Not so... I literally pulled them out and they are a mere 25w. Replacing them with 35w has an immediate improvement. There is a photograph of the original bulb in the first article of this forum where I posed the question about the plug - although I didn't photograph the back of it that said 25w.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Does anyone recognise this headlight plug?
- Thread starter ZTrekus
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Australia New Zealand
I stand corrected. Sorry for the misinformation. Tesla definitely designed it weirdly with the bulb+ballast combo and the weird 3 pin connector.
The ballasts are held in to the bottom of the headlight housings with 3 screws each. Once removed, you will have access to the red and black 12v input lines. This can all be achieved without cracking the headlight open. I recommend removing the front bumper cover. It's not that difficult (can be done in about 30 minutes). Then you can pull the entire headlight and tinker with it.
cashie
Member
Thanks for that Ingineer.
My very serious question is this: If I rip the bumper off, pop out the headlights, cut the d3s ballast and stick on my 12v LED headlights into the 12v wires... WILL THE SOFTWARE POWER UP THE LIGHTS WITHOUT WARNINGS/ERRORS/COMPLAINTS?
I have now tried 3 different kinds of D3S lamps and all of them are an improvement from the scaled down version:
1. A standard 35w - An improvement - but the worst improvement. Better than doing nothing.
2. 55w 6000K D3S bulbs from Austria via eBay. Very blue/white colour - love that part. But the colour IS DARK. When you stick on high beam it lights up the street signs in a really really cool blue white glow BUT since it is so dark, it hardly lights up the road way - I mean what it does light up looks white/blue but it is as dark to the eye as the original 25w Aust bulbs. These are an ultra cool improvement but do not solve the original problem that I had with the lights.
3. 35w Ozram Cool Blue Intense - Best of all. These are around 5700k in colour (I think). Having tried all of the above, today I am going to rip out the Austrian bulbs and put these back in. They are a trade off between colour and brightness and the balance is much better. I would recommend these bulbs as the best D3S bulbs out there. Problem is they know that too and are very expensive (I paid around $220AU).
They are still not ideal - and I am prepared to go to my friendly mechanic and rip of the bumper, cut the balast and tap into the 12 v with my LED lights - but I am scared that if I do that - the software driving the lights might not receive some kind of D3S feedback which may be interpreted as a bulb that is out and shut it down - or something. Anyone have any ideas on this before embarking on a possibly not so reversible adventure that achieves nothing?
An update to the above:
This morning I took out the 55w 6000k and put back the 35w 5700k.
But I took the opportunity of looking more closely at the headlight fitting and wires.
FIRSTLY and this is the biggest problem: I have TWO different paris of LEDS however the inner metal hole which the D3S bulb sticks in to is SO SMALL that none of my LEDS bulbs (in the shape of D3S bulbs) actually fit into it. This would definitely mean not only removing the headlight fitting, but then actually shaving the hole bigger (yeah right) to force fit my LEDs. Sounds like raping my darling car!
SECONDLY, I did manage to see a black and green wire that plugged into a red and black wire. The red and black wire proceeds to under the headlight fitting where the thick black D3S wire emerges. So my guess is that the red black wire is 12v which goes to the D3S ballast. It could actually be possible to disconnect the plug and insert your own plug tapping quite easily into the 12v power and disconnecting the D3S cable leaving everything all in place neatly (without even undoing any screws!). And so the only problem may be the tight metal hole which doesn't fit my LED bulbs.
A further update:
Above I complained about how hard it was to access the headlight and how I had removed the wheel etc... Well I have so refined this process so much that it is really much easier and literally done in minutes if not seconds. All you have to do is remove TWO CLIPS ONLY with a screw driver at the top of the wheel arch. Leave all others in tact. Upon removing those, you just bend down the covering and get as much access to the headlight as you need. I have taught myself how to align the headlight bulb clip with the built in headlight fitting and to rotate it gently onto it (and WD40 helps alot!!!) Changing them back over this morning took all of less than 10 minutes!
DBORN: Come on over and I'll stick the Austrian globes into your car!! That is, if you don't want to fork out for the Cool Blue Intense from Osram!
This morning I took out the 55w 6000k and put back the 35w 5700k.
But I took the opportunity of looking more closely at the headlight fitting and wires.
