Need Help Sourcing HID Kit

[vt_maverick]

Now that I've upgraded my fog lamps and "horn" lights to LEDs, the factory headlights look TERRIBLE by comparison - very yellow and dim. I've been doing some research through various old posts but have reached an impasse; the following look like two excellent options, yet they are WAY apart in price. Sue or Jack (or anyone else) can you help me understand the difference?

Option #1: XenonRider.com H4/9003 Bi-Xenon Hi/Lo HID Conversion Kit (Dual-Lamp) - $199 (http://www.xenonrider.com/products/h4_bixenon_hid_kits.shtml)

http://www.xenonrider.com/images/2conv_kit_h4h.JPG

Sue's testimonial from another thread:

Dub was a real champ and installed the Xenonrider.com HID hi/lo kit for me while we were in Moab. Same kit Rowhard & LittleBeast have.

I love them, they're crazy bright!!! You can see any type of street sign light up way ahead. Awesome!

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_2810.JPG


Option #2: DDMTuning.com HID Kit Slim Ballast (55W) - $82.50 including Hi/Lo option, HID harness, and LIFETIME WARRANTY (http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DDM-HID-Kit-Slim-Ballast-35W-or-55W)

http://www.ddmtuning.com/images/fullsize/hidddm.jpg

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3222/0421091521-00.jpg

Jack's testimonial from another thread:

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Product-Categories/HID-Kits-Lighting/HID-Kits

that site above has full kits ^^^^^^

thats who i use for all of my vehicles...they are very reasonably priced and have GREAT warranty and customer service!!!

i purchase the lifetime warranty versions every time... definately work the extra $30 or whatever...i had one of my ballasts go out one time, called em... they sent me a whole new kit (2 ballasts and bulbs)...with no questions asked.
also- they do packages if you purchase like 3 or more kits at a time. so talk to each other and order em together.

differences-
35w ballast- most basic charging system, works fine but your lights wont be as bright (maybe a 20% improvement in light)
55w ballast- $10 more, and worth it in my opinion (this is the main difference between a good set and a crappy set) (maybe a 50% improvement)
H4 bulb- standard VX bulb
9003-VX sized bulb without the hi/lo abilities (cost is much less)
- and after many HID conversions on various vehicles, i refuse to order the H4's, i prefer to save the ($20-30) and buy some aftermarket driving lights... for some reason the high beams on the HID conversions just arent enough.. but a cheap set of Hella's ($60 at walmart) and they will definately light up the night when needed.
bulb color-
3000k- yellow
4500-10,000k - tints of blue and white (4500 being most blue and 10,000 is white)
12,000k - purple that you often see on acura's and older lexus'

this is all info that i've accumulated over the years and from personal experience.
the kits off this site are right around $100 for all the bells and whistles, and can get as low as $50 for a complete kit.

So hopefully you can see my confusion. Option #2 looks to be the better choice, but the price just looks too good to be true. Can anybody clear it up for me?

[VX KAT]

I'd like to know too Mav! Want to get some for Dave's FJ ...but put it off cuz I don't know which kit to get. Keep thinking there must be some difference in these two kits' quality or something...:_thinking Jack, can you see any difference between the two kits in build quality?

[vt_maverick]

Might be best to email Jack since he's not on the board every day. I'll ping him.

[LittleBeast]

Currently I feel the best product for your money will be found at: www.v-LEDs.com
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-HID-Headlights/H4-9003-HB2/HID-Kits-Bulbs/V-HIDS-35W-SLIM-BALLAST-p9274554.html

[MSHardeman]

I have the Xenon Rider Hi/Lo kit in my VX and haven't had a problem with it. I don't know the difference in the quality between the different kits, but I know the guy at Xenon Rider is super helpful, gave me a bit of a discount (and a baseball cap) and I've heard that his customer service is second to none.

My two cents.

[vt_maverick]

Currently I feel the best product for your money will be found at: www.v-LEDs.com
http://www.v-leds.com/Exterior-HID-Headlights/H4-9003-HB2/HID-Kits-Bulbs/V-HIDS-35W-SLIM-BALLAST-p9274554.html

Looks like all they offer are 35W kits. I'd be afraid they wouldn't be as bright as the 55W kits, as per Jack's post.

