ProXtecLumen 5000K kit in

[majic]

i won\'t get into the whole Xtec/Prolumen fiasco in much detail so please do not ask for it in this thread. You can PM me but i still prefer if you refer to holeydonut\'s response (http://torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=2284#30990)

Alright, lets begin. I ordered 5000K Xtec kit from umnitza. Someone messed up (not blaming anyone) and I received Xtec ballasts and ProLumen bulbs. I was a bit skeptical about installing the kit as is but after a slew of e-mails with Matt(umnitza) and Jim(xtecusa) I decided to proceed. Jim informed me he would still honour lifetime warranty on the ballasts and matt would cover the bulbs and the rest of the kit (lifetime as well). I had the option of getting ProLumen ballast+ignitor, but taking a closer look at the engine bay a all-in-one solution better suited my needs and fit better.

Here\'s the kit. Xtec Ballast and ProLumen bulb:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0880.jpg

First of all BIG thanks to MajesticBlueN who answered a few questions on MSN while I was attempting the install :)
To install the kit, you really just need to be able to replace the H7 bulb. I used MajesticBlueN\'s instructions (http://creednet69.proboards31.com/index.cgi?board=howtomazda3&action=display&num=111 4412132) and I copy them below:


1) on the driver\'s side, remove the cover attached to the battery air duct. it uses a fine philips head screwdriver but, if that doesn\'t work, stick a flathead screwdriver underneath the screw head, lift it up then turn with your fingers.
2) as you remove the plastic piece, be careful of the 3 screw holders that\'s loosely sitting on the piece.
3) you will see the h7 harness connector. squeeze the tabs in and pull on the connector to remove.
4) pull off the rubber weather seal by one of the 3 tabs.
5) standing from the front of the car, the retention clip will be towards your right side. while pressing down on the clip, pull up. the clip will come loose and then swing it over towards your left.
6) now you can remove the halogen bulb.
- test fire the HID bulb while it is still in the bulb holder -
7) connect the spade connectors to the stock harness. the -ve black wired spade goes into the female connection with the corresponding black wire. the +ve red wired spade goes into the other female connection.
8) plug in the other connectors, mating them properly
9) once done, turn the headlight switch to ON to fire up the headlight.
10) if it fires up, great...if not, package everything back up and contact your vendor.
11) now you can remove the bulb from the holder and insert it into the headlight.
NOTE 1: be VERY careful placing the bulb into the headlight. the glass portion of the HID bulb is ~1.5 times the length of the halogen bulb.
NOTE 2: there is a particular way to seat the bulb. the flat part of the base should be pointing diagonally to your right (when looking at it from the frontof the car). there is a notch where the bulb base will fit into. if you \"roll\" the bulb base between your fingers, the bulb should not move if it issitting in the notch properly.
12) keeping the bulb in place with one hand, with your free hand, push the H7 Adapter up so that it contacts the base of the bulb. Then swing the retention clip back over. the bottom and the top of the clip should be making contact with the H7 Adapter. it might take a while to get the clip in as there is quite a bit of spring tension. this is a good thing since you don\'t want the bulb going anywhere while driving.
13) \"thread\" the wires from the HID bulb through the stock rubber weather seal. pull the rubber grommet on the wires through the weather seal\'s hole. this will ensure that no water gets into the bulb. place the stock weather seal back into its original position and press down firmly all around to ensure proper fitment (much like securing a timmy\'s coffee lid )
14) wire everything up...and cover the stock harness with electrical tape.
15) turn on the headlight switch again to confirm that everything works. then mount the ballast and igniter. you can mount the ballast and igniter anywhere you like.
16) repeat on passenger side.


What you\'ll see in the following pictures will be a bit different from the ProLumen Kit install but should be quite similar to the Xtec install.

This is how you connect the kit:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0624.jpg

I skip a few steps and go to 5) The clip is a PITA to take out if you aren\'t doing it right. Press the clip TOWARDS the front of the car then up. It\'ll loosen a bit. Then you have to move it down a bit so it clears the rest of the socket. by this point it should swing (towards the rear of the car) freely:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0879.jpg

7) the way I plugged my connector was black wire with black and red with blue on driver side and red with orange on the passenger side.

