BI-Xenon upgrade options found vRS AFSII

[mabnz]

Right, got the 45W ballasts fitted, after a long treacherous battle with the two metric bolts in each corner of the bumper. What a terrible place for them! 

 

I learned a few things which I thought I'd share. Firstly a HUGE thanks to xpower for his quick responses to my late-night questions, you're a champ.  Thanks also to aki78 for his advice on marking the headlight pattern on my garage wall; it was literally invaluable. 

 

If you're doing this yourself:

 

1. Buy one of these, it will make removing those hard to remove bolts a little easier (they are still bloody annoying and make up for 60% of the time it took to do the job. If they weren't there the job would take all of about an hour, maybe 2.)
2. The bolts are T25, not T20. Once I realised that all was well.
3. Mark your headlight pattern (the entire beam pattern including the bumps) on your garage wall. It will make putting the headlights back easier as you won't need to try and remember where the bolts were, as you'll have the pattern in front of you.
4. The two clips in the centre of the bumper which 'hold it on' and act as some sort of a guide, I was concerned about breaking. Note, you will need to press them with a medium amount of force (whilst simultaneously pushing the bumper slightly inwards, then pulling it out (pushing inwards relives pressure on the clips so they can unclip)). I've included some photos below of the clips for illustration purposes.

 

This is what you're pressing down on to release the front bumper clips.

 

The clip goes inserted in here when the bumper goes back on.

 

These are the two plugs to disconnect which hold all connections going to the bumper. Mine were on the passenger side (RHD). I couldn't actually get the connections apart but there was enough slack in them to just let the bumper sit on the ground close to the car, and obviously enough room to allow me to remove the headlights.

 

Note, the 45W ballasts I installed make a very audible buzzing noise when they first turn on. After about 20 seconds, this quietens and turns into a high pitched sound only barely audible. Time will tell if they are reliable I guess.

 

Videos to illustrate difference coming soon..

Edited 21 January, 2017 by mabnz

[mabnz]

Tried them tonight, very pleased! The Morimotos are definitely a step up in terms of quality from the Yeakys (IMHO); I'm undecided if they're as good as stock quality-wise, but I'm loving the colour. For fun I put the old 4300K Phillips back in, waaaay too yellow for me @ 45W. Ballasts for anyone interested are here.

 

One thing I didn't mention in my post earlier is that the two metric bolts in the corners of the bumper are actually quite easy to remove once you figure out the angle you need the torx driver at. After a LOT of trial and error on one side, tightening the other side back up was fairly straightforward. Hope this helps someone else.

 

Edited 21 January, 2017 by mabnz

[BATVANVRS]

Well done mabnz  B) A very good guide & useful information  :thumbup: I hope that you will be happy with the results after all that work.

[BATVANVRS]

Tried them tonight, very pleased! The Morimotos are definitely a step up in terms of quality from the Yeakys (IMHO); I'm undecided if they're as good as stock quality-wise, but I'm loving the colour. For fun I put the old 4300K Phillips back in, waaaay too yellow for me @ 45W.

 

One thing I didn't mention in my post earlier is that the two metric bolts in the corners of the bumper are actually quite easy to remove once you figure out the angle you need the torx driver at. After a LOT of trial and error on one side, tightening the other side back up was fairly straightforward. Hope this helps someone else.

 

 

Definitely look far better to me in that video  :) compared to the other vids, you can clearly see that there much brighter compared to stock & I don't know if my eyes are deceiving me but it seems the light/beam projects further down the road with the morimotos!

 

Something I might definitely consider now (changing the ballasts) What ballasts do you buy mabnz.

[mabnz]

The ballasts are here.

[johnrowley]

Interesting stuff guys - was put off by the bumper removal so have gone the way of the osram nightbreaker xenarc. Was not expecting much improvement from xpowers comments but really am pleasantly surprised. Dipped beam is definitely better though the cut off still seems too short , your morimotos look better in this respect. However at speed on motorways or suitable stretches there is significant improvement over stock. The colour is visibly whiter but not by much - actually very pleased with them

I'll post some dash cam footage soon

[Gizmo]

I ordered my mori's from the retrofit source in the US, they came pretty quick if I remember.

I'm running D2S though not D3S

 

Why did you choose DS2 over D3S?

 

I see the D3S is dearer, but is it any better? 

[aki78]

Nice job mabnz :clap:

[ahenners]

Interesting stuff guys - was put off by the bumper removal so have gone the way of the osram nightbreaker xenarc. Was not expecting much improvement from xpowers comments but really am pleasantly surprised. Dipped beam is definitely better though the cut off still seems too short , your morimotos look better in this respect. However at speed on motorways or suitable stretches there is significant improvement over stock. The colour is visibly whiter but not by much - actually very pleased with them

I'll post some dash cam footage soon

Good to know, I fancy changing the stock bulbs but was put off given previous comments and price. Looking forward to the footage

[flybynite]

Any reason people are not using the morimoto ballasts at 55w? I don't know if they fit the D3s. They seem to only do D2S ballasts or ones for "AMP style inputs" not sure if that is what the D3S uses? Of these they only do 35w and 55w

What is the advantage of the 45w slimline versions?

