It irritated me that my SRX didn't have HIDs. So I spent some time in the CTS forums reading through their HID retrofits as well as on HIDPlanet.com forums. That and cadillacfaq.com & jon04ctsv.com

Install for the kit was fairly straight forward. Most annoying part was removing the bumper.

Before anyone goes getting on a soapbox about HID retrofits I'd like to put the general disclaimer out there that I have done and assisted with several HID retrofits. I had HIDs on my Acura TSX. I also have spent a lot of time at HIDplanet forums. I have what I would consider "in depth general knowledge" regarding HID systems.

The halogen projectors we have are THE SAME VALEO projectors they use with the HID option for SRX & CTS platforms. The cutoff is the same, lens is the same, only difference is the back to accept a D1 type HID bulb. YES, I know the back will also change the output, but after seeing pics of 9006 retrofits installed on a CTS by a member here (Jon04cts_v & jon04ctsv.com/) with the same Valeos I was sold.

Minimal hot spotting, decent cut-off, I'm happy. Only thing is I sometimes wish I could have gotten a 4300k kit but the lowest temp I was able to get is 6000k, and it turned out GREAT! Once they get another 30-50 hours on them they'll settle out a nice white.

Installation was a breeze other than having to remove the front bumper. I did end up using the available extra relay setup for more consistent power but do not have pics of it wired in (pretty simple though). I'm really happy with how it all turned out. I was paranoid about moisture getting in due to the way the wiring goes but the gasket/rubber wedge works great.

LEDs for the city lights and license plate lights were purchased from superbrightleds.com. They are the new 5LED-CW5's in white, 194 wedge application. The city lights were the flat versions for clearance issues.


Install:

PLEASE READ THIS FAQ For more bumper removal info: http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/bumperremoval/index.html

Remove Bumper starting in one corner
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1071.jpg

You have to loosen the two bolts enough for them to slide out
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1072.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1073.jpg

Install the LED bulbs for the city lights (optional)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1076.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1078.jpg

Grab your HID kit
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1074.jpg

Remove the 9006 Halogen bulb
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1075.jpg

Install the HID bulb wearing latex gloves so body oils don't touch anything
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1084.jpg

Take back plate & cut out a hole using a spade bit sized according to the directions with your kit then run the wiring through
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1085.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1086.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1088.jpg

...

Continued...

Install Ballasts. I unscrewed one of the screws used to hold the OEM ballast cover plate in, put a washer on it, and then used that to hold the bracket for the kit ballast
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1091.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1090.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1093.jpg

Plug in everything. I bought in-line resistors to prevent flickering and any other current issues that could occur.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1089.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1092.jpg

Re-install headlights (you will have to angle the ballasts for clearance)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1081.jpg

Now's a great time to also change-out the parking lights, running lights, and fog light bulbs if desired :highfive:


Check to see if everything is in working order:

LED City lights
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1083.jpg

HID to Halogen Comparison
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1080.jpg


Re-install everything & wait until dark. Then grab an allen wrench and adjust your headlights and foglights so they aren't blinding people. Mine after adjustment:

HIDs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1107.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1108.jpg

Fogs
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1109.jpg


Beam Pattern, some hot spots but overall vast improvement over halogen!

From Drivers Seat
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1101.jpg

Outside on Drivers Side
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1104.jpg


Now be happy you have vastly improved night time visibility! :bouncy:

I am impressed with what you have done

VERY nice write up... THANKS a lot!

Considering you nearly have to do that much work just to change a blinker bulb, most of us should be able to do that.

I have the Factory HID's... I was disappointed that they don't work nearly as good as the HID's in my 02' BMW 325i Convertible, but they still are better then halogen lights. My Fogs and High beams look YELLOW compared to the HID's.

One of these days I'll replace the Fogs and High Beams with Silverstars to get the brighter white!

Thanks again for taking the time to put that together!

Thanks guys for the compliments! I thought that if I was going to tackle this that I would at least do a basic write-up being that there isn't one available.

Glad I could help! and yes, this is the optimal time to change-out other bulbs. Silverstars FTW!

Nice job and write up. Thanks.

My HIDs are way out of adjusment, and one of the high beams is pointing to the trees.

I only see on allen adjuster for the low beam, but how do you adjust the highs?

I like the LEDs for the "city lights." I've got one blown now, and if I'm going to go to the work to replace it, I'm going to intall leds.