FIRSTLY and this is the biggest problem: I have TWO different paris of LEDS however the inner metal hole which the D3S bulb sticks in to is SO SMALL that none of my LEDS bulbs (in the shape of D3S bulbs) actually fit into it. This would definitely mean not only removing the headlight fitting, but then actually shaving the hole bigger (yeah right) to force fit my LEDs. Sounds like raping my darling car!
SECONDLY, I did manage to see a black and green wire that plugged into a red and black wire. The red and black wire proceeds to under the headlight fitting where the thick black D3S wire emerges. So my guess is that the red black wire is 12v which goes to the D3S ballast. It could actually be possible to disconnect the plug and insert your own plug tapping quite easily into the 12v power and disconnecting the D3S cable leaving everything all in place neatly (without even undoing any screws!). And so the only problem may be the tight metal hole which doesn't fit my LED bulbs.
A further update:
Above I complained about how hard it was to access the headlight and how I had removed the wheel etc... Well I have so refined this process so much that it is really much easier and literally done in minutes if not seconds. All you have to do is remove TWO CLIPS ONLY with a screw driver at the top of the wheel arch. Leave all others in tact. Upon removing those, you just bend down the covering and get as much access to the headlight as you need. I have taught myself how to align the headlight bulb clip with the built in headlight fitting and to rotate it gently onto it (and WD40 helps alot!!!) Changing them back over this morning took all of less than 10 minutes!
DBORN: Come on over and I'll stick the Austrian globes into your car!! That is, if you don't want to fork out for the Cool Blue Intense from Osram!
Dborn
Confirmed
Ztrekus, i may well take you up on that. I have to say I am nervous about doing this one myself, despite the other mods I have done. Can you post the Osram link again so I can order? Not sure how to personal message since they changed the format of this site.
This is the link to the bulbs I bought...
NEW! Osram D3S 5000K 66340 CBI Cool Blue Intense HID XENON Germany 20%+ PAIR TWO
NEW! Osram D3S 5000K 66340 CBI Cool Blue Intense HID XENON Germany 20%+ PAIR TWO
It's a love job!
Last night, mostly for the fun of it... I put back the 6000k bulbs just to do another comparison. I maintain what I said earlier... They are darker but a much nicer colour. I will leave them in for a few nights and get the family used to it.
Another small observation:
The plugs of the d3s bulbs are absolutely crap. Who ever invented them makes Apple plugs look like they deserve Nobel prizes. These plugs are the name of this thread. They consist of three small pins surrounded by plastic. I have succeeded in breaking the plastic off two different bulbs now. And last night I bent one of the three pins so badly, it took me about an hour with a screw driver trying to straighten it and replug it in. Every other time I tried to plug it in, it must have bent away. The holes are so tiny tiny what the hell were they thinking?
Another more important observation:
I recommend adjusting your bulbs at night with the high beam on. There is some wiggle room there to adjust the throw of the light that you just can't appreciate in the day time. Basically aim high and centre. Don't worry, it is impossible to position it to stun oncoming cars. But you can improve things somewhat...or at least avoid a worse position after changing the bulb yourself and repositioning it wherever it happens to click the first time.
This is what OSRAM claims about the new bulbs:
And I had another look at the website of Tesla - on a fresh reading, I am not so sure that they actually have LED headlights on the newer models... Just LED cornering lights. I am guessing they are still using the old xenarc HIDs for headlights. Is that what everyone else thinks?
- The brightest xenon bulb in the world
- Up to 70% more light on the road ahead compared to a standard HID bulb
- Up to 20m longer light beam than a standard xenon HID bulb
- Up to 5% whiter light than standard xenon HID bulbs for fatigue-free and comfortable driving
- ECE approved and fully Road Legal
And I had another look at the website of Tesla - on a fresh reading, I am not so sure that they actually have LED headlights on the newer models... Just LED cornering lights. I am guessing they are still using the old xenarc HIDs for headlights. Is that what everyone else thinks?
cashie
Member
The consensus is they are LED headlights and cornering lights.
Those OSRAM bulbs sound like a great improvement and the ones to go for.
So it's been a while since you've updated us on your headlight obsession; We are dying to know how it's all going! I am really interested in upgrading mine as well but after reading all of your posts I think you have me convinced to stay with HID. Which bulbs did you end up liking the best?
Hi digitalboi,
I liked the Osram Night Breakers the best (a selection of a random scan of the internet showing the ones I mean is below):
OSRAM Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited D3S Xenon HID Bulb | PowerBulbs
They certainly produce the most light - no complaints there, they light up the road like a football stadium. But my one slight complaint is that the colour is a bit warmish/yellowish. Personally I prefer the white colours of LEDs, but that said, brightness trumps colour every time.
