I have a factory HID out. I purchased new bulbs online and it looks like the ballast is out. Where is the ballast located and do I need to remove the front bumper to get to it?

Will an aftermarket ballast work? How much wiring is involved?

I just want to have an assessment before trying to tackle this one.

Thanks all,
Brian

 

The ballast should be located below the headlight assembly. I believe they are screwed into the bottom of it. Yes, you will need to pull off the bumper cover to access a few mounting screws for the headlight. As far as ballasts go, from honda, its gonna cost you more than you even want to imagine. There is a company called DDM tuning (http://www.ddmtuning.com/) that sells ballasts, both 35 and 55 watt for like $45. I know that sounds stupid cheap, but Ive heard pretty good reviews about them, and they come with a lifetime warranty as well. Id say thats gonna be your best bet. Ive used oe ballasts and aftermarket ones and the only thing ive ever noticed that was different is sometimes the aftermarket ones take a few seconds longer to fully turn on (shift to white), but at a price difference of a few hundred dollars, I can deal with it and its never been a problem. Wiring them is about as idiot-proof as it gets. Just buy a harness and connect + to +, - to - and youre all set

 

Yes it will work and you will have to wire it and yes the front bumper comes off

 

Thanks for the info. I called DDM tuning and the salesman told me that their kit wouldnt work on a car with factory HID without a lot of cutting and splicing since I have a factory ballast, but what you said is that it is only a positive and negative wire. They also said as soon as I cut or splice their kit, it voids the warranty. Their kits are cheap but want to make sure it is compatible with the vehicle before not only purchasing it but disassembling my front bumper. Anyone had experience with these kits?

 

Buy/make a wire harness that draws power from your battery and uses a relay to activate it. A simple switch will bypass any need to cut any wires on the oe harness.

Honestly, considering what it will cost you new from the dealership, id say $45 is well worth a try. if it doesnt work, sell it or just eat the cost...if it does work, you just saved yourself somewhere in the $500 neighborhood

 

I ended up buying a full replacement kit from carid.com. I purchased a 9006 wiring harness from autozone that worked just perfect. It took me about 3 hours to remove the bumper, install the lights, and replace everything.

This was a relatively easy fix and so much cheaper than replacing with oe parts.

 

How much did the wiring harness run you?