2003 Halogen to OEM HID headlight conversion
 

Hopefully this will help out a few people. I searched the forums for a post that explained how to make an OEM HID headlight work in a base model 350Z, but didn’t have any luck. There were a few pictures of people who had done it, but no comprehensive wiring help.

I have a 2003 base model 350Z and purchased a set of HID headlights off ebay. The HID headlights have an 8-pin connector, whereas the base model only has a 6-pin connector. I traced the wires on both headlights and found besides the obvious addition of the HID ballast, the parking lights were actually wired differently. On the HID housing, the orange parking light on the side and the clear parking bulb in the bottom have their own power leads. On the halogen housing, these two lights share a common power lead.

When I did this conversion to my own car, I wanted to order and re-pin factory 8-pin connectors, replacing the existing 6-pin connectors in the car. I went to two local dealers and checked with a couple more on-line, but was told the connectors were not available. I also tried a number of junk yards with no luck, so I ended up finding a couple 8-pin waterproof male-female connectors from another car in the junk yard and used those.

After replacing the headlight connectors on both the headlight and car side, and rewiring a few things, the lights worked perfectly. If I was to do it again, I would keep the 6-pin connector on the car side untouched, then cut off the 6-pin connector from the halogen light housing, and rewire it as follows. It would make for a little simpler plug and play installation. Contact me if anyone needs pictures. Hope this helps!

See Attachments for wiring table and a couple pictures.

I know this is off topic, but damn! I can't wait to get my TT set up installed. That front mount just looks SICK!

Oh, and... Nice 8 pin connector too.. :)

finally someone took the time! thanks dude, i'm sure this will help A LOT of people :D

Thank you!!! You're the man.. I've been looking for this for sometime.

Thanks!!! I know this is from 2006 but Im planing on changing my headlights to HID. Could you send me the pics? I tried seeing the attached ones and they are either black or other random stuff. Thanks again!

Not to take away from the OP's original ingenuity years ago but there's an easier way now.... Plug n' play connectors: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Headlight-A...EAAOSwqxdcAfS1

Using these takes about an hour or more out of your installation. So, the question is: Pay $90 one and done or spend an hour or two rewiring. Both work.

Interested as well. It is a upgrade i will like to do also but no technical expertise here.

The harness is a must for me. Now i have to check for the Headlights to see the cost factor to upgrade.

A set of Depo replacement Bi-Xenon (AKA “2006+ Headlights”, only “accepted” non-OE replacements) run about $400-450 on eBay. (And there’s a set of black ones WITH the adapter cables for halogen equipped Zs)

OE Genuine replacements are over $1200. (If you can find them.)

The ‘06+ lights are much better than both pre-06 halogen OR HID original headlights. (And 06+ hot rodded lights - 50w, STI lenses - are even better!) You almost need to be traveling at race speeds to overdrive them.

Thanks @MicVelo I really appreciate all the input given. I will check Depo right now. Thanks...

No problem. Love to see more Z related topics over all the politics that I can’t figure out how makes its way onto a car forum. 🤔

I'm glad someone finally said it. Thought I was going crazy.