The Retrofit Source > DDM

[coreyray7]

WOW!!! Bye Bye DDM, HELLO TRS!!!! I usually don't mind paying a little extra for something that ships from the states, but then it arrives and its much much more higher quality parts!!! My DDM bulbs weren't matching in color after only a year. I couldn't stand it after a few days, so I ordered some 5000k H11's and wow!!! the packaging these morimoto bulbs came in is so much better and the color was spot on to what a 5000k bulb should look like (the ddm's looked closer to 6000k)... These gave me more of that OEM look I was looking for. I highly recommend The Retrofit Source to anyone!!!

 

[coreyray7]

The how to

TRS is offering a $50 store credit for doing a instal write up and review so here we go...

1. Open the hood, locate the back of the headlight to see whether you can remove the bulbs directly. If not, you might have to remove the headlight housing in order to perform the installation.

2. Remove the stock socket.

3. Remove the stock headlight bulb and remember do not touch the bulb glass with your finger.

4. Now take off the HID bulb from its plastic shell. Again, do not touch the HID bulb glass with your finger, but id you did, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean it

5. Put the HID bulb back to the headlight housing

6. Connect the HID bulb with the ballast

7. Connect the HID ballast back to the stock socket

8. Let's test the HID light first to make sure it lights up. If not, please turn the extension/adapter wire 180 degrees.

9. Mount the HID ballast using zip-tie or double-sided tape

10. ENJOY!!!!

It is really a simple plug and play set up!!!!

(Mods... I know this has been done every where, but TRS wanted it done to get some store credit, so I couldn't help but do another one...)

 

[zopperman]

TRS is offering a $50 store credit for doing a instal write up and review so here we go...

1. Open the hood, locate the back of the headlight to see whether you can remove the bulbs directly. If not, you might have to remove the headlight housing in order to perform the installation.

2. Remove the stock socket.

3. Remove the stock headlight bulb and remember do not touch the bulb glass with your finger.

4. Now take off the HID bulb from its plastic shell. Again, do not touch the HID bulb glass with your finger, but id you did, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean it

5. Put the HID bulb back to the headlight housing

6. Connect the HID bulb with the ballast

7. Connect the HID ballast back to the stock socket

8. Let's test the HID light first to make sure it lights up. If not, please turn the extension/adapter wire 180 degrees.

9. Mount the HID ballast using zip-tie or double-sided tape

10. ENJOY!!!!

It is really a simple plug and play set up!!!!

(Mods... I know this has been done every where, but TRS wanted it done to get some store credit, so I couldn't help but do another one...)

That must be the easiest 50 bucks you've ever made - you should include pictures at a minimum... where's my 50 for a full retrofit write up... or [MENTION=93434]gshadow325[/MENTION]'s 50... :moping:

 

[gaterose]

That must be the easiest 50 bucks you've ever made - you should include pictures at a minimum... where's my 50 for a full retrofit write up... or [MENTION=93434]gshadow325[/MENTION]'s 50... :moping:

Ditto - http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/135396-mini-morimoto-retroquik-bi-xenon-projector-swap-06-headlamps.html

 

[coreyray7]

I did it early and didn't take pics. And honestly I just bought their bulbs. Still running ddm ballasts for now.

 

[zopperman]

I did it early and didn't take pics. And honestly I just bought their bulbs. Still running ddm ballasts for now.

I don't understand why this qualifies you for an in store credit for a "write up" and using half of their products. Call me bitter but I wouldn't be broadcasting that. Anyway carry on. And [MENTION=50591]gaterose[/MENTION] I can't believe I forgot you. I was running out the door when I wrote that post, my bad!!

 

[coreyray7]

Well per their flier they sent me, they wanted a recommendation/review and a detailed installation write up of how to install their product. There was also two other ways in addition to the write up, a recommendation on their yelp page, as well as one on they fb. Then email them the links to all three.

 

[coreyray7]

I think it's a great business model and I'm not going to complain. I know I'll be using $1 of it on a matching sticker for the other window.

 

[zopperman]

I think it's a great business model and I'm not going to complain. I know I'll be using $1 of it on a matching sticker for the other window.

yeah i wouldn't be complaining if they threw money at me to do a "write up" of installing plug n play HIDs...

