[RaGe]

My Write Up and Review

If anyone has an questions feel free to ask.




<div align="center">Apexcone 5000K 35 Watt Hid Kit from XenonExpert.com Install/Review



First off I picked up this kit from Olivier on one of his new group buys.

http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=60084

I received the kit about 4-5 days after I ordered it and Olivier kept in contact the whole time and was quick to answer all of my questions.



I did a lot of research on the forums first in which I found and used the following install guide by mooncancook.

http://ezpcmod.com.22.m6.net/PC_Mod/Mazda6_HID_install.html



My guide will mainly be based off of his but with some updates



First off you will need the following tools

Drill, Phillips Screw Driver, 10mm Socket Wrench, Zip Ties and Electrical Tape

Also a 7/8” Butterfly Bit

First you will need to remove your front bumper, found here.

http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option...7&Itemid=49



Next you will need to remove the 5 bolts holding on your headlights

There is one more copper colored bolt that is not shown in the second picture.



If you want you can remove the reflectors which you can find a how to here. (I did remove mine)

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/575036/7



Once you have removed the low beam dust cap you can unhook your stock bulbs and connect your HIDs like in the picture. The brown wire is the positive (fits perfect) and the black is the negative which you will need to widen to make it fit over the head on the aftermarket kit.

When you have your dust caps off you will want to drill a small hole in them to make a good guide for when using the butterfly bit.

Once you have drilled them out totally they should look like this

After you have inserted your wires through I would recommend taping it up. Also notice how I applied tape to the connectors as well on the left side on the first picture.

Once that is done you will want to mount your ballasts. Here are some pictures where I mounted mine.



Driver Side

Passenger Side

Here are some quick pictures of the finished product.

Again thanks go out to mooncancook for his guide which helped to aid me in my install and laid the ground work for my how to.



Review



I first learned more about HIDs about two years back when I received them as part of an add on package when purchasing my Mazda3. I was very impressed at the time and once I bought my Mazda6 I knew that I would want to add them in the future. There is defiantly a huge difference between my stock Mazda6 lights, the old Mazda3 HIDs, and the Apexcone kit. This Apexcone it slight bright and has a “whiter” light being emited than the HIDs I had on the 3 which was a $750 dollar upgrade compared to the $270 which this kit cost. I am extremely satisfied with my purchase of the Apexcone kit as it leaps and bounds better than the stock Mazda6 and also looks even better the upgrade from the factory that I had on my Mazda3. As for the install it was straight forward and took a little patients but at no means is not a task that can handled by someone with very little mechanical experience. Overall the install took me about 3 hours which also included a short drive to the Home Depot to get a butterfly bit and a few breaks. I was able to complete the install solo, so it is not necessary to have a helper. I would suggest when doing your install to remove the reflectors as not to run into any problems down the road with people flashing you or being harassed by the police. As for driving at night the 5000K has a great light output range and it can light up the street signs for quite a ways down the road. I am enjoying my night time driving even more now with the new HID and would recommend to anyone who is looking to add a little more visibility to your driving and also a little more sporty ness and class to your ride. Also another thing that sold me on the Apexcone kit was the lifetime warranty that is include. So thank you Olivier and Xenon Expert for great HID kit.

 

[xtmesisx]

i wanna do this, but it scares me. those headlights are 500 a piece......

 

[RaGe]

Well the only thing you have to mess with on the headlight is drilling the hole in the dust cap. You don't have to remove the reflector.

 

[dawei213]

Good writeup.

Yeah, basically if you screw up the dust cap or want to revert back to stock, you just need to buy two dust caps.

Rage, the kit didn't come with a rubber garment (the piece to cover up the hole and hold the wires in place)? Or you used the black electrical take to cover it to seal it and hold it in place. Also, it seems like you might want to adjust your right beam as it's pointing a little bit higher than your left.

 

[RaGe]

It did come with the rubber part but I still wanted to add the tape for the extra protection.

Also do you know how to adjust on a 2005 6s?

 

[fearturtle03]

It did come with the rubber part but I still wanted to add the tape for the extra protection.

Also do you know how to adjust on a 2005 6s?
[/b]

I was wondering about the color...How much of a blue hue is present?

 

[RaGe]

Do you mean from inside when driving? I will try to get some pictures.

 

[XenonExpert]

My Write Up and Review

If anyone has an questions feel free to ask.
<div align="center">Apexcone 5000K 35 Watt Hid Kit from XenonExpert.com Install/Review

First off I picked up this kit from Olivier on one of his new group buys.

http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=60084

I received the kit about 4-5 days after I ordered it and Olivier kept in contact the whole time and was quick to answer all of my questions.