[vt_maverick]

You know now that I reread the XenonRider website I don't see where they say 35W or 55W either.

And maybe this is a differentiating factor between option #1 and #2? This is a quote from the XenonRider site:


3. You don't have to wait 5-7 seconds for the light to come on when you switch from low-beam to high-beam

[rowhard]

I have the Xenon Rider Hi/Lo kit in my VX and haven't had a problem with it. I don't know the difference in the quality between the different kits, but I know the guy at Xenon Rider is super helpful, gave me a bit of a discount (and a baseball cap) and I've heard that his customer service is second to none.

My two cents.

X2 plus I converted the Hella Micro DE's to them too. Joesph at Xenon Rider has always been been prompt and helpful whenever I had any issue's

[Moncha]

You know now that I reread the XenonRider website I don't see where they say 35W or 55W either.


Originally Posted by XenonRider
3. You don't have to wait 5-7 seconds for the light to come on when you switch from low-beam to high-beam

And maybe this is a differentiating factor between option #1 and #2? This is a quote from the XenonRider site:

Since the HID kits come with a Xenon capsule for producing the light, it is not the standard 2 filament design as we are used to. The capsule actually moves in and out (by way of a solenoid) of a shield, directing the light in a low/hi pattern. I too, have the XenonRider's kits replacing a kit previously purchased at a MUCH higher price. they are great! Very solid build, and the light produced is exceptional.

Speaking with Joseph, he threw in the smaller ballast packs for the same cost as the larger ones as a Christmas special. These definitely made mounting options more flexible.

Jack will have to be the one to attest to the brand he's used to be able to make comparisons.

[vt_maverick]

So while we're waiting on Jack, how difficult are these kits to install? I'm naively wishing that it's a matter of just plugging a ballast in-line and replacing the standard bulb, but somehow I have the feeling more significant electrical work is required. :(

[Moncha]

No, not really. Plug and play is it. The devil is in the details. How you run your wires, and place your ballasts is the part that takes the most time. I did Moncha and Laura's Pilot in about 3hrs.

[VX KAT]

So while we're waiting on Jack, how difficult are these kits to install? I'm naively wishing that it's a matter of just plugging a ballast in-line and replacing the standard bulb, but somehow I have the feeling more significant electrical work is required. :(

Remember Dub put one of my ballasts on top of the fuse box. It ain't pretty, but it's secure.

Also, Dub did ALL of it without taking the front bumper off... I think some guys did remove it. Not sure if it makes it easier or not. I think Dub did it all within 2-3 hrs.

[etlsport]

I did my kit in about 2 hours, maybe 2.5. I removed the front bumper completely and removed the headlights as well. mounted the balasts under each headlight, so they are completely hidden. I used double sided tape and zip ties to hold them in place, after about 2 years its still secure.

[atilla_the_fun]

So, I did mine from an e-bay kit:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280606271964&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_5493wt_1167

50W/55W Output Bi-Xenon HID KIT H13 H4 9004 9007 9008
Seller: Mydepots

The kit was really VERY high quality, and the install was relatively easy. I did it on the coldest day in Jan. and it went fine. The only issue was getting to the driver's side headlight, and I don't recommend REMOVING the front bumber. It is MUCH easier to remove the intake box (its three bolts).

I don't recommend spending that much on one of these kits, there are only two or three manufacturers of the ballasts in the world. Everything else is wires and cheap bulbs.


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/thumbs/photo-18.jpg (http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/19686)

[rowhard]

I did my kit in about 2 hours, maybe 2.5. I removed the front bumper completely and removed the headlights as well. mounted the balasts under each headlight, so they are completely hidden. I used double sided tape and zip ties to hold them in place, after about 2 years its still secure.

onto the bottom of the light assy, ...sweet. I fought with mine and installed them on the front of the radiator bulkhead.

[Ldub]

Remember Dub put one of my ballasts on top of the fuse box. It ain't pretty, but it's secure.

What can I say, I'm a K I S S kinda guy...:smilewink

Also, Dub did ALL of it without taking the front bumper off... I think some guys did remove it. Not sure if it makes it easier or not. I think Dub did it all within 2-3 hrs.

