is correct that we need to charge tax for anyone in Ontairo both GST and PST, and thats why I have included it in the price. Just think about at the meet if we were trying to work out the change in the cold and dark, so tax is included in the price for that reason.

2) I don\'t know if you are the largest Xtec supplier in Canada or not however i do know that we go though a lot of kits and we will not go up into thin air anywhere.


Thanks
-Devin Montreuil




Originally posted by Xenon Expert


Ok let me set the record straight here because some people are saying stuff like if you go with Xenon Expert you\'ll pay duties and GST/PST.....

Actually, being in Montreal, you\'ll pay only GST and no PST if you are not in Quebec. If you buy from someone in Ontario, they are required by law to charge you GST AND PST. If they don\'t I hope they don\'t get their books verified by Revenue Canada....

We ship our Xtec kits from the US yes. But we ship them as gifts so you won\'t pay duties.

We are the biggest Xtec dealer in Canada and have been selling Philips HID based kits before that so you can rest assured that we won\'t disappear into thin air. It\'s great to have a warranty....not so great if the company is gone though....When it comes to things like HID don\'t let 5$ decide where you get your kit. Think long term.;)

Don\'t take my word for it: http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?p=192089#192089

Hope that clears some of the things some people have been saying....

Cheers!

Oliver

So if I take your price of $320, you\'re saying that includes GST AND PST? Basically ~ 15%? If this is right you are selling the kit below $300...check other dealers nobody sells at that price because we need to make a living.

[wtom]

The last I heard, Devin98\'s kits are $370 tax-in.

http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=961#14106

[Xenon Expert]

Originally posted by wtom


The last I heard, Devin98\'s kits are $370 tax-in.

http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=961#14106

$370 CDN = $311.33 USD....take another ~%15 off = $264.65 USD...that\'s WAY below market price.

[///M]

Devin has a great price, is local (no need to wait for shipping), hence I will buy from him. :)

[bubba1983]

ahh how lovely....vendor rivalry

[Xenon Expert]

Originally posted by autoexe


Devin has a great price, is local (no need to wait for shipping), hence I will buy from him. :)

Oh...for you it\'s a great deal...I can\'t blame you. Anyway...I\'ll deal with that....

[Devin98]

$375CDN offered to Toroto Mazda 3 members, which at todays exchange rates are: $317.80USD, in prevous threads prices change due to the market conditions.

I do sell the kits for $320USD + $15USD shipping normally

Thanks
-Devin


Originally posted by Xenon Expert



Originally posted by wtom


The last I heard, Devin98\'s kits are $370 tax-in.

http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=961#14106

$370 CDN = $311.33 USD....take another ~%15 off = $264.65 USD...that\'s WAY below market price.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

[Devin98]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN


http://forums.maxima.org/images/smilies/popcorn.gif

Haha to funny :)

I am done though I do not need to get into this :P

[Xenon Expert]

Originally posted by Devin98


$375CDN offered to Toroto Mazda 3 members, which at todays exchange rates are: $317.80USD, in prevous threads prices change due to the market conditions.

I do sell the kits for $320USD + $15USD shipping normally

Thanks
-Devin


Originally posted by Xenon Expert



Originally posted by wtom


The last I heard, Devin98\'s kits are $370 tax-in.

http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=961#14106

$370 CDN = $311.33 USD....take another ~%15 off = $264.65 USD...that\'s WAY below market price.

Devin you don\'t charge either GST nor PST. If it\'s included in the price then $311.33 means your price is below $300 USD.....

I\'m done here...Someone else will deal with you.

[umnitza]

Please be advised that some leeway is acceptable on price between retailers, our price STAYS THE SAME REGARDLESS.

We cannot collude - like OPEC - to set prices.

We CAN RECOMMEND a price point be kept.

[bubba1983]

*sits back in his chair and watches*

dare i say...BEST THREAD EVER!!!!

[mEtH]

I dare yee...

BEST THREAD EVER!!!!!!!

[Xenon Expert]

Guys, you can calm down;)

Me and Devin will be continuing this outside the forum :p

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon Expert


Guys, you can calm down;)

Me and Devin will be continuing this outside the forum :p

damn, and i wanted to use this emoticon:

Devin vs. Oliver
http://www.torontomaxima.com/forum/images/smiles/fencing.gif

[Xenon Expert]

lol....:D

[bubba1983]

haha, that TOPS patrick\'s comment..

