UPDATE RE RADIO INTERFERENCE/PROJECTOR INSTALL: Tomorrow I will be ordering TYC headlamp assemblies and projector housings to build a proper projector setup for the Patriot. I'll be sure to do another writeup with that process.
I have also solved the RF interference issue thanks to my brilliant wife, a chance find in a box while cleaning out my basement, and a few searches on other forums. All you need is a Ferrite Core, available at any electronics store or online. Clip it around the output from the ballast (the wires leading to the bulb) as close to the ballast as possible. I just installed one on the ballast closest to the antenna and radio reception was instantly restored!
First of all, many people will tell you that because of the optics of a discharge lamp, it should not be used in a reflector housing because of the increased glare that it produces, which is distracting to other drivers. This is true. The proper way to install an HID system is in a projector housing with auto-leveling and lens cleaning systems included. I have seen at least one post on the forum detailing the building of a projector retrofit for the fog lights, which I would encourage you to look up. I also found a lot of good information at theretrofitsource.com for using parts from other factory-equipped HID vehicles to create a main beam system. If you do decide to use HID bulbs in the stock reflector housing, please make sure to keep your lenses clean of debris, keep your lights properly aimed, and use only for Off-Road use.
Above all, use courtesy and common sense to protect the safety and comfort of yourself and other drivers.
Now for the How-to section:
We'll begin with the fog lights.
What you will need:
- An H10 HID Kit (2 bulbs, 2 ballasts)
![Image]()
You will need to specify what type of ballast you want. The Digital Slim ballast is the newest and supposedly most reliable, and is the one that I went with. It is 35W and is compatible with most common HID bulbs. You can also go with a standard 35W ballast or a standard 55W ballast if you prefer.
You will need to specify what colour temperature bulb you want. 3000K is traditional for fog lights, and is presumed to give the best visibility in fog. I purchased GREEN ones originally just to see what they were like, and although they would look cool on a show car, they are impractical for driving as they are not as bright as I had hoped. They also make it look like you're driving around in a zombie movie. I'll keep them around for Hallowe'en, but have replaced them with 5000K white bulbs.
While I'm on the topic of colour, please ensure that the colour you choose is legal and safe where you live. I was able to put green in the fog lights and call them 'side marker lights,' however most jurisdictions permit only White or Yellow front-facing lights, and I removed the green lights lest they be confused for a traffic signal.
- An H10 Relay Harness
WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected directly to an HID Ballast. Do not attempt to install HID ballasts without a relay harness. Even with the relay harness, you may wish to diode-isolate the relay.
(I recommend mydepots.com for both the above items. They have excellent customer service, the best prices, and all of my orders have arrived in 4-5 days. So far the quality has been fine.)
- An H10 wiring harness
![Image]()
Virtual Village on eBay had the best prices for these, plus you can pick up some other cool stuff and combine shipping.
- Soldering iron, solder, and heat shrink tubing
- Wire cutters, wire strippers
- 1/4" Drill bit for grounding screw
- #6 steel mounting screws and appropriate Piloting bit
- Zip ties
- BOSCH 30A SPDT Relay (Optional)
Now that you have all your items assembled, it's time to begin!
What to do:
Disconnect the negative battery cable on your Patriot.
Cut off the rubber discs on your H10 bulbs which holds the 4 wires, leaving only the two round plugs coming off the bulb. You don't need the other connectors because you bought the relay harness, right?
![Image]()
Remember to leave the protective shield on the bulb… like any high temperature bulb, scratches or fingerprint oils can cause the bulb to shatter!
Cut the quick-connect ends off the relay harness and the plug end off one of the H10 wiring harness, and solder them together. Tape over the plug end of the second harness to protect it from the elements.
![Image]()
Install the relay harness across the engine bay with zip-ties. There is an existing wire loom above the radiator fans which makes a great tie-off point. I chose to put all of my electronics on the driver side, but you can run either direction.
Unplug the connectors at the back of your fog lights and plug the wiring harness that you soldered to the relay harness into one of them. Use the second wiring harness to plug into the other one to prevent corrosion.
Remove your factory fog lights by turning them and pulling them out. Note the orientation of the wide blade. Install the HID bulbs by inserting them with the wide blade in the same orientation, and turn to lock.
