DIY: HID kit (low Beam) into Depo projectors / 2003 ep3 [Archive]

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si03

08-23-2011, 09:50 AM

I'm not sure if this has been covered in the past but if it has I could not find a DIY for this. I hope this helps ppl out that are looking for installing an HID kit into Depo's.
Refer to pictures if you are stuck on any step. I hope I didn't miss any steps :peace:

Here go's:

2003 ep3
Depo projectors (SSR) for an 02-03 ep3
HID kit -55w 5000k (H1 bulb replacement) they were ordered though a friend so not sure where he got them.

Step one: Remove front bumper

Step two: remove headlight (I suggest removing one at a time if you have never removed the headlights before, good to compare both when installing them back in) Headlights don't have to be fully removed from all wiring. Just place the headlight face down on the headlight housing (just make sure to have a towel in had so you don't scratch the plastic exterior lenses)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21104430.jpg

Step three: Remove rubber cover to low beam's along with bulb. My low bulb is H1.

Step four: I removed both red and black wire's from the HID rubber housing because I didn't want the two wire's to be fished out through the rubber housing from the Depo's. I pulled both wire's through the hole's from which they were in the HID rubber housing. Be careful pulling them through the rubber holes as the rubber may tare.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120355.jpg
It should look like this (below)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120512.jpg

Step five: remove HID from plastic cover (DO NOT TOUCH HID BULB)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120533.jpg

Step six: Find a placement for the HID ballast. I ended up using double sided tape behind ballast to adhere to it's location. Make sure if you're using this method (double sided tape) to properly clean the area. I just used water and a rag as that's all I had with me during the install.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21111123.jpg

Step seven: Place HID ballast to it's determined location and have all proper plugs "plugged" into ballast (It's easier to have the plug into the Ballast before mounting it onto its determined location. I learned this the hard way because the location I choose for the Ballast there was a piece of metal from the frame of the car which was right in the way of the plug that plugs into the Ballast.

Step eight: Insert HID bulb into low beam housing. My kit didn't come with X-clips so the HID bulb was loose in the housing. I didn't want to order X-clips so I manufactured my own. I used the plastic "C" shaped plastic ring that was inside of the HID bulb cover. "Please refer to the picture to see what where I cut the plastic ring for proper fitment inside the low beam housing".
Since the HID bulb get's really hot I decided to wrap the plastic "C" ring with electrical tape as electrical tape can withstand allot of heat. I used only "one" plastic "C" ring per housing.
This mod will hold the HID bulb like a charm. Good tight fit so the bulbs aren't moving around and no chance of escaping the Depo housing.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120646.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21115240.jpg
"c" ring had to be cut like so for proper fitment inside Depo housing
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21115324.jpg
After electrical tape applied
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21115558.jpg
"c" ring inserted on top of HID bulb
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120746.jpg

Step nine: There will be "two" holes on the rubber piece where the HID bulbs are attached too. I used this product above to properly seal both holes. This has to be done as water will get into the housing and will ruin your lights.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21121033.jpg
I used this product to seal both holes
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21121730.jpg
After
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21122002.jpg

Step ten: Feed the HID wires through the Depo rubber cap. On the center of the HID's there is a rubber cover which there is "two" parts to it. One wider then the other. I pulled the thinner part through the rubber Depo cap and left the wider part inside of the rubber cap for proper seal. Refer to pictures to see what it looks like.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21120830.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21121016.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21122002.jpg

Step eleven: Now comes the wiring. On the HID's there is a "red" and a "Black" wire. The "red" wire from the HID's will be going into the "positive" side of the Depo low beam plug. The "black wire from the HID's will go into the "negative" side on the Depo low beam plug.
I'm not sure if this go's for every Depos but on mine the positive wire on the Depo plug was a "Yellow" wire and the negative was a "Black wire. On both driver and passenger side low beam plugs, the "positive" wire was on the right side of the plug (not sure if this goes for every Depo so make sure to check first).
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21122308.jpg

Step twelve: You will need to electrical tape both "red" and "Black" HID wire into the Depo plug. Easy to do, just make sure to apply the electrical tape in a way that it pulls the wire's into the plug so it will be a snug fit without any play (this will make it so there will not be any chance of the wire's loosing up therefore cutting electricity to your low beams. Electrical tape it really good as you "DO NOT" want any water penetration into the plug. After you have taped the wire's turn on the headlight to make sure they are working (I had to re tape the wire's twice before I had it snug enough).
After electrical tape applied
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21122922.jpg

Step thirteen: Tuck the wire's away, Tape what ever you need to for a clean look. Reinstall light and you're done :thumbu:.

Comparison test (day time)

Passenger side "After" HID install
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21114416.jpg

Driver side with Halogen bulb
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21114406.jpg

If you're doing this outside without any protection from the weather please check your local weather before install or you'll have to deal with this as I did :rain:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e289/slicktype001/03%20Si%20HID%20into%20Depos/2011-08-21125107.jpg

jubaque

08-23-2011, 07:42 PM

THANK YOU> JUST WHAT I NEEDED..
gonna get my depo install today but using back the original jdm hid that came with the headlight.. is it possible?

Type_R_Nammer

08-26-2011, 03:30 AM

Thanks for the post, I remember your post trying to help me with my halogens for my depos.

I got encouraged by this thread and slapped on a HID kit.

I also ghetto fabbed the "x-clip" LOL

si03

08-29-2011, 12:32 PM

I also ghetto fabbed the "x-clip" LOL

lol. I didnt want to wait to buy x-clips so this was the best option . Glad to help.

si03

08-29-2011, 12:39 PM

THANK YOU> JUST WHAT I NEEDED..
gonna get my depo install today but using back the original jdm hid that came with the headlight.. is it possible?

