MS3 Bulb Replacement: Is It True?

[KING1307]

Hey all, noob here with a question for you all.
Sooooo, today my headlight on my 07 MS3 burn out, of course its the HID. Andddd, I've been doing a little research and so far all my studies have turned up to reveal that you have to remove the bumper and headlight assembly completely from the car to change the HID!! Also, that the price for a couple stupid HID bulbs that fit the OEM setup cost like $150! Is this all true?
Say it ain't so!... I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home...
If so, scew mazda. Also if so, how much to replace the bulb, labour and all?
Thanks!

[Kappa]

no its not true... maybe if you want to replace the whole kit... but just the bulb no.. lol

it might be hard to get to im not sure but i believe you can do with out taking the bumper off

[KING1307]

thank god. and bulb price. is that true??

[Kappa]

no way dude i think you can get a set of bulbs for like 40 to 60 bucks maybe cheaper i havnt replaced my bulbs yet one of the sponsors could help you out no problem

[Kappa]

heck i got a set of d2s bulbs brand new that didnt fit my car but they are 10k

[KING1307]

whats wrong with 10k?

[KING1307]

oh true, sorry. but thats good to hear im not gonna end up paying a tonne for this bulb replacement.

[jay jay]

Yep you do have to take everything apart, I changed from stock hids to 6000k and I had to remove the bumper and light housing. There's just not enough room to pop the bulb out. Look on ebay for bulbs, I think I paid like 20$ for two. Maybe 30 with shipping.

[WeatherB]

Yep you do have to take everything apart, I changed from stock hids to 6000k and I had to remove the bumper and light housing. There's just not enough room to pop the bulb out. Look on ebay for bulbs, I think I paid like 20$ for two. Maybe 30 with shipping.

Yup, what he said. There's no way you can change the HID bulbs on a Mazda 3 that came with stock HIDs without taking the entire headlight housing out. It's actually not a big job, probably about an hour to get it done if you know what you are doing.

As for the bulbs, sure, you can get replacement D2S bulbs for $15, but those are not using UV glass and will eventually damage your $1000 headlight module. You can get a genuine Philips bulb for $70 here: http://www.kbcarstuff.com/Philips-43.../pb-d2s-4k.htm

[Fuyuzora]

Dunno about the actual act of replacing the bulbs on a MS3, but another source for quality bulbs is TheRetrofitSource:

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/index.php?cPath=27

They stock both authentic Philips bulbs as well as Morimoto bulbs, which come in a variety of temperatures (Philips are only 4300k).

[BMWWW]

As for the bulb itself, they ARE pricey for the OEM Phillips gear.

TRS is cheap, but I've also purchased from hidbulbsrus (ebay), and both are stellar.
Keep in mind that the Philips stuff is THE BEST, and if you don't buy OEM, there's a chance that the color may be slightly off/mis-matched if you go aftermarket.

[KING1307]

are there any DIY online that could help me do this bulb swap? I feel like its a pretty extensive process.
ps: why would mazda make such a stupid design. takes an hour for an experienced headlight changer to swap one HID bulb? Thats ridiculous! Most cars you just unplug and pop it out but with mazda you have to remove the headlight and bumper. just crazy.
( sorry, i need to vent. I find this really frustrating! )

[Fuyuzora]

Most cars you just unplug and pop it out but with mazda you have to remove the headlight and bumper. just crazy.

From what I recall, most Halogen bulbs have an expected lifetime of 300 hours, whereas a typical HID bulb has an expected lifetime of 2500 hours. So for most people it probably never comes up as an issue, and the whole disassembly requirement isn't a problem.

Cost and hassle factors aside, you could always look at this as an opportunity and a good excuse to buy a different temperature of HID bulbs and change up your "look" a bit.

[jay jay]

Ya like he said, hid's last quite a long time and when they do blow, they want you to bring it in to the dealers and get charged up the ass for a simple light bulb change. Ha ha funny huh.

[KING1307]

not funny at all! so to change up my look a bit, what do you guys sugguest in the way of bulbs? I know I have to get a D2S or something along the lines of that, but when you say different look, are you suggesting a different kalvin, if so, what looks good?

[Pyro]

damn i didn't think you had to remove the entire headlight housing too.....
i bought 6000K bulbs to replace in my stock oem HIDs, but now it sounds like too much of a pain in the ass to even bother.....

[FLIPDADY]

If replacing OEM Xenon's I would recommend getting a name brand one. Light output on the Asian made ones is weak and longevity is shit.

I got frustrated with my $30 ones and put my stock Phillips back in.

[FLIPDADY]

I will be ordering the Phillips 6000K D2S from the link WeatherB posted.

[jay jay]

I got 6000k in my headlights and fogs, I wanted the blueish white clean look, not the purple ricer look. Stocks are 4800k which is the brightest and whitest light in the color spectrum, so anything higher goes from blue to purple. Anything lower goes yellow.

[Fuyuzora]

not funny at all! so to change up my look a bit, what do you guys sugguest in the way of bulbs? I know I have to get a D2S or something along the lines of that, but when you say different look, are you suggesting a different kalvin, if so, what looks good?

Yeah, the Kelvin rating of a bulb approximates the bulb's appearance in terms of emission spectra temperature. As a very general rule:

3000K : Very very yellow. Great for fogs or for maximum visibility.
4300K : Daylight white (slightly yellow). Typical stock "temperature". Highest visible light output.
5000K : Pure white, no yellow. Very slightly reduced visible light output.
6000K : White with a bit of blue. Slightly further reduced visible light output.
8000K : Significantly blue. Visible light output reduced further.

As you go beyond 8000K it becomes increasingly blue/purple until it hits pink somewhere around 12000K (I think). You can find comparison shots of different bulb temperatures and brands in different locations (indoor, outdoor, etc) all over the 'Net. It doesn't necessarily correspond exactly to what you will perceive in person, though.

EDIT: Jayjay posted while I was writing this up. I had thought stock temp was 4300K, but it might well be 4800K. It's in the 4xxx range, at any rate.

[KING1307]

right on, ive been looking at some shots online and i think im gonna go with the 5000k's. but ive gotta find a DIY online on how to change these ms3 bulbs. taking off the bumper, headlight and all.

[Noisy Crow]

right on, ive been looking at some shots online and i think im gonna go with the 5000k's. but ive gotta find a DIY online on how to change these ms3 bulbs. taking off the bumper, headlight and all.

Search for angel eye how-tos... some of them show pics on how to pull the bumper and lights off. It really only takes about 15 minutes to pull off the bumper cover and pull headlamp assembly... at least once you done it the first time!

While you have the cover off you might want to consider upgrading your horn .... add a low tone or replace the stock with a couple of Hellas.....

[KING1307]

i dont know whats happening. i know ive come across a couple DIY on installing angle eyes and even taking out the headlights but i can come up with anything. if anyone happens to run by one could you post me a link. also, is there any way to view all stickies? Thanks!

[Noisy Crow]

Google is an amazing thing.............

http://krystmsgarage.com/?p=15
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=41782.0

[KING1307]

well, went to nextmod, bought headlights, 6000k to be exact. Went to my garage to get the lights swapped. Pulled off bumper and the headlights. Took the bulb out but it didnt look blown at all. So I swapped the good for the bad and gave it a shot. Worked. Checked the fuses, their good. This leaves me to believe that the ballast is blown. Went to mazda, they want to charge me 300 for one ballast. ( not surprising ) and like 270 for the labor. Well, needless to say, i didnt go that route. Im in need of a ballast now.