| Author | Message | ||
     Andymnelson |
I keep reading about you guys installing a dedicated line to the battery for your 55w or even 35w HID lights. My question is this: why? Did you do it a pre-caution, or do you have a scientific reason to do so? Assuming the bikes charging system is running at 14.4 volts, a standard H7 bulb (which is also 55 watts) pulls 3.8 amps...watts is watts and amps is amps, so a 55 watt HID kit will also pull 3.8 amps! If you run the 35 watt kit it's only 2.4 amps! So am I missing something? | ||
| Terrys1980 |
The main reason is the HID ballast draws more current during initial start up. The current draw may exceed the current rating of the factory wiring, possibly melting the wires. The factory wires are 14ga, 12ga or 10ga would suffice. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
+1 Terry Andy, HIDs take a tremendous amount of energy to "fire up" the ballasts. After that the enegy usage comes wayyyyyy down, but that fire up/ignition is brutal. AAlso, your bike is using the battery to both startup the bike and the HID ballasts which can lead to either the bike or HIDS not having enough power, and ballasts don't like to be half-started. Your lights will blink and it will eventually damage the ballasts, bulbs and your OEM wiring harness. I just finished mine last week. I should've taken pics before I put fairing back on but will now take pics since fairings gotta come off again...i accidently disconnected my speedometer  shoot me an email and I'll get ya through it, its a HUGE PITA if you don't know what you're doing. | ||
| Alchemy |
I wonder how 14ga on the bike compares with the lines on the HID ballast assemblies themselves? I used the factory wiring and bridged the circuits at the hand-grip switch (via solder)to keep the low beam on even when switched to high beam at the switch. This keeps the fuse assignments correct and avoids messing with the pins in the connectors (connectors being prone to connection problems anyway from my experience). 35 watt lamps seem ok and still work well after a 1000 miles of testing. This system seems to be working well. My concerns at this point are durability (temperature and vibration) and what to do if a lamp fails at some time. Perhaps I should buy a spare kit. H7 bulbs are widely available but not so HID bulbs from what I can see. | ||
| Terrys1980 |
I run 35w on stock wiring all day also, but would not do so with 55w. You can hear the difference in the speed of the fuel pump when the hi beam is on. @Alchemy - there is also a quick fix for the hi/lo beam on all the time. Swap the yellow and white wires on the headlight harness plug behind the windscreen. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Ohh... do you guys have lightnings? My Firebolt headlights stay on with high beam regardless... | ||
| Terrys1980 |
Also I didn't cut any of the wires going to the ballast but they did seem to be of a heavier gauge, but that could also be thicker insulation. A common trick cheap wire companies pull on larger gauge power wire for car audio. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Interesting...the start up draw is the piece that I did not know about! So the 35 and 55 watt ratings must be their draw while running....I wonder what it is at start up? I have seen some info of fried connectors (which to me, looked like botched installs...), but not ever fried wiring- has anyone used the stock wiring and had it fry? RE: wire size on ballasts vs. bike wire size: in a short run, smaller wire will suffice, in longer runs (lights to battery), larger wire is needed for the same current draw due to the resistance of the wire. So kind of hard to compare what's on the ballasts to the main run! Bobby- thanks for the offer, but I'm not at all concerned about the install, electrical stuff is a breeze for me!  | ||
| Midknyte |
Startup draw will melt the connector on the subharness, that's a fact. And while that is an easy replacement, you don't want to risk damage further back along the line - you'll be tearing things apart... I've gone back to regular lighting. I got everything buttoned up nice only to have the HID startup draw competing with my fuel pump. A timer delay would fix, but it had already become too much hassle. | ||
| Andymnelson |
According to DDMs site, the bulbs are 60w on all their systems, the ballasts determine the light output. They say that all ballasts are capped to 6amp draw at startup. 6 amps should not be melting anything, unless a poor connection was made! I would love to put a meter on one to see what it actually draws... | ||
| Andymnelson |
Ok another question: DDM states that the 55 watt not be used in smaller fog light housing due to the extra heat- anyone run the 55w HID and have issues with heat? | ||
| Midknyte |
Heat is not an issue for us. Quite the opposite. One of the primary reasons we [Firebolt] owners converted is that the HID's run significantly cooler, and therefore do not wreck the chrome coatings in our plastic housings. | ||
| Terrys1980 |
It does say in the instructions for the HIDs to drill a hole in the headlight housing to allow heat to escape. | ||