Coulda done it a LOT quicker without having to weigh the felony "hard time" / possible incarceration, in my tiny little caveman brane...(LG factor):laughing:

LOL

And yes, remove the air box...makes everything MUCH EZ-R :yesgray:

[VX KAT]

Dub I think it's fine there! :yeso:I can find it, I know what it is, hey it's perfect there! :thumbup: It just wouldn't be tidy enough for some, I believe.

[pbkid]

wow, this thread started yesterday and you guys are already harassing me because i havent responded? ;)


The ones i purchased from DDM tuning are 55w ballasts, with hi/lo beams, and ultra small/slim ballasts (probably 2"x2.5")

i've been extremely happy with their products as well as service. I had one of my bulbs pop because i touched it with my finger... called them, and they sent me a new one for $16 plus shipping.

Their bulbs were very accurate and bright on my VX, great cut off line with minimal glare.

i personally took my whole front end apart to install mine because i wanted it to all look factory when you looked under the hood. So i hid a lot of the kit behind the bumper like eric (etlsport) said.

I can explain the difference in cost to you, because my cousin actually lives 4or 5 blocks from ddm tuning. He runs an LS6 sand buggy with probably 10-12 headlights on it, all HID from DDM.
DDM tuning has a HUGE warehouse FULL of kits. My cousin tells me that their warehouse is the size of a home depot, full of HID kits. Basically, they are the wal mart of HIDs, so they can afford to sell them for less and repair/service them for little to nothing.

i would recommend them to all my VX friends and fam.

[pbkid]

heres a comparison picture for you.... this is the DDM hid kit next to Hella 55w halogen driving lights-


http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/3222/0421091521-00.jpg

[vt_maverick]

Sorry for buggin' you Jack, just didn't want the thread to fall down to the 2nd or 3rd page by the time you logged on next. Thanks so much for stopping by to help!!! :)

Do you experience any delay when switching between low and high beams? The XenonRider site makes it a point to say that their kits don't experience a "5-7 second delay."

[vt_maverick]

One more question Jack, what color are your HIDs? I believe Sue said hers were 6K "Plasma White," but I noticed on DDM's site that the color spectrum is slightly different with 55 vs. 35W ballasts.

[Moncha]

Ash,
Unless they are using 2 bulb capsules per side one for Hi one for Lo, no "Bi-Xenon" kit will have the delay as they all pretty much use the solenoid system I described earlier.

[vt_maverick]

Forgive a dumb question, but it seems like flipping one bulb off and another on would actually be faster than physically moving something with a solenoid? I'm sure there's something there I'm missing. :goof:

[VX KAT]

Forgive a dumb question, but it seems like flipping one bulb off and another on would actually be faster than physically moving something with a solenoid? I'm sure there's something there I'm missing. :goof:
It might sound like there should be a delay, but it's nearly instantaneous.
I'm guessing the light starts coming on before it's moved all the way to it's position maybe?....so it seems almost instant, and the distance it moves isn't that far.

BTW, I wrote to Joseph. today, got confirmation mine are 35Watt. Here's his email to me:

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your inquiry. The kits we offer are 35W HID kits: which is the same wattage as OEM HID kits on cars such as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc… We do have 50W HID kits as well but we usually do not recommend them as it is a bit of an over kill. The 35W HID kits already put out about 3 times more light as a typical 55W halogen bulb, so it is more than enough for the majority of our customers. The 50W HID kits will be more straining on your electrical system, will put more heat into your headlight and may be too bright to oncoming traffic.

We offer a very high quality HID kit and great customer service since we started in 2006.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Sincerely,
Joseph
www.xenonrider.com
626-378-8138

Jack's info on how large DDM is pretty much explains how they can offer them so much lower. I'd be willing to try them, but kinda feel disloyal to Joseph, weird huh?

[LittleBeast]

V-LEDs does not sell 55w HID kits because they are known to be too hot and end up melting the plastic in the headlights often.

I have Xenon Rider HID's in my VX currently and installed them in my brother and sister's cars, so I am in no way bashing Xenon Rider HID's I was the one that introduced them here, but I feel like now there are better/cheaper alternatives, 2 which are mentioned here in this thread.

