Retro-Solutions HID on My 2006 Explorer

[ocmnelson]

I'm writing this because I have searched in many forums about installing Bi-Xenon lights in a 2006 + explorers and am not getting the answers I wanted. For all the people like me here is the post for you.

Many say yes, many say no, Hids in a Reflective housing without a projector? I say FO SHO. My retro-solutions HID kit fit, worked, and my beam is awesome.

What I bought off Retro-Solution.com:
55W-DIGI-KIT-HEAD 55W DIGITAL HID KIT for Head Lamps
Price: $175.99
Qty: 1
Amount: $175.99
Options:
Bulb Fitment: H13/9008 bixenon low/high beam (+$15)
Bulb Color: 4300k yellowish white
Vehicle Application: Ford Explorer 2006+ (+$23)
Ballast Type: Regular (all in one)
Bulb Capping?: No Thanks
***I entered in CLUBRSX for a 10% discount.
****Retro Solutions offers the 2006 explorer as an option in there drop down menu. Choose that.

Now for the Details discussing my problems and questions.
This kit is 100% plug and play. No cutting or splicing into wires needed. Just drilling holes and sanding good grounds.

What I got:
Bulbs
Ballasts
Wiring harness with a prewired capacitor (x2)
Another prewired capacitor harness for the other OEM plug.

I attached the relay harness right by my Fan. The relay harness with give the ballast power and stop the 12v Pulsing. I drilled the first 2 orange capacitors attached to the relay harness right next to my battery and against the metal for heat dicepation (They get hotter than your momma). Then sand the frame of your truck where you will ground out each capacitor. Run all your wiring where it should go. Retro has a pretty descent wire diagram online. I followed that for the most part. A lot of vehicles when hids are installed only one of the OEM headlight plugs are used, or at least thats what the diagram showed. For our truck the other wired capacitors are needed on the other oem socket to not throw a check light on the dashboard.

In short, the retro solutions kit was awesome other than letting me know what the hell the other prewired capacitors went to. In all the wiring diagram it shows to only use one OEM headlight plug and to tape up the other. Well for the 2006 you need the Pre wired capacitors that plug right into the other oem light socket. This will all come complete with the kits. Make sure to mount all 4 capacitors (2 for each side) against metal they get hot. Make sure you have a good ground contact. Screws are fasteners not ground connecters. You should sand the area you plan to make contact with.

After I installed the kit and did a quick mental checklist to make sure I did it right, I turned the lights on.

Ureeka! Flawless Hi beam and Lo beam lights. No flickering, NO Check engine lights or check headlights, High beams work perfect. No Sounds or buzzing noises.

Now this is aimed to all the people who post stupid comments about people putting HIDs in a reflective housing. Your Idiots. My hids in a reflective housing controls my beam better than 95% of all the pictures I have seen with people retro fitting projectors in their housings. Yes I do agree in most cases (cars and trucks that are older) need projectors to contain the HID light. For the 2006 + explorer it is not needed. Yes Im sure you can spend enough money to make it look better. But for what I have seen people spending over 500 for there lights to perform like crap with projectors. My reflective housing has a better light containment than most without a projector. There is also a screw on the back of the light which can control your light angle. Our lights have an awesome cut off. I slight adjustment and I can pull up behind a honda or toyota without lighting up there entire car.

Check em out for your selves.
http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/ocmnelson/HID.jpg

I will post more pics of the actual finished install.

But for reference:
2006 Explorer HIDs are sold from RETRO SOLUTIONS 55w Kit
All plug and play. No flickering No dash lights. NO problems.


Sorry I never got the answers I needed reading three hours of people talking about projectors.

 

[ocmnelson]

The Install

The installed pictures:

This is the relay harness the gets power, connects to the both ballasts and the light bulbs, and has the set of capacitors.

This is where I mounted the ballast.

These are the capacitors that are connected to the relay harness. (The other ground is mounted just to the left off the pic next to that bigger ground.)

This is the set of capacitors that plug into the OEM light socket on the passenger side. To not throw a dash light. As the harness plugs into the drivers side OEM socket and has these capacitors wired into the harness

Hope this help you guys who want Bi-Xenon (HIDs) Hi and Lo beam in their 2006 - 2010 explorers and wants a kit that will not cause any problems and work awesome. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[east1la]

Good write up. I have 3 questions. On the driver side, do you have a picture of the (+) red cable connected to harness. The reason I'm requesting this is because I have bi-xenon hid kit on my 2007 explorer and I plan to buy resistor, to get rid of "check headlight bulb" on dash. I want to install them correctly. Where did you bought your resistors?
I see one (-) cable is grounded to body of suv, where the other negative cable is plugged?
thanks in advance for your help.

