jdyates
Ghetto Racetruck
Hey guys, I know one of the hot topic on this forum is what brand of HIDs to buy. There isn't much info on Xentecs, at least that I have seen, so I figured I'd post up my experience. I ordered a 35w 5000k (their whitest) low-beam kit with a cheap eBay wiring harness with the intention to install it all in my buddy's '05 Silverado.
First off, this kit is ROBUST. Seriously, all the wiring is very thick and everything feels VERY strong, including all the connector backs and weatherproof plugs. The ballasts themselves are TINY. I'm talking smaller than my debit card. Not even kidding! Here is a picture of the kit, the Remington knife is a tiny little pocket model, for size reference:
My only problem with the physical kit itself was that the ballasts were VERY light. Maybe I'm used to my huge old-school DDM ballasts, but these things are virtually weightless in your hand. They are AWESOME to stash in a small spot under the hood, though!
I first installed them in my truck to make sure they work good with no problems. I connected them to my eBay harness and they fired right up! No annoying buzzing noise (like my DDMs) or flickering or anything. Here's a shot of the driver's side lit up (KEEP in mind, it was mid-day and BRIGHT outside):
NOW, here's where things got weird. Upon first fire-up, one of them lit up PURPLE. Yes, that's right, PURPLE. BUT, once they warmed up, they both rested on a nice, crisp white, same as advertised on the eBay pages. And they look very nice indeed! They actually look VERY (if not exactly) the same color as my 5000k 35w DDMs. I once read somewhere that you are supposed to "burn-in" new HID bulbs. So I fired em' up and let them sit for about 10-15min. Remember I have a harness, and they didn't flicker, studder, or ignite at different times.
Here she is all lit up. Keep in mine, my phone adds a TON of glare (there was almost none) and it makes them look very blue, but in reality, they are crisp white.
I did the install on the Silvy as professional as i could. Me and my brother ran the wiring through hidden places, used the relay harness (also built very well, I will provide a link below). Luckily, the Silvy's stock headlights has glare caps, so my buddy is set there. The install itself was incredibly easy with the ballasts being credit-card sized! We were able to tuck them out of sight, and with a few zip ties, the entire set-up looked factory, if i may show off a bit. Haha! Total install took about two hours, but that's because the NBS front-ends are pretty tightly packed, and we wanted it as professional looking as possible.
Xentec 35w HID kit pros:
-VERY small ballast, opens tons of opportunities for install locations
-Built VERY solid, kit felt and looked very tough
-Claimed to be completely submersible and still functional
-Comes with wire "extensions", in case you need extra length
Cons:
-Ballast feels very light, may be good for some, bothered me a lttle. Made me feel compelled to tether it down good.
-The one bulbe being purple upon ignition, then fading to normal color. Not a big deal since replacement bulbs are cheap as hell.
All in all, the kit itself cost about $36 and the harness about $8. VERY worth the money! I have heard rumors that these Xentec kits are kinda hit and miss, but in my case, things went very well. I am still happy with my DDM low beams, though. But I will probably pick up a 4-Hi harness from Baron and test out a Xentec 55w kit in my high beams. Will report back!
Relay harness I used, had lots of extra wiring (easier to hide) and it's made very well. Only problem i encountered was having to put new ring terminals, as the ones supplied were too small to fit the side-terminal battery studs.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/H1-H3-H7-H1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a78d6d773&vxp=mtr
First off, this kit is ROBUST. Seriously, all the wiring is very thick and everything feels VERY strong, including all the connector backs and weatherproof plugs. The ballasts themselves are TINY. I'm talking smaller than my debit card. Not even kidding! Here is a picture of the kit, the Remington knife is a tiny little pocket model, for size reference:
You must be registered for see images attach
My only problem with the physical kit itself was that the ballasts were VERY light. Maybe I'm used to my huge old-school DDM ballasts, but these things are virtually weightless in your hand. They are AWESOME to stash in a small spot under the hood, though!
I first installed them in my truck to make sure they work good with no problems. I connected them to my eBay harness and they fired right up! No annoying buzzing noise (like my DDMs) or flickering or anything. Here's a shot of the driver's side lit up (KEEP in mind, it was mid-day and BRIGHT outside):
You must be registered for see images attach
NOW, here's where things got weird. Upon first fire-up, one of them lit up PURPLE. Yes, that's right, PURPLE. BUT, once they warmed up, they both rested on a nice, crisp white, same as advertised on the eBay pages. And they look very nice indeed! They actually look VERY (if not exactly) the same color as my 5000k 35w DDMs. I once read somewhere that you are supposed to "burn-in" new HID bulbs. So I fired em' up and let them sit for about 10-15min. Remember I have a harness, and they didn't flicker, studder, or ignite at different times.
Here she is all lit up. Keep in mine, my phone adds a TON of glare (there was almost none) and it makes them look very blue, but in reality, they are crisp white.
You must be registered for see images attach
I did the install on the Silvy as professional as i could. Me and my brother ran the wiring through hidden places, used the relay harness (also built very well, I will provide a link below). Luckily, the Silvy's stock headlights has glare caps, so my buddy is set there. The install itself was incredibly easy with the ballasts being credit-card sized! We were able to tuck them out of sight, and with a few zip ties, the entire set-up looked factory, if i may show off a bit. Haha! Total install took about two hours, but that's because the NBS front-ends are pretty tightly packed, and we wanted it as professional looking as possible.
Xentec 35w HID kit pros:
-VERY small ballast, opens tons of opportunities for install locations
-Built VERY solid, kit felt and looked very tough
-Claimed to be completely submersible and still functional
-Comes with wire "extensions", in case you need extra length
Cons:
-Ballast feels very light, may be good for some, bothered me a lttle. Made me feel compelled to tether it down good.
-The one bulbe being purple upon ignition, then fading to normal color. Not a big deal since replacement bulbs are cheap as hell.
All in all, the kit itself cost about $36 and the harness about $8. VERY worth the money! I have heard rumors that these Xentec kits are kinda hit and miss, but in my case, things went very well. I am still happy with my DDM low beams, though. But I will probably pick up a 4-Hi harness from Baron and test out a Xentec 55w kit in my high beams. Will report back!
Relay harness I used, had lots of extra wiring (easier to hide) and it's made very well. Only problem i encountered was having to put new ring terminals, as the ones supplied were too small to fit the side-terminal battery studs.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/H1-H3-H7-H1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a78d6d773&vxp=mtr
Last edited:
