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2010 mazda3 s sport, converting to HID

39K views 75 replies 37 participants last post by  ajlee613 
#1 ·
First of all, I have a new 2010 mazda3 s sport and I would like to convert my headlights to the HIDd, just like the GT has. I've talked with the dealer and they said it'll cost upwards of $3000. Seemed a bit much, maybe they misunderstood.

Anyways, Ive also been looking around the forum an I'm looking for someone who has put the HIDs on their 2010 3, how difficult it was, what brand and type you used, and whether or not it has given you and problems so far. I want a good brightness without having an overly "blue" light. I'd I can match the GT, that would be great. Thanks for any help or advice anyone can lend me!
 
#52 ·
I didn't even get double sided tape. I got some bullshit zipties. Had to go to Home Depot to get some exterior double sided tape. It's been holding up great.
 
#53 ·
[quote author=Raven71 link=topic=159124.msg3747973#msg3747973 date=1280617424]
I didn't even get double sided tape. I got some bullshit zipties. Had to go to Home Depot to get some exterior double sided tape. It's been holding up great.
[/quote]

damn they really gave you a sand paper reach around
 
#54 ·
[quote author=Liustyle link=topic=159124.msg3515824#msg3515824 date=1264546627]
No, it will not void the warranty. I did not buy the extra harness as well. Get some 3M tape to mount and nest the ballast somewhere in your engine compartment. I have one of my ballast placed on my fuse box, the other wedged against the light fixture.

For pure performance go with 4500k. This gives the most visible light.

For sacrificing some visible light for looks, go with 5000-6000k, it will give a bluer hue. Anything above is more in a danger zone with cops.
[/quote]


Not so much this, but that the light is useless to your eyes at night. Instead you strain your eyes and brain and it can stress you out, make you tired, and accident prone.

Just my 2 cents.
 
#55 ·
yeah, I bought verleco double sided tape and mounted them on the close to fenders, so far so good!!!
 
#56 ·
Hello I got a question to ask you

that I recently bought Mazda 3 i touring 2010.

and I would like to replace my headlight to zenon light

Do I need to buy bixenon? or just xenon?

and I am looking for H13 or 9004 (both are low and high beams)

is 5000k enough for my car?

does wattage matter?

Thanks
 
#57 ·
buy 35w.

5000k is great.... get 6000k if you want super white with more of a blueish tint


with your model car the one you need is a xenon light.... no bi-xenon ( bi-xenon are for the grand touring )


why are you looking for H13? the i touring has H11's don't they?
 
#61 ·
Hello! We just got our new M3 sport and, of course, want to install HID beams (low beams). The high beams are really good, so my question is: when I install the kit, it will affect the low beams only, correct? Can I keep switching between high beams (halogen) and low beams (hids) normally?

Thanks.
 
#62 ·
[quote author=sermend75 link=topic=159124.msg3894399#msg3894399 date=1293678086]
Hello! We just got our new M3 sport and, of course, want to install HID beams (low beams). The high beams are really good, so my question is: when I install the kit, it will affect the low beams only, correct? Can I keep switching between high beams (halogen) and low beams (hids) normally?

Thanks.
[/quote]

Yes, but be aware that when you flash your high beams, the low beams also come on. This is bad for HID's because they need to be fully warmed up and left on for a minimum of a minute before they are shut off or else you'll be lowering the life of the bulbs and ballast.

There is a guide in the forums on how to get the high beams to flash without the low beams coming on, but it involves taking apart your turn signal/lighting stalk and dremeling a electrical connection between the lows and highs.
 
#63 ·
I just went from a 2008 to a 2011, and the squirrel finders look like they bleed through a lot more light (albeit in a more controlled shape). The pics on page 2 (http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=159124.msg3714044#msg3714044) also look like a lot more glare than the previous style projectors with HIDs.

Can anyone who has done a conversion comment on this? Do you get flashed often? Has anyone opened up the 2010+s and ground down the light bleeder yet?

On the plus side, the high beams are absolutely phenomenal compared to the 2008.
 
#64 ·
I have 55w 6000k DDM's in my low beams and have not been flashed at all since I installed them last February.

I did slightly adjust the squirrel finder tabs in the headlight housing though. When the bulb is out, you can push the squirrel finder tabs down more to lower the level of light coming through. I have small hands, so I was able to stick my middle finger in the bulb housing and push down on the tab, but you could probably use the eraser end of a pencil to do it too.

The only problem with this method is adjusting the tabs back if you push them down too far. I don't think the tabs would handle repeated adjustments too well and just completely break off.

If you can find it, in the 2010 lighting section, "uphashi" posted about our 2010 Koito projectors and pictures of the inside of the projectors.
 
#65 ·
I was told by a mazda tech that the HID conversion can ruin thed housing on your Headlights because of the type of plastic used on the lens. Apparently the HID bulbs can cause a melting or warping of the lens due to the different temperature or something. Anyone had this happen?
 
#67 ·
[quote author=sotrbox link=topic=159124.msg3898583#msg3898583 date=1294235014]
I was told by a mazda tech that the HID conversion can ruin thed housing on your Headlights because of the type of plastic used on the lens. Apparently the HID bulbs can cause a melting or warping of the lens due to the different temperature or something. Anyone had this happen?
[/quote]

Plenty of people on this board have had aftermarket HID lights with no ill effects on the headlight housings. I had 55w HIDs on my old 2004 Mazda 6 for 4 years with no problems at all.

Also, the stock HIDs do not use a different material for the headlight housing, only a different projector, so then the point that the tech you spoke to was trying to make would apply to stock HIDs as well.

