Ralphie : 2013 Honda Accord EX

[Ralphie]

Just a shot I got today whilst it was raining.

Rainy Day by Ralph Ricciardi, on Flickr

Checked and just my luck, College Hills Honda doesn't have the homelink modules on their site anymore so its either full price from honda or a junkyard that happens to have the unit in my interior color.

Not sure now what will be next. I have two bulbs to pop in the headlamp for the led strip at the bottom. Basically just bright LEDs.

Also have a bunch of wedge leds coming to replace the trunk/plate/ etc

[Ralphie]

Ok so I installed my yellow LED fog bulbs today. Hard to really see during daylight but they seem pretty bright.

Will have to post a night time pic.



Now I am just waiting for my LED wedge bulbs for the LED strip in the headlamps, and random places around the car such as trunk/license plate etc.

After that Im not sure what I want to do next, maybe the homelink module.

[Ralphie]

Finally got around to installing the hid bulbs and ballasts.

Overall they look good. Haven't taken her out at night yet, but the beam pattern seems off. When I get a minute, I will attempt to reaim them.



DDM 5k 35w. When they go, I think I might try zentec ballasts and TRS morimoto bulbs.

Also picked up some extras-


Cabin air filter, engine air filter, cell phone dock, and pure white 168 wedge bulbs for the trunk and plate lights.

Not sure what Ill be doing next.

She is ready for her first oil change and tire rotate.

Ill post back!

[Ralphie]

No updates yet----

still waiting for the damn HID kit to arrive.

[Ralphie]

Ok cool. I figured it was ok since I ran 35w in my 6th gen without issues.

I went with ddm again as they have a lifetime warranty and last time they were pretty helpful when my ballast went out.

[owequitit]

Here's a dumb question-

on Hondaautomotiveparts It had my h11 low beams as being 55w 12v...

Id still order the 35w kit though right?

Some kits are better than others. I think I paid about $100 for mine from a local shop (friend of mine), so I know there was some extra markup on there.

That said, you will find them fine. I am jonesing to upgrade them in my parent's 2013 EX-L V6, but I just haven't yet. I think you will be happy.

The difference in wattage has to do with lumens. Halogens are less efficient at converting electricity into light since they have very high resistance (which is actually what produces the light). Since HID's are more energy efficient, they put out significantly more light (I think about 40% more) at 35W than a halogen does at 55W. The downside is that they draw more energy initially while they are turning the gas into Plasma, and then the total power draw drops off to a level below a halogen bulb.

This is the same phenomenon you get with Squiggle CFL bulbs as well as fluorescent lighting and those big orange Mercury Vapor lights in warehouses and stuff. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to get the plasma up to temperature, but they use relatively little to keep it going. That is why you shouldn't put squiggle bulbs in lights that will be on and off frequently. They aren't designed for it and will see excessive wear (short life) and they don't save you energy when they are used that way.

[Ralphie]

Well fuck it, I pulled the trigger.

35w 5000k kit and a pair of 1300 lumen h8 bulbs in yellow for the fogs.

I shall post aftermath shots once I get it all installed.

[Ralphie]

Here's a dumb question-

on Hondaautomotiveparts It had my h11 low beams as being 55w 12v...

Id still order the 35w kit though right?

[Ralphie]

I have HID's in the Si which aren't even projectors and they are fantastic.

You wouldn't have any problems with them in the halogen projectors, as they have a full projector cutoff. Just stick to the lower wattage kits (35W) and they will be fine. You don't need the 55W kits. I also put my kit in like 5 years ago and it is working fine still.

If you are worried about quality, you can spend more and get an actual OEM rebased bulb kit with OEM Lexus or Acura ballasts.

I think you would find it to be a very affordable and worthwhile upgrade with little downside. The stock harness should also be able to support the initial extra wattage draw when they fire up, but if you aren't comfortable with that, you can always put the relay harness in.

Well I had HIDS 5500k, 35W in my 2002 Accord. Even though I know HIDS are frowned upon when installed in halogen housings, I wanted that blue hue and further reach- both of which I got. I actually wasn't high beamed often but it did happen once or twice. I had them for 2 years and then I think the ballast went bad and when I swapped them to test it out I fucking accidently let the hid bulb touch the good side harness which melted it and left residue on the bulb.

I was not even going to attempt running them and I had bought them from DDM and they weren't really able to help me out much as their CS kind of sucks but It was only like $50 so I said fuck it and through them out and went back to halogens.

Now I am kind of stoked. I think ill pick up a kit if you think it would be worthwhile. The halogens of course do kind of suck as far as output.

The fog lights on this car aren't all that great either, but imo they are more for looks then anything. Not sure how well they would respond to HIDS but I think Im just going to pick up yellow bulbs for those. They do make yellow tinted housings for the 9th gen but those are obv not reversible unless you uninstall them.

What kit do you run?


And oh yea, not even sure why they make 55w??!?!? 35w was MORE then enough light for me on my 2002.

[owequitit]

See I have seen mixed reviews about doing cheap HID kits for the low beam projectors(if that is what you meant by the cutoff being good enough)

It is easy enough to pick up a cheap HID kit but ive seen people say that its the equivalent of doing HID kits in halogen housings as the projectors the EX and below have are halogen projectors, not really mean't for HIDS and most guys do the TSX retrofit from theretrofitsource.

