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DIY Morimoto Elite HID H11 Headlight Kit for UAE Projectors

37K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  bdubbin 
#1 · (Edited)
DIY Morimoto Elite HID H11B Headlight Kit for UAE Projectors (OEM Aftermarket)

Finally, after 16 + hours of testing, fitting, redoing... I have completed installation of the Morimoto Elite HID Kit. I am a perfectionist when it comes to modding cars, and this is why I feel this write up will be helpful for anyone trying to put this kit together. This installation is on a 2012 Si Coupe, but will likely be similar for other years, doors, and models.

I'll walk you guys through some of the steps I found rather difficult, and hopefully this will save some DIY time. You will be removing the front bumper to do it correctly, so if this is not for you, turn around now! :unsure:


I reserve the right to not be liable for you breaking anything or harming yourself during this installation. Use common sense. Unhook the battery terminals during the wiring process for added safety.

1. Pull fogs out and unhook wires (if you have fogs). 2 Phillips head screws hold each fog light in.


2. Remove bumper. There are several clips that come out using a flathead screwdriver underneath the bumper. There are 2 different sizes. I will touch on this later during re-installation instruction.

There are also 2 clips on top (for coupe) and 2 Allen wrench bolts on top that have to be removed (size 5 (mm?)).

Lastly you will need to unscrew 2 Phillips head screws from each wheel well.

Pull from the wheel well out away from the sides to begin the process. There are small spaces to get a finger in there to pry the first of it away. You will hear some violent POPS, but rest assured, all is well.

Repeat for opposite side.

It will then take a small amount of forward force to free the bumper from the attachments just below each headlight. You can lift up to help free it.

Set bumper on something soft to get it out of the way.

3. Swap Headlights.

There are 3 bolts for each headlight. They are 10mm sock size. You will need a long 10" extension for the bolt underneath the headlight.

Unhook all wires behind the headlight, and pull them out.

With headlights out, proceed to wiring.

4. Lets start with the HD Relay. Please see photo below.

Auto part Wire
Auto part Vehicle Automotive exterior Engine


I chose to slide the HD relay just on the inside of the L crash bar support. It needs to be facing as seen in the picture, in order to keep water out of the top of the relay housing(per TRS recommendations). I used some 3M double sided tape to secure it. The wires were then routed in an outward progression and zip-tied to suspend them. The wires spread out from here and each go in different directions.

5. Place ballasts.

Auto part Engine Vehicle
Motor vehicle Vehicle Auto part Automotive wheel system Car


Again, I used 3M double-sided tape. Clean surfaces of ballast and car with alcohol before applying tape.

The ballasts can face different directions if preferred, this just seemed to look cleaner to me. Keep in mind that the plug ins need to be accessible somewhat near the headlights, as the wiring from the ballast to the back of the headlights is not very long. :thumbsdown:
 
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#2 · (Edited)
6. Route ballast wire to R side ballast.

Vehicle Automotive exterior Auto part Motor vehicle Bumper


Just behind the crash bar is where I routed the longer wire that leads plugs into the R ballast and the R ground wire. I used small pieces of duct tape to attach the wire behind the crash bar.

There are small gaps in the black plastic vertical pieces behind the crash bar. This is where the wire will pass through for routing purposes.

Plug the R (long) relay ballast wire into the R ballast.

7. Plug L (short) relay ballast wire into the L ballast. (Cleaning up wires with zip-ties helps, during each step)

8. Install ground wires.

For R side, I chose right behind the windshield washer reservoir. I used a Dremel to sand away paint on the frame to make a good ground connection. The bolt is 10mm.

Auto part


Here it is completed:

Auto part Machine Automotive exterior Engine Vehicle


For L side I used a stock ground point right in front of the battery. Oddly enough, it is not grounded stock, to bare-metal on the frame. Again, I used a Dremel to sand the paint away for good contact.

