I recently installed HID headlights in my 2003 XJ8.

I purchased the following items from DDM tuning:
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Quantity 2 (this LED replaces the small 194 wedge bulb inside the high beam globe)
194 LED, 6 x 5630 SMD, White
LED Color: White
Bulb Style: 6x5630
194LED-6x5630.W
$9.98

Quantity 1
DDM HID Kit, 35W, H7, 5000K
Bulb Color: 5000K
Bulb Type: H7
Wattage: 35 Watt
DDM35W.H7.5000K
$29.95

Quantity 1
HID Kit Wiring Harness
HID-Harness
$9.99
DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits

I also purchased “97 98-03 BMW E39 Xenon H7 Kit HID Bulb Holders Adapters” ($14.62) from eBay:
97 98 03 BMW E39 Xenon H7 Kit HID Bulb Holders Adapters | eBay
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Everything installed very easily and the output is quite impressive. The auto lamps also work correctly and I did not have to modify any stock components. The cutoff is surprisingly good for non-projector headlights and I have yet to have anyone flash their high beams at me.

 

that is actually a surprising cut-off for reflector housing

 

any chance you could walk us through the mod? thanks- d

 

The following photo shows the optional DDM HID harness ($9.99 upgrade, dual-in, dual-out). This draws current for the HIDs from a direct battery source rather than the stock headlight wiring. The stock headlight wiring is simply used as a trigger to activate the aftermarket relay. I went this route because I was concerned that the stock auto lamps may not function properly without a relay. The terminals marked “C” are 12V (red) and Ground (Black). Note that this wiring has an inline fuse as well.


In the following photo you can see my source of 12V near the fuse box. Be sure to replace the rubber cover over the stud/nut.


In the following photo you can see my source of Ground.


The following photo shows the basic $30 kit from DDM. This basic wiring connects directly to the relay kit wiring (photo 1) at connectors “A” and “B”.


You can see the BMW adapter on the left. Note that the wiring will not fit through the bulb adapter with the grommet attached.


Simply cut the grommet off and separate the wires as shown. The wiring with the two spade connectors will insert into the stock headlight bulb socket.


I initially blew a fuse for the stock headlights due to either connecting these leads backward or accidentally grounding out the positive side. Be sure to wrap the socket/wiring with electrical tape to ensure the wiring is protected once you verify everything operates correctly.


The bulb adapter was quite loose in the headlight globe due to limited tension on the bulb adapter's side tabs. I used a small piece of heater hose behind the tabs to increase the tension.



Also, I ran the wiring to the passenger side headlight following the factory wiring loom behind the grille and under the core support. I removed the grille to accomplish this. I also installed LEDs to replace the stock 194 wedge bulb inside the high beam globes... to complete the look.



Entire project cost about $80 including shipping.

 

Thanks for sharing this..had a look at the wiring harness you suggested. The shipping is to Australia is
Quantity 1
HID Kit Wiring Harness
HID-Harness
$9.99
Plus $45.00 postage.
I might give that part a miss!

 

How is the actual night time driving experience?

The pattern lacks the very distinct rectangular hot spot of the stockers at that distance.

 

Before and after pattern pictures at a distance if you are doing this?

Btw, the existing wiring is already on relays.

 

The performance at night is very good. I was concerned the light would be very scattered, but it is quite good for reflector housings.

Keep in mind the pictures were taken with a camera phone. I will have to get better photos with my DSLR. It does have the rectangular hot spots, but the camera phone did not capture them well.

 

I have read reports of the HIDs not operating correctly in the auto position. Apparently the headlights would flicker unless they were manually switched on. I cannot confirm this, but I felt $10 was cheap insurance and I am happy to report my auto lamps work properly.

 

Looks good, thinking of doing this to mine before this winter comes, thanks for the guide!!

 

Great job. Thanks for the write up.

 

Still difficult to capture the hot spots:


And this picture just because the interior looks cool.

 

The longer distance pattern shots are much better for judging.

Since the point of the exercise may solely have been color, let me ask another way ...

is the new lighting significantly more useful in actual night driving as compared to the original halogen?

 

Since i've did the conversion in december i think that i might answer too
Yes, the HIDs lightng is more useful than halogen.
1. The HID lamps warms less than halogen and, since that, less dirt accumulates on the headligts (mine doesn't have powerwash)
2. The visiblity is much better with the HID lights
After the correct headlights leveling there's no flashing from the oncoming drivers.

 

I know I'm not supposed to say this, but here is my 2 cents.

I really loathe this modification on cars originally fitted with
non-projection headlamp fixtures. It makes the car look cheap
at night, and gives you no more presence than the thousands
of Hondas and pickup trucks running aftermarket HIDs and
driven by high school students.

It blinds other motorists coming the other way, since the fixtures
were not designed for the refraction of the high intensity discharge,
and even the best contained originally halogen cars coming
the other way are hard to see past.

This was a very expensive car new and I think that this type of thing
cheapens the car. I know it is an improvement in brightness but
I think the car deserves better. When you see the other 10-20 year
old cars that recieve this treatment so often, perhaps that is why
I am more opinionated than average.

Great write up and photos for everyone though, thank you very much
Azcat. Sorry if this seems contrarian, I just didn't know if anyone else
had such concern.

Ian

 

Thanks for the reply, and I shared your concerns.

I was hesitant to install the HIDs due to the reasons mentioned in the previous post. Ricer spec deep blue (8,000k 55W) HIDs was not something I desired. I recall speaking with a Mitsubishi owner who seemed almost proud of the fact that other drivers constantly flash their high beams at him. He also mentioned that he had even been pulled over in the past due to his aftermarket HIDs. He admitted to me that he “aimed the headlights as high as they would go.”

Improperly aimed headlights will blind oncoming drivers…be it halogens, HIDs, etcetera. I searched the forum and could not locate any real complaints from X308 owners who had completed the swap. The only complaints I could find were from people who had not completed the swap and had no firsthand experience with X308 HIDs. The generalization that HIDs are only acceptable in projector housings is unreasonable. Are all reflector housings created equal? I recall manufacturers such as Lincoln, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz producing vehicles equipped with HID headlights in non-projector housings. I do agree that projectors are far superior and produce a sharper pattern with little stray light.

So how well would the X308 globes perform with HIDs? I did not know, and had no firsthand experience with X308 HIDs. I was still hesitant, but decided to give it a try…I would be out $80 worst case scenario. I went with the 35W 5,000k (white) kit which in my opinion matches the factory HID luxury car look. I also aimed the headlights slightly lower than stock.

I was pleasantly surprised by the crispness of the light, and I have has zero drivers flash their high beams at me. I believe this is due to the fact that the car sits so low and the headlights are properly aimed.

 

As do I.

That's why I asked for pattern pictures here as well as in other threads.

Knowing that you were a sceptic makes it more convincing.

Please be sure to update with further experience.

BTW, do you now have a longer reach on low beam than stock? I find reach to be more important than brightness. In fact, an overly bright hotspot close to the car can pull the eyes in and close up the pupils on a dark road.

 

how do you rate the quality of the DDM set?

 

Quality seems good, nice weathertight connectors. I went with DDM because they were suggested by a friend. So far so good.

They are drop-shipped from China though.

 

It's hard to say. The road is certainly better illuminated and I feel that I can see further down the road. I should have kept one of the halogen bulbs and reinstalled it on one side for comparison sake...