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Bulb Replacement???

48K views 50 replies 21 participants last post by  ccaats 
#1 ·
Hey guys... I was looking through my owners manual and I was shocked that it doesnt detail how to change out bulbs! I want to install HIDs in the low beam, xenons in the high beam, and xenon-like in the fogs. I also want to take the taillights out... usually the book would offer some inside but no! I'm sure I can figure it all out, but if anyone has taken out the bulbs/taillights then please let me know any tips. Thanks!
 
#3 ·
HIDs are super simple to install, they are mostly plug and play. The problem lies in they make it so difficult to get at something that most people should be able to change themselves, without going to a dealer. This is the only vehicle that I have owned that doesnt show you how to do it in the manual.
 
#6 ·
Remove the wheel liner (remove the tire if you want more room to work). Or take off the front bumper and then take the lamp off the car. There is two round 1/4 turn caps on the back of the lamp that need to be removed to get to the bulbs.

It sounds like your trying some aftermarket conversion. The GM HID Lamp Assembly and the GM Halogen lamp assembly can not just be switched. The HID uses a different mating connector and has an extra wire for the DRL. If you switch just the bulb out I'm not sure how your DRL will work. On the halogen the DRL runs the lowbeam on 75% voltage. Will your HID system run on 75% voltage?

The taillamp are LED and are completely sealed inside the lamp. You cannot take them out unless you cut/saw/hack them out.

The only bulb on the back of the car is the back-up bulb and the licence lamps in the liftgate.
 
#7 ·
You cant add hid bulbs that easy can you? Dont you have to add a ballast? What I dont get on mine is how are halogen but at night they have the blue tint and are super bright. Projector beam makes that much of a difference? I want to add hid, but you really cant just buy the headlamp assembly and call it good?
 
#8 ·
Schram said:
You cant add hid bulbs that easy can you? Dont you have to add a ballast? What I dont get on mine is how are halogen but at night they have the blue tint and are super bright. Projector beam makes that much of a difference? I want to add hid, but you really cant just buy the headlamp assembly and call it good?
No, you can't just swap out the bulbs. XenonDepot.com, a forum vendor here, sells the whole kits: bulbs, ballasts, relays, wiring harnesses. I bought one of their kits for my Silverado that took me about an hour to install. Then pull the fuse to disable the Daytime Running Lights, to prevent damage to the HID system and all is good to go.
 
#9 ·
Did you have highbeam? I have heard that they do not have a highbeam option. Did you have no DLR or did you switch it over to the other beam. If you have the DRL in tact, do these kits burn up? Did you disable DRL for your own peace of mind or is it recommended? An hour install is not bad at all, but I like all the functionality of factory, had I known my bulbs were just halogen, I would have looked for an HID car. Thank you for your advice and input!
 
#10 ·
Schram said:
Did you have highbeam? I have heard that they do not have a highbeam option. Did you have no DLR or did you switch it over to the other beam. If you have the DRL in tact, do these kits burn up? Did you disable DRL for your own peace of mind or is it recommended? An hour install is not bad at all, but I like all the functionality of factory, had I known my bulbs were just halogen, I would have looked for an HID car. Thank you for your advice and input!
Schram,

For my Silverado, I used the HID H11 kit (same as the Acadia) for the low beams only. The high beams are 9005 in my truck (not sure what highbeams the Acadia has), which I put Silverstars in. I couldn't justify the expense of HIDs in the high beams when they don't get used that much and the Silverstars are an acceptable compromise.

As far as the DRLs go, the reduced voltage used by the DRLs can cause the HIDs to flicker and cause the components to fail prematurely. The XenonDepot section here has threads that can answers most of your questions. It is recommended to disable the DRLs.
 
#13 ·
stuey said:
Hey guys... I was looking through my owners manual and I was shocked that it doesnt detail how to change out bulbs! I want to install HIDs in the low beam, xenons in the high beam, and xenon-like in the fogs. I also want to take the taillights out... usually the book would offer some inside but no! I'm sure I can figure it all out, but if anyone has taken out the bulbs/taillights then please let me know any tips. Thanks!
im afraid to meet your Acadia head-on during nightime, but great mods!!!! looking forward to the results and pics!!!! :thumb:
 
#14 ·
stuey said:
Hey guys... I was looking through my owners manual and I was shocked that it doesnt detail how to change out bulbs! I want to install HIDs in the low beam, xenons in the high beam, and xenon-like in the fogs. I also want to take the taillights out... usually the book would offer some inside but no! I'm sure I can figure it all out, but if anyone has taken out the bulbs/taillights then please let me know any tips. Thanks!
The brake light housing is a one piece sealed unit with electronics on the inside that control the LEDs good luck doing any mods to those!
 
#15 ·
bonk1313 said:
stuey said:
Hey guys... I was looking through my owners manual and I was shocked that it doesnt detail how to change out bulbs! I want to install HIDs in the low beam, xenons in the high beam, and xenon-like in the fogs. I also want to take the taillights out... usually the book would offer some inside but no! I'm sure I can figure it all out, but if anyone has taken out the bulbs/taillights then please let me know any tips. Thanks!
The brake light housing is a one piece sealed unit with electronics on the inside that control the LEDs good luck doing any mods to those!
if its a one piece unit then theres no way we can add some lights/strobes to these decoy turn signal indicators?
 
