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How-To: Gen9 LED Headlight Swap (HIDs work too!)

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#1 · (Edited)
This post will be a how to on swapping the headlights in your gen9 Malibu. I have a 1LT with the 1.5L, so this may be different with a 2.0L. View the guide with this in mind.

Preface
The set of bulbs I purchased were 6000K, 8000 calculated lumen LEDs. They are fan cooled, with a "360 degree" viewing angle. I feel you are safe with either a 5000K or 6000K setup, in order to match your headlights to the LED DRLs on the lower front fascia. I'm not sure how much clearance there is behind the big dust cap, however this set fit with no problems. Maybe I should have tried the chewing gum trick to check the clearance blindly! I also managed to fit the ballast inside of the dust cap too.

Link to set I purchased - Amazon.com: 9005 HB3 Optix LED 80W 8000LM 3-Sided COB Conversion Kit 6000K 6K White Replace Halogen & HID Kit: Automotive

The Goods
Supplies

1x Napkin/rag used for gripping dust caps without marring plastic
1x Plastic sandwich bag for storing stock halogens
1x Channel locks (normal straight pliers won't work as you need something with an angled neck)
1x Leatherman multi tool *OR* a phillips head screwdriver and a flat head screwdriver (not pictured)
1x 9005 (HB3) LED conversion kit

Installation
1. Pop the hood. (Did I have to add this? No. But some smartie would say it!)
2. Beginning with the driver's side, unscrew the large plastic dust cap. They are not perfectly circular, and have little notches that have to be matched up similar to the actual headlight bulb itself. It may be difficult to turn this cap by hand, so utilize your channel locks (or whatever you may have) and your napkin-rag to get some extra torque on the fins of the cap. Facing the front of the car, you'll want to twist this cap to the left, or counter clockwise. Be careful not to drop the O ring.

3. Reach your dirty little mittens into the headlight assembly and firmly grasp the bulb base, NOT the connector. Give it a good twist and it should free with not too much difficulty.
4. Unplug the halogen from the connector taking good caution to not touch the glass of the bulb. If you reuse these bulbs, you want to be sure they're not contaminated with the oils from your skin. That will drastically shorten the life.
5. Plug in your new light, and test it BEFORE you set it into the headlight assembly. I made the mistake of not doing so, and it turned out that the polarity on the connector was reversed.
6. Set your light into the housing, carefully lining up the notches and giving it a solid twist. If you have a small enough ballast, stick it in there too (that's what I did, somebody tell me if I shouldn't have done so). Apologies for the lack of pictures during these steps, my phone is too large!
7. Give them a test fire inside of the projector housing. Here's how mine looked before and after:

8. *optional* If you feel your light generates too much heat, grab your dust cap and your philips head screwdriver. We're going to help them ventilate.

Take your philips head and stab through the small gray circular piece. It's made of a soft, expandable rubber-type material. Be careful not to stab your hand!
(apologies for my ugly thumb)
9. Reinstall the dust cap, pay close attention to two things: your O ring, and the orientation in which you install the cap. It isn't perfectly circular, so make sure you find the correct orientation and it isn't cross threaded or halfway screwed in. Should have a uniform lip between the cap and housing all the way around.
10. Stroll on over to the passenger side, and grab your flat head. Unscrew the clamp holding the flex-hose to the intake box. Remove this from the airbox.
11. Unscrew all of the screws holding the air box together. Once unscrewed, the halves should be almost separable. There are two tabs on the bottom of the box that need to be unhinged by sliding the box toward the rear of the car, then lifting upward. Don't pull too hard now, the air sensor cable is still hooked up.
12. Rest the top of your air box on the engine cover like so:
as it will remain out of the way and not bother any of your wiring. If you're so inclined, remove the cable for the air sensor and move the whole piece to a safe clean area.
13. You might have to perform some freaky yoga moves here, but crane your head over the airbox and look toward the headlight. You'll see the same dust cap as on the other side. It's located behind a wire that can be easily pulled out of the way (LIGHTLY) making the light accessible with your channel locks. Undo the cover as you did in step 2.

