Bad experience with DDM Tuning HIDs

Gunner · #1 12-08-2011, 03:16 PM

So my HID kits arrived today, so I thought I would install them since it was a plug and play application. I opened everything up and laid it all out to plan how I would install everything. That part I understood.

So after laying everything out, I brought it out to the truck to begin the installation. I immeadiately ran into several obstacles. After removing the stock headlights from their housings I went to insert the HID lamps in their place but:

1. The HID bulbs would not fit into the headlight housings. There were three small plastic tabs that I had to break off the inside hole of the headlights to get the bulbs to go in.

2. The ford retaining rings that hold the bulbs to the back of the headlight housing would not fit over the HID bulbs and I broke a piece of the bulb and a tab of the retaining ring off.

3. The ring terminals were so flimsy that bending them even once cause them to break off preventing me from getting a good power or ground for the ballasts.

4. The kit came with no instructions so I had to guess at which way to correctly pin the 9007 adapter plug to the truck's harness for the stock bulb. (This designates high from low beam)

After much frustration and near frostbite, only the driver side lamp would fire up no matter what I did. I decided to take it all off and try it again another time. I placed the little foam tubes over the HID lamps to protect them during removal but forgot one of them was just on and the foam melted to the bulb. Damnit. It looks like kit is completely ruined, so I yanked it all off and connected up the stock headlights again. Why did this have to go so terribly wrong? I though some basic tools, electrial tape and some zip ties would be all I needed to get this thing working, and now it's only good for the garbage.

What should I do?

doyouquaxu · #2 12-08-2011, 03:20 PM

it sounds more like you messed up the installation of the bulbs rather than DDM made a bad product. mine were a bit of an issue to get to fit, i just had to spend another minute maybe to rotate the bulb a bit and then work the lock ring around so it went together properly. as far as the other side not igniting, that could be a bad ballast or bulb, try switching ballasts from side to side, or you could have connected something wrong.

Gunner · #3 12-08-2011, 03:23 PM

I should note that the box had a packing slip saying it came from China. Also nowhere on the kit or ballasts did it say it was an Apexcone Raptor HID kit, which is what I thought I was getting when I purchased it.

tmoore78 · #4 12-08-2011, 03:23 PM

i dont know about the 3 tabs in the hole deal, didnt have an issue with that.
the stock retaining ring will work, the bulb will "unlock" from the pigtail with a twist. it has writing on the bulb showing witch way to twist. then you have to remember which way you took the ring off of the stock bulb and place in on the DDM harness the same way, then put the bulb back on the harness.
i felt the same way you are when i put mine in, confusing as ****! but i laid everything right in front of the truck and pictured every step i would do with a friend next to me. then we tackled it together and it went simple.

doyouquaxu · #5 12-08-2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunner

I should note that the box had a packing slip saying it came from China. Also nowhere on the kit or ballasts did it say it was an Apexcone Raptor HID kit, which is what I thought I was getting when I purchased it.

their products are made in china and to my knowledge every HID kit is shipped from there to you directly instead of from a DDM location in the states.

Gunner · #6 12-08-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doyouquaxu

it sounds more like you messed up the installation of the bulbs rather than DDM made a bad product. mine were a bit of an issue to get to fit, i just had to spend another minute maybe to rotate the bulb a bit and then work the lock ring around so it went together properly. as far as the other side not igniting, that could be a bad ballast or bulb, try switching ballasts from side to side, or you could have connected something wrong.

I agree that I messed up the installation, guess I got too excited and didn't take my time. Is there any warrany for this or would I be better off ordering another kit and being more carefull?

doyouquaxu · #7 12-08-2011, 03:36 PM

they have a lifetime warranty against defects as long as it's not a damage caused by the purchaser.

Finn611 · #8 12-09-2011, 12:46 AM

You should just be able to order new bulbs for $15 (a pair) and you should be good after that if you do it right. Mine went in super easy. Took me about 15-20 min from the time I opened the box to the time I was cleaned up

Sonic04edge · #9 12-09-2011, 04:19 AM

I have had about 10 sets or so and out of all of them only ended up with one bad ballast. They are the best out of the "cheap" hid kits.

FireRanger · #10 12-09-2011, 06:11 AM

One of two things happened here

1) You installed the bulbs all wrong. But they are plug-n-play and I don't know how you could possibly screw this up.

2) You were not sent 9007 bulbs or ordered the wrong ones.

tmoore78 · #11 12-09-2011, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireRanger

One of two things happened here

1) You installed the bulbs all wrong. But they are plug-n-play and I don't know how you could possibly screw this up.

2) You were not sent 9007 bulbs or ordered the wrong ones.

to go along with number 1, some kits are wired wrong from the factory. I have seen numerous time where either they won't ignite or high is stuck on or low is stuck on with high indicator on inside cab.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2008RangerSport · #12 12-09-2011, 06:36 AM

Sounds like you just rushed the install lol...I've had my DDM headlight and fog light kit for about a month...no problems so far

FireRanger · #13 12-09-2011, 07:20 AM

I'm talking about the install, not necessarily the wiring. Like having to break and jam parts.

Gunner · #14 12-09-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireRanger

I'm talking about the install, not necessarily the wiring. Like having to break and jam parts.

I agree, I shouldn't have to force anything together to work. The boxes were labled 9007 Hi/Lo as I ordered. The ballasts (all 4) were exactly the same so I used 2 for the headlights and 2 for the fogs.

The headlights were just like the stock ones for shape, but the base was a little taller and this extra piece was catching on these 3 little tabs inside the lamp bore that the halogens were not. I removed them with no issues and the bulbs went right in.

I ordered another set except with the "dual in/ dual out" harness this time. I'm guessing this will eliminate the crossover wire from the driver side to the passenger side, which was the one that wouldn't fire.

The system I ruined had one plug for the 9007 harness to plug into the driver side headlamp harness. The 3 pins were not in the plug that came with the lights so I had to guess which was low and which was high beam. I knew that the ground was the middle pin. Hopefully the dual in/out harness will allow me to use both factory headlamp plugs on the truck instead of one.

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On a more positive note, I did sucessfully install the fogs last night. Same thing, 55W 5000K. Looks pretty sharp and brighter than I thought. I'll get some pics of the fogs soon!

Finn611 · #15 12-09-2011, 04:35 PM

You got 2 55w 5k kits? Your gonna be blinding people like crazy.