Vehicle door Auto part Electrical wiring Wire Vehicle
Tire Automotive tire Auto part Wheel Automotive wheel system


9. Plug in L OEM (head light) input wire into relay wire labeled OEM Input. This relay wire will be short, hence the L headlight wire input is used instead of the R one. :eusa_dance:

Hand Leg Neck Auto part Technology


10. Tape-off R OEM (head light) input wire. This one will never be used for this setup. :xyxnervous:

Auto part Cable Wire Automotive fuel system Electrical wiring


11. Plug the XB module into the ballast, and find a place to mount each (if desired/possible). I mounted each as seen below, but then realized the wire from the module to the HID bulb on each side is pretty short. I then pulled the modules off and zip-tied them directly underneath where the headlights sit. Don't worry, there's plenty of room to do this.

Originally:

Auto part Engine Vehicle
Vehicle Auto part Vehicle door Automotive exterior Car


Final module wiring:

Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part Vehicle Car
 
#3 · (Edited)
continued... Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part Vehicle Car


12. Install positive battery wire. I fished this through underneath the battery and used an M6 1.0 size metric nut to attach to empty screw on positive terminal. See below.

Auto part Vehicle Machine


13. Install XB H11B bulbs. YES, H11B!!!! I mistakenly ordered 9006 as that is what our stock headlights calls for. Put me back 1 extra week in waiting, and several hours of reinstalling front bumper, etc., etc. The B designation has to do with orientation of the plastic tabs on the base of the bulbs. For the light output to be optimal, the bulbs orient in a certain way.

This is the point that I had to go searching. When you match up the plastic tabs, push the bulb in, and try to turn clockwise, it rotates freely only part of the way. I had to use needle nose pliers to get the bulb rotated completely. The finished product will leave the return wire running length-wise with the bulb in the 6 o'clock position (underneath the bulb). Basically, rotate until your bulb base looks as pictured below.

Auto part Automotive lighting Steering part Engine Vehicle


14. Plug all wires into the back of the headlights, and reinstall the headlights.

It will take some finagling to not bunch the wires up behind/underneath the headlights, but work with them and you'll find plenty of room to hold the wires. There just happens to be extra length to many of the headlight wires(with these UEA headlights and harnesses).

I found that it took special care to get the headlights installed in such a way that the bumper fits correctly surround the headlights. There is some give regarding the bolts that hold the headlight in (3), and this allows for some play in the headlight positioning. I found that lifting up on the headlight while tightening the bolts, led to good fitment. Just make sure the outside corners of the headlights fit well into the fender grooves.

15. Reinstall bumper.

Working backwards, start in the center and get the bumper partially attached under the headlights(pushing from front of car to back). Have someone help hold in position if possible while you begin working each side of the bumper back into the fender clips. Again, you will hear popping sounds as they go in. Be sure to tuck the fender liner into the bumper on each side.

Check under the bumper to be sure that the black panels are within the bumper, resting on top of the bumper.

Here's where I made note of the clip installation. There are 2 large underneath clips that fit the bumper holes as seen below.

Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part Vehicle Car
<<<< See the 2 slots in the bumper? The holes just towards center from the slots are where the large plastic clips will be used. Circled below in red.

Auto part Bumper Automotive exterior
 

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#4 · (Edited)
Here is the finished product R and L.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Headlamp Automotive lighting
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Headlamp Automotive lighting


And finally:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Honda


This is what I did with the DDM tuning HID kit that came with my used projectors:

Costume Personal protective equipment Oxygen mask Headgear Mask
Straight to the trashcan!!

I plan to upload some pics tomorrow of the beam pattern. I need to do some reading and adjust the headlights appropriately.

My final post of my write-up below is reserved for my thoughts about this kit, as compared to the DDM tuning kit I had previously.
 
#6 ·
Here is the finished product R and L.

View attachment 328393 View attachment 328401

And finally:

View attachment 328409

This is what I did with the DDM tuning HID kit that came with my used projectors:

View attachment 328417 Straight to the trashcan!!

I plan to upload some pics tomorrow of the beam pattern. I need to do some reading and adjust the headlights appropriately.

My final post of my write-up below is reserved for my thoughts about this kit, as compared to the DDM tuning kit I had previously.
Where are the photos for the beam pattern? Any updates yet?
 