:thumbs: I'm not sure if they'll fit. I know when i ordered my HID kit i had to specify that my low beam bulb on my depose were H1 so the HID was a direct replacement bulb.

STP03BlueSI

10-20-2011, 05:28 PM

I need to get depos.

StimulisRK

10-20-2011, 06:24 PM

Dumb question: What are depos? Something to do with the housing?

Looking to do HID's soon, this thread will definitely come in handy

junevtec

10-20-2011, 07:45 PM

how about a night pic to see how it looks

Type_R_Nammer

10-21-2011, 03:11 PM

Dumb question: What are depos? Something to do with the housing?

Looking to do HID's soon, this thread will definitely come in handy

Depo refers to the company name that makes the projectors.

When a member refers to depos, they're referring to the projectors.

ep32424

12-01-2011, 09:30 PM

Great DIY, might need it when i get me headlight soon.

cvicep3

12-02-2011, 12:08 PM

Would this holder work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acura-RSX-HID-XENON-Conversion-H1-Adapter-Holder-/220693376844?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item336259af4c

Draw7Seven

12-02-2011, 10:22 PM

You can use the "center" port of that connector (the one you didn't plug anything into) to run a standard high beam to round this out--though you may never need it with some legit HIDS. Just run the negative to a ground.

Good thread. You can also use a regular wrap and a heat gun to weatherproof your wires and connections, and I might suggest using something other than double sided tape to apply your ballasts to a fairly water-free location of the engine bay. From experience the second your ballasts start hanging out with rain, you're going to be buying new ones.

PatrickJamesYu

12-03-2011, 10:58 PM

Good write up
But I have 1 question.

If you order a H1 HID bulb, why would you need to mod the headlight assembly to fit them?
The Depo's were designed to take an H1 bulb, but you need to mod them to fit an H1?

McTaggart34

12-23-2011, 07:32 PM

jwdep3

12-23-2011, 08:23 PM

Would this holder work?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acura-RSX-HID-XENON-Conversion-H1-Adapter-Holder-/220693376844?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item336259af4c

I bought those thinking it would work, but the bulbs were still loose. I had to modify the x-clips and add a modified plastic c-ring that i got from the new hid bulb. holds it in very snug. sorry for crappy cell pics. And the lamps do take h1 bulbs, but the h1 hid bulbs needs something on the back of it to hold it in. or else the bulb would just be moving around.

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa426/ep3k20a31/xclip1.jpg
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa426/ep3k20a31/xclip2.jpg

PatrickJamesYu

12-23-2011, 08:24 PM

Bump for answer .. I wanna know too

Oh yeah
I found out why.
Once you do the install, you'll see why this was necessary.
The H1 bulb itself is really small, with no 'base' or 'seat.
The stock halogen H1 bulb that comes with these projectors have a separate piece which is the seat.
So the H1 bulb plugs into the 'seat' and the 'seat' is held down by the clip/headlight assembly.

This DIY, shows a way to make it work without the seat, meaning the H1 HID bulbs.
Because the HID bulbs are hard wired with a harness/pigtail design, you can not take the stock h1 bulb seat, and use it with the HID's

McTaggart34

12-24-2011, 09:09 PM

ahh I see .. thanks

Oh yeah
I found out why.
Once you do the install, you'll see why this was necessary.
The H1 bulb itself is really small, with no 'base' or 'seat.
The stock halogen H1 bulb that comes with these projectors have a separate piece which is the seat.
So the H1 bulb plugs into the 'seat' and the 'seat' is held down by the clip/headlight assembly.

This DIY, shows a way to make it work without the seat, meaning the H1 HID bulbs.
Because the HID bulbs are hard wired with a harness/pigtail design, you can not take the stock h1 bulb seat, and use it with the HID's

Can you post some pictures of the cut off with the hid's in?

thinking i NEED to buy so of these lights hahah

PatrickJamesYu

12-24-2011, 09:43 PM

ahh I see .. thanks

Can you post some pictures of the cut off with the hid's in?

thinking i NEED to buy so of these lights hahah

I'll try to do that tonight. I need to adjust them first.

Andieldiablo

01-08-2012, 01:18 AM

Draw7Seven

01-08-2012, 08:49 AM

is step 12 (the part about plugging the postive and negative into the depo low beam plug, is that necessary if you have a 04-05? i knw tht that the 02-03 have the high and lowbeam as one bulb whcih is y im asking. and needing a H1 replacement bulb, does that go for 02-05? ill be installng my depos and hid's tmrw so i wanna make sure i knw all the issues im ganna run into before i get to them :)

You won't need to do the positive plugging because that's just how we separate out our high and low positives from one female H4 socket into two bulbs. Your Depos should come with the connector that turns your low beam into an H1, and your high beam will remain unchanged. Yes, that means you'll need an H1 bulb for your low beam.

theMan_ny

10-21-2012, 10:56 PM

Sorry for the bump, but it's better than starting a new thread. Did everyone who installed HID's in their projectors have a sh*ttier cutoff even after adjusting them? I know about the TSX retrofit but my passenger side is like way high even after setting it low. Makes me want to go back to halogens.
P.S. Can you guys post pics of your cutoffs? :mangel:

apexracing

11-04-2012, 08:09 AM

ChampionshipW

03-13-2016, 10:23 PM

right, so depos come with h1's but 04-05 ep3 take 9006/hb4 lo, 9005/hb3 hi. Will the 9006 fit in the depo's projectors? I thought they were identical to 04-05?

Edit: So 9006 LED will not fit in the DEPO housing, the projector housing will need to be drilled.