One of the first must have mods. After coming from a BMW, I swore to never go back to halogen headlights again.
Note: Done at your own risk. I'm not liable for anything.
Note 2: I have the Euro spec with projector headlights which has extremely sharp cut off. I have not had any glares while standing in front at driver's seat level or has had anybody flash high beams back at me. For non-projector headlights, it's recommended not to do this mod.
Note 3: The bulb size guide in the manual is wrong for Euro Specs, It's H7 bulbs, not H11. I'm not sure about US specs, you will need to remove bulb cover and check first.
Note 4: Sorry for lack of pictures, was too excited to install to take pictures for most of the installation process. Also sorry for lower quality, taken with phone camera.
Warning: Cutting into the rubber seal/cover required.
Required:
Philips H7 HID kit
Torx Screwdriver
Philips Screwdriver
Precision/exacto knife
Step 1: 6 Pack of your favourite beer.
Step 2: Open can #1
Step 3: Open Hood
Step 4: Remove Headlight, Torx and philips required. Instructions here
Note: After loosening the screws, the headlight requires a nice forceful upward yank to be freed from the clip on the bottom, take care not the scratch the paint. This step takes no more than 5 minutes for both sides.
Step 5: Remove rubber cover.
Step 6: Take note of the direction of the plug. This is important later. Disconnect the plug to bulb.
Step 7: Bulb is held by 3 clips, just a nice yank will have it come out. Be sure to wear clean gloves and hold by the connector/base plate only. DO NOT TOUCH the bulb itself.
Step 8: Cut off the rubber grommit supplied with HID kit, this will not work due to the rubber cover design from Ford.
Step 9: Cut a small slot on the bottom of the rubber cover, just enough to fit the 4 wires required from the HID kit.
Step 10: Clip the new HID bulb into the 3 clip of the headlight housing. Just push in and hear it pop into place. Once again, wear clean gloves, hold by connector/base plate only and DO NOT TOUCH THE BULB. Note: A member from another forum stated that you have to rotate the bulb upside down with wire on bottom in order to prevent shadows on the road. Unfortunately, I did not buy a model specific HID and bought the universal plug and play, therefore did not come with screw on metal mount plate for rotating the base plate. Therefore, I'm stuck with two lines on the road. Although I don't mind it too much.
Step 11: Connect the ballast wire to Ford plug (you do not connect the ballast yet, just the wire for it, it's separate). However, it was hard to tell from Ford's plug which was negative or positive as they are both grey. This is why step 6 is important. The top terminal of the plug is negative, the bottom is positive. Connect the black (negative) plug into the top terminal of the Ford connector. Vice versa for red to bottom. This was figured out from trial and error, you have 50/50 chance of getting it wrong.
Step 12: Tuck in the Ford plug into bottom of housing and try to secure it with zip ties so that it doesn't knock around while driving. You should now have 4 wires coming out from the headlight.
Step 13: Remember the slot you cut on the rubber cover? Slip the wires through, then use your own preferred method to seal the cover as much as possible to prevent moisture. Most people would probably use permatex seal or some form of seal. I chose to use electric tape in order to allow ease of swapping out bulbs later. I wrapped it as tightly as possible and ensured that moisture should not be able to get in by further heating it up with a lighter for "shrink" fit.
Step 14: Find place to mount ballast.
I mounted driver's side to the frame wall next to fuse box by 3M double sided tape.
Passenger side was also frame wall, but next to the coolant overflow tank.
Step 15: Connect ballast to headlight. Pretty much idiotproof here.
Step 16: Connect factory harness to headlight.
Step 17: Test headlights. If OK, proceed to Step 18. If not OK, check connections to make sure they're all plugged in snuggly. If still not OK then go back to step 11 and flip terminals around.
Step 18: Do reverse of Step 4.
Viola. You have HID. I swear the Philips are brighter than my OEM BMW's HID, which is also manufactured by Philips...![[confuse]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_confused.gif "Confuse [confuse]")
Pictures below:
Close up, matches well with LED DRLs.
From instagram, with X-Pro II filter to better show the difference.
Night shot. Much visibly wider and brighter with sharp cutoff. You can also see the two line for shadow for not being able rotating the bulb upside down...