[LittleBeast]

Forgive a dumb question, but it seems like flipping one bulb off and another on would actually be faster than physically moving something with a solenoid? I'm sure there's something there I'm missing. :goof:

The HID hi/low movement is so fast that when you flash back and forth really fast (without clicking all the way just enough to go hi and back to lo) it looks like a strobe light because it is instant. It is really fun to play around with. However turning on a whole other bulb while waiting for the other bulb to turn off actually takes quite a long time in comparison, we are talking instant with the HID and .5sec delay with the Halogen, really big difference :)

[Moncha]

.... but kinda feel disloyal to Joseph, weird huh?

Old school girl :bgwb:

Not bashing on anyone but, loyalty is no more. Price is King especially, nowadays.

I want an H3 kit for Moncha (Micro DEs) but that kit is more expensive than the H4 kits through Joseph.

Sue and Ryan are correct, the movement is very fast. The throw on the solenoid is less than 1/2 inch. The Xenon capsules are liking to a street light when powered, they take a bit to warm up, so a two bulb set up is not practical.

My main preach here is.... I LOVE HIDs!!!!

[mdwyer]

The HID hi/low movement is so fast that when you flash back and forth really fast (without clicking all the way just enough to go hi and back to lo) it looks like a strobe light because it is instant. It is really fun to play around with. However turning on a whole other bulb while waiting for the other bulb to turn off actually takes quite a long time in comparison, we are talking instant with the HID and .5sec delay with the Halogen, really big difference :)

You should ALWAYS go for the solenoid method on HIDs. It is much more difficult to start a hot HID bulb than it is to start a cold one. A ballast that doesn't support hot restrike could be damaged by being turned on hot. So instead, you should leave the bulb burning, and just move the optics.

[pbkid]

One more question Jack, what color are your HIDs? I believe Sue said hers were 6K "Plasma White," but I noticed on DDM's site that the color spectrum is slightly different with 55 vs. 35W ballasts.

looks like everyone else beat me to the answer regarding the hi/lo feature. And yes, mine is the same way, its a solenoid that moves extremely fast, it looks instantanious.

and i believe mine are 8k, i wanted a slight blue hue (similar to that of a BMW or mercedes)...

scott- i am surprised that the H3 kit is expensive, its a non-solenoid bulb so i would think that it would be fairly cheap. Check out ddmtuning.com, if you dont believe me, check out my headlights next time i see you.

oh, and on the 55w thing, i never had any issues with mine being 55w. At least when it comes to melting anything, both my VX and my Runner havent had problems. However, they are correct in the statement that it does seem bright to other drivers, i get a lot of people flashing me like my brights are on.
My take on it? if people are annoyed thinking that my brights are on, they are less likely to cut me off due to 'not seeing me at night'. I am DEFINATELY noticed in traffic at night, my girlfriend has been able to spot me in traffic 1/2 mile away, thats how much brighter my lights are than Halogens.

[vt_maverick]

So now that I've done all the research I think I'm going to try out Jack's option first since it's so much cheaper. After reading through the thread I think I'm going to stick with 35W and do the 5K option to try and keep the headlights from having a blue tint (as per DDM's website). Looks like the "H4/HB2/9003 Hi/Lo" kit is the one I want right? Also, do I need the "Dual-In, Dual-Out" HID harness?

[VX KAT]

Been thinking about this....How could they be different than other brands of the same temp? Isn't the temp consistent and non-changing? i.e. isn't a 6000k going to look the exact same as another brand 6000k? Any science geeks out there know this off the top of their head?

Also, just a reminder, my 6000k have no visual blue tint whatsoever to the naked eye, in person, just pure white...it's just in my photographs I perceived a slight blue tinge. :_thinking

[pbkid]

good luck, i think youll be happy :thumbup:

[vt_maverick]

good luck, i think youll be happy :thumbup:

Wait a sec, don't run off just yet! Did you see this?


Looks like the "H4/HB2/9003 Hi/Lo" kit is the one I want right? Also, do I need the "Dual-In, Dual-Out" HID harness?

:o Thanks!