| Midknyte |
don't do that | ||
| Andymnelson |
lol well that's helpful.  | ||
| Froggy |
You couldn't ask me about this in person? Although I probably would of given you a smart ass answer like run 9000w bulbs powered off the ignition fuse that way I won't have to be jealous of the white bike for much longer. Anyway, I have had the stock bulbs melt the stock housing. No issues so far with DDM kits in any vehicle I have tried. According to my IR thermometer, the DDM 50w bulbs are a few degrees hotter running than the stock 55w bulbs. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Haha, well I wasn't considering them yet when I saw you, but she blew a $20 bulb on the way home, and an HID will cost like $30 so now I am considering it! ...thanks  Good to meet you, even if so briefly! Wish I could have had much more time to shoot the breeze with the likes of you! | ||
| 1324 |
I've been running the DDM 55W low beam on my Lightning for the past ~1k miles. I wired them up directly to the stock wiring with no relay or delay. Why? First, DDM offers a lifetime warranty. If the parts crap out due to having the lights on during cranking, so be it. Second, the stock fuse is large enough to handle the high and low beam halogens while cranking (initial draw is 9.16A, which drops to around 7.64 when running). Low beam HID alone won't hurt anything, but leaving the high beam on and/or using a high beam HID at start up MIGHT. I've started up with both lights on and the fuse hasn't popped. No melted connector (yet). The headlight definitely gets hotter with the HID than the stock halogen, but I haven't had any issues with the housing or reflectors (yet). Time will tell. Bottom line, if you use the stock wiring, do your best to remember to shut off the high beam before you start the bike. Shouldn't be an issue, because unless you're running HID on the high beam, you won't need the high beam anyway. The stock halogen pales in comparison (no pun intended, lol). | ||
| Andymnelson |
Thanks for all the input. I ordered a dual kit, and plan to put 1 on my Uly and 1 on the XB9. I also ordered a couple of 10 second delay relays, which should really help the start up draw since it won't be fighting the starter etc. I wil likely just run an aux line straight to the battery anyway on both bikes...The Uly have Polly grip heaters, GPS, cell phone charger and the factory aux plug...the XB9 has Polly heaters as well...that's all a lot to install to the factory wiring... Thanks again for the input...y'all are the best! | ||
| Midknyte |
I also ordered a couple of 10 second delay relays Link? Thanks... | ||
| Andymnelson |
From the bay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item =180490498299&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT There are cheaper ways to do it, but more complicated. Plus this item serves as both the relay and the timer delay- less space taken up and less clutter under the flyscreen! | ||
| Midknyte |
 Wish I know about this last year... | ||
| Hotdog271 |
Hey Froggy, Have you run a power wire from the battery, or are you using the stock wiring and connectors with the DDM kit? | ||
| Froggy |
I've done both, I run off the factory wiring now. | ||
| Buellblastrider |
just ordered my kit 55w high and low for the lightning | ||
| Court |
Have we decided yet what the BEST H.I.D. kit is? I bought that cheap one from China and folks seem to have had good luck with it. I looked at the PIAA H.I.D. set up but, working from memory, I think it was nearly $1,000. I've never installed mine . . . waiting on "Jack's Rocket Science Labs" in Ohio . . . | ||
| Froggy |
Court, the kits from DDM tuning is what I have been recommending. Dirt cheap, easy to install, lifetime warranty. Shipping is a little slow, but their customer service is top notch. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Well I'm a cheap sucker, so a $50 kit that performs 70% as good as a $1000 kit is better in my book Honestly, the DDM kits are barely more money that replacing a good bulb ($25 each when purchased in pairs, and a SilverStar bulb is usually about $20). I know it will be many times better, and the HIDs carry a lifetime warranty...I figured I can't go wrong! | ||
| Court |
I think the DDM kit is the one I got. Bought it a year or so ago . . ordered it online . . got a call within minutes checking details and temperature I wanted and the darn things arrived from China, via DHL, within 48 hours. That sound like the ones? | ||
| B00stzx3 |
I bought 2 of these, h3 relay harnesses , 2 for $16 shipped (about $8.50) each http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H1-H3-HID-Xenon-Rel ay-Wiring-Harness-W-25-Fuse-40-AMP-_W0QQcmdZViewIt emQQhashZitem53e0585b4fQQitemZ360246172495QQptZMot orsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories My HID guru buddy helped me install them on my Xb9R... we lengthened the wires to reach back to the battery, hacked em up a little bit but used pretty much everything. Work like a charm! And for $16, includes the relays, fuses and wiring all pre-made. |