Test fired my bulb - success:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0881.jpg

Here\'s the ProLumen bulb. Notice how there\'s a foam ring between the bulb base and the adapter. Remove it but do not throw it out:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0885.jpg

Carefully insert the bulb in the stock housing. I found dropping the bulb vertically and then \'bending it\' (from straight down to horizontal pointing towards the front of the car) to fit in the stock housing worked pretty well.

I fed the grommet that came with the bulb THROUGH the all weather seal to create a better seal on the outside and it fits perfectly. I tried placing it INSIDE the all weather seal, but it didn\'t fit and the seal didn\'t \'seal\' properly:
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0860.jpg

The all weather seal is in place with the grommet behind it: (driver side)
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0865.jpg

(passenger side)
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0889.jpg

Mounting the ballasts:
I had a few ideas on how to mount them. It seemed there was only one slot for them (see pic) I used zip ties but unfortunately the ones I tried were from the $ store and they kept snapping left right and center
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0867.jpg

After a long lost battle, I decided to use some 14 GA (roughly) wire. This worked perfectly as you see here (The passenger side ballast sits symmetrically on the opposite side):
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0874.jpg

I had some problems with the retention clip on the passenger side, it required a slight tap and the bulb would get dislodged. i decided to drive around for a bit and see if it would affect it. It’s been fine thus far. But worse comes to worst I’ll use that foam ring and place it between the bulb’s base and the adapter to provide a bit tighter fit.

I haven’t done the DRL bypass mod yet but I will soon. For now I have to keep my HIDs on otherwise one goes out (due to the DRL signal) but since most my trips are fairly short or at dusk, it’s alright for the lights to be on. I just have to make sure to turn the headlights on completely before disengaging the parking brake [thanks MBN :) ]

Now for the rest of the pictures (most are comparisons)

- stock (left) vs. HID (right)
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0857.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0858.jpg

- it was quite sunny but you can still see the difference
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0868.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0870.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0872.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0873.jpg

Alright, time for some night time comparisons. here they are (stock first then HID)
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0808.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0899.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0810.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0894.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0818.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0910.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0819.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0908.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0840.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0921.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0835.jpg
http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0918.jpg

And finally, Night shots (I\'m not clement/autoexe but I tried ;)

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0902.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0904.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0915.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0924.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0926.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0932.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0935.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0940.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0945.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0947.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0950.jpg

http://xs37.xs.to/pics/05286/IMG_0952.jpg


overall, I’m quite impressed, didn\'t know our halogens were actually yellow until i compared them side by side. Love the light output and in reality it\'s NOT as blue as the pix portray. You can see it yourselves at the meet. It’s got a lavender hue to it but still quite white - very comparable to UBER white LEDs.

[-RJ3-]

Nice Job....I loved how it turned out!!!!!:p

[MajesticBlueNTO]

i\'m jealous :p ...your ProLumen bulbs are actually the same temp..unlike my Xtec bulbs:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/337000-337999/337094_107_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/1/web/337000-337999/337094_108_full.jpg

[wab8611]

u cant return ur two different bulbs.. b/c its kinda of dumb that they gave u two different bulbs..

[Ex-Rolla]

Good Job majic... Looks really good!

[majic]

thanks guys..


Originally posted by Ex-Rolla


Good Job majic... Looks really good!

wait till you see it in person :) let\'s just hope it lasts and i don\'t have to worry about warranty returns :sarc

[Ex-Rolla]

The way i see it is that if the kit lasts (knock on wood) for at least 4 years, then I\'ll be happy... the amount of money that some people (including myslef) have spent on xenon type bulbs is just outrageous. Also you have to take into account the longevity of those xenon knockoff bulbs. With daytime running lights, they will only last you about a year... if you\'re lucky. So at 70 dollars a pair a year for 4 years, it will still cost you 280... plus taxes of course :)


(I\'m just trying to make myself feel better about purchasing the kit) :p

[///M]

looks great! red is one of the colours (along with white) that looks especially nice with HIDs imo :)

