DDM Tuning HID Kits

[ej063090]

Has anyone used DDM Tuning HID kit in their Highlander? A co-worker has a 2009 Highlander and is looking for higher light output. I am thinking he would be better off with an upgraded headlight bulb, but he wants more info on the HID kits. I have the kit in my 2010 Corolla and it is great. I also suggested to him a fog light system, which greatly enhances vison when in use. Any recommendations?

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by ej063090

Has anyone used DDM Tuning HID kit in their Highlander? A co-worker has a 2009 Highlander and is looking for higher light output. I am thinking he would be better off with an upgraded headlight bulb, but he wants more info on the HID kits. I have the kit in my 2010 Corolla and it is great. I also suggested to him a fog light system, which greatly enhances vison when in use. Any recommendations?

oh boy...... dear god please stay away from HID in stock fogs (more on that in a sec).

-I have only ever used DDM tunings hardware in my highlander (i have had a 35 watt digital, 35 watt analog, and 55 watt digital (currently on headlights) ballasts). A lot of people say they are bad on reliability, but I have never had issues in the past 2-3 years. Compared to OEM ballasts, they warm up slower to full brightness, and draw more amps on start-up (wire-harness is a must with HID's). Some say reliability will be an issue, but again I have never once had my ballasts fail (Now my DDM tuning wireharness did, I made a custom one after that), and I have put them under abuse. Now their bulbs are another story. There are rumors that they only sell 3 colors of bulbs (even though their website says 6-7 different color temps). 4.3k bulbs are the brightest hands down, and is the color of OEM HID's. 5k is about 200-400 lumens less than 4.3k, 6k is FAR less. So for the sake of getting lumens stick with 4.3k or 5k. Though DDMtunings bulbs are questionable in that regard. I ordered 4.3k bulbs from them (during PnP age haha) and they were correct, my friend ordered 5k bulbs and they were more like 6k-7k. I think their 5k is actually a 6k bulb with a sticker on it for a 5k (there are threads on other forums about that). I would definitly stick with 4.3k if you order from them. (***Correction DDM's version of the 4.3k bulb is a 4.5k bulb, that is what I got from them***)

-putting HID's in halogen reflectors, you are going to blind everyone (ESPECIALLY fogs). The highlander fogs do not have a built in bulb cap. It relies on the H11's built in bulb cap to prevent glare. You put a rebased HID bulb in there (which do not have a bulb cap) and you have 2 highbeam housings on the corners of your bumpers, and it will blind everyone on the road. (I used to have PnP in both my headlights and fogs, I know from experience) The headlights aren't as bad with HID as they do aim more than the fogs (and have built in bulb caps), but its actually hurts your vision more. Halogen reflectors give a narrow beam over a distance, while hid projectors give a wide beam over a distance. If you put a hid bulb in the halogen reflector your going to get 2-3x as much light in that narrow beam. Your eyes are going to adjust to that very high foreground lighting and you will lose all vision to the sides + it will kill your distance vision.

- only way to correctly have HID's is to retrofit hid projectors into the headlight. Yes HID in halogen reflectors do put more light on the road, but only in a small area and it will be too bright in that area. The hid projector will take that light and spread it out real wide to even out the light output.

-I would say try upgrading the halogen bulbs (Osram Night Breakers are good, stay from slyvania silverstar ultra's, if you do get slyvania use the Xtravision's. From what I understand they are basically the silverstar ultra's without the blue coating (which kills lumens) in other words xtravision is brighter, but not whiter.) OR use a catz zeta sytem. Its basically ballasts for halogen bulbs, but you can use stock halogen bulbs. The ballasts input the ~13.5 volts from the car running and outputs ~15 volts to the bulb. It increase the lumen output ot around 2000-2500 vs ~1300 lumens stock.

Sorry if that came off as a rant hahaha didn't mean to, just trying to say everything that needed to be said

[JustSo]

Originally Posted by sweeneyp

- only way to correctly have HID's is to retrofit hid projectors into the headlight. Yes HID in halogen reflectors do put more light on the road, but only in a small area and it will be too bright in that area. The hid projector will take that light and spread it out real wide to even out the light output.

I agree with what he is saying here. I put a set of DDM 4.3k in my 2011 Highlander last year. The output was brighter than the stock halogen bulbs, but it wasn't spread out as cleanly or evenly as a true HID system. The headlights always appeared to be shining too high, lighting up other drivers faces whether traffic was oncoming or simply driving in the lane beside me. I swapped back to the halogen bulbs after a month or so and am glad to have the proper lighting the Highlander's halogen projectors were designed for.

[Limited11]

I had ddm, ballast on one side went bad after 5 months, took it all out.

[balot64]

Puting DDM in highlander are waist of money and you will have some problem, there are time or multiple times it don't lit up. Thats according to my experience, I even make my own wiring. Retrofit are the best way but once you have retrofit, you still want to upgrade again for better. You can ask Sweeneyp. Tacoma world are about to do a group buy again with 25% off on any kit from TRS. I even bought a set of FX-R HID kit for my next car. Yeah my wife was laughing at me.

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by balot64

you still want to upgrade again for better. You can ask Sweeneyp.

hahaha yep. Acura TL HID projectors are going into the headlights in the next few months

[kingnba6]

i run ddm tuning 55 digital AC slim 6k on my motorcycle. and you know motorcycles always have the lights on and my ballasts are still working. and bulbs are still working. no color change or anything.

the best way to make use of hids is to put them in projectors. even putting them in halogen projectors is better than nothing. but the best would be to hit up "retrofit source" and do an retrofit. but that requires time and skill and patience. but at the end its worth it. you can even buy those halo projector headlights from ebay and use them

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by kingnba6

but the best would be to hit up "retrofit source".......you can even buy those halo projector headlights from ebay and use them

2nd'd on the retrofit source, very good store - higher quality parts (ballasts, wireharnesses, bulbs, and projectors) compared to DDM.

Also I wouldn't advise those ebay projectors. Their outputs are pretty lousy when hid kits are put in them.
(from Sanf's ebay projector headlights post)

generic ebay projector housing below

more on hids in reflector housings from a forum I'm a member of:
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/show...d-fail-gallery

[kingnba6]

either you get the smiley face, frowning face or the no cutoff. sweeneyp should start making and selling them. youll get profit i hope.