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  1. #1
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    How to Install HID Back-up (Reverse Lights) The Right Way

    OK TGC, this is my first "How To".
    I have installed HID lights in my Reverse Light Socket for backing up in dark areas, I can also use them to blind a tailgater if they get me to that point.
    Some of you may wonder, How do you do reverse lights "THE RIGHT WAY??"
    "I didn't know there was a wrong way!"
    Let me assure there is no right or wrong way, it's HID in your reverse lights it's not something you need.
    The way I have done it is, an effective way to ensure maximum ballast and bulb life. Basically meaning, not killing your HID kit because you go to reverse so many times in one week (also having them on during the day) and when you go from Park to Drive it quickly kicks 12 volts to the back up bulb, that alone will have your ballasts begging for mercy in less than a month.

    OK, on to what you clicked this thread for.
    You will need:
    10mm socket/ratchet
    1 inch length screws
    Silicone/sealant
    20 ft 14 awg wire
    10 ft 16 or 18 awg wire
    Soldering iron and soldering wire or butt-connectors (I prefer solder to ensure best connection)
    Electrical tape
    Zip Ties
    Self Tap Screws
    Drill with phillips bit and a wire wheel bit to sand for good ground connections
    3 12Volt Relays
    1 Complete Dual beam HID Kit from VVME.COM (Pictured) Mine is 8000k 35w

    So we start with what most of us have now. A Stock, Dim, Yellowish pair of lights.


    Here's the HID kit from vvme.com


    This is what makes this kit so special for this install. It's their H4-2 8000k 35w kit.
    The bulb has to sides to it, one HID capsule and one 55w Halogen side for use of high beam.


    Close up. The HID side will be connected to run off a switch of your choosing, and the halogen side will be tapped straight to the Revers wires in your car.


    First step is to remove your tail light assembly


    Then pull your stock 1156 out, mine is a silverstar which still wasn't enough for me.


    Next prep your bulb by cutting of the socket attached to it, removing the ballast harness and running your halogen capsule power wires through the grommet.


    Next, test fit your bulb, it goes right into the opening without going through it, no need to modify whatsoever.


    I used these to screw the bulbs in place, they were kind of long so I cut them, now they are a bit longer than the self tap screws.


    Here's the bulb held down, nice and snug. Just enough to get the bulb held down for silicone to weather proof.


    Whatever you have it doesn't matter, I used black on one side and goop on the other.


    Connect/Tap into the reverse power and ground wires in the harness that is on the tail light, I prefer to solder.


    Here's the tail light back on with the HID wires ran through.


    In order to avoid pinched wires


    Here's my ballast mounted


    Wired up to power, quickly to test it then butt connector came off and soldered the connection.


    End Result


    In this image, the drivers side is the Halogen side of the HID, and the passenger side is the Silverstar 1156 bulb, already the new halogen bulb is noticeably brighter than stock, even though mine is a pepped up stock bulb.


    So how's it work?

    The halogen side of the bulbs come on with reverse gear at all times.
    The HID side comes on when I toggle them on, the car does not have to be in reverse.
    I have wired the HID's in back to my fog lights, since my fog-lights are tapped to a relay off the low beam ballast they always come on with lows and remain on with highs too, I have no use for the switch that's on the dash or the stock fog harness. So what I did is got the 12 volt wire from the stock fog harness on the drivers side and used it to trigger a relay to send direct battery 12 volts throught the 14awg wire I ran to the back. This wire then splits into each ballast.


    One very important thing I did to assure the housing does not melt when youre backing up with the car in reverse and the HID's are on.
    If you don't use a relay to cut power to the halogen bulbs whenever the HID's are on you will have two bulbs in a very small area turned on together and that will heat up real fast.

    Start by cutting the red with blue line wire like so.


    Next you want to wire up a relay on each side


    Finished installation with cut-off relay.



    These are some quick diagrams for those of you who aren't that relay savy.

    Last edited by oakrdrs187; 04-15-2011 at 04:12 PM

  2. #2
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    Last edited by oakrdrs187; 05-02-2011 at 01:10 PM

  3. #3
    Great write up


    www.ddmtuning.com has cheaper HID kits

  4. #4
    Senior TGC Member mrg7243's Avatar
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    wow much simplier than i though. I assum you arent done, ass i didnt see the use of the 3 relays, or how you wired the hids up. Also what size HID are they, like bulb socket size 899?
    Last edited by mrg7243; 04-15-2011 at 03:52 PM

  5. #5
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joshua42007 View Post
    Great write up


    www.ddmtuning.com has cheaper HID kits
    Thanks!
    You are correct sir, but they don't carry this bulb, and they are slacking on shipping hard. I just got my heads and fogs from them 2 days ago and I ordered on the 25th of March. I'm still gonna buy from them, LOL! They just don't have this dual function bulb, theirs has the solenoid to move the HID capsule for high beam light.

