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Old May 14, 2013 | 04:56 PM
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MI HID headlights.

Hey guys I was just wondering if I can still buy this:
DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits

Even though my RX8 came stock with HID's I was going to change the color to a 5k or 6k and was going to buy the 55watt ballast. Would this set up still work? because I am planning on matching the fog lights with the low beams.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:00 PM
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if it came with HIDs you just need the bulb

and dont get a 55w ballast....honestly there is really not much difference, not to mention it washes out the colors over time. Also you will need to set up an external relay to not risk damaging oem wiring.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:04 PM
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Also, for anyone looking to do an HID convert (incase it comes up in a search):

honestly, i would go with this as opposed to DDM:

D2S: Morimoto Elite HID System - HID Systems from The Retrofit Source Inc

select the 35w, H7 relay, and ideally the phillips bulb if you dont mind the cost, else get the 3Five 6000K.

Far better quality than DDM at a similar price.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:41 PM
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Similar price? That is three times what the DDM kit costs. My factory headlights were worn out after 10 years and I had already had one OEM ballast fail so I bought a far cheaper set of brand new Koito halogen headlight housings and then installed the DDM H7 slim ballast kit and it has been working great and the light is better than the stock ones and all I went with is 5000k.

I also just did this last weekend on another members 8 and he is pumped since he just had his entire car repainted and the 10 year old headlights looked like ****.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:45 PM
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Ok but will I be able to connect the DDM ballast into the OEM wires seeing that I already have stock HID's?

Also will look into those morimoto's.

Thanks for the reply!
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:49 PM
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You will cut the power wires to power the aftermarket ballasts. But if you have HID's already there is no reason to get aftermarket ballasts, just replace the bulbs (D2S). Now if you are swapping factory Xenon (HID) headlight housings for Halogen ones then yes you need an aftermarket kit because the OEM ballasts are located in the headlight assembly. You will also lose the autoleveling function but I have yet to notice a difference since I lost that so I am not sure what it ever did,
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:54 PM
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Is the stock ballast a 35w or 55w? cause i am planning on matching those with my fog lights.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 05:55 PM
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The wattage has nothing to do with the color.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 06:21 PM
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I mean the ballast makes how bright it is right?
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Old May 14, 2013 | 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Ong2764
I mean the ballast makes how bright it is right?
Not quite
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Old May 14, 2013 | 07:56 PM
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Oh really? i just dont want to mismatch the fog and lowbeam headlights haha.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 09:10 PM
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A 55watt kit will generally give more luminens. But as with anything it depends on the specific hardware you are dealing with. My ddm kit has worked okay but I also bought a second kit to keep in reserve for that day it fails. I am sure a high end 55watt kit would be better than a 55watt ddm kit. For me lighting is a no issue so I just need it to be functional, looks are not a major concern. Gotta pay to play.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 09:19 PM
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Okay i have been wanting to change my halogen to HIDs and have some questions on what to order.

DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits


Wattage: 35watt
Bulb Type: H7
Bulb Color: 5000k

and i added to the order Mounting brackets along with a HID harness.

I picked these options, was just wondering if thats all i needed to change from halogen to HIDs.

Thanks in advance :D
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Old May 14, 2013 | 10:05 PM
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dont forget the H7 spacer. Link should be right on that page somewhere.
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Old May 14, 2013 | 10:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Ong2764
Is the stock ballast a 35w or 55w? cause i am planning on matching those with my fog lights.

35w
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Old May 14, 2013 | 10:51 PM
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thanks paimon! Ordering now

---Just to make sure, http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/H7-Spacer is what im looking for right?

Last edited by taemo89; May 14, 2013 at 11:00 PM.
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Old May 15, 2013 | 05:31 AM
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thats the one.
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Old May 22, 2013 | 06:46 PM
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So i just got my hid kit in and was looking at the install guide from DDM. It says that you have to drill a hole into low beam dust cover. Will i have to do that for the rx8?I couldnt really find a DIY on here for the hid kit. So is it better to take off the bumper? or take off the wheel and fender lining and install from there?
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Old May 22, 2013 | 06:59 PM
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you dont have to drill/cut a hole in the dust boot. The way I did it was to pull the center of the dust boot back towards the engine bay .... think of the way a shift boot looks. This allows enough room for the wiring to slip through along with the rubber seal that is on the DDM wire.

I personally removed the bumper and the headlight assembly to make sure I mounted everything as straight as possible, plus i didn't have to worry about fishing through a wheel well.
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Old May 22, 2013 | 07:07 PM
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I see, where did you mount the ballast? Thanks again :D
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Old May 22, 2013 | 07:28 PM
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there is plenty of room behind the headlight assembly to tuck the ballast away in
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Old May 22, 2013 | 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by taemo89
I see, where did you mount the ballast? Thanks again :D

There should be a ballast compartment in there, isn't it?
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Old May 22, 2013 | 07:38 PM
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compartment? no ... ballasts are typically mounted under a headlight housing in OEM applicaitons.
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Old May 22, 2013 | 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by paimon.soror
compartment? no ... ballasts are typically mounted under a headlight housing in OEM applicaitons.

That's what i meant to say...
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Old May 22, 2013 | 08:35 PM
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Ok one last stupid question i promise LOL. I was trying to put the spacer on and the positive and neg wires go on np cause i can just slip it through the middle. but I cant get the h7 spacer onto the wires coming from the hid bulb because it is too thick.
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