[mEtH]

Originally posted by Ex-Rolla


The way i see it is that if the kit lasts (knock on wood) for at least 4 years, then I\'ll be happy... the amount of money that some people (including myslef) have spent on xenon type bulbs is just outrageous. Also you have to take into account the longevity of those xenon knockoff bulbs. With daytime running lights, they will only last you about a year... if you\'re lucky. So at 70 dollars a pair a year for 4 years, it will still cost you 280... plus taxes of course :)


(I\'m just trying to make myself feel better about purchasing the kit) :p

Geez, what kinda super bulbs are you buying? $70 :hoho

[Ex-Rolla]

Originally posted by methodyst


[Geez, what kinda super bulbs are you buying? $70 :hoho

Well the silverstars alone will run you abouut 25-30 dollars each including taxes right? so 70$ for a pair of piaa super duper blinding bright white whatever, could cost you that much...

I\'m not talking about getting it off ebay...referring more towards local retail stores like Canadian tire.

[holeydonut]

Wow, those look pretty damn nice :D That comparison picture with the kit installed on only one side is sweet.

All this stuff about lighting makes me want to get a set of HID; except I\'m poor :(

[majic]

Originally posted by autoexe


looks great! red is one of the colours (along with white) that looks especially nice with HIDs imo :)

Originally posted by holeydonut


Wow, those look pretty damn nice :D That comparison picture with the kit installed on only one side is sweet.

All this stuff about lighting makes me want to get a set of HID; except I\'m poor :(



thanks :D and my car is dirty ;) or it didn\'t get a wash prior to the photoshoot :p

i think HIDs complement ANY car, lately i\'ve found myself checking other cars for HIDs :p and when i see one (not only a mazda3) it brings a smile to my face :)

and it really makes you \"see\" the difference, night and day.. everything is brighter and the throw angle is much wider (more ilumination to the sides) At first i was skeptical about spending that much $, but i figured i\'ll try it now and see how i like it (if i don\'t, i can either sell it or take the one time loss) but i LOVE IT!

[lukel90]

glad to see you like your hids. if it werent raining i would also come to take comparisons of each HID kit and how it looks. but seeing this weatehr is soo shitty, ill wait til the next meet.

[MAZDA Kitten]

THATS HOT

http://www.superfrost.ch/images/popup/paris_hilton.jpg

[Whos ur dadd]

majic,

Nice! What\'s the total $$$ tally to your doorstep?

[majic]

Originally posted by MAZDA Kitten


THATS HOT

http://www.superfrost.ch/images/popup/paris_hilton.jpg

lol.. are you bluntman now ;)


Originally posted by Whos ur dadd


majic,

Nice! What\'s the total $$$ tally to your doorstep?


I paid $300USD (bought it from umnitza), but it can be had at $260+some shipping to canada IIRC or maybe $260 shipped?

[whodilly]

Dude that looks sweet! Hmmm i\'m thinking of HIDs too now!

[wab8611]

does anyone know if the kit that is beoing sold at lockdown is any good... im most likely only goin to be ably to send 300-400$ on Xenons.. so i want to get the best bang for my buck...

[majic]

Originally posted by wab8611


does anyone know if the kit that is beoing sold at lockdown is any good... im most likely only goin to be ably to send 300-400$ on Xenons.. so i want to get the best bang for my buck...


$260USD = $325CAD @ 80c/1USD

umnitza can get you prolumens at that price and you can get xtecs for about that too (although you can\'t buy directly from xtecusa anymore so you might have to pay something like 315-320 USD to get it from devin98)

[midnightfxgt]

Devin no longer sells Xtec, as his supplier was Umnitza.

Nice kit Majic. Looks like Umnitza messed up the componants, but at least you got Xtec ballasts, which normally cost more :)

-John

[majic]

Originally posted by midnightfxgt


Devin no longer sells Xtec, as his supplier was Umnitza.

