I posted about this in the Ghustle thread, but I wanted to put a thread up to get more input. I need to replace my driver side headlight, but I AE'd my headlights so a replacement will not match. I'm thinking about buying a set of retrofitted 5th gen headlights on here. The setup is as follows:

- Pair of OEM 00 Maxima SE headlights, cleaned and buffed. Bezel was primed and painted semi gloss black. Chrome corner bezel (bulbs will be included).
- Pair of Morimoto Mini H1 Bi-Xenon Projectors. Tweaked for sharpness and flat cutoff.
- Pair of E46 shrouds.
- Pair of Morimoto 4300K bulbs +pair of Ebay 5000K bulbs (currently installed).
- Aftermarket ballasts

Now I know this is not going to be a plug and play install. I'm not worried about physical fitment, but moreso the wiring and if this can actually work. I have two main goals with this setup I'd like to make sure get fulfilled:

1. It works. And I mean fully works. I'd like to still have high-beam capabilities if I can.

2. Making sure I will still be able to install and use stock 5.5 headlights at some point in the future (i.e. if I'm selling the car). So I'm not trying to be slicing wires to the point that a 5.5 headlight would no longer be able to be installed back in the car in plug and play fashion.

To be honest, I'm not too good with wiring. I can splice wires together without a problem, but my issue is knowing which ones to put together, grounding, etc etc. If anyone can provide some insight into this, especially if you have experience with retrofits and getting them to work, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if I get enough good answers and positive input, I will be buying the headlights this week and continue on with this thread as a sort of build thread documenting the process of installing them and getting them to work.

 

The only way to make it work is to splice the wires but if you do a good clean job. it shouldn't hurt resale value
How much are you paying for the headlights, have you thought about just getting a set of fle-bay headlights.

 

I had a friend that got a set of these and moded the headlights to work with his 02-03 hid set up. All i think he did was a little carving with a razor blade and used a few pieces from his stock headlight.
I'ma give him a call tomorow and find out for 170.99 shipped you can't bet it
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/02-03...item20bc96a065

 

As for the wiring, if you can do it cleanly enough it won't bother resale as Clashez said, the best way would be to retain the stock harnesses and tap in behind them using solder and shrink tube for all connections. I can help you along with wiring designations in this thread if you decide to pursue it, and can give you tips on how to do it, but if you can't do the actual wiring component, soldering, etc, then you should reconsider this.

If you can do that physical work and just need the designations and assistance then give-er!

A few notes to clarify:
you know that the 5th gen headlights are bigger right?
also, why don't you just redo the AE headlights in the replacement 5.5..... seems like it would be much less work and better looking at the end of the day.

 

^ I'm pretty set on OEM lights. If this setup can't work, I'll be going with an OEM 02/03 replacement. My two main concerns are fitment and output quality, the eBay lights do not meet my expectations for either of those things.

 

If you were closer I'd do the wiring for you. It's extremely simple.

 

Yeah man, I wish you were local to me. And thanks again man for the help last night, I really appreciate it. Actually I'm about to send you another PM.

 

I swore off ever baking a headlight open again. I'm pretty sure the ruin my driver side headlight is currently in is a result of failed seals from baking them open last year. I decided unless you really know what you're doing (I don't) the seals on the headlights are not meant to be broken.

But the reason I'm pursuing this idea is because this option is barely more cost-wise for both retrofitted lights than it is for one replacement OEM 02/03 light. And projectors would be awesome to have as well. I saw a picture yesterday of a 5.5 gen with 5th gen headlights and the fitment looks just fine.

Also, Chris pointed out that these projectors use H1 HID bulbs. Since our cars use D2R bulbs I think this is a problem with the wiring that would need to be addressed.

 

5th gen headlights are smaller. I knew what you meant, just wanted to clarify for the thread

 

Waxima,

just curious if you already considered retro-ing 5.5's

 

Fair enough. Yeah they should fit ok, actually will eliminate any gaps you may currently have, that can be a bad thing or good thing depending on the circumstance.

yeah projectors are wicked though, I just haven't seen a 5th gen housing with a projector that I actually like yet, I'm sure it can be done though.

The actual bulb type should have no impact on the wiring you'll have to do, either way it has to be modified because you're switching housings. All the HID wiring is integral in the 5.5 housing, because you're eliminating that you'll have to splice back to the main harnesses regardless, but you CAN use the stock ballasts i think, unless you're getting different ones with the headlights.

 

The for sale thread says it includes aftermarket ballasts for the headlights. But going back to the main harness shouldn't be too bad, I'm assuming it would just be a matter of matching the wires. The gap thing is good though, I have a somewhat unsightly gap between my driver headlight and the bumper.


I don't have the skills or the patience to retrofit a set of lights on my own. I'm just interested in doing this since the need to replace my lights is there, this guy has them for a really good price, and if this can be pulled off, it would be a cheap upgrade and replacement all in one shot.

 

On the ballast issue, you can use your stock ballasts, you just need a d2s/r to AMP connector from a site like theretrofitsource. It will only run you 15 more dollars and allow you to use your ballasts and the aftermarket bulbs as well. For the High beam, you could tap into your high beam wires and run them to the solenoid. They should be fine with 12 volts being run to them, but you could always ask theretrofitsource.com(which sells the actual mini h1 kit) or hidplanet.

 

Thanks for the info. At this point I'm wondering if it would be easier to use the stock ballasts or the included aftermarket ballasts.

We've got some good information so far. The turn signals can simply be tapped into the existing turn signal wiring, the high beam wires can be run to the solenoid. It looks like the only real uncertainty is with the actual low beam HID lighting.