I did a lot of research on the forums first in which I found and used the following install guide by mooncancook.

http://ezpcmod.com.22.m6.net/PC_Mod/Mazda6_HID_install.html



My guide will mainly be based off of his but with some updates



First off you will need the following tools

Drill, Phillips Screw Driver, 10mm Socket Wrench, Zip Ties and Electrical Tape

Also a 7/8” Butterfly Bit

First you will need to remove your front bumper, found here.

http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option...7&Itemid=49



Next you will need to remove the 5 bolts holding on your headlights

There is one more copper colored bolt that is not shown in the second picture.



If you want you can remove the reflectors which you can find a how to here. (I did remove mine)

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/575036/7



Once you have removed the low beam dust cap you can unhook your stock bulbs and connect your HIDs like in the picture. The brown wire is the positive (fits perfect) and the black is the negative which you will need to widen to make it fit over the head on the aftermarket kit.

When you have your dust caps off you will want to drill a small hole in them to make a good guide for when using the butterfly bit.

Once you have drilled them out totally they should look like this

After you have inserted your wires through I would recommend taping it up. Also notice how I applied tape to the connectors as well on the left side on the first picture.

Once that is done you will want to mount your ballasts. Here are some pictures where I mounted mine.



Driver Side

Passenger Side

Here are some quick pictures of the finished product.

Again thanks go out to mooncancook for his guide which helped to aid me in my install and laid the ground work for my how to.



Review



I first learned more about HIDs about two years back when I received them as part of an add on package when purchasing my Mazda3. I was very impressed at the time and once I bought my Mazda6 I knew that I would want to add them in the future. There is defiantly a huge difference between my stock Mazda6 lights, the old Mazda3 HIDs, and the Apexcone kit. This Apexcone it slight bright and has a “whiter” light being emited than the HIDs I had on the 3 which was a $750 dollar upgrade compared to the $270 which this kit cost. I am extremely satisfied with my purchase of the Apexcone kit as it leaps and bounds better than the stock Mazda6 and also looks even better the upgrade from the factory that I had on my Mazda3. As for the install it was straight forward and took a little patients but at no means is not a task that can handled by someone with very little mechanical experience. Overall the install took me about 3 hours which also included a short drive to the Home Depot to get a butterfly bit and a few breaks. I was able to complete the install solo, so it is not necessary to have a helper. I would suggest when doing your install to remove the reflectors as not to run into any problems down the road with people flashing you or being harassed by the police. As for driving at night the 5000K has a great light output range and it can light up the street signs for quite a ways down the road. I am enjoying my night time driving even more now with the new HID and would recommend to anyone who is looking to add a little more visibility to your driving and also a little more sporty ness and class to your ride. Also another thing that sold me on the Apexcone kit was the lifetime warranty that is include. So thank you Olivier and Xenon Expert for great HID kit.
[/b][/quote]


Glad you like them

Excellent guide and thanks for the nice review too!

 

[black06s]

is the 50watt brighter than the 35 watt? or visa versa?

 

[RaGe]

the 50 will be brighter

 

[XenonExpert]

the 50 will be brighter
[/b]

Yep.

It will be ~ 30% - 40% brighter than the 35W

 

[6 Pack]

I was wondering about the color...How much of a blue hue is present?
[/b]

I'd like to know also the same .... 'cause I'd be looking for an H3 bulb (for the integrated-fog) from say PIAA to match the color signature (not output strenght) .
Does anyone know if these Japan imported PIAA 8000K H3 would match ; it mentions it gives a light blue hue like HIDs and this PIAA 4700K H3 gives off a purple hue like HIDs too :headscrat: and also to continue on the matching theme ; the parking lights can't be left out as well , so which of these PIAA Wedge Bulbs would better match as well ... I really want a uniformed colored headlight housing !!!

Oliver , I'm this close to buying your kit ! Oh , and Thx for answering my previous questions in your GB heheh ; I've been busy modding & researching !
1) Do you sell , or know which , H3 + Wedge (incadescent parking-no LEDs plz) bulbs to match your 55w HID kit ?

4500K = Great light output (3400 lumens), White, best performance
5000K = Great light output (3200 lumens), Pure white, very good looks
6000K = Good light output (3000 lumens) , white with blue hue, best looks
2) Is there a big difference between the 3400/3200/3000 Lumens and is the above mentioned apply for the 35/55w ??
3) The 6000K (3000 Lumens) would look best with the blue hue (that matches the luxury Bimmers etc.) and I guess since I'm going with the 55w HID kit would compensate for loss of light output and also would be easier to match with the blue hue wedge bulbs offered above by PIAA , right ?
4) I think this would be the best choice if I wanted to color-match OEM Bimmers , am I right ? I want this right the first time !