Nice kit Majic. Looks like Umnitza messed up the componants, but at least you got Xtec ballasts, which normally cost more :)

-John

thx.. yeah.. mixup BUT in the end i\'m actually happy b/c 1) one-piece ballast *fingers crossed it keeps on tickin* 2) ProLumen bulbs give off a nice lavender-white hue and it looks very sweet :)

hmm ... that\'s what i thought about Devin98 too.. but... i guess he hasn\'t updated his site (http://thexenonstore.com/xtec_products.htm) :p

[Xenon Expert]

Originally posted by majic




overall, I’m quite impressed, didn\'t know our halogens were actually yellow until i compared them side by side. Love the light output and in reality it\'s NOT as blue as the pix portray. You can see it yourselves at the meet. It’s got a lavender hue to it but still quite white - very comparable to UBER white LEDs.


Well glad you like your kit...can\'t understand what Umnitza said to convince you of a mix up...All Xtec boxes are sealed.... So you got opened boxes with non Xtec bulbs that cost 10 X less to make than Xtec ones?...I would be pissed for not getting what I paid for but that\'s just me.

[RedRaptor]

Originally posted by Xenon Expert

So you got opened boxes with non Xtec bulbs that cost 10 X less to make than Xtec ones?...I would be pissed for not getting what I paid for but that\'s just me.

Oh man...here we go again...so before you mislead more people. Do you have ANY proof that Xtec bulbs cost 10X more to make? If so, please don\'t be afraid to post proof because your creditbility is as good as the Liberal Federal Government right now. :sarc

[MAZDA Kitten]

http://pages.infinit.net/bluefire/Images/jerry.gif

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Originally posted by Xenon Expert

Well glad you like your kit...can\'t understand what Umnitza said to convince you of a mix up...All Xtec boxes are sealed.... So you got opened boxes with non Xtec bulbs that cost 10 X less to make than Xtec ones?...I would be pissed for not getting what I paid for but that\'s just me.

did you not read or are you here to start shit?

he\'s happy with the set up...sounds like a case of sour grapes since umnitza is the exclusive distributor for the 3\'s CF intake and now you have to buy them from him.. go troll somewhere else

[firstmazda]

Hey Maj,

do you have yellow fogs? or are they those Lamin-X overlays?

Ray
P.S.
nice job!!

[majic]

thanks.. they look so sweet at night :p

they are lamin-x; i\'m not sure about chaser and others who have gotten them but mine seem to have scratches on them... kinda \'hazy\' look to them. i guess 1) i don\'t care as long as the light is yellow :p and 2) it\'s protecting the lens and that\'s good; so overall i\'m happy

EDIT: check out the link in my sig to yellow forg overlay :)

[Devin98]

Hey guys,

Yeah I no longer carry Xtec just Prolumens which are great, the bulbs are a lot better quality then Xtec as they are a true colour I have had Xtec installed in my headlamps and prolumen in my fogs both 6000K however the Fogs are a true blue/white where as the headlamps are a purple/white, and Prolumen bulbs are always the same colour!, well we did have one bad bulb once but it was replaced :) but since I am local its very easy to fix, we meet up swap out the problem and off you go since there is a life time warranty

-Devin Montreuil

[majic]

from my experience xtec=blue/green-white, prolumen=purple-white

my HIDs are 5000K prolumen bulbs (i think) and they are on the purple side - LOOK HOT! methodyst\'s 5000K prolumen kit is much whiter than mine.. oh well i\'m happy with the way mine look

btw.. don\'t your fogs scatter light and blind the oncoming traffic (due to the reflector housing) or are they aimed fairly low? how\'s their performance over stock - duh stupid question :p

[asianmickey]

Okay...so here\'s my question...and please keep it simple...I really don\'t know what I\'m doing.
I\'m looking just to buy (hopefully) just the bulb or whatever...Sylvania\'s or Silverstar\'s for a brighter look. I don\'t wish to spend the money on the HID\'s, so I\'m assuming brightness of either of the two brands that I mentioned will be bright enough or at least brighter than the stock.

