55W HIDs to replace factory 35w HIDs

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before but doing a search on the topic is difficult on my phone.

I was wondering if anyone has swapped out their factory 35w HIDs for a 55w kit? I've read that some GENIII owners have installed the 55w kit to replace their halogens but these are different cars.

 

I purchased a set of 35w 6000k HIDs for the fogs and I am swapping some 5000k bulbs for 6000k bulbs for the headlights. It occurred to me that if I'm going to tear into the headlights again that I may as well order new 55w ballasts to replace the factory units. I'm not as concerned with a slight color difference if it means I'll have much better illumination.

 

I'm leaning that way. It gives me a good excuse not to scrape up my knuckles and scare the neighbors with my profanity during the install.

 

I decided to bite the bullet and try the DDM 55w 6000k HID kit anyway.

I installed the 35w 6000k HID kit for my fog lights and those made a huge difference in illumination. Especially road signs. Now when I turn my fog lights off, the headlights just seem dim.

The fog light upgrade was a snap so I'm hoping the headlight upgrade is not too terribly difficult. I just ordered the kit today and I'll post pics as soon as I get them installed.

 

I used the Raptor 35w 6000k 9006 HID kit sold at DMM Tuning. I think it was $30 +shipping. They now sell a Slim Line kit as well. The ballast is smaller and would be easier to find a place to mount. I would suggest buying the mounting brackets instead of using zip ties like I did.

The 9006 bulb mounting system is different than the D4R so trying to retrofit the stock HID system to your foglight housing would not be worth the effort. I would just spend the $30 on a new kit for the fog lights.

I'm not sure if there is a difference in the mounting system between a D2R (2004-2005 Prius) and a D4R (2006-2009 Prius). If there is no difference then you can get a D2R kit and install it for your headlights. It appears they don't have a D4R Slim Line kit at DDM Tuning and they are out of the Raptor kits until the end of the month according to the salesperson. I ordered my Slim Line 55w kit the other day and I just got an email saying delivery will be delayed for up to 4 weeks.

As a side note, the 35w HID kit is still working perfectly in my stock foglight housing and the lens is barely warm to the touch after driving for 50 minutes.

 

I should receive my new 55w HID headlight kit today so I figured I'd update this thread with pictures I took this morning. My intent is to better illustrate the difference in light output between stock 35w HIDs and new 55w HIDs for the headlights and the difference between no fog lights and 35w HID foglights.

These first pictures are of the stock 35w HIDs (4300 Kelvin) with 35w HID (6000 Kelvin) fog lights off and on. I moved to a different location for the second set of pictures to show how they light up vehicles that are further away.

After installing the new headlights, I will post a new set of pictures in the same location.

 

I didn't reaim anything. I simply installed the new lights and called it a day.

I installed the 55w HIDs for my headlights yesterday and they are very bright. Somehow I managed to knock something loose such that my passenger side foglight will not turn on or I would have taken more pictures this morning. I am using my cell phone for the pictures. It doesn't do well in low light situations.

 

I fixed the foglight that was out. It simply came unplugged while I was pulling the bumper cover off.

Both sets of lights are 6000k. Despite the headlights being 55w, they match the 35w foglights quite well.

Here Are few pictures. I took the last picture on the freeway with foglights off.

 

I snipped the factory plug off (outside of the headlight housing) and spliced the new connector onto the factory wires. I would recommend using either solder and heat shrink or quality crimp connectors then heat shrink. I saved the factory plugs and left enough wire to restore to original condition if needed.

I also drilled a small hole in the main black plastic cover and pushed the new kit wires (the ones that go directly to the bulb) through it then sealed it back up with epoxy. It is pretty self explanatory once you open the headlight up. If you've done HIDs before then the process is quite simple. Just keep in mind that my car came equipped with HIDs so I already had the bulb cover in the reflector housing. If I didn't have factory HIDs I would not have done the upgrade without doing a projector retrofit.

There is likely a cleaner way to do the install but I was still very sick (chemo) when I did it and I doubt I did it the best way but it works, it is safe, and it's done.

If you decide to do this mod I would suggest getting a better bulb like the Phillips 85122 (it will shift to a whiter light after approx. 100hrs). The system would be brighter than the DDM bulbs. The Morimoto 5Five ballast is supposed to be higher wattage as well so that is something to think about. They will cost you much more than the DDMs though.

 

So far so good. They have not been used for more than 1hr per trip but I'll keep an eye on them and will report if I notice even the tiniest bit of bubbling.

I plan on doing an FX-R retrofit in the future along with LED accents. I think I am over my fear of baking the headlight so now I just need to save some cash, move into the new house and get the garage workbench set up. If I do it I'll do a meticulous write-up of the process.

 

I'm still researching our options but is there a specific reason you chose the minis?

 

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I'll talk to Matt once I'm ready to do it. I put my 17s back on today and the gas mileage and ride is horrific so it looks like i'll be saving up for new tires before I get headlights.

Please keep me posted on your upgrade. Sounds like you've planned it well.