2012 Passat HID DIY Install

Coffeemade

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2012 VW Passat TDI SEL Prem
Googles and searched the forum, and can't find a good website for this XE+ HID kit. Can anyone provide one please? It seems to me that the only difference between the USP kit and the XE+ kit is the bulb adaptor material? Thank You.
I contacted DistantXtremes because I heard from some of my friends they had some very high quality HID kits. I talked it over with their customer service and determined that the best kit was the XE+ Premium 35w Slim H7 Kit in a 6000K color option.
Click on the blue text from the first post or the quoted part above as those are links to the HID kits.
 

AggieFCO

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Florida
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2012 Passat SE
Ok cool thanks. I went there expecting to find a Passat Specific kit similar to USP's site. Thanks fellas. Also, are there any factory warranty concerns with installing an aftermarket HID kit?
 
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VeeDubTDI

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Ok cool thanks. I went there expecting to find a Passat Specific kit similar to USP's site. Thanks fellas. Also, are there any factory warranty concerns with installing an aftermarket HID kit?
Because you're making electrical modifications, Volkswagen will not warranty to you headlamp housings. That could be a concern for some because some here have had internal connection/wiring issues and/or abnormal condensation inside the housings.
 

767wrench

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Ohio
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Headlight housing warranty with HIDs

My driver side headlight housing had a 6 in long by quarter inch tall crack in it Internally that had been growing since I bought the car. I was able to get it warrantied but the technician didn't like it at all even though the service manager was ok with the hids beforehand. I had to remove the bulb myself and the car was returned bulb uninstalled and soaking wet from a wash. At least I got it changed though. The tech claimed he doesn't get paid to change bulbs only housings.
 

007wilk

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Nov 17, 2012
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SW Ontario
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2013 Passat TDI M6
Ok then...

Please explain in plain English to a guy that has never installed a car light retrofit and his experience to date with electrical car wiring has been quite limited: how can I install the HID set so that the connections withstand the constant onslaught of salt in Southwestern Ontario? Can I just use t-tap connectors?

Something like an "HID kit Install for Dummies in Cold Climates" :)
 

VeeDubTDI

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Follow compu_85's instructions earlier in this thread.
 

compu_85

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007wilk, I mean this in the most respectful manor.... if the instructions I posted earlier are confusing to you please find someone to help you. Your headlights are a critical safety feature and poor wiring could cause a failure.

As I noted earlier, I don't like using T-Tap / vampire tape connectors. Moreso when they will be exposed to salt.

-J
 

007wilk

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Well.. for the most part, the basic instructions, especially the "offical" t-tap method shown on the USP Motorsports site are very straightforward. I did not get how and where exactly did you do your soldered joints in your version, but I admit I did not even had a closer look at the reflector assemebly yet and I did not buy the kit yet. Perhaps when I do and with the HID kit in my hand, your instructions will become obvious... My main reason for asking wast to establish, if this is something relatively easy, that I can attempt on my own, or not. You have also removed the entire reflector assembly to get it done and I do not know, if this is really necessary, or is there perhaps a simpler way of making a "salt proof" connection. Either way, I am not sure, if the lecture on the importance of head lights was really necessary...

So.. how did everybody else do it? Sounds like most of you simpy went with the t-tap method, as shown in the seler's video. Do you all live in warm climates?
 

Coffeemade

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2012 VW Passat TDI SEL Prem
I live in Washington, D.C area so warm and cold depending on the year. So I soldered it because I have big hands and I hate T taps. I wanted this to be permanent. The reason I soldered it at the headlamp housing was because it was just easier to access the wires. Soldering the wires inside the headlamp is almost impossible and I don't say impossible because anything can be done. The wires for the bulb actually go inside the headlamp housing and come out the main harness for the headlamp. There is no reason to pull the headlamps as this can be done in the car, yes it's easier if the headlamp is out of the car, but to each his own.

Hopefully this helps.
 

compu_85

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It would be impossible to solder to the harness inside the headlamp while it is still on the car.

Soldering on the car side of the harness is fine and makes a weatherproof connection. Many connections on my Mercedes are like this, and hold up fine to the elements.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Bio

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Dec 3, 2012
Location
Wakefield, MA
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2012 Passat TDI SE
Hi guys, on Sunday I bought and installed a HID kit I got from http://www.ddmtuning.com/, I will attach some pictures when I figure out how.
The problem is that after i did everything, turn the car on, lights on, I get a error message on my dash board telling me my low beam needs service. What should I do now? Should I uninstall the error eliminator I put in with the light?
 