Plug the wires from the bulbs and relay harness into your ballasts, and then find a convenient place to mount them in the engine bay. These pictures show where I mounted the ballasts for my fog lights and main beams on either side. (The fog light ballasts are the pair closest to the front of the truck.) Don't use the screws that came with the kit, they will just strip and break
![Image]()
![Image]()
Secure the ground wire from the relay harness to the frame. You can use the ground terminal above the headlight on the driver side. On the passenger side you can see where I drilled and mounted a bolt in the above picture, beside the hood prop catch.
Secure the relay harness relay. You may wish to replace the relay that came with the kit for a more reliable BOSCH relay, if for no other reason than it has a mounting hole.
Secure any remaining loose wires.
Reconnect the negative battery cable and test your new lights!
Please note: with the cheap ballasts (and maybe the expensive ones, I don't know) you will experience RF interference on your radio.
HID Headlights How-To:
IF YOU HAVE DRL: It is possible to install HID headlights but there are several additional steps. There are also several different methods, some of which I have not tested but will provide for informational purposes.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE DRL: Lucky you!
What you will need:
- An H13 Bi-xenon HID Kit (2 bulbs, 2 Ballasts, Bi-xenon harness)
![Image]()
You will need to specify what type of ballast you want. The Digital Slim ballast is the newest and supposedly most reliable, and is the one that I went with. It is 35W and is compatible with most common HID bulbs. You can also go with a standard 35W ballast or a standard 55W ballast if you prefer.
You will need to specify what colour temperature bulb you want. 4300K is the brightest, purest white, and is what I went with.
While I'm on the topic of colour, please ensure that the colour you choose is legal and safe where you live. Most jurisdictions permit only White or Yellow front-facing lights.
(I recommend mydepots.com for this. They have excellent customer service, the best prices, and all of my orders have arrived in 4-5 days. So far the quality has been fine.)
- A 25W (or greater) 200 ohm (or so) Resistor. (Buy 2 if you have DRL.)
WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. IF YOU DO NOT ADD RESISTANCE TO THE LOW BEAM WIRE, OR IF YOUR RESISTOR SHOULD EVER FAIL OR BECOME DISCONNECTED, YOUR LIGHTS _WILL_ TURN OFF AT RANDOM!
- A 470-4700uf capacitor if you have DRL
- A BOSCH 30A SPDT Relay if you have DRL
- Soldering iron, solder, and heat shrink tubing
- Wire cutters, wire strippers
- #6 steel mounting screws and appropriate Piloting bit
- Zip ties
Now that you have all your items assembled, it's time to begin!
What to do:
Locate the low-beam and ground wire from your stock headlight harness, and notate the corresponding wires on the relay harness.
Solder and heat-shrink leads onto your resistor, and splice those leads onto the low beam and ground wire on your relay harness. Leave enough length that you will be able to mount the resistor freely in the engine bay.
If you have DRL's, splice a resistor on both the high and low beam wires. Yes, you can probably use just one resistor, but why not give each one a chance to cool down when the other is in use.
Please Note: In my testing, the Bi-xenon magnet provided enough resistance on the high beam wire to trick the TPMS. If you do not have DRL you should be okay without, but no guarantees.
Disconnect the negative battery cable on your Patriot.
Install the relay harness across the engine bay with zip-ties. There is an existing wire loom above the radiator fans which makes a great tie-off point. I chose to put all of my electronics on the driver side, but you can run either direction.
Unplug the connectors at the back of your headlights and plug the wiring harness into one of them. Seal the other one to prevent corrosion.
Remove your factory bulbs by turning them and pulling them out. Note the orientation of the wide blade. Install the HID bulbs by inserting them with the wide blade in the same orientation, and turn to lock.
Plug the wires from the bulbs and relay harness into your ballasts, and then find a convenient place to mount them in the engine bay. These pictures show where I mounted the ballasts for my fog lights and main beams on either side. (The headlight ballasts are the pair closest to the firewall.) Don't use the screws that came with the kit, they will just strip and break
![Image]()
![Image]()
Secure the ground wire from the relay harness to the frame. You can use the ground terminal above the headlight on the driver side.
Secure the relay harness relay.
Secure the resistor to the frame where it will receive good air flow for cooling. You can see where I mounted mine in the following picture (there are two resistors because I'm lucky enough to have DRL's)
![Image]()
Secure any remaining loose wires.
If you do not have DRL, reconnect the negative battery cable and properly aim your new lights!