14. We're in tighter quarters now, so be mindful as you begin to repeat steps 3-7. Watch your head!
15. Reinstall the airbox in the reverse order you removed it. Be sure to secure those two tabs on the bottom near the front of the car. I noticed something as I was reinstalling everything though......
If you remove the MAF sensor, it appears that the large plastic resonator holed donut inside of the airbox can be removed. Perhaps this will free up some turbo noises and even MORE throttle response?! Investigation being done soon.
16. Wait for night time and check them out! Here's how mine match:


Conclusion
Living in the city, I don't have a huge requirement for the blinding light of Zeus' lightning from my headlights. The LEDs, however, light up road signs and actual objects MUCH better than the stockers did. They don't appear to flood light out as much, though. I have to see about possibly re-aiming them slightly upward. It was a relatively easy swap, and it's a good way to quickly get acquainted with your new car's engine bay. The 1.5T is so cute, I just want to hold it! So adorable. The change in light temperature certainly gives the car a more upscale feel as well as fixes up the ugly mismatch between the LED DRLs and the stock halogen headlights. Let me know how your swap went and what lights you went with! If you have any questions, I'm open to . This was my first real write up, so don't criticize too much!
 
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#2 ·
Good write-up, and thanks for sharing! That's exactly what this little corner of the 'web is all about. :)
 
#3 · (Edited)
Good write up
If anyone else does this though please post before and after shots of how much it lights up the road. That's what headlights are for, not to look pretty. ;)

The new Malibu uses a single filament bulb like the Impala does (the Impala uses an HIR, not sure if the Malibu does but probably) and a little door that either comes down or raises to reveal more light for when it is switched to high beam or restrict light when in low beam mode. The Impala has a problem with not letting much light out to the sides which makes turning into our driveway for instance not so illuminated at night. I wonder if the Malibu is the same way. I never even considered changing out bulbs on other vehicles in the past because I have glasses and can see fine with stock headlights but in the Impala I would like to maybe change bulbs if it's possible to get better lighting to the sides out of them
 
#4 · (Edited)
There aren't enough places to really show how much light output there is by me, as there are high powered LED street lights every 150 feet or so... I tried! No dice. I could describe it as less actual light flooding and more light being dispersed onto actual things and objects. I can see things much further down blocks and all the street cleaning signs with more clarity, but I can't see just immediate brightness in the 10 feet beyond my hood as I did with the stockers. Same for the highway, it's a different type of dispersion. The stockers would pool light directly out in front of you as if it was a direct forward beam. The new ones are spread much more evenly, in my eyes. They don't seem dramatically more intense but they light more area.

As for your problem with lighting to the sides; my malibu easily lights 3-4 lanes of highway with no difficulty. It's a wide pattern, but I think it has more to do with the shape of the entire housing itself rather than the single filament. I believe our projector tubes work with refocusing the lens rather than the door, but don't quote me on that. I definitely don't have an issue with the width of the beam or the cutoff. Didn't with the stockers either, though the LEDs do project more EVEN light to the sides than the stockers.
 
#5 ·
MALIBU-YA!!!!!

Awesome write up. They color of the light looks so much better paired with the LED running lights. Plus they appear to really brighten the road and signs and still have the same cut-offs as the factory halogens with the projector style housing and lens. I though the Premier came with these type of headlights, but from the cool youtube review that was posted today, it appears the premier have the same headlights. It did not show the rear LED tails lights though. I am interested in those as well and if we will be able to somehow upgrade out to them.

I will be doing mine this week as soon as the bulbs arrive, and it will be so much easier now with your detailed write up.
 
#6 ·
When I say light to the side I'm talking about being at a stop sign in a dark area and you are going to turn left for instance. You look to the left of you and it isn't hardly lighting up anything. In my truck I can see the same thing fine and it has stock bulbs with less lumens than the Impala does.
The housing is what I and many others think is the problem, just was curious if the new Malibu is like that as well.
I would be surprised if they are not using the same type of door/reflector to switch from high to low lighting on the Malibu as they do on the Impala.