One guy even pulled the fuse for his DRL(which are the high beam) and then installed a switchback bulb in the turn signal spot so that it would be on instead of the fogs and then when he hit the blinker it would blink and then switch back to steady. It was sharp but im not trying to pull fuses. And besides, I like the inside DRL through the high beams because it reminds me of our beloved cbs with the high beam DRL.

And im not sure when the last time you checked prices, but Accord Headlamps are not THAT cheap lol. The ones I have are like ~200 but the touring with the separate LEDS are ~400 or so per side.

Unless you found a good source. I find mostly non-oem 3rd party junk. I can't check ebay from work so there are probably some deals on ones with broken tabs but I did find one site selling a complete upgrade, both sides, the harness and everything for like $1200 lol.

Someone on the forum said they were REAL cheap when the models first came out and then overnight the prices skyrocketed almost as if Honda did not know what it was they were selling and then suddenly realized.




Yea I just have one wedge bulb that is reflected x amount of times throughout the housing to simulate individual LEDS. It kind of sucks. I mean from the right angle it looks ok, but it could be better which is what led me to this point haha.

I have HID's in the Si which aren't even projectors and they are fantastic.

You wouldn't have any problems with them in the halogen projectors, as they have a full projector cutoff. Just stick to the lower wattage kits (35W) and they will be fine. You don't need the 55W kits. I also put my kit in like 5 years ago and it is working fine still.

If you are worried about quality, you can spend more and get an actual OEM rebased bulb kit with OEM Lexus or Acura ballasts.

I think you would find it to be a very affordable and worthwhile upgrade with little downside. The stock harness should also be able to support the initial extra wattage draw when they fire up, but if you aren't comfortable with that, you can always put the relay harness in.

[Ralphie]

LOL.

Well I am going to have to decide what id rather do.

[AccordWarrior]

You most definitely could install an LED into each segment, but that is probably beyond my skill level, considering ive never opened up a housing yet.

If I had extra money, id give it a shot because like you said, worst case I just go out and buy an upgraded housing if I fubar mine but I can't swing that now.

And im also short on time haha. And im also not sure if my wife would be cool with me baking my headlights in her oven bwhahahahaha

Just wait until she's out for the day. That's how I did the ones on my Tacoma.

I mean, no, I did not use the oven to bake my headlights at 375°F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

[Ralphie]

Right. I was referring to the head lamp I believe Ralphie has, which is a single bulb with reflectors (similar to how people used to make angel eye/halo headlamps with a show curtain ring). You could install LEDs into each segment if you wanted to try and replicate.

You most definitely could install an LED into each segment, but that is probably beyond my skill level, considering ive never opened up a housing yet.

If I had extra money, id give it a shot because like you said, worst case I just go out and buy an upgraded housing if I fubar mine but I can't swing that now.

And im also short on time haha. And im also not sure if my wife would be cool with me baking my headlights in her oven bwhahahahaha

[Ralphie]

It was just a thought because the LED running lights should be included. For the headlights, you could just plug and play with an inexpensive kit and it would look good. You could even do that with your existing headlights. The cutoff is good enough for it.

See I have seen mixed reviews about doing cheap HID kits for the low beam projectors(if that is what you meant by the cutoff being good enough)

It is easy enough to pick up a cheap HID kit but ive seen people say that its the equivalent of doing HID kits in halogen housings as the projectors the EX and below have are halogen projectors, not really mean't for HIDS and most guys do the TSX retrofit from theretrofitsource.

One guy even pulled the fuse for his DRL(which are the high beam) and then installed a switchback bulb in the turn signal spot so that it would be on instead of the fogs and then when he hit the blinker it would blink and then switch back to steady. It was sharp but im not trying to pull fuses. And besides, I like the inside DRL through the high beams because it reminds me of our beloved cbs with the high beam DRL.

And im not sure when the last time you checked prices, but Accord Headlamps are not THAT cheap lol. The ones I have are like ~200 but the touring with the separate LEDS are ~400 or so per side.

Unless you found a good source. I find mostly non-oem 3rd party junk. I can't check ebay from work so there are probably some deals on ones with broken tabs but I did find one site selling a complete upgrade, both sides, the harness and everything for like $1200 lol.

Someone on the forum said they were REAL cheap when the models first came out and then overnight the prices skyrocketed almost as if Honda did not know what it was they were selling and then suddenly realized.

The running light portion of each is different. The cars with LED lights have separate elements, but the lower trims have one wedge bulb that uses like a light pipe to resemble the LED's even though it doesn't quite pull it off.

Sort of like how in the 2006-2011 Si sedan, Honda designed the reflector in the tail light to use 1 wedge bulb that reflects multiple times to resemble an LED assembly.

Yea I just have one wedge bulb that is reflected x amount of times throughout the housing to simulate individual LEDS. It kind of sucks. I mean from the right angle it looks ok, but it could be better which is what led me to this point haha.

[AccordWarrior]

The running light portion of each is different. The cars with LED lights have separate elements, but the lower trims have one wedge bulb that uses like a light pipe to resemble the LED's even though it doesn't quite pull it off.

Sort of like how in the 2006-2011 Si sedan, Honda designed the reflector in the tail light to use 1 wedge bulb that reflects multiple times to resemble an LED assembly.

Right. I was referring to the head lamp I believe Ralphie has, which is a single bulb with reflectors (similar to how people used to make angel eye/halo headlamps with a show curtain ring). You could install LEDs into each segment if you wanted to try and replicate.