Please note: with the cheap ballasts (and maybe the expensive ones, I don't know) you will experience RF interference on your radio.
If you do have DRL, your headache has just begun….
How-to make HID's play nicely with DRL's:
There are several methods for doing this; the course you take is up to you. The DRL system on these vehicles outputs a switched (square) wave on the high beam wire whenever it detects that the engine is running and the transmission is in gear. The output equates to approximately 6 volts.
Although this voltage is sufficient to trigger the relay to turn on your HID bulbs, it will not cause a standard automotive relay to latch, instead the relay will just buzz. It will have a similar effect on the magnet within the H13 bulb which energizes to engage the high beam, so you will end up with a fluttering bulb. Neither of these is particularly good for the parts.
Some Caliber drivers have added a capacitor to the high beam wire to smooth this power supply. I have not tried this method yet, although I did pick up a 2200uf 16V capacitor to add to the system some day. (Warning: If you decide to add the capacitor, you may wish to diode-isolate it to avoid potential problems with the TPMS.) Although this is the 'simple fix,' you will end up with Full Power High Beam DRL's… not at all ideal, nor courteous to other drivers. So we'll need to add a relay or two. This relay should be switched to activate when you turn your headlights on. Ideally, you would tap into the headlight switch or some interior lights that come on only when you turn your headlight switch on (the shift illuminator light perhaps?) I tapped into the driver side parking light wire, which is less than ideal because it triggers the relay when the parking lights are switched on as well. I encourage you to find a better tap-in location and post back!
Now that you have the relay, you need to decide what it operates. The best solution would be to have it interrupt the magnet wire to the headlights in its normally closed position. This way, the DRL power will still ignite the HID's, but they will remain in Low-beam mode until you turn your headlights on, activating the relay, and closing the circuit to the high-beam magnet. WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. If you do not add resistance to the high beam wire your DRL's will turn off at random.
The other option is what I did, and that is to redirect the high-beam DRL current in the relay's normally closed position. This way, the HID's do not turn on when the relay is normally closed. Instead, the power is directed to a set of LED strips which I glued to my parking lights. Because they are white LED's and operate by fluorescence, there is no discernable flicker to them running off the switched HID output, although I intend to add the capacitor to the system so that they will run at full power. WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. If you do not add resistance to the high beam wire your DRL's will turn off at random.
![Image]()
![Image]()
![Image]()
All Done!
I have also solved the RF interference issue thanks to my brilliant wife, a chance find in a box while cleaning out my basement, and a few searches on other forums. All you need is a Ferrite Core, available at any electronics store or online. Clip it around the output from the ballast (the wires leading to the bulb) as close to the ballast as possible. I just installed one on the ballast closest to the antenna and radio reception was instantly restored!
First of all, many people will tell you that because of the optics of a discharge lamp, it should not be used in a reflector housing because of the increased glare that it produces, which is distracting to other drivers. This is true. The proper way to install an HID system is in a projector housing with auto-leveling and lens cleaning systems included. I have seen at least one post on the forum detailing the building of a projector retrofit for the fog lights, which I would encourage you to look up. I also found a lot of good information at theretrofitsource.com for using parts from other factory-equipped HID vehicles to create a main beam system. If you do decide to use HID bulbs in the stock reflector housing, please make sure to keep your lenses clean of debris, keep your lights properly aimed, and use only for Off-Road use.
Above all, use courtesy and common sense to protect the safety and comfort of yourself and other drivers.
Now for the How-to section:
We'll begin with the fog lights.
What you will need:
- An H10 HID Kit (2 bulbs, 2 ballasts)
You will need to specify what type of ballast you want. The Digital Slim ballast is the newest and supposedly most reliable, and is the one that I went with. It is 35W and is compatible with most common HID bulbs. You can also go with a standard 35W ballast or a standard 55W ballast if you prefer.
You will need to specify what colour temperature bulb you want. 3000K is traditional for fog lights, and is presumed to give the best visibility in fog. I purchased GREEN ones originally just to see what they were like, and although they would look cool on a show car, they are impractical for driving as they are not as bright as I had hoped. They also make it look like you're driving around in a zombie movie. I'll keep them around for Hallowe'en, but have replaced them with 5000K white bulbs.
While I'm on the topic of colour, please ensure that the colour you choose is legal and safe where you live. I was able to put green in the fog lights and call them 'side marker lights,' however most jurisdictions permit only White or Yellow front-facing lights, and I removed the green lights lest they be confused for a traffic signal.
