Help needed! Problems fitting an H1 HID kit

[Arnolfini]

Right....

I've already got HIDs on my H7 dipped beams, and decided to go for a set for the mains as well - largely due to the amount of driving I do around unlit country roads.

I ordered the kit, which arrived today, and eagerly started installing it as soon as I got home from work this evening. I drilled the back of the headlamp covers to fit the wires through, unclipped the halogen H1 bulb and suddenly realised there was a bit of a problem...

With the H7 kit, you have two wires that run from the HID bulb, and plug into the socket where the prongs of the old halogen bulb used to be. The H7 bulbs have 2 prongs, so the 2 wires fit in beautifully. Easy peasy.

HOWEVER, the H1 kit also has two wires... but there only seems to be one place to plug them as the H1 bulbs only have 1 prong!

Here are some pics to illustrate my point:

Both the H1 and H7 kits come with 2 wires that need plugging in to the old bulb's power supply. The wires look like this:

In the case of the H7 bulbs, this is very easy, as they plug neatly in here:

The H1 kit also has 2 wires, pretty much identical to the ones in the first pic, but the H1 bulb connector looks like this:

So which wire goes in here, and where on earth does the second wire plug in?? It's not even like there are 2 wires running from the connector

Unfortunately I can't make head nor tails of the instructions, so I'm a bit stumped. I'm also not a mechanically minded person (the H7 conversion was just about the most complex techy thing I've ever done - and that was hardly rocket science), so this has floored me.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to cut any wires as I wanted to be able to return everything to standard if need be... however I'm getting the feeling that might now be necessary. That said, as it currently stands I'd be happy to just get the kit fitted!

Can anyone help?

 

[GRD]

Just guessing but the other wire must be the earth - is there a connector on the metal bulb holder?

 

[dmmsta]

Just guessing but the other wire must be the earth - is there a connector on the metal bulb holder?

Agreed...I'm almost positive (haha pardon the pun) that the H1's use a chassis return for the neg contact (albeit the chassis of the bulb holder instead of the car itself).

As per the PM Arnolfini, day off 2mrw, and HID kits arrived today, so once's I've had a closer look I'll confirm!

PS - If you beat me to an answer let me know

 

[Arnolfini]

Just guessing but the other wire must be the earth - is there a connector on the metal bulb holder?

OK - at the risk of sounding absolutely blindingly stupid (i'm really not good at hands-on stuff like this)... shouldn't there be some sort of positive and negative connections somewhere? Or does the earth take the place of one of those?

I didn't see any more connectors on the back of the bulb housing, although it's too dark to go and check now. I'll have a look tomorrow....

Provided I AM being amazingly stupid (like I said I'm really not good at this kind of thing), and one of the wires is the earth, presumably i can attach it to some other metal part of the car's body? Although I don't want to end up electrifying the car and electrocuting myself!

 

[Arnolfini]

Never mind the last post - seeing as 2 of you have both come up with the same answer I'll go with that.

Hopefully I'll have some joy tomorrow (or I might even decide on a really late night tonight...)

Thanks guys!

 

[dmmsta]

Like I said, i'm attacking mine 2mrw...I'll get you some pic's of anything I find!!

 

[dmmsta]

Right, have it on good authority that the earth wire is connected to a moulded spade connector which is part of the high beam bulb holder assembly.

This (in theory as yet to check personally) can be disconnected from said bulb holder, and hey presto...earth wire for HID loom.

Now don't quote me just yet as this is work in practise...promise to follow up once I've cut my hands to shreads in the morning

PS - Thanks to my mate Oddball (mx6.com) for his endless ve-hicular knowledge...

 

[Arnolfini]

Excellent

Curiousity actually got the better of me, so I just broke out the trusty Maglite to go and have a look/tinker.

Sure enough, there is a little bit of metal that sticks out of the bulb holder that had 2 brown wires attached to it. It's pretty tricky to get to though!

My H1 kit has a blue and a black wire... it appears that the blue wire is the only one that fits in the black plastic bulb conector (the bit that I took a photo of in my previous post), so presumably the black wire is the earth.

I tried temporarily connecting it up, taping the black wire to the bulb holder with insulating tape, but it wasn't wanting to work... I also tried taping the earth to another part of the chassis, but still no luck. Not sure if maybe one or more of the brown wires currently attached to the bulb holder needs to be removed/attached to the black wire somehow?

I hope you have more success dmmsta - I'll wait to see how you get on... make sure you take lots of pics please!

Cheers

 

[RobM]

I'm watching this thread with great interest, as my other halves Puma has the H1 connection and I'm considering fitting HID's to that.

 

[dmmsta]

Excellent

Curiousity actually got the better of me, so I just broke out the trusty Maglite to go and have a look/tinker.

Sure enough, there is a little bit of metal that sticks out of the bulb holder that had 2 brown wires attached to it. It's pretty tricky to get to though!

My H1 kit has a blue and a black wire... it appears that the blue wire is the only one that fits in the black plastic bulb conector (the bit that I took a photo of in my previous post), so presumably the black wire is the earth.

I tried temporarily connecting it up, taping the black wire to the bulb holder with insulating tape, but it wasn't wanting to work... I also tried taping the earth to another part of the chassis, but still no luck. Not sure if maybe one or more of the brown wires currently attached to the bulb holder needs to be removed/attached to the black wire somehow?

I hope you have more success dmmsta - I'll wait to see how you get on... make sure you take lots of pics please!

Cheers

Just started & found same earth terminal as you speak of...i'm guessing that a jury-rig needs to be made up...ie female spade connector with 2 wires out the back, one for the existing connector (2 brown wires mentioned above) the other for the HID neg terminal. I'll have a go & report back.

I'm watching this thread with great interest, as my other halves Puma has the H1 connection and I'm considering fitting HID's to that.

Rob, this is the terminal we're talkin about (sorry pic is a bit poor, Camera Phone job i'm afraid!)



Green circle is the terminal on back of OE H1 bulb, red circle is the earth terminal on side of bulb holder...hope that helps...

 

[RobM]

Is that brown wire on the terminal on a spade connector, or is it soldered / permanently fixed to the terminal?

If it's a spade connector can you not remove it, cut the wire, add another connection into it also with a spade and re-connect? That should leave you with one other spade that can go to the HID kit?

 

[UncleFester]

The brown wire IS spaded

 

[RobM]

Excellent. So in theory then, remove that, add another wire and spade in line with it, connect one spade to the terminal you just removed it from and the other to the HID kit?

 

[Arnolfini]

When I was looking at it last night, the wires seemed fairly well connected to the metal terminal on the bulb holder - they didn't look like they would pull off...

Of course I could be wrong!

 

[UncleFester]

They are well connected to the wire - but i am sure you can unplug it as i managed to pull it off when i had the original lights out of the car. I'll confirm when i get home if that will help - saves you damaging your own lights.

 

[Arnolfini]

That would be awesome if it's alright by you

Of course dmmsta may have figured it out soon too!

 

[UncleFester]

Well if he doesn't i'll have a look when i get home. I have two pairs of lights i can look at

 

[dmmsta]

Don't actually have to cut any wires (which means you can return to OE spec with ease)

I put together the following...



The female spade (that has the 2 wires connected) goes onto the terminal on the bulb holder. Then the OE female spade (that was orig connected to the bulb holder) connects to the male spade on the adhoc loom, and the HID kit to the other female spade on the adhoc loom...tested this out on my car and it worked fine.

Only thing thats needs to be done is change the spades for RED connectors as they fit the rest of the kit properly...I just slung the one above together quick for testing purposes...

RobM - Muchos thanks for your fitting kit in the sticky's...made life fitting the H7's SOOOO much easier!!!

Hope all the above helps!

 

[Arnolfini]

Don't actually have to cut any wires (which means you can return to OE spec with ease)

I put together the following...



The female spade (that has the 2 wires connected) goes onto the terminal on the bulb holder. Then the OE female spade (that was orig connected to the bulb holder) connects to the male spade on the adhoc loom, and the HID kit to the other female spade on the adhoc loom...tested this out on my car and it worked fine.

Only thing thats needs to be done is change the spades for RED connectors as they fit the rest of the kit properly...I just slung the one above together quick for testing purposes...

RobM - Muchos thanks for your fitting kit in the sticky's...made life fitting the H7's SOOOO much easier!!!

Hope all the above helps!

OK - i think I can handle that! Should be able to get the bits at the weekend to give it a go... hopefully with successful results. Many thanks to dmmsta and UncleFester

dmmsta - have you actually fitted the H1s to your car now, or were you just testing things out temporarily? I know you said in your PM that you were a little undecided. If you have fitted them do they work OK for flashing your lights and such?

I'm a little concerned about voltage spikes causing havoc with the instruments, etc. - although as I've said several times before I really don't know anything about these things, so I might be worrying about nothing!

 

[RobM]

Looks like a simple but effective solution dmmsta, let us know if it works ok when you get it all sorted