02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

I have a 2002 Honda civic EX.

SO I installed my new HID Retrofit using Morimoto Minis H1 projectors from TRS. I bought 35w 4300K H1 bulbs and ballasts from DDM. I bought a relay kit from TRS.

I hooked everything up and it all lights up, the Hi beams on the projectors work.
While they light up, they don't give me hardly any light. It seams like it's restricted or something. I put the bulb in the back of the projectors but I don't know how they stay in. You can pull them in and out easy.

If I push on the back of the bulbs while they are installed in my car, trying to move them forward, they get a little brighter. Still doesn't seem like enough light. Way less light than stock on the road...can barely see the road.

I tried to follow every install guide online, didn't see any pics of people installing the bulbs into the projectors. They would be helpful.
Not sure what I did wrong....

Any tips, help? These lights aren't bright enough to drive at night.

Thanks,
Jeff

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

The location of the bulb is important. There should have been a small metal clip kind of like the OEM one that you lock after you put the bulb in. Do you have this?



The thin clip in this picture

http://www.imageside.com/solara/projector4b.jpg

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

Ahh, Yes. I think that C style clip came with the Projectors in a baggie. These things don't come with instructions so it can be a bit confusing. I see from your pic how to attach it now. This should help keep it in place! I'll send you an update if it doesn't. Thanks!

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

When I installed mine it seems that one of the clips was missing so I made it out of a paperclip -- just in case you misplaced yours.

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

Ah, good to know!

So now it get even more frustrating. After removing the lights, installing the clips, and reinstalling the lights now my drivers side light won't go on! Grrrrr!!! Everything looks to be connected. I didn't touch the bulb or break anything that I know of.

I am going to try an search online for troubleshooting I can do when I get off work. If you guys have any tips that would be great. Frustrated.

I will try to check the connections again when I get off work. Hmm....

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

UPDATE:
SO I switched out every part from the drivers side to the pass side. Everything works on the pass side but not on the drivers. I thought it was the drivers side ground...I ran a wire to the same ground wire for the pass side light. After 5 attempts it finally came on. Test drove the car, turned it off, tried to turn it back on...no luck. Now it stays off I've tried turning them on 20 times and the drivers side still won't turn on. Thinking it might be the TRS harness??

But if I take out the drivers side light and bring it over to the pass side, bring over the TRS relay harness to set up everything on the pass side...everything works!!
SO frustrating!
Any thoughts?

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

Not sure. It could be the Harness. Shoot an email over to TRS. They usually get back to you quickly and are really helpful. My relay was acting up and they sent me a new one for free no questons asked. Great customer service. Give it a try.

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

Ok. I called them up and said it might be a pin in the harness that is sticking. I'm at work and will have to try this when I get home. If not they said they will send me out another one.

Re: 02 Civic HID Retro Mini installed Not very bright. Help!
 

RESULT: Ok I have narrowed it down to a bad bulb. After 4 days of trouble shooting, I found that a bad bulb is not going on all the time and causing my problems...Got them from DDM Tuning, I think their return policy is crap and I can't even get a hold of tehm or set up my account online to make a return so I already ordered a new set from TRS and they are on their way...I can use the returned DDM junk as backup...