I just think it should probably have a ton of pictures and be incredibly detailed, but hey, it's not my money. I would also want a thread dedicated to it instead of just saying TRS > DDM..

 

[coreyray7]

Well considering they wanted a recommendation as well, that's why I names it that. It's a proper name for a recommendation

 

[coreyray7]

And it's useless to keep bringing up the pictures issue. I'm not going to go steal them from someone else at this point. I didn't see that they offered this store credit until after I switch the ddm's out for theirs, hence I didn't bother with pics. I think it would look worse on my part to have stolen someone's pictures they took the time to take.

 

[zopperman]

And it's useless to keep bringing up the pictures issue. I'm not going to go steal them from someone else at this point. I didn't see that they offered this store credit until after I switch the ddm's out for theirs, hence I didn't bother with pics. I think it would look worse on my part to have stolen someone's pictures they took the time to take.

So take your own? I'm just saying IMO it's not cool to take 50 bucks for a half assed write up where you just bash another company. I don't even know what bulbs you got. a review would include comparisons and knowing what product you purchased would probably help. But whatever, it's not my money to be giving away, I'm just saying how I feel - I have had great experiences with TRS thus far and will continue to buy their products.

 

[xxaarraa]

I think it's a great business model and I'm not going to complain. I know I'll be using $1 of it on a matching sticker for the other window.

To be honest with you, the fact that someone is paying you $50 to recommend and priase their product reduces the credbility of the whole review for me.

I have had DDMs on 3 vehicles for over 50k miles. They are not perfect, but for the price ($50 shipped), I'd recommend them. And they are not paying me to say so.

 

[NoWayOut]

I presently have DDM in my 08 that are 6000k. I want to go with 4300k from TRS.
Can someone point me in the direction to what I need to make this change.

Just the bulbs? H11's?

What is the difference between the 3 5's or the XB35's?


.

 

[LTDSC]

i have DDM ballasts and bulbs. I see ZERO difference with these over expensive ones. No point but this was strictly for you to get free money so im going to shit all over a competitor. Terrible business practice.

 

[gshadow325]

Hid game is a very very strange one. Biggest problem is anyone with a few bucks can go to a factory in China and order 10,000 pcs and call it their own. Put their name on it and depending on quality the factory know what the failure rate is. Lower quality higher failure rate, some as high as 40%. Depending on size of your order, complete kits can cost as low as $ 7 - 8.. so shipping it all over the place and warranting it would still make decent money

 

[coreyray7]

I've had ddm for years... Had them in my canyon before my 4R. Their bulbs are crap... I can say that... They don't fit as well as the TRS ones did and I'm almost positive that's what caused the premature failure due to not getting a tight seal around the bulb (letting just enough moisture in to make one bulb become discolored).

My recommendation isn't bias because they offered me money. It's an added bonus definitely, but in no means did that determine my feelings about them. I still think that their product is better regardless of how they decided to get their customers to spread the word. Now again, the pictures. Let's draw a time line (do you want a detailed one or a simple one?)

1. Went to TRS' site
2. Found the correct bulb
3. Chose the color I wanted...

Just kidding...

I got them in, didn't read any of the papers they sent with me first (who does?).
I checked the box to make sure they sent the right color/size.
Opened it up threw them in. Turned them on. Happy happy happy. Then went and picked my daughter up from daycare. Came home and a few hours later went through the rest of the stuff and saw a sticker, the invoice, and a flier stating they were offering cash or store credit for 3 things (a yelp recommendation, a fb recommendation, and a recommendation and write up on the forum I use the most). So no I wasn't going to go back out there at night in 30 degree weather, take it all apart and back again just to take pictures when there are thousands. Of others out there. They didn't say they wanted pictures. They had no stipulations as to what they wanted. If they honor it, great if not who cares? I guess you must have a hand in something since you care about it so much. I got my products, they got their publicity, everyone is happy. It'll just be a little something extra if they send me the credit. If they had asked me to do so without offering any type of kickback, I would have done the same exact thing in that order (considering you can't change the past).

 

[zopperman]

I've had ddm for years... Had them in my canyon before my 4R. Their bulbs are crap... I can say that... They don't fit as well as the TRS ones did and I'm almost positive that's what caused the premature failure due to not getting a tight seal around the bulb (letting just enough moisture in to make one bulb become discolored).