If you are thinking of upgrading them, don't forget that you need to replace the ballasts as well. (Also need to drill a small notch in the plastic bulb housing of your new light bulbs - look at the old Tesla d8s bulbs to see where that notch should go - otherwise you won't be able to screw it in to the headlight fitting - Dborn can tell you all about that).
I really really wish there was a simple way to upgrade the LEDs on the new Teslas. One of these days I will yank out the entire headlight fitting and snoop around in there... But in the meantime, I will hope that someone else in the world does it first, posts it to the internet, and that one of you guys posts it here!!!
I liked the Osram Night Breakers the best (a selection of a random scan of the internet showing the ones I mean is below):
OSRAM Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited D3S Xenon HID Bulb | PowerBulbs
They certainly produce the most light - no complaints there, they light up the road like a football stadium. But my one slight complaint is that the colour is a bit warmish/yellowish. Personally I prefer the white colours of LEDs, but that said, brightness trumps colour every time.
If you are thinking of upgrading them, don't forget that you need to replace the ballasts as well. (Also need to drill a small notch in the plastic bulb housing of your new light bulbs - look at the old Tesla d8s bulbs to see where that notch should go - otherwise you won't be able to screw it in to the headlight fitting - Dborn can tell you all about that).
I really really wish there was a simple way to upgrade the LEDs on the new Teslas. One of these days I will yank out the entire headlight fitting and snoop around in there... But in the meantime, I will hope that someone else in the world does it first, posts it to the internet, and that one of you guys posts it here!!!
Dborn
Confirmed
The thing is which type of bulb you have. Basically the D series is what is fitted to our cars. If I recall, the D8s. Research it and you will see that the main fitting difference is the notching on the plastic skirt to prevent you installing the incorrect bulb. Secondly, the plug/socket on the bulb has a plastic fin which varies in position for the same reason.
Sooo.... I chose my bulb which if I recall was a D1s, got the appropriate Osram ballast which then simply screws onto the headlight housing in place of the existing, and spent a little time with a dremel tool cutting appropriate notches so that my new D1 bulbs fit into the D8 socket on our cars. My 5000k headlights at 35watt do give great light and are approx daylight in colour.
T here is no doubt that the only logical way to do this job satisfactorily is to take off the front bumper bar and remove the headlight unit from the car. Fiddly, at least a two person job, but not possible to change out the ballast otherwise. You really MUST use an Osram ballast, but you could use any bulb of your choosing.
Bear in mind that the above is for Australian cars. In the USA, I believe you already have 35watt bulbs, so my comments may not apply and all you need do is buy the bulb of your choice in the correct fitment. The service centre should be able to tell you whether you have a D3 or D1.Australian cars came with the derated D8s.
Sooo.... I chose my bulb which if I recall was a D1s, got the appropriate Osram ballast which then simply screws onto the headlight housing in place of the existing, and spent a little time with a dremel tool cutting appropriate notches so that my new D1 bulbs fit into the D8 socket on our cars. My 5000k headlights at 35watt do give great light and are approx daylight in colour.
T here is no doubt that the only logical way to do this job satisfactorily is to take off the front bumper bar and remove the headlight unit from the car. Fiddly, at least a two person job, but not possible to change out the ballast otherwise. You really MUST use an Osram ballast, but you could use any bulb of your choosing.
Bear in mind that the above is for Australian cars. In the USA, I believe you already have 35watt bulbs, so my comments may not apply and all you need do is buy the bulb of your choice in the correct fitment. The service centre should be able to tell you whether you have a D3 or D1.Australian cars came with the derated D8s.
Last edited:
doctorwho
Active Member
Has anyone tried replacing the 35W ballast with a 55W ballast? I think that the globe is the same, its just run at higher power (and correspondingly shorter life)
mrElbe
Active Member
I am also contemplating to install LED headlights. My current lights are HID D3S and I have a set of LED D3S equivalent in stock. The current D3S have the igniter and ballast as part of the bulb unit and the aforementioned 3 pin connector. I do not have a diagram of the internal wiring of the headlight unit. So, time to remove the front skirt, remove a headlight unit and poke around in there. An advantage of removing the front skirt is that it gives you a chance to clean out the debris that has accumulated in the radiator fins.
Stand by for further developments.
Stand by for further developments.
Similar threads
