So I ended up buying an 04 T5.

The headlights are atrocious. The headlights have projectors but I don't know if I buy an HID kit with H11 bulbs if they will fit in the projectors.

Will they fit or do I just need to stick with the halogen bulbs?

 

I put Kensun 6000K in a 2007 s40. Much better. Took about 30 minutes. They are a bit tempermental. You have to cut a 1 inch hole in the back of the cover but that was no big deal. Use a drill and a 1 inch wood bit. The lights come with a rubber grommet that fits. If I did it again, I would maybe try 5000K as I think the color would be more white than the white/blueish color of 6000K. It is personal preference. When you go over 5000K you trade color for actual lumens. Also, any time you take a 55 W bulb out and place a 35 W HID, the car gets confused. If you have your lights on automatic, and the demand for the headlights is not generated when you start the car (not dark outside) and the lights come on while you are driving, you will get a low beam warning on the dash. The lights are still working, but the car thinks it burned out during the ballast build up. If the light demand is "on" (dark outside) when you start the car, you won't get the warning because the ballast will charge before the computer looks at the voltage for some reason. I have a 2004 Benz c230 that I did the same thing on and got the same exact results. I think it is a common problem. Good luck, and your right, the projector lights on the S40 standard just plain suck. Also, if you do it you have to connect the HID set to the light power on the inside of the light housing. Just so you know on the volvo side ground is brown in the light housing and yellow is hot. So connect to the HID system black to brown and red to yellow. It won't work if reversed.

 

Oh, buy the way. Got mine on amazon for $55.00 for the set. A couple of pics for you at night. One with just the HIDs and one with both the HIDs and High Beams so you can see the color difference. The stock low beams are the same color, I think they are 3400K. I think the color differnece is cool, but thats me. When they are both on, you can see to the next time zone!! You can't use HIDs for High Beams, they take about 5 seconds to fire up and are illegal in most states. They will pull you over for using them. At least they do in AZ.

 

Why do you need to drill a 1 inch hole? Dix you mount the ballast outside of the headlight?

 

On the 04.5 and newer S40/ V50's, installing hid kits is known to cause the windshield wiper motor to stop working.

Also it is a halogen projector, not a HID projector. Too much light will be thrown in one area and there will also be glare that will bother other drivers.
HID bulbs in halogen projector

 

DavidX1994, interesting, as the windshield wiper motor stopped working last week. What is the resolve for that?? Removing the HID or is the wiper motor toasted??? Funny, I was just working on the wiper motor this afternoon and cannot figure out what happened. I have not tested the motor yet to see if it is bad. Do you know what has to be done to fix it? The fuse box cover states that f17 is for windshield wiper, 30A, but there is no fuse present. Very strange.

Alleffemo, yes the ballast will not fit in the housing so they are designed to have the power attach inside the housing and the ballast outside, mounted on the car near the headlight.

 

From what I read the problem is that the windshield wiper motor burns out after installing HID kits. I don't exactly know what causes this but maybe installing a relay harness to the ballasts will fix the problem?

Here's a thread with some information.
Swedespeed Forums - HID's and windshield wiper motor

 

I read on another Volvo forum that the fix is regrounding the HID to the metal chassis.

I have my own relay that I will be installing as well.

 

I recommend Morimoto ballasts and bulbs. The ballasts are reliable and ignite the bulb to full brightness quickly. Their bulbs are true color too whereas in DDM and other kits you order "4500k" and the output is blue.
They might cost more but you get what you pay for.

The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications

 

Well, I gave up on the HID for now, just threw in a set of SilverStar Ultras and called it good. Got a new wiper motor and installed and all is good. Not sure why these S40s have issues with aftermarket, but at some point you just have to give in. I did just that. Can't afford to replace another wiper motor at 100/throw just to try to get more out of the headlights. The stock lights are very yellow/brown and do not give off much light through the projectors. The SilverStars were a vast imporvement, but certainly do not throw light like the HIDs.

 

Morimoto ballast are also not safe for the wiper motor.
They have high voltage cables like other do.

Some Volvo suffer from the wiper motor problem others don't.
If someone didn't have the problem doesn't mean his solution is safe for everyone.

Some users from VWVortex forum solved the same problem with a special hid safe for wiper motors.

VWVortex.com - Group Buy on Well Done HID kit