[VXdoc]

I've Installed Hundreds Of These Kits... No Exagertation. Most Of These Companies Will Be Sub Companies Of Other Companies And So On. So You Think Your Buying A Brand And It Comes In Something Else. Also They Say Your Buying A 10k And Really It's A 6 - Or 8k. Another Way To Try And Get You To Buy Their Product. Find A Company That Has Good Reviews. You'll Want To Spend Around 100 Bucks. You Can Find Nice German Engineered Slim Ballast For Around That Price. My Personal Fav Is 12k. It's A Happy Medium. We Have 12k's In All Of Our Cars. If You Spend More That's Really Up To You. Hope That Helps.

Anthony

[pbkid]

Looks like the "H4/HB2/9003 Hi/Lo" kit is the one I want right? Also, do I need the "Dual-In, Dual-Out" HID harness?

im not sure as they didnt ask me about that when i bought mine.

i would guess that they are referring to whether your stock headlights are hi/lo in one bulb or two. your headlights on a VX in this case ARE hi/lo in one bulb, so you would want a dual in dual out. you can definately call them to double check though. They are really friendly over the phone.

[vt_maverick]

Sounds like a plan, thanks again Jack!

[LittleBeast]

http://www.bfxenon.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/colortemp.jpg
I have not installed "hundreds" of these kits but I have installed more than 10 of these kits and that is enough for me to say stay as far away from "12k" as possible unless you want the cheap "ricer" look. Most factory HIDs are 4-5k (I know I have had those too) and the more you move from this the cheaper and more "rice" your headlights will look. In my opinion 6k is a nice middle ground that gives you that pure white and just a very slight tint of blue that looks classy and not cheap ricer like 12k does.

[vt_maverick]

The reason I was considering the 5K was because of the two bulb charts below that came directly off of DDM Tuning's website. Honestly I think 5K or 6K would probably look great, but it is weird that different charts show different tones.

http://www.bfxenon.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/colortemp.jpghttp://www.ddmtuning.com/images/custom/hid-bulb-color-guide.jpghttp://www.ddmtuning.com/images/custom/hid-color-chart-projector.jpg

Sue are you sure you don't have 55W ballasts? It looks like 6K would be substantially more blue in 35W.

[tom4bren]

Ash,

I put 35W 6000K on Wifey's Eclipse a few months ago. They are true white with no hint of blue. IIRC, going to the 50W ballast caused the spectrum to shift higher so 6000K with the 50W will look more blue.

The only problem we've encountered is that 50% of the time when you turn on the lights, the driver's sided doesn't come on. Just turn the lights off & then back on & all is well. Still haven't figgered out why it's happening.

Tom

BTW, you can get away with low beam only version. The lights are bright enough that you prolly will never need high beams.

[LittleBeast]

The only problem we've encountered is that 50% of the time when you turn on the lights, the driver's sided doesn't come on. Just turn the lights off & then back on & all is well. Still haven't figgered out why it's happening.

Tom

BTW, you can get away with low beam only version. The lights are bright enough that you prolly will never need high beams.

I have had the same problem with the fog lights HID kit on the VX. This is normally a ground issue. Make sure you are using a good frame chasis ground with exposed metal and not paint or the negative terminal on the battery for ground.

He will need high beams to pass inspections.

[yellowgizmo99]

Tom how do you get it past inspector's?

[tom4bren]

YG,

Haven't had to get it inspected. If it's a problem, I'll just put the silver stars back in for the day.

LB,

Kit didn't have a ground wire. All connections were within the existing wire harness.

Tom

[VX KAT]

How could they be different than other brands of the same temp? Isn't the temp consistent and non-changing? i.e. isn't a 6000k going to look the exact same as another brand 6000k?


Anybody know the answer to this?
Maybe it's just their "charts" are slightly different?


Here's some interesting info I found:
http://www.hidfoglight.com/customerService/why6000k.html

[mdwyer]

im not sure as they didnt ask me about that when i bought mine.

i would guess that they are referring to whether your stock headlights are hi/lo in one bulb or two. your headlights on a VX in this case ARE hi/lo in one bulb, so you would want a dual in dual out. you can definately call them to double check though. They are really friendly over the phone.