[MajesticBlueNTO]

next \"discussion\" gets this emoticon:

http://www.torontomaxima.com/forum/images/smiles/swbattle.gif

:D

[Devin98]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN


next \"discussion\" gets this emoticon:

http://www.torontomaxima.com/forum/images/smiles/swbattle.gif

:D

Haha well me and Oliver fought to the death and since I am typing this guess who won :p

Haha just kidding all is good everyone

[mEtH]

uhhh....FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! these emoticons are kewl.

[bluntman]

One word of warning for those who have never had HIDs in the past (like me).

When stopped at a traffic light at night, make sure you leave room in the front of your car especially if the car in front is white. The reflection off of the white paint from your HIDs is like looking at the sun.

[bubba1983]

AINT IT SEXY THO?

[bluntman]

It\'s hawwt!!

[triplezoom]

Ive been finally HID\'d with the Xtec 6000K\'s. ;) Much thanks goes to Devin for supplying these kits, being so patient with answering my questions, and fast shipping. Im still facing a lot of difficulties with the DRL issue as I have not received the DRL bypass guide from devin just yet. Anyways, here (http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2133084075&code=13735333&mode=inv ite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite) are some photos, enjoy :): BTW, if anyone knows how to disable the DRL or effectively use the auto setting without having the HID\'s flicker during day, give me a shout, thx. :hoho

[mEtH]

So I guess you decided to go back to 6000k. Looks nice.

[bluntman]

Have any of you seen this little boy?

http://members.rogers.com/alegardo/redxkid.jpg

[Xenon]

Originally posted by triplezoom

BTW, if anyone knows how to disable the DRL or effectively use the auto setting without having the HID\'s flicker during day, give me a shout, thx. :hoho

You may want to look here:

http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=891

or here

http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=1341

and there\'s more where that came from. Try using the search function on the forum.

[Xenon]

FINALLY!!! Well took me long enough, but my enlightenment will come soon enough.

Saturday (Tomorrow) I will be meeting with Devin and get my 5000K HIDs installed.

AS for the DRL issue, Devin will disable them as a part of the install. However, I am one that wants the DRLs, so before i see him, I\'m going to try M3-GT\'s Independent Fog Mod myself. After studying the guide for about an hour (ya I know...) and figuring out all the wire connectors and stuff, I think I\'ve figured it out. Turns out to be pretty simple. Actually I think the hardest part will be taking off the steering column and lower dash panels.

Pray for me, as I\'m not much of an electrician :p

[chaser]

Congrats!
Is Devin going to build a little circuit (using a relay) to trigger on/off of the HIDs? If not, there may chance of damaging the stock headlight circuit and/or causing voltage drop (lower the HID output). See this thread (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=1341). The independent fog mod should be easier than installing the HIDs, once you know how the wires go. Good luck:)

[Xenon]

Originally posted by chaser


Congrats!
Is Devin going to build a little circuit (using a relay) to trigger on/off of the HIDs? If not, there may chance of damaging the stock headlight circuit and/or causing voltage drop (lower the HID output). See this thread (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=1341). The independent fog mod should be easier than installing the HIDs, once you know how the wires go. Good luck:)

I do believe he will do something similar. He mentioned something about a 12V power supply somewhere. Like I said, I\'m not an electrician, so I have no idea what he\'s talking about :p But I have trust in the man that he will do the right thing.

The Ind. Fog doesn\'t look to hard. But I want it done within close vicinity of time that I\'m getting the HIDs. THe hardest part will be doing it in the cold of my garage.

[billyfo]

I think I have an appointment after Xenon:D , I\'ll go to Devin\'s place at 4

[al01]

devin installed my kit like 1 month ago.. and ITS GREAT.. nothings wrong it =DDDD the only problem now is i need to get independent fogs :p

[///M]

I guess I\'m the last one. Appointment on Sunday. ;)

[Xenon]

Originally posted by al01


devin installed my kit like 1 month ago.. and ITS GREAT.. nothings wrong it =DDDD the only problem now is i need to get independent fogs :p

I\'m going to attepmt the independent fog mod in the morning and see Devin in the afternoon.

It looks simple enough, but I won\'t know until I try it. I have all the supplies ready to go.

[///M]

Originally posted by al01


devin installed my kit like 1 month ago.. and ITS GREAT.. nothings wrong it =DDDD the only problem now is i need to get independent fogs :p

With Devin\'s method, what happens when you turn on the highbeams? From what I understand Devin\'s method involves tapping into the trigger for the signal lights and using the power source from the low beams.

My question is this - on the stock setup, turning on the high beams will make the low beams dimmer - kinda like DRL mode. What happens to the HIDs when you turn on the high beams?