    Quote Originally Posted by mrg7243 View Post
    wow much simplier than i though. I assum you arent done, ass i didnt see the use of the 3 relays, or how you wired the hids up. Also what size HID are they, like bulb socket size 899?
    Not done yet bro, I'm putting the diagrams together. The Kit I ordered is a H4 or 9003

    http://www.vvme.com/standard-h429003...cPath=44_53_47


    The 3 relays are as follows:
    1 under the hood tapped to the stock fog harness to send send the needed juice to the ballasts at the push of the stock fog button. Which is nice cuz the indicator on the dash let's me know they are on.

    Other 2 are used to cut off power from the halogen bulbs when the HID's come on. So you don't have to lights in a small compartment. I will have a video of them in action later today. AND NIGHT PICS!!
    Last edited by oakrdrs187; 04-15-2011 at 04:29 PM

  6. #6
    TGC Lifetime Patron PR8GG's Avatar
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    Nice, I like this, I have to put this in my "to do list".
    De que estamos hablando?

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    TGC Lifetime Patron finald8ta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrg7243 View Post
    wow much simplier than i though. I assum you arent done, ass i didnt see the use of the 3 relays, or how you wired the hids up. Also what size HID are they, like bulb socket size 899?
    it the same type of socket as are headlights(usdm) i have this set up running in my headlights right now just dont like the high beam.

    great right up man

  8. #8
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by finald8ta View Post
    it the same type of socket as are headlights(usdm) i have this set up running in my headlights right now just dont like the high beam.

    great right up man

    finald8ta: You are correct, if you have HIDs on your headlights, some are this type of bulb, the high beam function on it is mediocre, this dual beam bulb was only intended to pass inspection, it was not designed for high beam output. But I have put it to use here.

  9. #9
    TGC Lifetime Patron finald8ta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oakrdrs187 View Post
    finald8ta: You are correct, if you have HIDs on your headlights, some are this type of bulb, the high beam function on it is mediocre, this dual beam bulb was only intended to pass inspection, it was not designed for high beam output. But I have put it to use here.
    tru. still a good right up

  10. #10
    Nice write up. But isnt it illegal to have white lights on the back end of your car if youre not going in reverse?

  11. #11
    Booty Luva wetamup2k3g's Avatar
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    Good setup, I have those kind of bulbs on my car now, but the ballasts are bad, I got DDM's coming too, but I ordered them tuesday and they have yet to even ship, I think they're slacking forreal.

    -Greg

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  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by qnz View Post
    Nice write up. But isnt it illegal to have white lights on the back end of your car if youre not going in reverse?
    these are the reverse lights.
    How to Install HID Back-up (Reverse Lights) The Right Way

  13. #13
    Experienced TGC Member AVERAGE's Avatar
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    Nice write up but i can't seem to think of any reason why I would personally need this setup.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Rabbi1991 View Post
    these are the reverse lights.
    How to Install HID Back-up (Reverse Lights) The Right Way
    In his writeup, he says the HIDs come on with a toggle switch. it does not have to be in reverse

  15. #15
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    I imagine if I were to get caught I would be in deep shit. Mostly use them for backing up now, so I manually toggle them ahead of time to allow tjem to warm up and not sit there in reverse more than i need to.

    The other reson i put this on is because of tailgaters, the extreme ones. I ride clean and drive the speed liimit, on the right side lane. Some people think that by getting close i will drive faster, i wont so they can backoff with these insane lights in their face. Also dont use your high beams behind me or you will get a taste, i always look before i leap for cops. Ive used them before in the mentioned methods and have worked out in my favor, they switched back to lows and either backoff or went around.

    A slow or slower moving car such as the speed limit gets more attention than the faster ones simply cuz theres more time to watch it go by.

    I apologize for some of my writing "hiccups" if you will. Im on my phone.

  16. #16
    Member ichbindasgehirn's Avatar
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    I know this is really OT but I know that the Ebay halo projectors use H1 HIDs, and if I'm ordering the slim HID kit from DDM should I get the error eliminator, the HID harness, or the adapter cables?


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  17. #17
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    ^^^^ (2nd post) Added Video!!!

  18. #18
    Why not just use the hid kit for the oem reverse switch. The stock setup doesn't provide enough amps for the setup or?


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  19. #19
    TGC Lifetime Patron oakrdrs187's Avatar
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    The O.E reverse wire powers up the halogen side of the bulb and the fog light switch on the dash triggers a relay for the HID side.

  20. #20
    Good job man i like i dont think i need them ether but i dont care ima do it.......thanks
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