[xpower]

Why did you choose DS2 over D3S?

I see the D3S is dearer, but is it any better?

With D2S there are higher wattage options available. 35w, 50w, 55w, 75w, 100w

That was the only reason, I also didn't realise the 45w D3S ballast was available at that point.

A D3S system has no performance advantage as far as I am aware. They do use lower operating voltages in the power cables though.

Any reason people are not using the morimoto ballasts at 55w? I don't know if they fit the D3s. They seem to only do D2S ballasts or ones for "AMP style inputs" not sure if that is what the D3S uses? Of these they only do 35w and 55w

What is the advantage of the 45w slimline versions?

The morimotos only fit AMP or D2S connections, D3S is a completely different output voltage

[johnrowley]

Not the best weather - but misty 

shows the osrams and the wacky directional xenons!

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xr9dbl4hfgqsrnv/20170127_201748_N.mp4?dl=0

[BATVANVRS]

Morimotos received last night D3s 

 

Will fit these tomorrow  if any one knows, Is it worth wiping the bulbs with a alcohol wipe?

 

Edited 28 January, 2017 by BATVANVRS

[Clem34000]

Hello friends. I also mounted the ballast in 45 but I do not see any difference ... on the picture, left the original ballast in 35, right on the 45w ...

[aki78]

Interesting.....

Have you ordered the correct ballast?

What bulbs are you using?

[Clem34000]

Osram night cool blue intense 5000k

 

website: see picture

[BATVANVRS]

Installed the Morimoto's today & on first glance, noticed that the colour looked spot on  The colour temp that I'm after  but also noticed that randomly that both bulbs seem to do the odd flickering (very faintly) so they would flicker & then not & then flicker? 

 

First the drivers side bulb would flicker & stop, then the passenger side bulb would flicker & stop, even both bulbs would flicker? purely random! 

 

It is very random & faint flickering, my old phillip D3s bulbs did not flicker at all & I never touched or handled the Morimoto's from the bulb as I handled them from the base.

 

Can anyone assist on what to do next before I contact Morimoto & send them back, I don't really want too but if there faulty then I have no choice but too send them back, just strange that my original phillips D3s did not flicker one bit...

 

Here is a video to show the flickering in order to prove to Morimoto that the bulbs seem faulty but before I do this, can anyone share any input please.

 

 

 

Thanks 

Edited 29 January, 2017 by BATVANVRS

[mabnz]

Sorry I've got nothing to add @BATVANVRS, I would probably return them. Haven't noticed mine flickering at all.

 

@Clem34000: To my eyes they are brighter in the photos, but it may just be me. That looks like exactly the same ballast as the one I got. When I stuck the stock bulbs (Philips Xenstart's) back in I definitely noticed a massive difference in brightness, they seem to warm up quicker than the Morimotos too. Just too yellow for me.

[BATVANVRS]

@Clem3400 I would have to agree with mabnz that the right hand side definitely looks brighter, you can see its brighter from your picture by looking at the whitish beam or the white colour in the picture.

 

@mabnz cheers for the reply, it is a strange one really, especially as my oem stock Phillips D3s bulbs did not flicker at-all, I did a little research last night & found this:

 

http://blog.modifystreet.com/hid-flickering-problem-reason-and-solution/

 

Why is the HID flickering?

Suitability
HID lights are high-output, low-resistance devices. To operate correctly, they require ballasts to control their current and voltage. If your vehicle is not designed for HID lights, the resistance of its electrical system may result in fluctuating power being sent to the lights, causing them to flicker.

Daylight Running Lights

If your vehicle has daytime running lights, only 20 watts or so of power will be sent to the lights rather than the 35 watts required for them to operate correctly. This, too, will cause HID lights to flicker. You can solve this problem by disabling daytime running lights, which isn’t difficult.

Headlight Fuse

If a vehicle’s headlights are running on a 10 or 15 ampere fuse, the amount of power delivered to HID lights may be insufficient to prevent them from flickering. Replacing the fuse with a 20-amp version will reduce the resistance and increase the amount of power supplied to the headlights without overloading the wiring.

How to solve HID flickering problem?

To work properly, xenon high intensity discharge headlights require the vehicle’s direct current power to be converted to high voltage alternating current. This is accomplished through a ballast, which provides a voltage to the headlamps when they are switched on. A common cause of flickering HID headlights is voltage that is too low being sent to the ballast.

