BEFORE
AFTER
Plenty of imitation HID (high-intensity discharge) solutions are out there. Most of them, however, won't provide the actual HID technology that you are after. We did some research to come up with a high-quality HID kit, with ballasts (not just fake HID bulbs) that won't break the bank. We partnered with XenonDepot.com to install a set of Xenon HID lamps and see the improvement for ourselves.
Xenon HID lamps do not have a filament. Instead, the light is created by an electrical discharge between two electrodes in an airtight quartz capsule filled with xenon gas, mercury, and metal halide salts. This improves durability, as road vibrations can cause damage to regular coil halogen lighting. True HID light sources also produce a blue/purple white light. The color temperature is approximately 6,000K (for this set) compared with 3,200K for halogen. The light output from a 35-watt Xenon HID lamp is approximately 80 percent more than a 55-watt halogen bulb. The Xenon HID system also draws less power from your vehicle's electrical system, even as it produces more light.
With all this in mind, don't be fooled by imitation bulbs that have the luxury-light look. If you actually want the high-output lighting, then you'll need a kit that includes HID ballasts, wiring, and the bulbs themselves. Follow along as we show you just how easy it is to add HIDs to your mini. For more information, contact the companies listed in the source box.
1. Here's a look at the HID...
1. Here's a look at the HID kit from XenonDepot.com. It comes complete with two bulbs, two ballasts, wiring harness, and complete instructions.
2. First things first: Find...
2. First things first: Find a good place to mount the ballasts. The wire lengths indicate that the ballasts have to be mounted fairly close to the headlamp itself, so we decided to mount them on the core support next to each lamp. To gain access, the side marker lights were taken off.
3. With the side markers removed,...
3. With the side markers removed, the grille was unclipped.
4. Instead of using the double-sided...
4. Instead of using the double-sided tape that was supplied, we mounted the ballasts directly to the core support with screws.
5. The relay was mounted and...
5. The relay was mounted and all the wires from the harness were run to their appropriate sources.
6. The wiring harness's plug...
6. The wiring harness's plug was plugged directly into the ballast.
7. The harness plug for the...
7. The harness plug for the ballast also had a ground, which was grounded to the core support.
8. The main harness also included...
8. The main harness also included a direct connector to the factory headlight harness, which was used for the power switch.
9. After all the wiring was...
9. After all the wiring was taken care of and routed, the excess wiring was cleaned up and moved out of the way.
10. The headlights were then...
10. The headlights were then unbolted to give more care to the new HID bulb installation.
11. The 9006 headlights were...
11. The 9006 headlights were removed.
12. Remember: Don't touch...
12. Remember: Don't touch the HID bulbs. Grease from your fingers can easily render the bulbs useless.
13. We very carefully inserted...
13. We very carefully inserted the HID bulb into the headlamp.
14. With the new bulb secured,...
14. With the new bulb secured, the headlamps were bolted back up, and the bulbs were plugged into the ballast connectors.
15. The last thing that needed...
15. The last thing that needed to be done was to connect the provided power source to the battery. Now, turn on your headlights. Make sure you don't look directly into them, though, because these things are bright.