If I read correctly, there's something about some wiring not being capable of passing enough electrons to strike the bulbs. Considering you run all new wires in the first place, it seems to me that it makes more sense to make a beefier harness in the first place.

Anyway, the dual-in/dual-out harness turns out to be an extra 40A relay and power cables that insert between the HID harness and the ballasts. It means a second tap on the battery and a second wire run across the radiator. You *might* need it for 55W systems, but I'm going to go out on a limb and see if I can get away without them. It seems needlessly complicated to me.

Tell you what, if it turns out that you need them and I don't, then I'll give you mine. :-P

[vt_maverick]

Deal!!! :D

[mdwyer]

Tell you what, if it turns out that you need them and I don't, then I'll give you mine. :-P

It appears I didn't need the harness. The lights are working great without it.

[LittleBeast]

Well if VT doesn't need them I would like to try the dual harness on my fog lights.

[vt_maverick]

Go ahead LB. I plan on doing whatever mdwyer did, so if he didn't need them, I won't either.

[Ldub]

FWIW...:_wrench:

Received my hi-lo kit with the free digital micro ballast upgrade (for mentioning Ryan, Sue, & VXinfo) today...:dance:

A HUGE improvement over the previous HID kit(s) I've owned. VERRRRRY happy that I purchased from Joseph. (xenonrider.com)

[VX KAT]

FWIW...:_wrench:

Received my hi-lo kit with the free digital micro ballast upgrade (for mentioning Ryan, Sue, & VXinfo) today...:dance:

A HUGE improvement over the previous HID kit(s) I've owned. VERRRRRY happy that I purchased from Joseph. (xenonrider.com)

Great to hear! Is it a newer ballast? Smaller than the "slim" ones that came with mine?

[Ldub]

Great to hear! Is it a newer ballast? Smaller than the "slim" ones that came with mine?

These are so small I needed an electron microscope to find them in the box they arrived in...:smilewink

JK...they looked the same as yours (IIRC)

[VX KAT]

These are so small I needed an electron microscope to find them in the box they arrived in...:smilewink

JK...they looked the same as yours (IIRC)
well, glad you happened to have your electron microscope handy today!:goof:

[Ldub]

well, glad you happened to have your electron microscope handy today!:goof:

Don't stay home without it...I always say...:yesgray:

Comes in right handy when evaluating/identifying certain "things"...:naughty:

[Moncha]

The slims are very sweet indeed!

[mdwyer]

The HID install went really well, and it convinced me to go off and do the rest of the system in LED.

That's where I ran into problems with DDM Tuning. Their products seem to be pretty good. I'm happy with them so far. But I am having no end of trouble with their ordering. I ordered 1156 bulbs and they shipped me 1157s. Normally, this would be a no-harm-no-foul kind of thing, but they are being pretty useless about making it right.

I expect an 'Oops! We messed up. Sorry! We'll send the right ones out immediately!'

Instead, I've been sitting on them for the better part of a week, and the only thing I've heard from them so far is, "Could you take a picture of them? Send it to an email address. But don't send it to an email address, because you have to log in first. Once you log in, you'll get an email to send. Then send it."

What?? :mado:

On top of all that, I can't get their tower LEDs to fit in the front turn signals. The clearance is JUST short. How long till I take the Dremel to 'em, I wonder...

So anyway, I can recommend DDM for their HID kits, but I wouldn't recommend them to my friends right now.

[pbkid]

The HID install went really well, and it convinced me to go off and do the rest of the system in LED.

That's where I ran into problems with DDM Tuning. Their products seem to be pretty good. I'm happy with them so far. But I am having no end of trouble with their ordering. I ordered 1156 bulbs and they shipped me 1157s. Normally, this would be a no-harm-no-foul kind of thing, but they are being pretty useless about making it right.

I expect an 'Oops! We messed up. Sorry! We'll send the right ones out immediately!'

Instead, I've been sitting on them for the better part of a week, and the only thing I've heard from them so far is, "Could you take a picture of them? Send it to an email address. But don't send it to an email address, because you have to log in first. Once you log in, you'll get an email to send. Then send it."

What?? :mado:

On top of all that, I can't get their tower LEDs to fit in the front turn signals. The clearance is JUST short. How long till I take the Dremel to 'em, I wonder...

