Calling all E53's with HID's in the H3 Projector Fog lights!

[Ricky Bobby]

X5SND and I have recently undertaken the popular projector fog light conversion with the Depo H3 projector housings (the ones that came on the pre-2003 cars), but we are also in the processing of installing H3C Morimoto HID kits in the housings as well.

Now, he is farther along than I am and reports some issues of moisture build up on the inside of the housings, and had to install additional vents. However, he is the first documented case of moisture build up I have seen, and I theorize it may be due to an alternate bulb wiring method. He used a wiring method which left the rear "cap" on the housing completely intact, whereas all the install methods we have seen have some variation of running the bulb wires through the back cap of the housing, and either sealing up the hole with silicone or using the rubber grommet installed on the H3 bulbs to seal the hole up.

Those of you that have installed H3 HID's in your fog light housing (H3 projector version only), have you had any moisture build up issues, and did you drill out the rear cap of the fog light housing to utilize the grommet for the HID bulb wires?


This would be helpful in figuring out how to avoid moisture build up for others who want to perform this mod, thanks!



EDIT: Please see most recent post, could someone that has the Genuine BMW or TYC projector housings (not Depo's) pop out their fog housing for me and snap a few quick pics, I'd like to see if the Depo's are missing a vent! Thanks!

[epdarks]

I have no idea how my HID fogs were installed but I do not have any moisture issues.

So basically, no help to you, and just like to hear myself type.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by epdarks

I have no idea how my HID fogs were installed but I do not have any moisture issues.

So basically, no help to you, and just like to hear myself type.

It actually is a decent help to me darks b/c I'm assuming 99% of guys with the HID's in the projector fogs are installed a certain way, the way that X5SND was trying out was a joint venture idea to clean up the wiring a bit, but he ran into some issues with moisture. See the thread tmv started about the projector fog light conversion, and scroll to the last page or so where he goes in depth with his moisture issues as well as the method of install he used for the bulbs (which was admittedly my idea and now I feel bad he is having troubles with the moisture)

If others chime in with no issues with moisture buildup we might have to mark down that utilizing the grommet on the HID bulbs with a hole drilled in the back of the cap is the recommended install, as opposed to other methods one might have.

[mrbmwx5]

No problem for me here .. Make the vent tube still there.

[Ricky Bobby]

DOUBLE POST CAN MODS DELETE 1

[txyaloo]

No problems here. Drilled out the rear of the cap and used the HID's rubber grommet.

[J.Belknap]

Using OEM fog projector housings with a 35w HID kit. No condensation.

[romeokc10]

Originally Posted by txyaloo

No problems here. Drilled out the rear of the cap and used the HID's rubber grommet.

What he said.

[pnoyako85]

Bring me the Car Rb...ill make it happen for you....or when im in the area...we'll get some beer and do thsi..lol...

[Lowblock]

I used to work at a car auto shop in my town, but we also did a ton of HID conversions. Our winters can get nasty here so we have an unusual amount of X5's around. I have personally done about 6-8 HID retrofits in a number of years of the x's and seen probably 20-30 other x's done by other techs. One of our "guarantee's" was that if the assembly got any sort of moisture in it that they could bring it back and it would be fixed at no cost. In the time I worked there (4 years) I saw one come back with this problem and it was because the cap itself somehow got loosened and once that was corrected it went away and never came back, as far as I know. In every installation we would drill the cap and install the bulb. Our kits all came with grommets for just that reason, we always silicone the grommet in as well. It seemed to work, and work well. I have not yet done the conversion on mine (03) because im still trying to figure out how the hell im going to get rings into my housings.