#16 ·
if its a one piece unit then theres no way we can add some lights/strobes to these decoy turn signal indicators?
[/quote]

If you are referring to the empty area in the taillamp in the clear area, the answer is no, unless you want to do some hacking.

The decoy turn area that I think you are referring to was designed to give a similar appearance the liftgate taillamp. The optics are actually designed for an auxiliary back-up/corning lamp not turn or export turn as it has been implied on other posts. The hole for the bulb has been molded over (flashed/inserted).

It was made like that to be used in a Denali version, but the plan was not used.

If you really wanted to put a bulb in there you could, you would have to cut out a lug pattern for a bulb, make sure you don't get a ton of debris inside, splice in a power and ground wire, make sure you uses the same type of bulb as the backup (amber or clear) anything like a 3157 will melt the lamp.

I hope that clears up a few things.
 
#17 ·
patman75 said:
if its a one piece unit then theres no way we can add some lights/strobes to these decoy turn signal indicators?
If you are referring to the empty area in the taillamp in the clear area, the answer is no, unless you want to do some hacking.

The decoy turn area that I think you are referring to was designed to give a similar appearance the liftgate taillamp. The optics are actually designed for an auxiliary back-up/corning lamp not turn or export turn as it has been implied on other posts. The hole for the bulb has been molded over (flashed/inserted).

It was made like that to be used in a Denali version, but the plan was not used.

If you really wanted to put a bulb in there you could, you would have to cut out a lug pattern for a bulb, make sure you don't get a ton of debris inside, splice in a power and ground wire, make sure you uses the same type of bulb as the backup (amber or clear) anything like a 3157 will melt the lamp.

I hope that clears up a few things.

[/quote]

Wow a very informative post. thank you
How did you obtain so much information about this?
 
#19 ·
Hello,

Take a look at this forum for more information about how to upgrade your Acadia's lighting to HID:

http://www.acadiaforum.net/forum/index.php?board=30.0

You can definitely do the low beams and fogs. Upgrading the high beams is not something that I typically recommend for 2 reasons:

1) HID bulbs take a moment to fully ignite and reach their desired light output. In situations where you need to flash someone your HID high beams will not be very functional.

2) It is strenuous on the components to have them turned on/off repeatedly ie: flashing people.

Regards,

Steve
 
#20 ·
patman75 said:
I plead the 5th on where I get my Acadia/Enclave lamp knowledge. ;) If you get what I mean.
thanks for the valuable info patman75 :notworthy: guess i have to consult a professional installer then..... :-\
 
#21 ·
patman75 said:
If you are referring to the empty area in the taillamp in the clear area, the answer is no, unless you want to do some hacking.

The decoy turn area that I think you are referring to was designed to give a similar appearance the liftgate taillamp. The optics are actually designed for an auxiliary back-up/corning lamp not turn or export turn as it has been implied on other posts. The hole for the bulb has been molded over (flashed/inserted).

It was made like that to be used in a Denali version, but the plan was not used.

If you really wanted to put a bulb in there you could, you would have to cut out a lug pattern for a bulb, make sure you don't get a ton of debris inside, splice in a power and ground wire, make sure you uses the same type of bulb as the backup (amber or clear) anything like a 3157 will melt the lamp.

I hope that clears up a few things.
Excellent post but you are breaking my heart! I was convinced that the "Non-functional" area:



.....was for an amber export turn signal and that someone would offer the complete export unit. I put export ("Euro") tail lights, including wiring harness mods, in my C-5 Corvette:



Ah, well, considering the popularity of the Acadia, maybe the aftermarket will do something. :help:
 
#23 ·
Jake_99 said:
I had thought the US had taken up the international standard vs sticking with all red...Is it only foreign companies have the orange?
The laws vary around the world but apparently in Europe rear turn lights are:

a. required to be separate from the brake lights (which the Acadia's are not - for cost and/or styling reasons, unfortunately)
b. required to be amber (which the Acadia's are not - for cost and/or styling reasons, unfortunately)
 
#25 ·
Appreciate the feedback, patman75.

The aborted Denali Acadia aside, do you know, and are you willing to tell, the reason that the standard Acadia was designed with neither separate, nor amber, turn lights?

Thanks,
 
#26 ·
Mainly styling, for some reason they (designers) don't like amber on a vehicle. I think it is because an all red and clear makes the rearend look cleaner. They really don't like amber lenses and will go with an amber bulb over an amber lens if they had to pick between the two. Did you notice that the only amber lenses on all the Lambadas are the front sidereflex (required by law).

An amber turn bulb with just stop/tail in the LED array would make the electronics in the taillamp much less complicated. You would not have to have an LED Drive Module with Outage Detection for the turn signal. Example - Saturn Aura.

Outage detection - When a vehicle looses a turn function (front or back) the remaining turn signal will flash extra fast to let you know your turn signal (safety device) is not working and you should fix it. The vehicle knows this because the bulb is not drawing amps anymore. With an LED turn signal the amp draw is so low to begin with the vehicle cannot tell if it is working or not. So there a special outage detection circuit is in the lamp to do this. If you loose a LED the lamp will send more power to the remaining so the lamp is putting out the same amount of light. If you loose too many LEDs or something else stops the LEDs from working then the outage detection circuit is tripped.

You can see the Led Drive Module if you look at your taillamp from the side right behind the chrome ring around the LEDs. It is hard to see behind the decorative flutes on the red bezel.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
 
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