Secondlook,
I know this is my first post, but I have been lurking around this site now, since I bought my 14 MY in August of 2013. I find this forum to be invaluable due to the members expertise and the information which is shared.
I am running the 55w 5000k DDM HID's in my headlights.
I am typically heading to and from work, when it is dark out and the lighting performance from the factory halogen bulbs was simply terrible compared to all of my previous vehicles including my 3rd and 4th generation explorers.
Converting my halogen setup to HID was a tough choice being that my vehicle was brand new and I didn't want to mess around with the factory setup. After having a few close calls with animals on the side of the road in the rural areas that I am traveling, I contacted DDM's customer service and they walked me through what kit and accessories I would need. Being paranoid that I would encounter issues, I ordered two complete kits, so that I would have spare parts on hand.
The box arrived from China two weeks later looking like it was used as a soccer ball. I installed the kit and noticed the connectors were a “One size fits All” style and plugging my factory connector into the one supplied had to be reversed for correct polarity.
Overall, I wasn't impressed with the quality of the materials and was skeptical about how they would perform. After plugging everything in, the system fired up and the lights worked fine for a couple of days. (in auto mode) A short while later, the right side bulb started strobing and I thought I had a loose connection. After pulling the kit apart and checking each connection, I still had a strobing effect in the right side housing. I contacted their technical support and they informed me that I may have a defective bulb or ballast and should remove it and mail it back to them (at my cost) If they part was found to be defective, they would send me a new one and reimburse my shipping costs. Frustrated by this, I went back outside in the cold (NE Winter) and pulled the right side apart again and replaced the ballast. The lights fired right up and the strobing effect was gone. At this time, as an additional precaution I also used heat shrink wrap over each connection to keep secure and eliminate moisture from getting in. Being paranoid, I only use the manual setting on my headlights now. The kit has been installed now for exactly 12 months without any issues.
That being said, I will continue to utilize the spare parts I purchased until they are gone. At that point, I will probably spend the money/time on converting the projector housings and high quality ballasts and bulbs as many other owners have successfully done. In my opinion, I see the DDM kit as a cheap, short term solution to increase the light output in the factory housings. To date, I am more than satisfied with the color and light output of the DDM kit but you get what you pay for as to the quality of the ballasts, wiring and bulbs. I have decent cut off lines, not as sharp as my wife’s vehicle with factory HID’s and I do not get flashed by other oncoming motorists. There are many other threads on this forum that speak to using HID’s in reflector housings (such as your fog lights) that produce an enormous amount of glare as there isn't a projected beam to keep the light controlled so that it doesn't blind oncoming motorists. These Fog lights were designed to light up the ground directly in front of your vehicle, not project further as your headlights do.
Sorry for the long winded post, I figured I should provide a bit of background info as to my experience with DDM HID’s
First - Check your connections
Second - Swap out the ballast
Third - Swap out the bulb
Manually turn your headlights on instead of using the Auto feature. Good Luck.