Enjoy!
Note: Done at your own risk. I'm not liable for anything.
Note 2: I have the Euro spec with projector headlights which has extremely sharp cut off. I have not had any glares while standing in front at driver's seat level or has had anybody flash high beams back at me. For non-projector headlights, it's recommended not to do this mod.
Note 3: The bulb size guide in the manual is wrong for Euro Specs, It's H7 bulbs, not H11. I'm not sure about US specs, you will need to remove bulb cover and check first.
Note 4: Sorry for lack of pictures, was too excited to install to take pictures for most of the installation process. Also sorry for lower quality, taken with phone camera.
Warning: Cutting into the rubber seal/cover required.
Required:
Philips H7 HID kit
Torx Screwdriver
Philips Screwdriver
Precision/exacto knife
Step 1: 6 Pack of your favourite beer.
Step 2: Open can #1
Step 3: Open Hood
Step 4: Remove Headlight, Torx and philips required. Instructions here
Note: After loosening the screws, the headlight requires a nice forceful upward yank to be freed from the clip on the bottom, take care not the scratch the paint. This step takes no more than 5 minutes for both sides.
Step 5: Remove rubber cover.
Step 6: Take note of the direction of the plug. This is important later. Disconnect the plug to bulb.
Step 7: Bulb is held by 3 clips, just a nice yank will have it come out. Be sure to wear clean gloves and hold by the connector/base plate only. DO NOT TOUCH the bulb itself.
Step 8: Cut off the rubber grommit supplied with HID kit, this will not work due to the rubber cover design from Ford.
Step 9: Cut a small slot on the bottom of the rubber cover, just enough to fit the 4 wires required from the HID kit.
Step 10: Clip the new HID bulb into the 3 clip of the headlight housing. Just push in and hear it pop into place. Once again, wear clean gloves, hold by connector/base plate only and DO NOT TOUCH THE BULB. Note: A member from another forum stated that you have to rotate the bulb upside down with wire on bottom in order to prevent shadows on the road. Unfortunately, I did not buy a model specific HID and bought the universal plug and play, therefore did not come with screw on metal mount plate for rotating the base plate. Therefore, I'm stuck with two lines on the road. Although I don't mind it too much.
Step 11: Connect the ballast wire to Ford plug (you do not connect the ballast yet, just the wire for it, it's separate). However, it was hard to tell from Ford's plug which was negative or positive as they are both grey. This is why step 6 is important. The top terminal of the plug is negative, the bottom is positive. Connect the black (negative) plug into the top terminal of the Ford connector. Vice versa for red to bottom. This was figured out from trial and error, you have 50/50 chance of getting it wrong.
Step 12: Tuck in the Ford plug into bottom of housing and try to secure it with zip ties so that it doesn't knock around while driving. You should now have 4 wires coming out from the headlight.
Step 13: Remember the slot you cut on the rubber cover? Slip the wires through, then use your own preferred method to seal the cover as much as possible to prevent moisture. Most people would probably use permatex seal or some form of seal. I chose to use electric tape in order to allow ease of swapping out bulbs later. I wrapped it as tightly as possible and ensured that moisture should not be able to get in by further heating it up with a lighter for "shrink" fit.
Step 14: Find place to mount ballast.
I mounted driver's side to the frame wall next to fuse box by 3M double sided tape.
Passenger side was also frame wall, but next to the coolant overflow tank.
Step 15: Connect ballast to headlight. Pretty much idiotproof here.
Step 16: Connect factory harness to headlight.
Step 17: Test headlights. If OK, proceed to Step 18. If not OK, check connections to make sure they're all plugged in snuggly. If still not OK then go back to step 11 and flip terminals around.
Step 18: Do reverse of Step 4.
Viola. You have HID. I swear the Philips are brighter than my OEM BMW's HID, which is also manufactured by Philips...
Pictures below:
Close up, matches well with LED DRLs.
From instagram, with X-Pro II filter to better show the difference.
Night shot. Much visibly wider and brighter with sharp cutoff. You can also see the two line for shadow for not being able rotating the bulb upside down...
Enjoy!
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