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VeeDubTDI

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Do the lights come on? If so, try removing the error eliminator.
 

r11

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In our cars, the DRLs are _dedicated_ , separate bulbs from the "regular' (as opposed to HI) beam bulbs. So we have 3 sets of bulbs in front housing: DRL, Regular-beam and Hi-beam

That translates to a very ez install of HID kits - a total no-brainer that requires no special tricks of any sort (no "eliminators" either).
 

Bio

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Do the lights come on? If so, try removing the error eliminator.
The light comes on, bright as well, too bad I don't know how to post picture, otherwise I will post them. :D
The eliminator came separately, I installed them to my other cars and no errors, just the VW is giving me problems.
 
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Lightflyer1

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There is a thread here on how to post pictures. Either put them on the tdiclub server or web sites like photobucket and others. Post the link to them back here in your post.
 

VeeDubTDI

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Go to the TDI 101 Forum, click on the "HOW TO" sticky at the top of the page. At the bottom of the first post is a link to "how to post pictures."

Again, try removing the eliminator and see if that solves your issues.
 

Bio

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Wakefield, MA
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2012 Passat TDI SE
Because you're making electrical modifications, Volkswagen will not warranty to you headlamp housings. That could be a concern for some because some here have had internal connection/wiring issues and/or abnormal condensation inside the housings.
I noticed that on my car, how do I get rid of the condensation inside of the housing?
Don't mean to take up anymore bandwidth than necessary.
I think this is the photo link?
http://s1327.beta.photobucket.com/user/BioHazard016/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20IDI-PC/IMG_1247.jpg.html#/user/BioHazard016/media/Photobucket%20Desktop%20-%20IDI-PC/IMG_1241.jpg.html?&_suid=135489499933908559340047155737

http://s1327.beta.photobucket.com/u...pg.html?&_suid=135489499933908559340047155737
 
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VeeDubTDI

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Success! Not a very good photo, though.

Condensation inside the housing? Replace headlight housing.
 

Bio

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2012 Passat TDI SE
Picture does look like crap, I just changed to two new one.
I gotta replace the entire housing? Do you know what is causing the condensation and how to prevent it? Would ajustment to the bulb help at all? When you say housing, do you mean the part that hold the bulb, or the entire headlight assembly? A picture would help, I saw the housing wire connector on page 1 of the thread, but still not sure what I am looking at.
 
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VeeDubTDI

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I mean the entire headlight assembly. We have seen several internal condensation issues - it is caused by a cracked or poorly sealed headlight assembly.
 

Bio

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you mean it was caused by after the HID kit was installed? would the condensation affect anything if it was left unattended, other than looking kind of odd?
 

VeeDubTDI

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It could have been the installation if the HID kit but I doubt it.

Condensation causes excess light scatter (dangerous to oncoming drivers) and looks bad.
 

Bio

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2012 Passat TDI SE
It could have been the installation if the HID kit but I doubt it.

Condensation causes excess light scatter (dangerous to oncoming drivers) and looks bad.
I noticed them both. It wasn't there before the installation, only happened afterwards, I have to let my guy take a look on that Sunday, I guess more to report after that.

Where do I order one if I need to, do I order that through dealership?
 

VeeDubTDI

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Order from the dealer parts department. Perhaps Fixmy59bug can get you a decent deal on a replacement. He's in California but is very active on the forums and owns a new Passat. :cool:
 
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Bio

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So, still no luck with the error on my dash board, he will try something else next Sunday. As far as the condensation, we never removed the headlight assembly, he thinks it is the rubber cap that sits behind the light bulbs, he resealed it, the condensation looks a lot better today than it was last week, still a little left like he said, I will give it a few more days.
 

magrider

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2012 Passat TDI SEL
The condensation was probably caused by some water that got inside when you had the rubber cap removed, or due to the rubber cap not being tightly re-installed afterwards. Since you didn't breach the headlight, making sure the rubber cap is properly sealed would fix it. If you want the condensation to clear sooner as to minimize reflector damage, have your guy blow compressed air into the headlight via the venting holes on either side of the headlight back housing. This should clear up the condensation pretty quickly and as long as your rubber caps are seated properly it won't happen again.

Since your HID works, the problem is probably with your error eliminator. I haven't used the DDM eliminator before, but I have used these and they work on my 2012 Passat:

http://shop.lightwerkz.net/Super-CANBUS-Warning-Canceler

I am guessing the one from The Retrofit Source will work fine as well.

The DDM stuff is pretty crappy quality but your really can't complain due to the cheap price.
 
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