I may spring $584 or so for the LTZ LED DRL light kit to put in the bumper, that should I would think give some more light to the side but who knows?
http://www.gen5diy.com/Chevrolet/impala/diy_retimpala/LED-Foglamp/LED-Foglamp-Kit-Impala/
 
#7 ·
Keep us posted kman!

I understand what you meant, nutcrunch. The sideward lighting is A+ on mine. My 13 was okay but not comparable to the new one.
 
#9 · (Edited)
#11 ·
From what I've been able to dig up, the 9005SL is an HIR bulb as well, also goes by 9011.

Op is there any chance you could get us a pic of the cutoff?
 
#10 · (Edited)
I haven't been flashed or anything as of yet, and my friends have seen me driving and haven't complained. I went and stood a half a block away and stared at the car and didn't have any issue. I almost want to say I should have put 5000k but I'm afraid they would be too white. If they sold 5500 it would be a spot on match with best output!

Nutcrunch, the SL+ part is what threw me for a loop when shopping for bulbs. They're just plain old HB3s. Saves a LOT of headache when shopping. I will say that lumen output means nothing when the dispersion and pattern is crappy. That's a major factor.
 
#12 · (Edited)
MALIBU-YAAAAA!!!!!!!!! Can you hear me yelling???

Thank you again for this post Adam and motivating me to do it instead of paying someone to break something on my car and charge me for it. This is the look the car should have and why the Premier has them. Very nice touch to match the LED Running lamps. And I think they light up everything better than halogens, like the road, sides, and signs. The highs beams work with them too. I heard the little flapper move when I was testing them and switching them on and off.

If I can do this mod, anyone can...and in under 30 minutes. I bought these off Amazon and they fit perfectly. They are 9005's. I have the same brand for fogs on my C5 and love them. I was worried about these being to big with the built in fans in the back of the bulb and the plastic covers on the back of the housing, but these fit with plenty of room. I was able to fit the bulb, tiny ballast and wiring inside too no problem. I didn't vent the covers because I was more concerned about moisture verse the heat. The bulbs are designed to be cooled with a built in fan on back, so time will tell. 2 year warranty on these and they get rave reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VNBDOV2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I didn't have the same issues today with the plastic housing caps. They are tab locked, kind of like the bulbs, so just push in a little and turn counter-clockwise to open. Maybe a 1/4 turn to open and they pull out. Make sure the gasket is there. A trick to put it back is the white out or marker the spot you take it off or open and the spot it is closed, but it is pretty easy to line up. After you put it back in, just take your finger and run around it to make sure it is even and tight and does not move in or out. If it does, it did not lock and seal closed fully. I assume this is to keep moisture and dirt out. I also wear rubber gloves when working with the lights to prevent the transfer of oils to bulbs, especially the halogen and HID's.

Here is a pic of one done as compared to the halogens, driver side LED and passenger side stock halogen.



Here is one with both LED bulbs in and on.



Again, love it, love it, love it.

Many thanks Adam.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I vented the caps because the moisture should still be kept out with the O rings. My lights are listed as waterproof so I'm not worried about that; I was worried about them overheating and going dead. I haven't had any issues with moisture yet and I've been driving around with them since I posted this thread. If you can, kman, post a picture of the cutoff for 09LT2. I don't get much driving time at night to get one.

What did you use to change the color of your bowtie?
 
#14 ·
I'm interested in the cutoff too,I'm guessing, and hoping, it is the same as the the halogen.ill take a pic against my garage and post it to show the cutoff this weekend.

I bought the precursor film off eBay to do the badges. I'm not happy with the front and back emblems. I have tried a couple times but just can't seem to get all the gold covered if you look close at the edges. I actually ordered polished inserts to replace the gold.I'll post pics if they work. They were for the 15 Malibu since the 16's are not out yet.

Another option is plastic-dip. Just search bow ties emblems on YouTube and there are a lot of how to videos to help.

I did the same film for the steering wheel bow tie and it looks awesome. Precut off eBay.I don't see any gold. Easy and cheap mods.