- An H10 Relay Harness
WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected directly to an HID Ballast. Do not attempt to install HID ballasts without a relay harness. Even with the relay harness, you may wish to diode-isolate the relay.
(I recommend mydepots.com for both the above items. They have excellent customer service, the best prices, and all of my orders have arrived in 4-5 days. So far the quality has been fine.)
- An H10 wiring harness
Virtual Village on eBay had the best prices for these, plus you can pick up some other cool stuff and combine shipping.
- Soldering iron, solder, and heat shrink tubing
- Wire cutters, wire strippers
- 1/4" Drill bit for grounding screw
- #6 steel mounting screws and appropriate Piloting bit
- Zip ties
- BOSCH 30A SPDT Relay (Optional)
Now that you have all your items assembled, it's time to begin!
What to do:
Disconnect the negative battery cable on your Patriot.
Cut off the rubber discs on your H10 bulbs which holds the 4 wires, leaving only the two round plugs coming off the bulb. You don't need the other connectors because you bought the relay harness, right?
Remember to leave the protective shield on the bulb… like any high temperature bulb, scratches or fingerprint oils can cause the bulb to shatter!
Cut the quick-connect ends off the relay harness and the plug end off one of the H10 wiring harness, and solder them together. Tape over the plug end of the second harness to protect it from the elements.
Install the relay harness across the engine bay with zip-ties. There is an existing wire loom above the radiator fans which makes a great tie-off point. I chose to put all of my electronics on the driver side, but you can run either direction.
Unplug the connectors at the back of your fog lights and plug the wiring harness that you soldered to the relay harness into one of them. Use the second wiring harness to plug into the other one to prevent corrosion.
Remove your factory fog lights by turning them and pulling them out. Note the orientation of the wide blade. Install the HID bulbs by inserting them with the wide blade in the same orientation, and turn to lock.
Plug the wires from the bulbs and relay harness into your ballasts, and then find a convenient place to mount them in the engine bay. These pictures show where I mounted the ballasts for my fog lights and main beams on either side. (The fog light ballasts are the pair closest to the front of the truck.) Don't use the screws that came with the kit, they will just strip and break
Secure the ground wire from the relay harness to the frame. You can use the ground terminal above the headlight on the driver side. On the passenger side you can see where I drilled and mounted a bolt in the above picture, beside the hood prop catch.
Secure the relay harness relay. You may wish to replace the relay that came with the kit for a more reliable BOSCH relay, if for no other reason than it has a mounting hole.
Secure any remaining loose wires.
Reconnect the negative battery cable and test your new lights!
Please note: with the cheap ballasts (and maybe the expensive ones, I don't know) you will experience RF interference on your radio.
HID Headlights How-To:
IF YOU HAVE DRL: It is possible to install HID headlights but there are several additional steps. There are also several different methods, some of which I have not tested but will provide for informational purposes.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE DRL: Lucky you!
What you will need:
- An H13 Bi-xenon HID Kit (2 bulbs, 2 Ballasts, Bi-xenon harness)
You will need to specify what type of ballast you want. The Digital Slim ballast is the newest and supposedly most reliable, and is the one that I went with. It is 35W and is compatible with most common HID bulbs. You can also go with a standard 35W ballast or a standard 55W ballast if you prefer.
You will need to specify what colour temperature bulb you want. 4300K is the brightest, purest white, and is what I went with.
While I'm on the topic of colour, please ensure that the colour you choose is legal and safe where you live. Most jurisdictions permit only White or Yellow front-facing lights.
(I recommend mydepots.com for this. They have excellent customer service, the best prices, and all of my orders have arrived in 4-5 days. So far the quality has been fine.)
- A 25W (or greater) 200 ohm (or so) Resistor. (Buy 2 if you have DRL.)
WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. IF YOU DO NOT ADD RESISTANCE TO THE LOW BEAM WIRE, OR IF YOUR RESISTOR SHOULD EVER FAIL OR BECOME DISCONNECTED, YOUR LIGHTS _WILL_ TURN OFF AT RANDOM!
- A 470-4700uf capacitor if you have DRL
- A BOSCH 30A SPDT Relay if you have DRL
- Soldering iron, solder, and heat shrink tubing
- Wire cutters, wire strippers
- #6 steel mounting screws and appropriate Piloting bit
- Zip ties
Now that you have all your items assembled, it's time to begin!