For those who have already installed the HID kit whether it be in 35w or 55w , which H3 bulbs have you put in to closely match (would rather have perfect / closest match) your kit (mention what wattage/K/Lumens you have) ?

 

[XenonExpert]

I'd like to know also the same .... 'cause I'd be looking for an H3 bulb (for the integrated-fog) from say PIAA to match the color signature (not output strenght) .
Does anyone know if these Japan imported PIAA 8000K H3 would match ; it mentions it gives a light blue hue like HIDs and this PIAA 4700K H3 gives off a purple hue like HIDs too :headscrat: and also to continue on the matching theme ; the parking lights can't be left out as well , so which of these PIAA Wedge Bulbs would better match as well ... I really want a uniformed colored headlight housing !!!

Oliver , I'm this close to buying your kit ! Oh , and Thx for answering my previous questions in your GB heheh ; I've been busy modding & researching !
1) Do you sell , or know which , H3 + Wedge (incadescent parking-no LEDs plz) bulbs to match your 55w HID kit ?

4500K = Great light output (3400 lumens), White, best performance
5000K = Great light output (3200 lumens), Pure white, very good looks
6000K = Good light output (3000 lumens) , white with blue hue, best looks
2) Is there a big difference between the 3400/3200/3000 Lumens and is the above mentioned apply for the 35/55w ??
3) The 6000K (3000 Lumens) would look best with the blue hue (that matches the luxury Bimmers etc.) and I guess since I'm going with the 55w HID kit would compensate for loss of light output and also would be easier to match with the blue hue wedge bulbs offered above by PIAA , right ?
4) I think this would be the best choice if I wanted to color-match OEM Bimmers , am I right ? I want this right the first time !


For those who have already installed the HID kit whether it be in 35w or 55w , which H3 bulbs have you put in to closely match (would rather have perfect / closest match) your kit (mention what wattage/K/Lumens you have) ?
[/b]

hehe...ok here we go

1) We don't have that wedge bulb you mention and unfortunately don't know a good place to get them. As for the H3, if you need halogen bulbs to match the HID you have to remember that every bulb company has there own interpretation of the K scale. That means that a 5000K bulb from one company will probably look different from another 5000K from another company. Sometimes they are close and sometimes not.

We choose to sell only 4000K halogen bulbs because the coating put on the glass to increase the K rating tends to decrease the life of the halogen bulbs drastically above that.

2) There's a difference but you will only notice it if you go from 6000K to 4500K. Still, 6000K HID in 35W is still 3 times the light output of halogen bulbs. Plenty of light.

3) If you want that little blue hue, yes go with 6000K.

4) One thing to keep in mind. ALL OEM HID are around 4300K. The blue hue you see from BMW HID is not made by the bulb but by the mirrors inside the BMW HID projectors.

One last thing about PIAA. They are expensive and burn out rapidly due to the fact that they coat too much their halogen bulbs. I'm sure you'll find plenty of people in forums saying theirs have burned out after just a few months. It's your money but I don't recommend PIAA simply because of this and because I know how much halogen bulbs cost to produce and their prices are way too high.

Hope this helps

 

[6 Pack]

Oliver , you deliver !
Now can you deliver the following ; These three contradicting charts (color signature/Temp K) all come from Apexcone vendors , albeit from three different vendors

XENON EXPERT CHART
4500K = Great light output (3400 lumens), White, best performance
5000K = Great light output (3200 lumens), Pure white, very good looks
6000K = Good light output (3000 lumens) , white with blue hue, best looks

RPM's CHART
Color Description 35 watt / 50 watt Lumens :
3000k "Ion" yellow 3200 / 4000
4500k Pure white 3400 / 4200
5000k White with a tiny hint of blue 3300 / 4100
6000k White with a violet hue 3200 / 4000
8000k Sky blue 3100 / 3900
10000k Dark sky blue 2900 / 3700
Purple Magenta 2900 / 3700

UNDERSTEER.COM CHART
3000K - "Ion" Yellow 3200 / 4000
4500K - OE Xenon Match 3400 / 4200
5000K - White 3300 / 4100
6000K - White with a Sky Blue Hue 3200 / 4000
8000K - Sky Blue 3100 / 3900


You say :
3) If you want that little blue hue, yes go with 6000K. (but look at RPM's - says violet :headscrat: )
I do want a little blue hue to mimic the Bimmers ....