#5 · (Edited)
I had the DDM Tuning 35W 6000K HID kit installed previously. It..... was...... trash.........

I found that the DDM Tuning kit was very dim, and had much too blue of a tint for my taste. This made it very difficult to see farther ahead while driving at night (which is the whole point of HID anyways).

The components are worlds different. The DDM Tuning ballasts are thin and lightweight. They make an annoying buzzing/humming sound when the headlights are turned on. The Morimoto ballasts are fatter and heavier, and are silent during operation. :eusa_clap:

The bulbs.... Oh, the bulbs.... DDM Tuning bulbs have base tabs that do not lock the bulb tightly into the projector housing. Turning it too far will release the bulb. It didn't feel solid and was not a tight enough fit.

The TRS Morimoto bulbs fit VERY tight. This may seem like a negative feature, but trust me, with the bumper off and headlights uninstalled; this is the best way to get them locked in and not wonder if you got em in correctly.

I chose 4500K for the TRS system, as this likely has the most output. Not to mention the 55W option provides more intense light as well.

The HD relay for TRS's Morimoto Elite system takes the load off of the stock electrical system, and ensures longevity of the entire setup. I love this feature!

Overall the TRS Morimoto HID Elite kit is worlds better than the DDM tuning kit. I'll even go as far as to say the light output from the Morimoto kit is comparable to my wife's 2013 RDX HID's.

The TRS kit came very well packaged, and all components were separately packaged.

Zac and Matt were both very helpful in answering the several questions I asked. I didn't have to wait at all when calling in, and was greeted with joyful/enthusiastic attitudes.

I'm very pleased with this kit and my overall experience with TRS, and give it and them a 5 star out of 5 rating.

The one thing I feel could be improved is to make an extension for the HID bulb wires, as I had some difficulty with the length and how it affected the install. Everything worked out well enough though, and I feel very confident about the TRS Morimoto setup.
 
#7 ·
Haha... I'm embarrassed to say I have no idea what the beam pattern should look like or how to adjust it. The headlights are way bright though, and I even plan to do away with the L fog light for an air inlet for PRL CAI and supercharger.

The beam pattern looks good to me, but I really need someone else to tell me if it's correct. I will try to get a good pic tomorrow night.
 
#9 ·
I plan to try to get them adjusted this weekend. Will try to post photos then. I've taken about 6 months off from the forums. Having my car vandalized just took all my interest in modding away :dry:
 
#10 ·
Dude! Every car I've ever owned has been vandalized, but bad! My insurance must hate me. Problem is, I don't park in sketchy places even! I feel your pain. Except for my Z4 M coupe which I held onto, I wound up selling the rest. Just too painful of a reminder every time I'd go into the garage.


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#13 ·
Dude! Every car I've ever owned has been vandalized, but bad! My insurance must hate me. Problem is, I don't park in sketchy places even! I feel your pain. Except for my Z4 M coupe which I held onto, I wound up selling the rest. Just too painful of a reminder every time I'd go into the garage.


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I know exactly what you mean. It is painful. I think I finally came to the point that I can get past this and start enjoying the forum again and modding.

The worst part about the vandalism is that I had no door dings or damage for nearly 3 years. Always parked far away on end spots. Just happened to park close on an end spot due to rain and this is what happened.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I read through your DIY project and I really like the detail you went into with it, very thorough. It has inspired me to try and take on this project but when I went to the home page, MORIMOTO • High Quality HID Projectors, Ballasts, and Bulbs, I wasn't sure which one to choose. I know your thread was about the H11B but what are your thoughts on the other two kits (9005 and 9006)? BTW I have a 2012 Civic EX sedan. Thanks!
 
#12 ·
Which headlights do you have? Projectors, stock?
 
#15 ·
Yes, the HID Elite kit works for either stock or projector headlights, you just have to buy the bulbs that fit either headlight. I switched the bulbs when I went back to stock headlights, and everything worked out well.
 
#17 ·
I have H11 B in the title of this thread, so I'm assuming that's correct. I don't remember exactly.
 
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