Which brand should I buy?
Are their different things that I should be looking for?
How much should I be paying? (approx)
Are they easy to install? and how?

asianmickey

[asianmickey]

Another thing, what are these H7\'s...are they the same...I\'ve read most of the messages and don\'t know what the H7\'s are.

asianmickey

[majic]

1) this is an HID thread
2) there are PLENTY of \'HID-LOOK\' threads (i think you even posted in one of them)
3) bold just like ALL CAPS is annoying
4) H7 is the bulb type (look in your manual)
5) doubleposting sucks (use the edit button to ammend a post)
6) use this (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/search.php) and you\'ll get most of your questions answered

EDIT: 2a.. aaah you did post there (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=5179#73397) so continue your questions there.. posting in many many places just to get \'noticed\' will get you noticed in the wrong way..

[Optimzer]

rofl!!! hahahah maj ever since u became a mod I was waiting to see that happen.

asianmickey - you\'ll run into a lot of debate of hids vs. hid-look. my personal pref based on look, cost, etc would be to go with the real hids. i\'m running stock bulbs though but that\'s what i would do if i wanted to upgrade.

[majic]

Originally posted by Optimzer


rofl!!! hahahah maj ever since u became a mod I was waiting to see that happen.


lol.. i\'ve been doing this ever since ;) anyway.. as you say HID is the way to go..

[Optimzer]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by Optimzer


rofl!!! hahahah maj ever since u became a mod I was waiting to see that happen.


lol.. i\'ve been doing this ever since ;) anyway.. as you say HID is the way to go..

just something more special about it now then before...maybe sentimental value. :P

[asianmickey]

Ok so I\'ve read pretty much all of the posts and have looked at some of the other basic headlights for just the whiter and brighter look. I found (@ Pacific Mall) only Nokya brand H7\'s for $30 duckets, and PIAA\'s for like $115...ouch. I\'ve heard that they aren\'t going to last very long...a year at the most. Even talking to Avante Mazda (today) they can\'t (officially) recommend any after market products for me but they did say that HID\'s are the way to go for a longer lasting look and all the other jazz.
So what I\'m trying to find out then is the diff between price of the prolumen something and the xtec something something.
The diff in the quality? (is one better than the other for the price or it?)
and Does Devin98 still sell either, or, (which I will message him about)
Also what is the OEM thing, what is OEM and is OEM a stock thing or after market thing.

asianmickey

[majic]

Originally posted by asianmickey


Ok so I\'ve read pretty much all of the posts and have looked at some of the other basic headlights for just the whiter and brighter look. I found (@ Pacific Mall) only Nokya brand H7\'s for $30 duckets, and PIAA\'s for like $115...ouch. I\'ve heard that they aren\'t going to last very long...a year at the most. Even talking to Avante Mazda (today) they can\'t (officially) recommend any after market products for me but they did say that HID\'s are the way to go for a longer lasting look and all the other jazz.
So what I\'m trying to find out then is the diff between price of the prolumen something and the xtec something something.
The diff in the quality? (is one better than the other for the price or it?)
and Does Devin98 still sell either, or, (which I will message him about)
Also what is the OEM thing, what is OEM and is OEM a stock thing or after market thing.

asianmickey

ok.. if you\'re gonna talk about regular bulbs, continue here (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/read.php?TID=5179#73397)

if you want more HID info, read these (http://www.torontomazda3.com/forum/search.php?perpage=20&sortby=dateline&sort=DESC&q= xtec+prolumen+phillips&qauthor=&forums%5B%5D=all&m atch=all&matchmessage=1&action=display)

OEM - original manufacturer equipment (usually white box stuff as opposed to retail (fancy box))

pls continue in one of those threads.. thanks!

[SABIO]

devin98 has a great deal on now on the prolumens

even i am thinking about it


:sarc :sarc :sarc

edit: fixed your shananigans ;)

[Fuman]

wow, good pics majic. Devin should hire you do commericals or something, lol.
Good comparions (before and after) +1.

[asianmickey]

What would you guys and gals say to this, my friend\'s uncle owns (in partnership) with three of his other buddies a shop. He says that he can get a Japanese HID Kit but doesn\'t have the name of the brand and unfortunately no other specs other than 6400k for $420 + taxes with install.
Does anyone think that this is a good idea??

asianmickey