H.I.D. Light Upgrade

Here's a couple close up shots.

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jmtiseo said:
You've only owned the car two weeks. A lot of folks on here have had success with the DDM stuff in the past though.
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I have a slim DDM kit in the LS for a while now and recommended them to a couple people. It seems they have changed suppliers and quality is not as good. Or so I have been told by someone who has bought about ten kits from them. They physically look different then the old ballasts and don't seem to last as long.

Elemino said:
The way I see it: If it was outdated technology, the regular size ballasts wouldn't still be out there. A friend of mine used the slim ballasts a lot, and he's had many more problems than I have. He's replaced several bulbs, and none of mine have died yet.
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jmtiseo said:
6000k is where it's at. I don't trust slim ballasts either. You don't just make something smaller without sacrificing something else. Unless the only thing that was sacrificed was outdated technology.
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The slim ballasts are better technology, they have less of a draw on startup and while running. However as with anything one vendor is not the same as another. Build quality mean a lot and is probably more the issue with reliability then having the old style larger ballasts and the slim ones.
 
Rich88LSC said:
The slim ballasts are better technology, they have less of a draw on startup and while running. However as with anything one vendor is not the same as another. Build quality mean a lot and is probably more the issue with reliability then having the old style larger ballasts and the slim ones.
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He used the slim ballasts from DDM on both his LS and his Avalanche. He's replaced at least 2 bulbs, and removed a kit. Meanwhile, my Navigator has used the regular sized ballasts from DDM, and no problems... plus the regular size has a lifetime warranty.
 
Elemino said:
I may have to take you up on that offer sometime. I'm actually in Plano off of 75.

My car has a LOT that needs to be fixed, before it's in any condition to show off. lol The original plan was to have a remote start alarm on it by now, but thats been pushed way back.

I probably will have to do that. I used the Mother's kit from Wal-Mart with the buff ball and small sanders. It looks like I will likely have to go to a shop and pay them to do it. Now to find a quality place. Someone that wont jack them up or leave scratches in my paint.
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I have a couple issues with mine as well including a creased fender but you could look to get ideas. See what mods ive done that you like and so forth.

I have yet to meet with anyone in the DFW area from this site.
 
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Does anyone know what causes the automatic lights to stay on all the time? In auto mode they never go off. I disconnected the mirror thinking that may do something, but they never went off.
 
Your auto light control sensor may have gone bad. Top center of dash near windshield. Think this is the PN xw4z-19e663-aa
 
dang... I was wondering if thats what it was. Do you have to pull the entire dash to get to it?
 
Autolamps is pointless anyways.

I drive with fogs on most of the time.
 
Nevermind... I found it! :D

I hope this works. The auto lights on my Town Car never worked right either. It had auto hi beams. They would often not work properly because of a bad photo cell.

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BlackLS06 said:
Autolamps is pointless anyways.

I drive with fogs on most of the time.
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Check out my other post: Daytime Running Fogs w/ Night Functionality

I'm considering doing this to the LS as well.

Edit: Since this is my wife's commuter, she will not use the manual mode for the lights. If the auto lamps don't work the lights will just stay on... That's not so bad, but the instrument cluster dims and the navigation is in permanent night mode.
 
Those autolamp sensors aren't too bad to change. Took me about half an hour with a buddy to change one in a Yukon awhile back.
 
BlackLS06 said:
You get what you pay for. Also the LS is a $45K luxury car. Put good stuff into it not junk.
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LOL... the junk burned out today!!! One went bad. Well, they were only $5 each. I guess I'll put the silver stars on my wish list.
 
Elemino said:
LOL... the junk burned out today!!! One went bad. Well, they were only $5 each. I guess I'll put the silver stars on my wish list.
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Told you.

Gonna start taking our advice now?
 
I would, but the advice of members is expensive! lol

We're talking about months down the road before I can justify $170 for light bulbs... hopefully the current bulbs will last a while.
 
No i would not pay $170 either. Plenty of choices for under $100 that are quality.
 
What would you choose? I'm looking at the Silver Star 5000K, seeing as how they don't have 6000k.
 
run, do not walk away from silver stars, both of my LS's ate them up faster than coils.

for some reason they never seem to last.
 
also the light sensor is super easy to change out, pull off A pillars, unsnap defroster vent panel, unscrew photo sensor, reverse to reassemble! without having a clue what your doing, this should take no more than 20 minutes.
 
1LoudLS said:
run, do not walk away from silver stars, both of my LS's ate them up faster than coils.

for some reason they never seem to last.
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I know the halogen bulbs suck, but for $85 each ($99 each at the local auto stores.), the HID's have to be better right?
 
DDMtuning kits are reasonably priced and well-reviewed. Just installed mine the other day and the components looked pretty well made.

edit: Oh didnt realize you had factory HIDs. DDM also sells bulbs individually iirc
 
Elemino said:
I know the halogen bulbs suck, but for $85 each ($99 each at the local auto stores.), the HID's have to be better right?
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If you're going to spend that much money on an HID bulb get a bulb that's proven in the Sylvania OSRAM D2R or Philips D2R 85126.
 
The OSRAM bulbs are the wrong color. I want 6000k, but I'll settle for 5000k.

If I went with OSRAM, I might as well stay with the factory bulbs I have now.
 
Elemino said:
He used the slim ballasts from DDM on both his LS and his Avalanche. He's replaced at least 2 bulbs, and removed a kit. Meanwhile, my Navigator has used the regular sized ballasts from DDM, and no problems... plus the regular size has a lifetime warranty.
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Both have a lifetime warrenty. DDM has changed suppliers and and quality of at least the slim kits has suffered. But that's not my point.
 
Just did the Turtle Wax restore. Much better results, but the passenger side will need more wet sanding.
 
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