What to do:
Locate the low-beam and ground wire from your stock headlight harness, and notate the corresponding wires on the relay harness.
Solder and heat-shrink leads onto your resistor, and splice those leads onto the low beam and ground wire on your relay harness. Leave enough length that you will be able to mount the resistor freely in the engine bay.
If you have DRL's, splice a resistor on both the high and low beam wires. Yes, you can probably use just one resistor, but why not give each one a chance to cool down when the other is in use.
Please Note: In my testing, the Bi-xenon magnet provided enough resistance on the high beam wire to trick the TPMS. If you do not have DRL you should be okay without, but no guarantees.
Disconnect the negative battery cable on your Patriot.
Install the relay harness across the engine bay with zip-ties. There is an existing wire loom above the radiator fans which makes a great tie-off point. I chose to put all of my electronics on the driver side, but you can run either direction.
Unplug the connectors at the back of your headlights and plug the wiring harness into one of them. Seal the other one to prevent corrosion.
Remove your factory bulbs by turning them and pulling them out. Note the orientation of the wide blade. Install the HID bulbs by inserting them with the wide blade in the same orientation, and turn to lock.
Plug the wires from the bulbs and relay harness into your ballasts, and then find a convenient place to mount them in the engine bay. These pictures show where I mounted the ballasts for my fog lights and main beams on either side. (The headlight ballasts are the pair closest to the firewall.) Don't use the screws that came with the kit, they will just strip and break
Secure the ground wire from the relay harness to the frame. You can use the ground terminal above the headlight on the driver side.
Secure the relay harness relay.
Secure the resistor to the frame where it will receive good air flow for cooling. You can see where I mounted mine in the following picture (there are two resistors because I'm lucky enough to have DRL's)
Secure any remaining loose wires.
If you do not have DRL, reconnect the negative battery cable and properly aim your new lights!
Please note: with the cheap ballasts (and maybe the expensive ones, I don't know) you will experience RF interference on your radio.
If you do have DRL, your headache has just begun….
How-to make HID's play nicely with DRL's:
There are several methods for doing this; the course you take is up to you. The DRL system on these vehicles outputs a switched (square) wave on the high beam wire whenever it detects that the engine is running and the transmission is in gear. The output equates to approximately 6 volts.
Although this voltage is sufficient to trigger the relay to turn on your HID bulbs, it will not cause a standard automotive relay to latch, instead the relay will just buzz. It will have a similar effect on the magnet within the H13 bulb which energizes to engage the high beam, so you will end up with a fluttering bulb. Neither of these is particularly good for the parts.
Some Caliber drivers have added a capacitor to the high beam wire to smooth this power supply. I have not tried this method yet, although I did pick up a 2200uf 16V capacitor to add to the system some day. (Warning: If you decide to add the capacitor, you may wish to diode-isolate it to avoid potential problems with the TPMS.) Although this is the 'simple fix,' you will end up with Full Power High Beam DRL's… not at all ideal, nor courteous to other drivers. So we'll need to add a relay or two. This relay should be switched to activate when you turn your headlights on. Ideally, you would tap into the headlight switch or some interior lights that come on only when you turn your headlight switch on (the shift illuminator light perhaps?) I tapped into the driver side parking light wire, which is less than ideal because it triggers the relay when the parking lights are switched on as well. I encourage you to find a better tap-in location and post back!
Now that you have the relay, you need to decide what it operates. The best solution would be to have it interrupt the magnet wire to the headlights in its normally closed position. This way, the DRL power will still ignite the HID's, but they will remain in Low-beam mode until you turn your headlights on, activating the relay, and closing the circuit to the high-beam magnet. WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. If you do not add resistance to the high beam wire your DRL's will turn off at random.
The other option is what I did, and that is to redirect the high-beam DRL current in the relay's normally closed position. This way, the HID's do not turn on when the relay is normally closed. Instead, the power is directed to a set of LED strips which I glued to my parking lights. Because they are white LED's and operate by fluorescence, there is no discernable flicker to them running off the switched HID output, although I intend to add the capacitor to the system so that they will run at full power. WARNING: Your truck is controlled by a very finicky TIPM. I found out the hard way that it does not like being connected to a Bi-Xenon HID Relay without additional resistance. If you do not add resistance to the high beam wire your DRL's will turn off at random.
All Done!