The thought I had was with the aftermarket ballasts, can it just be hooked up like any aftermarket HID kit would be hooked up and installed and it will work OK? Because then I can have one of my friends who has experience with that just do that and it should work fine.

I'm starting to realize that I think I'm complicating things in my head a bit just because of the fact that there's a projector involved.

 

The wiring would be even easier if the 5th gen headlights used bi-xenon D2S projectors. There would hardly be any splicing at all. He would just need new D2S bulbs which he'd be able to use with the stock ballasts/igniter and the high beam solenoid would be spliced or tapped into the high beam bulb harness. Even for the corner light and signal it would be cake.

He can use his stock ballasts but getting AMP to D2S connectors is pointless. His ballasts already have those connectors and thats the only problem I see because the MH1's use H1 bulbs. All he really has to do is splice the red wire with the AMP connector off the H1 HID bulb too the green wire off the stock igniter/D2S socket (if that is power which I think it is). The black wire with the AMP connector can be grounded anywhere IIRC. It's that simple.

 

Idk chris I would never splice hid bulb wires - if that's what you're saying. When the voltage starts going through there thats asking for trouble. Spend the 15 dollars and get the adapters. Also get pigtails like these to put onto the bixenon solenoid wires so it'll be more plug and play with no cutting to the factory harness.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/9006-...item35a7d42c14

Just my .02. If you're getting the adapters from TRS you can ask them for the 9006/5 pigtails.

Also this is what you want.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...25v7g3ov06jqu9

If you're getting aftermarket ballasts, get a relay harness and tap the appropriate low beam power wire, ground the other. For the sake of simplicity, not hacking the factory harness too much and getting those aftermarket ballasts enough voltage.

 

I keep forgetting they make these lol ****, my bad. Noob moment:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...keivmbcl51o5g1

And those 9005 male adapters would be useful for the high beam solenoid. I use the female ends all the time for these retros so everythings plug and play with the TRS harness.

For the corner light just drill a hole in the top of the housing and get the signal bulb to fit in the bottom hole for the 5th gen corner/signal.

Job done.

 

Ok,

I'll chime in on this. Since the 02-03 has Stock Low Beam HID, I would run it using the aftermarket ballast that I will include the with sale. I hate to splice anything on your OEM If I were you. You might need 9006 Relay since this is non OEM standard (need to provide good power soruce). The ballast has AMP connectors, so it will just go straight to the Mini H1. You are going to make new harness for your city and signal lights. Get female connector for your OEM signal and city light. Run wires for both connectors. Join the ground from the 2 connectors, so now you have 2 +12V and 1 ground. These wires go to the new 5th gen male connector which will plug in the 5th gen female city/signal light plug in the headlight assy. Get your Hi-beam wires and connect them to the Mini H1 selenoid wire.

You're done I think.

 

Yep I was looking online for him and I can't find any 7440 pigtail/wire harness that plugs into the 7440 socket or 192 socket and results in wires

 

OK guys, I'm just thinking about this and trying to simplify the process in my mind because what I'm reading is a lot to take in. Now I'm just going to speak hypothetically here, don't jump down my throat if I'm totally wrong or off course. I'm just trying to make things simpler to grasp concept-wise for myself as well as my friends who will help me be doing this install if it happens.

So, let's say that this kit did not include ballasts and I would have to go buy some one my own. If I bought this...

Slim Xenon HID kit H1

...and then hooked it up as you're supposed to like you would an HID kit for any other car and then put the bulbs in the projectors, would that pretty much be it for making the low beam work?

That's really all I'm concerned about at this point. The turn signals and high beams sound like they're gonna be a walk in the park. The low beam is really the only thing throwing me off. But if what I just said is correct and I can just tell my friend to hook up the ballasts like he would do for an HID like he normally does (he does a lot of HID kit installs) then that would simplify things a lot I think.

 

For the low beam get this:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...keivmbcl51o5g1

And some new H1 HID bulbs.

For the low beams get some 9005 male connectors prewired to tap into the high beam solenoids on the projectors.

No splicing or tapping original wiring necessary.

 

So that would go from the stock ballast to the H1 bulb? And what's the reasoning for getting new bulbs?

 

I just realized I OOP'sd on you Wax, the 5th gen headlights are SMALLER, this means the gap will INCREASE.

 

That adapter plugs in just like your D2R bulbs do. If those headlights come with H1 bulbs use em. I'm not sure if they do.

And correction on my last post. For the high* beams, use the 9005 male connectors.

 

the adapter that chrisman linked to is the same one I mentioned. You would just connect the D2S end of the adapter(it will look like the bottom of your stock 5.5 gen low beam HID bulb) into the bulb connector of your ballast(just like if you were going to change your lowbeam bulb). The other end will connect to your aftermarket H1 bulbs. That will make your lowbeams work perfectly fine with your stock wiring(no splicing involved).

The 9006/9005 female connector that was linked to above will need to be spliced to the solenoid wires (coming out from the bottom of the projectors in the lights). I am not 100% sure, but the solenoids should be polarity sensitive(positive has to go with positive, ground with ground). This splicing of 9005/9006 plugs is so that you will be able to have a plug and play highbeam (no other intense wiring involved).

It should all wire up fine, without a need for a hid harness(since your car came equipped with HIDs, and the wiring system to handle the load)

 

Just to clarify; 5.0's are smaller than 5.5's and will cause gap if a 5.0 housing is used on a 5.5, correct? I'm looking for projectors, right now, for my 5.5.

 

Yes that's correct.