Installing HIDs in your 2013 OEM Projectors

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0212353

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Took a few pics tonight of our drop in HID kit for the 2013 Ram bihalogen projector lights.

For pricing, please see here - http://shop.retroshop.us/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4G.13.HIDs

The kit will come with the following:
- 2x Ballasts
- 2x Bulbs (9006, which are interchangable with the OEM's HIR2 bulbs)
- Ram specific wiring harness

First off, to get the light out of the truck:

First of all, pop the hood and remove the insulator thing that runs across the top of the radiator, it uses six of the plastic push pin things:

One in each fender, two near the front (grill) area, and two large ones at the back of radiator:
2010-12-09175025.jpg

2010-12-09175035.jpg


What I do is pull up the five on the right, leaving just the one on the passenger side fender and rotate the insulator thing so that it sits on top of the engine:
2010-12-09175055.jpg


Now, you have to remove the grill assembly. The grill uses four 10mm bolts along the top of the radiator support, remove these:
2010-12-09175156.jpg

2010-12-09175148.jpg

**NOTE: The outer two and inner two bolts are different. The outer two have threads spaced out much further since they bolt into plastic. The inner two have very close threads (and are shorter) since they bolt into metal.**

Once you have the four bolts removed, the hard part of removing the grill is next. You have to pull the grill straight out. On both sides, at the bottom of the grill (where it meets the bumper) there is a tab and insert. You have to gently, but firmly, pull on the grill straight out. Be careful as you WILL damage your paint/chrome. Here are the tab inserts:
2010-12-09175357.jpg

2010-12-09175350.jpg


Now, like the 3rd gen Rams, each headlight has two bolts (10mm) on the inboard side of the headlight. These are hidden by the grill. Remove them:
2010-12-09175408.jpg

Next, the biggest improvement over the 3rd gen Rams is that there is no third bolt to try and access without damaging your front bumper's paint. But you do have to release the back of the headlight in order to remove it. If you look inside each front fender well (easiest to turn the front wheels fully one direction or the other) you will see a small access cover held in place by another small plastic push pin:
2010-12-09175535.jpg


If you reach inside, there is a tab you have to push up to release the back of the headlight. It's a pain to find the first time, but if you use your flash light and look, it's very obvious. Push this up and then simply pull the headlight assembly forward.

Headlights are removed, now here's the back of the 2013 headlights:

DSC09180_zpsd906d037.jpg

Remove the 5 bolts to pull the cover off.

Here's what you will see (bulb already removed)

DSC09181_zps1c8aa3de.jpg

Close up of the stock low beam connector

DSC09182_zps29934790.jpg

To install HIDs in these, you'll have to drill a 7/8" hole in the dust cap. A hole saw works best for this.

Dust Cap:

DSC09187_zpsc1b56f9a.jpg

Here's one drilled:

DSC09188_zps32c889d4.jpg

Here's the bulbs we are going to install, first - right out of the package:

DSC09183_zps4ee36bce.jpg

and unwravelled

DSC09184_zps63f9b170.jpg

Put the bulb in

DSC09186_zps1b41944d.jpg

Connect the plugs (ensuring black goes to black!)

DSC09185_zps131cd1de.jpg

Fill hole in the dust cap with the grommet, and reinstall the dust cap

DSC09189_zps0ae9dcae.jpg

Next up.....find a place to mount your ballast. It really doesn't matter, as long as they have room to reach to the bulb wires.

Here's what comes with each ballast:

DSC09202_zpse6e949d0.jpg

close up of the bulb connections

DSC09203_zps50d344dc.jpg

the bracket, use the supplied screws to hold it on

DSC09204_zps125c8841.jpg

Next up, wiring harness. This is the part that confuses most......but, lay the booger out on the table, and it all becomes clear. :D

I missed a pic of the full 2013 harness setup, so bear with me here.....the 2013 basically uses a 09-12 quad light harness, with a splitter and resistor link added in. So.......lets start with the 09+ Quad harness here:

DSC09192_zpsd500436e.jpg

add in the closeup shot of where the resistor and splitter stuff is:

DSC09199_zps739a1dbc.jpg

close up of the splitter

DSC09200_zps9bf8bfa9.jpg

So.....basically.......what you have here? From the back of the headlight when we put in the grommet with the wires coming out, you have 3 connectors. 1 has 2 wires going to it. That plug on the DRIVERS side goes to the splitter. That is your "input". Mount the gold resistors ON METAL, they will get REALLY freakin' hot. They will melt plastic FAST. Ground the other end. Ground the capacitor link, and the ballast. Yes, they can all go to the same ground, and no - I don't recommend using a factory ground. Make your own! Its easy........drill a hole, sand the paint off, self taping screw to ground it all.

On the PASSENGER side of the 2013 headlights, remember we have that same plug coming out (the one with 2 wires). This gets plugged in there:

DSC09201_zps3a673f25.jpg

And ground it.

Plug in the HID bulb to the ballast. Plug your ballasts in, run your 12V to the battery (or fuse box). And.......fire it up! :rocking:

Tip? Please don't let the harness and its octopus of wiring overwhelm you. Its not as crazy as it looks, especially after its layed out and you can see where it all goes. :headbang:
 
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0212353

0212353

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no problemo......your lights too center stage for the pics there, and thats your harness.....and ballasts......LOL
 
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Me personally........I liked the laser engraved RetroShop.us logo on each of my ballasts. :D
 

09SMOKINHEMI

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Good stuff.... very clear even for me to understand

sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3
 
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I am going to be working up a few more of these as soon as time permits

;)
 

Jpeyatt

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Awesome! Thank you.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
 
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As you can see..........these weren't installed in my truck. Just pics of the stuff. And.......it was raining like crazy. Nope, no output shots.
 

Graygoose

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very nice!
 

Doc221

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This looks like a PITA to do having to remove the grill and what not.
 
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LOOOOONG extension and you dont' have to. Oh, and some butyl or duct tape to hold the bolt when you pull it up!
 
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Always check alignment after install. Its a 3 minute job, so why not? ;)
 

craigsez

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Only thing i dont like about hid kits is the time it takes for a cold ballast to warm up and get full output from them..In my volvo big rig i have them in my high beams but i have to hold the switch in part way to keep both h/l working at same time till i get full intensity in my h beams...Then i release the switch to run just the high..Sometimes when its cold cold out as in winter,i have to keep flickin the hi beam side to get one or both ballast to fire.....Dont like doin that when im on back roads running around the dot scales..
 
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The SS ballasts that we use are pretty damn quick! About 2 seconds.....pretty quick for a set of ballasts
 

Ramcoma

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I like the write up, and this will be my first mod to my truck.

Only thing I cant get a straight answer on is what I need to run HIDs in high beams along with the low beams. Do I need a separate 9005 wiring harness or just the high beam splitters from retrofit source?

I'm going to order the projector HID kit thru you guys at Retro Shop. I've emailed Retrofit Source but they kept suggesting I order the projector upgrade kit. I'm not comfortable taking my headlights apart yet.

I'm just trying to get everything figured out before I pull the trigger on this.
Thanks for the help in advance.
 

DublDee

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I tried the link on the original post, but apparently this product doesn't exist any longer????
 
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