Anyone know?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by autoexe

With Devin\'s method, what happens when you turn on the highbeams? From what I understand Devin\'s method involves tapping into the trigger for the signal lights and using the power source from the low beams.

My question is this - on the stock setup, turning on the high beams will make the low beams dimmer - kinda like DRL mode. What happens to the HIDs when you turn on the high beams?

Anyone know?

it taps into the parking lights to provide the power source (+ve) for the HIDs. you don\'t combine it with the original power source from the lowbeams.

does the stock setup dim the low beams? i doubt it because my HIDs stay on when i have my high beams on and my HIDs are wired into the stock +ve and -ve. (i haven\'t gotten rid of my DRLs yet).

with devin\'s method, you really should use a relay described in the thread chaser linked. tapping into the parking lights without using a relay will run the risk of blowing a fuse one day.

[///M]

I read the linked thread but I\'m still pretty confused...I also tried to make sense of the Daniel Stern lighting article but failed...:(

Maybe I\'ll just buy a relay and get Devin to install it...

[Xenon]

Well after 1.5 hours, I did the independent fog mod myself. Saving me at least $50.

The hardest part for me was actually removing the steering column and lower dash panels, since I was overcautious and didn\'t want to break anything.

Feelind the waire through is actually pretty easy once you find the right hole to feed it through.

Dealing with the relay and wires is easy.

If I had to do it again. I could have it done in an hour. Maybe less.

[billyfo]

Xenon, so you have your HID installed? mine was cancelled cause Devin phone me that the kits shipped w/o some wiring.

[Xenon]

Originally posted by billyfo


Xenon, so you have your HID installed? mine was cancelled cause Devin phone me that the kits shipped w/o some wiring.

My kit fortunately did come with the wiring. So yes, my kit was installed.

[///M]

Originally posted by billyfo


Xenon, so you have your HID installed? mine was cancelled cause Devin phone me that the kits shipped w/o some wiring.

Same for me...it seems like everytime I get really close to getting HIDs and something happens...I was supposed to have them back in November. :(

I hope the wires come in soon.

[Xenon]

Devin actually opend a total of 6 kits/bulbs... 4 of which were missing the wires.

So since I was there already, he used the two bulbs on my car, and the other 4 he has to send back.

It isn\'t his fault. I watched him remove the factory seal from the packages. Xtec must have not packaged the cables with the kit.

[///M]

^ could you plase post some pics of your 5000k?

[billyfo]

Originally posted by Xenon


Devin actually opend a total of 6 kits/bulbs... 4 of which were missing the wires.

So since I was there already, he used the two bulbs on my car, and the other 4 he has to send back.

It isn\'t his fault. I watched him remove the factory seal from the packages. Xtec must have not packaged the cables with the kit.

I don\'t think it is Devin\'s fault of course, I work at a wholesale co. many products are either broken or missing parts from manufacturers.

it is for Devin, hope you get the parts fast, to prevent I spend all my $$$:D

[Xenon]

Originally posted by autoexe


^ could you plase post some pics of your 5000k?

Well here is a teaser pic :p. I haven\'t had time to take night shots. And this picture doesn\'t do the HIDs justice. The weather wasn\'t very photo-friendly.

The HIDs are mostly white with a nice blend of blue and purple. To those coming to the mini-meet tonight, You can see what I mean. For the first 30 seconds, the lights go through some funky colour changes. First they are really white, then they become yellow, then green and finally fade into the nice whitish-bluish-purplish colour when they stablize.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/xenons3/05011602a.jpg

And for comparison, these are stock bulbs:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/xenons3/MyMazda3-FogLights1Wallpapera.jpg

Like I said, pics don\'t do it justice. I\'ll take some nice night shots tonight perhaps.

[wtom]

Congratulations, Xenon!!! Early Chinese New Year present, eh? You\'ve waited too long for these HID\'s!

I missed the post (if any) but surprised to see you got snow tires! :)

[Xenon]

Originally posted by wtom


Congratulations, Xenon!!! Early Chinese New Year present, eh? You\'ve waited too long for these HID\'s!

I missed the post (if any) but surprised to see you got snow tires! :)

Ya, I couldn\'t stand the RS-A\'s in the snow.

[bubba1983]

whurr the pic from coffe on sunday, the comparison one of yours and mine??

[Xenon]

ummm I haven\'t had the time to upload them yet. I\'ve been working quite a bit. I\'ll upload them when i get a chance

[Xenon]

Another teaser pic....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/xenons3/05012009.jpg