So anyway, I can recommend DDM for their HID kits, but I wouldn't recommend them to my friends right now.

interesting michael, i have never tried any of their other lighting products other than their HID's.

Headlight wise, i havent had any issues. Interesting to know though, thanks.

[vt_maverick]

So anyway, I can recommend DDM for their HID kits, but I wouldn't recommend them to my friends right now.

Hmmm... not so sure I can recommend them as an HID source either, at least based on my ordering experience so far.

I ordered an HID kit from them last Sunday (8 days ago). I heard nothing for three days, so I went to the "Support" page on their website to see who I could email. Unfortunately their support page is missing. Check it out:

https://www.ddmtuning.com/support/

So I just replied to the email that sent my order receipt, but got nothing. On Friday I finally got an email indicating that my order had been "fulfilled" and shipped. The USPS tracking number showed that my order had been picked up at its origin... IN CHINA. Apparently it arrived in New York sometime yesterday, but there's been no update since. I've had bad experiences in the past with packages being seized at NY customs, so let's hope it makes it.

Maybe I should have called them before now... but then again maybe their website should work and they should indicate UP FRONT that although they're based in California they direct-ship from China.

FYI.

[LittleBeast]

Got my last large order from V-LEDs within 3-5 business days, it was an order for the projector conversion kit, HID kit, wiring harness, and a bunch of LED's. Well the harnesses was the wrong style, called them, they sent another one that day and I got it within the week. Then I noticed that there was one item missing called them and they just trusted me and they shipped it out to me got here within 3-5 days once again.

[vt_maverick]

Ditto on V-LEDs service so far, I ordered a bunch of stuff Monday and had it on Thursday of the same week.

[vt_maverick]

So now that I've done all the research I think I'm going to try out Jack's option first since it's so much cheaper. After reading through the thread I think I'm going to stick with 35W and do the 5K option to try and keep the headlights from having a blue tint (as per DDM's website). Looks like the "H4/HB2/9003 Hi/Lo" kit is the one I want right? Also, do I need the "Dual-In, Dual-Out" HID harness?

Got my HIDs installed last night with a little help from Billy (yellowgizmo99). And by little help I mean he did everything while I held the flashlight and his beer. ;) I went with the 5K and they are truly white with no hint of blue - you can tell because the LEDs in my fog lamps now look blue by comparison. Billy installed some ultra-bright LEDs in his fog lamps that would match my new HIDs very well... :naughty:

I won't give this kit my formal seal of approval until I've driven around with them for awhile. But so far $60 isn't looking bad at all...

:thumbup:

[etlsport]

Glad it worked out.. :thumbup:

I just got my first HID kit from V-LEDs for Allison's civic, the install was super easy and the kit was very nicely put together. Only issue i had is that after installation we discovered that the bulbs were two different colors :cryb: I emailed them and they responded within 12 hours and the new bulb arrived within 3 days. Very pleased with them!

[WillyLin]

I didn't know VX uses H4 bulb until I see this post. I got a kit from DDM 35W 4300k 9004 hi/lo kit. they work okay but light pattern isn't as good as the H4 bulb light. hi lo works great, I aim my lights a little down so won't blind people in front and oncoming traffic.

[VX KAT]

Billy installed some ultra-bright LEDs in his fog lamps that would match my new HIDs very well... :naughty:



These lights are freakishly bright! ya gotta getcha some! And they stay cool, no fear of melting the housing at all. But probably get the ones on ebay that Billy got, as they're $100 cheaper than mine :rollo:, but at least I have a lifetime warranty. And yes, either set would match your new HIDs...aren't those thing amazing, simply amazing??!!

Here's the ones Billy has:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260727516536&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT#ht_3653wt_1047

http://www.24x7diy.com/pic/bl5501.jpg




Here's the ones I got: they're the 40 degree light pattern, they come in 20 degrees also.
http://www.visionxusa.com/LED-Solstice_Prime/c1_106/index.html?osCsid=6f34d4f06e4be95ad2eae0014f11fed8
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showpost.php?p=228509&postcount=654

http://www.visionxusa.com/images/new_solo_main_331.jpg