1) We don't have that wedge bulb you mention and unfortunately don't know a good place to get them. As for the H3, if you need halogen bulbs to match the HID you have to remember that every bulb company has there own interpretation of the K scale. That means that a 5000K bulb from one company will probably look different from another 5000K from another company. Sometimes they are close and sometimes not.

We choose to sell only 4000K halogen bulbs because the coating put on the glass to increase the K rating tends to decrease the life of the halogen bulbs drastically above that.

The 4000K you chose .... hmm .... now for me to match that one with the 50w kit .... what HID K Temp. is THE matching one in YOUR CHART ??? Since you say 4000K bulbs; should I assume the 4500K in YOUR CHART is the closest match ? (Take into account the 50w as mentioned below in my A) New Questions)


My new questions :

A) When you increase from 35w to 50w in the same K range ; do you increase/decrease in the hue department ? Example : YOUR CHART 6000K 35w blue hue .... 50w increase/decrease in blue hue ? Or it remains identical ?

B) You ship to Canada by regular USPS (hope not UPS !) ?

C) Taken from your site :
DRL bypass guide for the Mazda 3
You have an HID kit that you bought somewhere else and have DRL issues with your Mazda 3? That guide will explain how to solve the flickering you get when the DRL module comes on.
$25 USD

I have DRL since its a CDN model my 6 ! What is this about and is it really easy to solve without ANY complications ? If HID kit bought through YOU , do I still need to correct this issue or is it ONLY with kits bought from elsewhere ?

I realize I am not the usual (anything-goes-my-eyes-closed) kind of customer , but I am also an interested customer ... with many here who have similar questions awaiting answers :yesnod: My money can become your money .... as for the PIAAs , I've owned my Cobra with already equipped PIAA Super-Whites since 2001 - the PIAAs were installed in '99

Ron

 

[6 Pack]

Anyone have answers ?

Edit : nevermind , Donny is doing a great job !

 

[XenonExpert]

Oliver , you deliver !
Now can you deliver the following ; These three contradicting charts (color signature/Temp K) all come from Apexcone vendors , albeit from three different vendors

XENON EXPERT CHART
4500K = Great light output (3400 lumens), White, best performance
5000K = Great light output (3200 lumens), Pure white, very good looks
6000K = Good light output (3000 lumens) , white with blue hue, best looks

RPM's CHART
Color Description 35 watt / 50 watt Lumens :
3000k "Ion" yellow 3200 / 4000
4500k Pure white 3400 / 4200
5000k White with a tiny hint of blue 3300 / 4100
6000k White with a violet hue 3200 / 4000
8000k Sky blue 3100 / 3900
10000k Dark sky blue 2900 / 3700
Purple Magenta 2900 / 3700

UNDERSTEER.COM CHART
3000K - "Ion" Yellow 3200 / 4000
4500K - OE Xenon Match 3400 / 4200
5000K - White 3300 / 4100
6000K - White with a Sky Blue Hue 3200 / 4000
8000K - Sky Blue 3100 / 3900
You say :
3) If you want that little blue hue, yes go with 6000K. (but look at RPM's - says violet :headscrat: )
I do want a little blue hue to mimic the Bimmers ....

1) We don't have that wedge bulb you mention and unfortunately don't know a good place to get them. As for the H3, if you need halogen bulbs to match the HID you have to remember that every bulb company has there own interpretation of the K scale. That means that a 5000K bulb from one company will probably look different from another 5000K from another company. Sometimes they are close and sometimes not.

We choose to sell only 4000K halogen bulbs because the coating put on the glass to increase the K rating tends to decrease the life of the halogen bulbs drastically above that.

The 4000K you chose .... hmm .... now for me to match that one with the 55w kit .... what HID K Temp. is THE matching one in YOUR CHART ??? Since you say 4000K bulbs; should I assume the 4500K in YOUR CHART is the closest match ? (Take into account the 55w as mentioned below in my A) New Questions)
My new questions :

A) When you increase from 35w to 55w in the same K range ; do you increase/decrease in the hue department ? Example : YOUR CHART 6000K 35w blue hue .... 55w increase/decrease in blue hue ? Or it remains identical ?

B) You ship to Canada by regular USPS (hope not UPS !) ?

C) Taken from your site :
DRL bypass guide for the Mazda 3
You have an HID kit that you bought somewhere else and have DRL issues with your Mazda 3? That guide will explain how to solve the flickering you get when the DRL module comes on.
$25 USD

I have DRL since its a CDN model my 6 ! What is this about and is it really easy to solve without ANY complications ? If HID kit bought through YOU , do I still need to correct this issue or is it ONLY with kits bought from elsewhere ?

