2010 Ford Fusion HID Install

If you've heard that it's tough, you should find that it's actually easier than you heard.  You've just got to take your time and have some very simple tools.  You'll need a flashlight, a trim removal tool ( I bought my whole kit for $7 at harbor freight), the headlight kit, a hammer and a hard surface (don't be alarmed as it's to create the hole in the rubber cap for the HID wires to go through) a 3/4" socket, angle cutters, some long ty-wraps, maybe some electrical tape, shop towel or equivalent, an hour or so of time.  Here's a pic of half way through with a 6000K bulb in the passenger side and a regular halogen in the driver side.

Start by removing all of retaining rivets holding the inner fender well in place.  On the passenger side there will be eleven rivets that you'll remove.  Use the trim removal tool to remove each rivet by inserting the fork part between the rivet head and the rivet body and then prying the rivet head up.  Once it is up you can then remove the whole rivet body.  Do this for each rivet.  Do not overlook the two underneath at the top (above the tire) and the one that is farther in and under at the rear of the inner fender.  Remember, there will be eleven of them, remove them all.

Once you've removed the rivets you can pull the inner fender away from the rear side of the tire and down.  The inner fender will be tucked in the lip of the steel fender on the top side.  You'll need to gently pry it out from the lip.  This will allow access to the rear of the headlight area.  Note: for a future step, remember that this inner fender has to go back in above the steel fender lip when you put it all back together.

Reach in and remove the rubber bulb cover on the rear of the headlamp housing.  It is about three inches in diameter and made of thin, flat rubber with short sides (it sort of looks like a petri dish).  Next remove the plug connector from the headlight bulb, then twist the bulb counter-clockwise to remove it.  Make sure you remove the plug from the bulb before you remove the bulb.  This makes it easier to get the plug off the bulb.

Using the 3/4" socket, hammer and hard surface, create a hole in the housing rubber cover.  Do this by placing the cover on concrete or another hard ground surface with the back side of it in contact with the ground.  Position the socket with the hex side down and the drive side up in the center of the rubber cover.  Using the hammer, strike the socket hard enough to cause it to pierce through the rubber and contact the ground.  This will make a fairly clean hole.  You'll need to strike it pretty hard.

Remove the plastic cover from the HID bulb.  Slide the plastic protective bulb cover parts down the length of the wires and past the connectors, completely off of the bulb and bulb wiring assembly.  Using a flashlight, make sure you have a clear path to where the bulb will go in to the headlamp assembly.  Install the bulb and twist the base of the bulb clockwise to lock it in place.  Connect the bulb plug connector to the HID extension wire connector plug socket.  This connection will allow the cars headlight connector to send power to the ballast.

Run the bulb wire harness through the hole of the headlamp housing rubber cover.  Fit the rubber grommet in the rubber cover.  Make sure you pull the individual wires through the grommet to allow the entire rubber cover and grommet assembly to slide close up to the rear of the headlamp housing.  This will make it so there's little to no bulb wiring harness slack in the headlamp housing.  Make sure you do this in order to help it all go back together easier.

Plug the HID extension wire plug that comes from the original headlight power plug into the ballast and then connect the two bulb power leads to the two ballast output wires.  There's really only one way it can go together.  Be sure that the extension wire plug does not bend the pins in the ballast.  Secure the ballast to the car on a cross bar that is right in the same area.  I used electrical tape and one ty-wrap.

Turn on your headlights to make sure that the bulb is working.

Start at the front of the inner fender and work it over and above the inner lip of the fender.  Continue to work it over the entire inner top of the fender until you reach the rear side of the fender.  The inner fender will fit easily back into place.  

Prepare the rivets so that they are in the open position, like the one I'm holding in the picture.  

Next, insert a rivet into the top middle inner fender hole.  Do not close the rivet yet.  

Install all remaining rivets, but don't close them yet.  Once all rivets are in place and the inner fender is fit easily all around, go ahead and close each rivet by pushing it's head in.

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The drivers side will install a little differently.  You'll still need to remove the inner fender just like you did on the passenger side, but the bulb install is from under the hood rather that through the fender well.  Start by removing the inner fender rivets and then pop the hood and move the rubber protector out of the way of the rear headlight housing.  You'll need to slide the steel clip off the body crossbar and then the rubber protector will pull back, up and out of the way.  Next remove the rubber bulb cover at the rear of the headlight housing.  Punch the hole through the rubber cover.  Remove the headlight bulb plug and then remove the bulb from the headlight housing.  Install the HID headlight into the headlight housing.  Slide the HID extension and power leads through the rubber cover and then seat the extension wire grommet into the rubber bulb cover.  Pull on the bulb extension wires to take up the slack behind the bulb, just like you did on the passenger side.  Plug all the connectors to the ballast and ballast connectors and then turn on the headlights to make sure the bulb is working.  Next, guide and allow the ballast to pass down through the area behind the headlight housing, over the black plastic air intake tube and down toward the inner fender area.  You can then pull the ballast down and secure it on the other crossbar on the drivers side.  There will not be the same space available on the crossbar, so be creative and make it fit somewhere in there.  One thing I suggest is to make sure the ballast plug and wire lead are not facing the inner fender.  Be certain that those ballast connections pointing toward the front of the car.  This will prevent the inner fender from coming into contact with the ballast plug or the wires.  Once the ballast is secure you can re-install the inner fender and rivets and then put the rubber protector back into position behind the headlight housing.