 

[ocmnelson]

The + red wire is the power, its connected to the battery. The black - wire has a plug at the endof it. The two capasitors plug into that wire making the ground a double ground with capasitors. You ground those out to the frame. Like wise to the other side but ithe two capasitors plug into the oem light socket. I got the kit from retro solutions. I will post more pics later today

 

[east1la]

Ok. Thanks for the information.

 

[diesel_s]

I'm writing this because I have searched in many forums about installing Bi-Xenon lights in a 2006 + explorers and am not getting the answers I wanted. For all the people like me here is the post for you.

Many say yes, many say no, Hids in a Reflective housing without a projector? I say FO SHO. My retro-solutions HID kit fit, worked, and my beam is awesome.

Now this is aimed to all the people who post stupid comments about people putting HIDs in a reflective housing. Your Idiots. My hids in a reflective housing controls my beam better than 95% of all the pictures I have seen with people retro fitting projectors in their housings. Yes I do agree in most cases (cars and trucks that are older) need projectors to contain the HID light. For the 2006 + explorer it is not needed. Yes Im sure you can spend enough money to make it look better. But for what I have seen people spending over 500 for there lights to perform like crap with projectors. My reflective housing has a better light containment than most without a projector. There is also a screw on the back of the light which can control your light angle. Our lights have an awesome cut off. I slight adjustment and I can pull up behind a honda or toyota without lighting up there entire car.


Sorry I never got the answers I needed reading three hours of people talking about projectors.

Dude thank you for saying this. I've been selling HID's for a while now, every car I have has them, my parents cars and visibilty is greatly improved with or without projectors. I've never had an issue, I love it. I have them in my 07 ST and had them in my 01 Sport....my 06 TL has an upgraded system over the stock, parents cars as well.... I agree with you, the proper aiming controls the light and yes some older cars truly do need projectors but for the most part all is well. As ingrained as I am into the field of HID's, I've come across all kinds of plug n play kits and seeing the nonsense is what made my boss design his own kits and avoid the bs.

 

[Degz3vEB]

Did those capacitors come with the kit? I bought the kit years back and have never installed it because I didn't want to deal with the check headlight problem, and I don't think I have anything but the bulbs,harnesses and the ballasts.

 

[diesel_s]

Did those capacitors come with the kit? I bought the kit years back and have never installed it because I didn't want to deal with the check headlight problem, and I don't think I have anything but the bulbs,harnesses and the ballasts.

The bi-xenon kit requires 4 resistors that don't come with the kit. The resistors are about $20 extra and aren't included because the Explorer is one of few vehicles that requires them. There is a direct plug-in kit that's bi-xenon but its hard to get a hold of

 

[ocmnelson]

The kit I bought came with everything I needed including the 4 resistors. Read the first thread.

 

[07mountaineer]

i have the retro-solutions hi low kit with halogen high beam, should have gone with bi xexon , but anyway no complaints at all with a hid in a non projector housing. light out put is great, and there really isnt much light scatter at all. imo projector lights look like crap

 

[dwoods]

hey i have a question about the plug and play hid lights, i just bought a 2010 mountaineer and traded in my 05 my question is my 05 didn't have a sophisticated message center like this one. The plug and play hid kit only uses one side factory bulb harness (driver side) and throws a code on the dash saying check left and right side headlamp, so is there a resistor, or trick, or what to make the computer think both lamps are on and working please help!!!!

 

[asull85]

Put resistors on both headlight harnesses and that should take care of the bulb out messages.

 

[Ronin8002]

Hey ocmnelson did you keep the glare cap that covers the OEM bulb?

 

[ocmnelson]

Yes I did keep it and my bulbs are not capped. What I did notice is my left light flicker when I first turn them on. Started a week ago, I think I'm going to check the plugs first then maybe buy new bulbs.

 

[Spokanedad99037]

Great kit. Took me about an hour to install going fairly slowly.. Just as the kit says total plug and play.

Insane improvement in light output. I bought 6k, 55watt, bi-xenon. Can't say enough.