I swapped my OEM O rings, problem solved, DDM on my truck for a year now with 0 issues.

My recommendation isn't bias because they offered me money. It's an added bonus definitely, but in no means did that determine my feelings about them. I still think that their product is better regardless of how they decided to get their customers to spread the word. Now again, the pictures. Let's draw a time line (do you want a detailed one or a simple one?)

1. Went to TRS' site
2. Found the correct bulb
3. Chose the color I wanted...

Just kidding...

I got them in, didn't read any of the papers they sent with me first (who does?).
I checked the box to make sure they sent the right color/size.
Opened it up threw them in. Turned them on. Happy happy happy. Then went and picked my daughter up from daycare. Came home and a few hours later went through the rest of the stuff and saw a sticker, the invoice, and a flier stating they were offering cash or store credit for 3 things (a yelp recommendation, a fb recommendation, and a recommendation and write up on the forum I use the most). So no I wasn't going to go back out there at night in 30 degree weather, take it all apart and back again just to take pictures when there are thousands. Of others out there. They didn't say they wanted pictures. They had no stipulations as to what they wanted. If they honor it, great if not who cares? I guess you must have a hand in something since you care about it so much. I got my products, they got their publicity, everyone is happy. It'll just be a little something extra if they send me the credit. If they had asked me to do so without offering any type of kickback, I would have done the same exact thing in that order (considering you can't change the past).

I don't think the sarcasm was needed, but if you insist. I happen to agree with others who have said it's bad business to pay someone to write a review, not that I believe "I LIKE THESE BULBS" constitutes a review when we still literally have no idea which product you're talking about. Also, TRS doesn't make bulbs FWIW, they are Morimoto's and could be one of several models. Curious what HIDP has to say about TRS credit. Maybe now is the time for me to buy some new stuff from them then. They might not stipulate the exact provisions of what they consider a write up, be we all know good and well there are some write ups out there that really deserve praise like Bulldog's spacer lift install on 120. I just don't think writing up a plug n play HID kit deserves 50 bucks. I don't hold it against you because I totally would have done the same thing, but I do think it reflects poorly on TRS as others have stated. Just my 2 cents..

 

[eddiebx]

In all seriousness though, it is kind of strange to pay a customer to write a review. I mean obviously, most normal people will write a more favorable review regardless of how they really feel.

However, I don't see anything wrong with offering the credit for a write-up though; same as how some companies would offer a partial refund for submitting pictures with their products installed. Small price to pay for royalty free pictures of their products in real world environments.

I'm pretty sure it was not OP's intentions, but this thread sure comes off like a paid DDM bashing thread, lol. But I chalk that up to just a bad combination of circumstances :caked:

 

[Stuck CAPS]

I swapped my OEM O rings, problem solved, DDM on my truck for a year now with 0 issues.



I don't think the sarcasm was needed, but if you insist. I happen to agree with others who have said it's bad business to pay someone to write a review, not that I believe "I LIKE THESE BULBS" constitutes a review when we still literally have no idea which product you're talking about. Also, TRS doesn't make bulbs FWIW, they are Morimoto's and could be one of several models. Curious what HIDP has to say about TRS credit. Maybe now is the time for me to buy some new stuff from them then. They might not stipulate the exact provisions of what they consider a write up, be we all know good and well there are some write ups out there that really deserve praise like Bulldog's spacer lift install on 120. I just don't think writing up a plug n play HID kit deserves 50 bucks. I don't hold it against you because I totally would have done the same thing, but I do think it reflects poorly on TRS as others have stated. Just my 2 cents..

While I agree that pictures should be added to this thread if he IS getting money for this, it was an offer that he came across and took advantage of. I feel that OP should put some more work into the thread, but at the same time, if it's, in the seller's eyes, good, it should be left up to them on whether or not to pay him, not up to you guys flaming him or complaining that you didn't get the offer.
Per the T4R rules:

By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws.

Please, if you would, for the sake of the 4th gen section, quit arguing the semantics of the post title...

It could be for either:
a. Getting the money for the write-up.
b. Actual belief about it.

...and your reasons on why you think the write-up is bad.
If the thread is going to continue to get flamed... Could we please just get the thread locked/removed?


OP, the same goes for you. Although you were initially flamed, you did return fire.