I realize I am not the usual (anything-goes-my-eyes-closed) kind of customer , but I am also an interested customer ... with many here who have similar questions awaiting answers :yesnod: My money can become your money .... as for the PIAAs , I've owned my Cobra with already equipped PIAA Super-Whites since 2001 - the PIAAs were installed in '99

Ron
[/b]

Was away for the weekend with the kids....sorry if I wasn't fast enough to answer but here they are anyway:

3) Yes it's between violet and blue. The higher in the K scale you go the bluer it gets. 10000K is real blue but you don't see anything in fron of your car. Totally goes against getting HID. Plus it will be a cop magnet.

So 5000K mainly white with a really really small hint of blue. 6000K more hint of blue/purple.

The chart I use is the one given by my distributor. Maybe they changed it but I doubt it.

1) 4000K HiD Match halogen bulbs are made to match factory HID which are around 4100K-4300K so in a kit the best match will be the 4500K one correct.

A) 35W to 50W HID? has no effect on hue.

B) We ship worldwide and USPS for Canada.

C) DRL is for every canadian car. What you need to find out is if your DRL is on your low beams on the 6. If not, you don't need to bypass it. If your Daytime Running Lights are on the low beams you need to bypass the DRL signal before installing ANY HID kit.

I'm happy about your PIAA, you're one of the lucky few

 

[6 Pack]

Hi Oliver , ya I thought after 4+ days I'd get help elsewhere haha , just thought I was abandoned

Ya the purple scares me with the 6000k and pictures don't tell the whole story , just wish owners did more though ! Look at this PIC COMPARO of BMWs left is Stock/middle 35w 6000k Xtec / right 8000k Xtec I am told Apexcone is the same

For the change in hue , I am told , due to washout from going with 35w to the 55w it affects hue color :
4500k emits pure white at 35-watts with no blue at all. ... At 50-watts, there's a chance you may start seeing some yellow.
When you increase from 35 to 50 watt, the extra output does wash out the color, so an 8000k 50-watt kit may be closer to 7000k or 7500k.

Now I'm wondering what the hue changes to for the 50w 5000k and for the 6000k . I need pics and/or owners to confirm those two kits in the 5000k/6000k both at 50w ! Oliver can you get owners who you sold these to to confirm ....
and does anyone here have these set-ups ????

For the matched halogen bulb at 4000k it will emit a yellow hue since it's that low in temp .... so if I want a blue hue I will need to go with PIAAs in the 4700k + temps with matching 194s

About your DRL kit at 25 bucks ... what's included in it ? Any parts for the modification required ?
My CDN model DRLs are at the main lowbeams in the headlight housing .

A late Thx again

 

[XenonExpert]

Hi Oliver , ya I thought after 4+ days I'd get help elsewhere haha , just thought I was abandoned

Ya the purple scares me with the 6000k and pictures don't tell the whole story , just wish owners did more though ! Look at this PIC COMPARO of BMWs left is Stock/middle 35w 6000k Xtec / right 8000k Xtec I am told Apexcone is the same

For the change in hue , I am told , due to washout from going with 35w to the 55w it affects hue color :
4500k emits pure white at 35-watts with no blue at all. ... At 50-watts, there's a chance you may start seeing some yellow.
When you increase from 35 to 50 watt, the extra output does wash out the color, so an 8000k 50-watt kit may be closer to 7000k or 7500k.

Now I'm wondering what the hue changes to for the 55w 5000k and for the 6000k . I need pics and/or owners to confirm those two kits in the 5000k/6000k both at 55w ! Oliver can you get owners who you sold these to to confirm ....
and does anyone here have these set-ups ????

For the matched halogen bulb at 4000k it will emit a yellow hue since it's that low in temp .... so if I want a blue hue I will need to go with PIAAs in the 4700k + temps with matching 194s

About your DRL kit at 25 bucks ... what's included in it ? Any parts for the modification required ?
My CDN model DRLs are at the main lowbeams in the headlight housing .

A late Thx again
[/b]

Who posted that kinda misleading info on the 50W kit? Let me explain. When you order a 6000K 50W kit you get 6000K color. They are matched at the factory. Bottom line, a 50W 6000K will have the same color as a 35W 6000K but just more output.

As for pictures, there's plenty but one thing you have to remember. Pictures are just pictures. They have a hard time representing reality especially the blue hue. Also they are taken by different owners with different cammeras at different settings.

DRL bypass is free with our kits btw No parts.