Here is my other link about the emblems and where I bought them.

http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/for...9/71153-new-2016-2lt-upgrades.html#post603649
 
#15 ·
Ok, here is the cut off. I think it is pretty good, could be better. There is a little light scatter above on the right, not sure why. Not sure why there is such a focused bright circle in the middle, maybe that is the focused throw of light out? Not an expert, but I think the cut off shows that they will not blind oncoming traffic and the light is focused on the road in front of you. I wish I would have take a pic of the halogens the same way to compare. Too late now. I did stand in front of them too and was not blinded but looks so much better than before with the yellowish non matching halogens. IMO





 
#16 ·
In my small bouts of driving at night the light is kept at a livable height with a good cutoff along the sides of cars while driving down blocks. That's really my best judgment, and the cutoff compared to the stockers seems identical.

For the emblems - I want to do all of my badging gloss black, I just don't have a place TO do it. No garage or driveway for this city boy :(
 
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#18 ·
Was referring to plasti dipping all the emblems and badging. Whoops. Can't Dip in the street, overspray will get on other cars. :(
 
#19 ·
For those who want to know about the cutoff from MY set:

This was taken with still a lot of daylight outside. Looks great to me!
 
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#20 ·
Yours look good Adam. Nice job.

I need to check my passenger side. I think it may not be installed correctly, maybe not line up and twisted in all the way. Hard to do in the right space, it's kind of guessing by feel of it is in right or not.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
 
#21 ·
I want to adjust them up a hair, I feel like they would be even better... will see how it goes
 
#24 ·
Hi Adam,
I installed the LEDs that KMan bought yesterday, and initially forgot the capacitors...so when I turned the lights on with the engine running, there was a hum that could be heard inside (almost like it was coming from the speakers)...I installed the capacitors and the hum went away.

However, I'm not totally thrilled with the lighting of the LEDs and am thinking about ordering the ones you got. Is there any humming, etc. that you can hear when your engine is running and the lights are on? This is NOT the hum of the fans cooling the lights down -- its something inside the cabin caused by the LEDs voltage, interference, etc. Did yours come with capacitors of any kind to prevent this?

Thanks
 
#23 ·
Adjust the white plastic screw as seen in the first picture (step 1) equally on both sides.
 
#26 ·
I have no interference or anything of the sort. You can very faintly hear the fans cooking the lights but you really have to try to hear it.

My conclusion with aftermarket non-halogen headlights are as follows:

I've only ever driven with stock halogen headlamps in cars... From a '10 Murano to a '13 Bu to our new '16 Bu, they've all been those yellow stock halogens. You certainly have to adjust to the different hue and the different light output. You will most likely think the output is lessened when you first make this switch; it's not the case. As I've been driving with them more and more for a good long while now, my eyes as well as my brain have adjusted to them. I really do like them and I can't see going back to halogen floodlights anymore. I can see signs being lit up full long city blocks further than ever. Highways are even more beautiful now.
 
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#31 ·
I also live in NYC, so no need for anything crazy on these streets, but I do a lot of driving upstate, where bight Hi-beams are a necessity to avoid deer.

Is the 9005 HB3 kit particular to the new Malibus, or will any of the other kits work as well? I'm looking to put in 5000k lights, but I'm not sure which ones to order. Also, do you (or any of the others) know which of the Hi/Lo kits would work for this swap as well?
 
#32 ·
I'm not sure what you mean... You just need to look for a 9005/HB3 set that has Hi/Lo capability; such as the set that I purchased.

Where in NYC? Could you be navy blue one darting around west Brooklyn! ;)
 
#33 ·
I didn't realize the one you ordered/posted was a Hi/Lo version, I thought there were additional/separate bulbs for the Hi beams. I guess I didn't read the Amazon description well enough and figured since the other versions were marked Hi/Lo, that this one wasn't for some reason. Isn't there another bulb in the slot closer to the center of the hood? Or is that just a reflector? I'll have to look again later.

As far as the car, yes, I'm the midnight blue, de-badged, and tinted 2LT, but I'm usually whipping around Central/Eastern Queens and Nassau County. I generally try to stay out of Brooklyn.
 
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