Causes of Low Voltage

Low voltage in your vehicle’s electrical system can be caused by a defective battery, a poorly performing alternator or the use of daytime running lights. In addition, some newer vehicles have sensors that activate by sending a low voltage to the headlights when they are turned off.

Using a Relay Harness

A relay harness allows the ballast to draw electricity from the vehicle battery directly, which eliminates low voltage issues. In some cases, a capacitor is needed to work together with the relay harness to ensure proper voltage is applied to the ballast.

Incorporating High-Power Capacitors

High-power capacitors allow increased power to reach the ballast, which will then feed the proper voltage to the headlights. This is the most common fix for flickering HID lights and often solves other problems, such as eliminating the “headlights out” indicator on your dashboard display.

Installing Resistor Packs

Using a resistor pack will cause the vehicle’s electrical system to send the same voltage to the xenon lamps as it would if halogen bulbs were installed. 

capacitor or warning canceller can solve the problem?

 

I suppose this does not apply to the bi-xenon? I highlighted in red what could possibly be the case but as this did not happen to my existing Phillips D3s bulbs, I'm lead to believe that its got to be the new Morimoto D3s bulbs.

 

I was wondering if they need to settle but why should they! I think I'm going to change them back over today for the original D3s as I don't want it to cause any other issues with my bi-xenon lighting system. 

Edited 30 January, 2017 by BATVANVRS

[BATVANVRS]

Re-installed the Phillips XenStart D3s bulbs around 2 hours ago now & went into a underground car park to test the beam on a solid wall, sat in the car park for an hour & not once did the Phillips D3s bulbs twitch or flicker  so this is a good outcome because it proves that the Morimoto's are obviously causing an issue in my headlamps  will update the thread once I have heard from Morimoto as regards sending them back but it's definitely left me in 2 minds as in the terms of (A:) I want a replacement from them or (B:) a refund.

 

 

[BATVANVRS]

Just had an email from Morimoto as regards the bulbs & this is what they say:

 

Thank you for your email and our apologies for the slight confusion here.

New bulbs will need to break in, which is 40-50 hours of run time.

Once this has been completed the bulbs will not exhibit the same characteristics.

 

Please let us know if we can be of any additional assistance after this has been performed.

 

Regards

 

Mia

 

So what do you guys think? Would you say this is correct procedure or not. I'm kind of confused to be honest & part of me is thinking can this be right or not?

 

Thanks

[mabnz]

4 hours ago, BATVANVRS said:

So what do you guys think? Would you say this is correct procedure or not. I'm kind of confused to be honest & part of me is thinking can this be right or not?

 

Yeah I would give it a chance, aki78 has said on a couple of occasions they need wearing in for the colour to settle, I wouldn't be surprised if that extends to flickering. I know mine look better after about 10 hours of use.

[aki78]

18 hours ago, BATVANVRS said:

Just had an email from Morimoto as regards the bulbs & this is what they say:

 

Thank you for your email and our apologies for the slight confusion here.

New bulbs will need to break in, which is 40-50 hours of run time.

Once this has been completed the bulbs will not exhibit the same characteristics.

 

Please let us know if we can be of any additional assistance after this has been performed.

 

Regards

 

Mia

 

So what do you guys think? Would you say this is correct procedure or not. I'm kind of confused to be honest & part of me is thinking can this be right or not?

 

Thanks

Faulty bulbs in my opinion. They should not flicker even if they are brand new.

Have you sent your video as well? If yes their reply is simply not acceptable I think. Get your money back.

There's a similar problem here, maybe there was a bad batch?

[ahenners]

I agree, bulbs should not flicker and are unlikely to improve after "burning in". 

[BATVANVRS]

Cheers guys for your input  I glad that this forum has great members to help out  because I would of probably settled for the 40-50 hours but then as aki78 has pointed out above, this made me feel that I'm just being told a general response to be kept off of there back!

 

This is my reply back to Morimoto

 

Hi Mia

 

I have attached 2 video links & to be honest I don't feel the bulbs should flicker or twitch especially as there supposed to be brand new, I know that you have to run in bulbs but that is purely for a temperature point of view.

 

I feel these are a bad quality/faulty and I don't accept that you have to run them in to stop the twitching or flickering! As you can appreciate I don't want these to cause further issues to my lighting system in my vehicle.

 

I know a few other people that are running the D3s 5500k bulbs & none of them have this flickering or twitching from the start. This just makes me believe I should of purchased the Osram CBI as I'm sure the quality control would of been far superior!

 

I would either like a full replacement x 2 D3s 5500k bulbs (but tested before shipping out to me) with the courier & import charges already prepaid for via yourselves or alternatively a full refund as I paid via PayPal so I know I'm covered under there policy & I will send these bulbs back to you

 

Thanks for your prompt response & assistance as regards the problem/issue that I'm experiencing.