So are you saying the whole front bumper comes off with 4 bolts? If so I could kick myself for paying to have my blinker bulbs replaced.:rant2:

Nice Write up, i was looking for a thread like this, now i can try to get this hid setup installed, but im worried about messing things up.

How long did it take you to get this done?

Nice job and write up. Thanks.

My HIDs are way out of adjusment, and one of the high beams is pointing to the trees.

I only see on allen adjuster for the low beam, but how do you adjust the highs?

I like the LEDs for the "city lights." I've got one blown now, and if I'm going to go to the work to replace it, I'm going to intall leds.

Thanks! The highs should adjust with the lows. they are both essentially mounted to the same plate inside the headlight.


So are you saying the whole front bumper comes off with 4 bolts? If so I could kick myself for paying to have my blinker bulbs replaced.

Heck no! Read the link I provided from cadillacfaq. The SRX bumper comes up identical to the CTS. There are a ton of the plastic pop tabs, they come out easily though. The four bolts are what hold the bumper in line with the fenders.



Nice Write up, i was looking for a thread like this, now i can try to get this hid setup installed, but im worried about messing things up.

How long did it take you to get this done?

Thanks! It's a pretty easy/semi-moderate job. It took me about 2-3 hours but I had a hangup with some wiring. If you read all the info and links and have worked on cars before it could probably be done in under 2. Good luck!

Are aftermarket HIDs still illegal? I know they hadn't changed the law a few months ago when I checked, but I don't know if they've changed it since. I know they were made illegal because they are tricky to align and can blind other drivers on the road and create a hazard to everyone else.

I have another ?

I looked in the fuse box in the engine bay which has a fuse for lowbeam/with hid, not sure if thats for all of it or just low beams - does this mean i can buy a headlight from the dealer or a junkyard who has the HID's headlights. and install it without no problem.

Are aftermarket HIDs still illegal? I know they hadn't changed the law a few months ago when I checked, but I don't know if they've changed it since. I know they were made illegal because they are tricky to align and can blind other drivers on the road and create a hazard to everyone else.

Not to my knowledge. If they are, it's because people to your point don't understand how to install and align them correctly. More importantly, they install them in halogen REFLECTOR based headlight systems that are not designed the reflect the light with a cutoff.

There are some platforms such as Volvo S40 & S60 as well as the Subaru STI that use a reflector based HID system. These headlights though use a D2R HID bulb that essentially only emits light in one direction (180 degrees) versus 360 degress like a standard D1S or D2S bulb.

Putting a HID bulb in a halogen reflector based system would be like installing a 9005 halogen bulb (high beam) in your 9006 low beam. Same effect due to the way the light is emitted from the bulb, not the wattage/power.


I have another ?

I looked in the fuse box in the engine bay which has a fuse for lowbeam/with hid, not sure if thats for all of it or just low beams - does this mean i can buy a headlight from the dealer or a junkyard who has the HID's headlights. and install it without no problem.

You could feasibly purchase the OEM HID headlights with the D1S bulbs and ballasts already installed. I'm assuming without looking at a full shop manual that it would not be plug and play due to the wiring running from the engine relay/fuse box not being correct to support the system. You may have to do add some additional wiring and probably relays. The fuses would also need to be changed due to a wattage difference (55w vs. 35w) between halogen and HID systems.


Ultimately, the BEST SYSTEM would be a TSX projector with a Phillips D2S bulb and Gen3 Ballasts hard wired with a relay system straight to the fuse block. To install the projectors it would take some slight modification but would work with the OEM adjustment system.

Plan on spending though $150-200 for the projectors, $150 for the bulbs, and probably $100ish for the ballasts on EBay.

I just googled it and it is still illegal to convert to HIDs. The DOT law says the lights must be from designed with the car and come from the factory. It does not specify whether or not the are projector beam or reflector. Apparently they were cracking down in 2008 and one website said twenty something (I can't remember the exact number right now) companies were being prosecuted for making conversion kits. I can't believe there are that many companies out there. Just letting you know.

What are the "city lights"? Are they the small running lights that are "inboard" of each headlight assembly? If so, anyone change one of those out yet?

The Bright "WHITE" light is the city light - see pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/Agent11br/CadillacSRX/IMG_1083.jpg

I might do the same thing to mine.

Are these the replacement City Light bulbs?

http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/WLED-x5.htm

Id like to know this as well so i can order me a set before i get started. Either White or Yellow would look good, But likely ill go for the white one.

Lionsfan,

I used those for the license plate lights.

These are the ones I used for the city lights: http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/WLED-xHP5.htm