[quote author=250 link=topic=159124.msg3900921#msg3900921 date=1294389218]
does anybody do 35w HIDs for low beam and 55w HIDs for high beam conversion? or is that not really practical?
[/quote]

Not practical. HIDs require 15-30 seconds to warm up and a minute or two of continuous operation before powering them down (or else you'll lower the life of the bulbs and ballasts). Unless you live in an area where you can leave you high beams on for minutes at a time, you'll be wasting your money and reducing the HID kit's life. You'd be better served by getting 55w for your low beams and be done with it.
 
#68 ·
Well, I'm ready to get the 35W HID but will only need one more feedback from users: when driving with the high beams on (halogen), being said that the low beams will be on as well (with aftermarket HID), power pulled from both lights on will be a problem? Anyone who has done this already? Any experiences?
Thanks.
 
#71 ·
[quote author=bhfang link=topic=159124.msg3958549#msg3958549 date=1299766125]
I'm planning on getting 35w 8000k HIDs for my low beams from DDM Tuning, but I'm unsure if I'll need the extra wiring like the error code eliminator, the dual in, dual out HID harness, and the adapter cables.
[/quote]
You do not need error code eliminator. You do not need any thing. It's plug and play..... They send you the box open the box walk out to your car "twist" and unlock your build from housing unclasp your bulb from harness and just plug your factory harness into it's receiver on the kit and "plug" the wires from the ballast into the "plugs" on the bulb reinsert bulb back into the housing the same way you took it out. The only thing that is a question is "where" YOU want to mount the ballast. I'll put it this way my 4 year old daughter plugged my ballast up for me. She figured out black goes with black and red goes with red that's how easy this is.
 
#72 ·
[quote author=quantumphreak link=topic=159124.msg3958588#msg3958588 date=1299767607]
[quote author=bhfang link=topic=159124.msg3958549#msg3958549 date=1299766125]
I'm planning on getting 35w 8000k HIDs for my low beams from DDM Tuning, but I'm unsure if I'll need the extra wiring like the error code eliminator, the dual in, dual out HID harness, and the adapter cables.
[/quote]
You do not need error code eliminator. You do not need any thing. It's plug and play..... They send you the box open the box walk out to your car "twist" and unlock your build from housing unclasp your bulb from harness and just plug your factory harness into it's receiver on the kit and "plug" the wires from the ballast into the "plugs" on the bulb reinsert bulb back into the housing the same way you took it out. The only thing that is a question is "where" YOU want to mount the ballast. I'll put it this way my 4 year old daughter plugged my ballast up for me. She figured out black goes with black and red goes with red that's how easy this is.
[/quote]

Thanks for the help, I'm actually helping a friend hook up HIDs to his Mazda3, because I'm not use to the Mazda3 setup since they don't run on DRL's like the Lancers. I was use to setting up HIDs to my Lancer since I knew the car inside out. And again thank you for the help.
 
#73 ·
[quote author=quantumphreak link=topic=159124.msg3958588#msg3958588 date=1299767607]
[quote author=bhfang link=topic=159124.msg3958549#msg3958549 date=1299766125]
I'm planning on getting 35w 8000k HIDs for my low beams from DDM Tuning, but I'm unsure if I'll need the extra wiring like the error code eliminator, the dual in, dual out HID harness, and the adapter cables.
[/quote]
You do not need error code eliminator. You do not need any thing. It's plug and play..... They send you the box open the box walk out to your car "twist" and unlock your build from housing unclasp your bulb from harness and just plug your factory harness into it's receiver on the kit and "plug" the wires from the ballast into the "plugs" on the bulb reinsert bulb back into the housing the same way you took it out. The only thing that is a question is "where" YOU want to mount the ballast. I'll put it this way my 4 year old daughter plugged my ballast up for me. She figured out black goes with black and red goes with red that's how easy this is.
[/quote]

Excellent, I was just about to ask the same thing. Thanks for the help!
 
#74 ·
It's really a super easy install, as mentioned a few times already, you get everything you need when you order the kit. I would suggest getting the industrial velcro or a more heavy duty double sided tape though, after a month or two, the double sided tape had already baked and become useless in my ms3.

I'd also suggest getting the LED bulb replacement for the fogs, they look sick and in my opinion actually get light onto the ground.
 
#75 ·
[quote author=thieves link=topic=159124.msg4068111#msg4068111 date=1310370702]
It's really a super easy install, as mentioned a few times already, you get everything you need when you order the kit. I would suggest getting the industrial velcro or a more heavy duty double sided tape though, after a month or two, the double sided tape had already baked and become useless in my ms3.

I'd also suggest getting the LED bulb replacement for the fogs, they look sick and in my opinion actually get light onto the ground.
[/quote]

Did you just get the LED's from Corksport for your fogs?
 
#76 ·
http://www.retrosolutionsllc.com/servlet/the-411/H11-SLIM-NIGHTVISION-XENON/Detail

i have these on my car, i went through a bunch of HID kits including DDM, cheap no name brands etc.

these so far seem to be the best and most stable.

and about DDM only 1 out of 5 products i got from them worked. i asked for a refund and they said they would charge me a 30% restocking fee and i would have to pay shipping, for THEIR faulty product. i found this to be so ridiculous i simply gave up on them.


HID instalation is about the easiest mod you can do, everything is simply plug and play. but i highly reccomend getting a wiring harness to make absolutly sure there will be no flickering or odd ball thigns like one light turning on and one not etc.
 
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