Anyone tried retrofit projector lights?

[Willz17]

Hey guys,

As some of you already know, I recently purchased a set of autoart R8 lights for the car.
To be fair the lights do look good, although they dont give the same clean cutoff line like the oem projectors do.

This is what the cutoff line looks like in my car with autoart projector lights:

This is what i want them to be like:

Therefore since i got new headlights, my old reflective housing lights are sat in the garage doing nothing! I might attempt a retrofit for perfect lighting =]

So if anyone knows anyone who has done this, or a How to do guide, This would be very helpful! Again this is just a thought at the moment!!!

EDIT: Link to retrofit kit --> http://www.hids4u.co.uk/bi-xenon-projector-lens-hid-conversion-kit-with-colour-changer.html

Let me know
Thanks

 

[allbutt55]

I have done that on another car means you need to split the headlight open etc, someone else done that when i fitted the oem xenons to my old fr
Its alot of work but would save you some money!

 

[robthebubble]

This is exactly what I want to do but can't find any seat headlights for a reasonable price!

 

[Willz17]

I'm quite tempted to try retro fit since I got the headlights laying around in the garage =]
Can't imagine it being that much work I mean, something like this:

1. Heat lights in oven
2. Peel lights apart
3. Cut hole into reflective housing for retrofit projector
4. Fix the projector in place.
5. Add shrouds/covers to make it look pretty ^^
6. Make sure the alignment of projector is square and level.
7. Heat up sealant and stick lights back together with the use of clamps
8. Install hid bulbs with ballasts
9. Install lights onto car and align new retrofitted headlights
10. Complete?

I think it will be something like this, obviously the more time taken the better the finished project =]
What do you guys think???

 

[TarekElsakka]

I have a friend who does them for almost any car and it takes him about 12 hours to complete. With the Leon headlights, he won't remove the low beam lamp, but actually install the projector lens inside it, sort of like the OEM projectors i believe. I was hesitant at first but now I'm fired up to do it as soon as I get back from my short vacation. I can't wait!

p.s he uses the same projector lenses that are used in Benzes so I'm sure they're great. He also installs rings on request, and those look pretty amazing. White rings, 6000K projector lenses, and white LED sidelights, can't get any better or hotter. You can even install two lenses in each lamp but that'll look too much like a Beemer clone so I'll pass.

 

[Willz17]

I have a friend who does them for almost any car and it takes him about 12 hours to complete. With the Leon headlights, he won't remove the low beam lamp, but actually install the projector lens inside it, sort of like the OEM projectors i believe. I was hesitant at first but now I'm fired up to do it as soon as I get back from my short vacation. I can't wait!

p.s he uses the same projector lenses that are used in Benzes so I'm sure they're great. He also installs rings on request, and those look pretty amazing. White rings, 6000K projector lenses, and white LED sidelights, can't get any better or hotter. You can even install two lenses in each lamp but that'll look too much like a Beemer clone so I'll pass.

How much does your mate charge?
Any pictures of his work?
I would be interested to shp mine over there for him to work on =]

Let me know if he works with international
Thanks

 

[robthebubble]

How much does your mate charge?
Any pictures of his work?
I would be interested to shp mine over there for him to work on =]

Let me know if he works with international
Thanks

Have a go yourself...if not flog the lights to me on the cheap to have a go! Or do a swap with me for some new DRL vents lik I've got on my car. Just making a set up for one of the guys on here too!

 

[Willz17]

Have a go yourself...if not flog the lights to me on the cheap to have a go! Or do a swap with me for some new DRL vents lik I've got on my car. Just making a set up for one of the guys on here too!

I would rather get retrofit headlights.
therefore if i get them done, i would be selling my current AutoArt lighting headlights.
But question is i dont think i will be able to do the job myself! Will end up rushing it and ruining it ^^ So would be good if i could pay someone to do it for me =]

anyone know of a UK retrofitter?
Let me know
Thanks

 

[robthebubble]

Well if you are any good at DIY then I think you'll be OK. Have a look at this link as its fairly simple...which is why I want to have a go! Its' exactly as you say above but make sure you get the special sealant to sitck the lights back together...only a few quid from ebay.

Just have a look for some projector lights from a scrap yard or on ebay and away you go! Once I get some Leon/Altea headlights I'm going to have a go.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=243820&highlight=xenon+retrofit

 

[Willz17]

Well if you are any good at DIY then I think you'll be OK. Have a look at this link as its fairly simple...which is why I want to have a go! Its' exactly as you say above but make sure you get the special sealant to sitck the lights back together...only a few quid from ebay.

Just have a look for some projector lights from a scrap yard or on ebay and away you go! Once I get some Leon/Altea headlights I'm going to have a go.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=243820&highlight=xenon+retrofit

Thanks for the link, I think this process will be doable even for a person who hasnt got a clue (me) Following these instructions carefully should work. Only hard part is making sure that the beams are aligned properly before i securely fix them to the reflective housing. Problem is im not sure if i can find a place where i can test allignment for example no flat garage space/door to shine beam on. =[ I did however find a really good guide for suburu headlights

heres the link: http://www.edgedp.com/retro/STEVO210RETROFIT.pdf

What do you guys think?
Also i cant find anyone in the UK who do retrofits either =[

 

[robthebubble]

Thanks for the link, I think this process will be doable even for a person who hasnt got a clue (me) Following these instructions carefully should work. Only hard part is making sure that the beams are aligned properly before i securely fix them to the reflective housing. Problem is im not sure if i can find a place where i can test allignment for example no flat garage space/door to shine beam on. =[ I did however find a really good guide for suburu headlights

heres the link: http://www.edgedp.com/retro/STEVO210RETROFIT.pdf

What do you guys think?
Also i cant find anyone in the UK who do retrofits either =[

That's a good guide!...as for making sure they are level you could always take them indoors with the car battery and put them on a table and shine them against the wall? I reckon you'll be just fine giving it a go yourself!

 

[AddersHTID]

Not done it myself but i found a pretty good youtube guide and posted ot on here see what you think?

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=361005

 

[TarekElsakka]

My friend charges around 850 Egyptian Pounds to do them, not sure how much that costs in GBP but probably around the 90 mark. I think it would be better if you have a go yourself since shipping to Egypt will not only cost you a heck of a lot but there will be customs and such to pay as well, so you shipping it in general might cost you even more than the retrofitting process. He has a group on fb which I will link to when I am home as I am out of town right now.

Best of luck, mate, and I hope you can DIY as it would be fun, a learning experiene, and youll feel proud of your handy work afterwards. Haha!

 

[TarekElsakka]

I have a question. Are there canbus and non-canbus projector lens kits? My friend installed ones for the 2010 Golf Mk6 just fine and I am assuming it's going to be the same with my Leon? I have faced several canbus issues ever since I thought about HIDs and such, though, so I'd rather be cautious before I take this step.

And are the rings going to require rewiring in order to work? He says both the lenses and the rings are all plug and play. Another friend whose experienced in that stuff told me to ask the guy whether the rings are going to work fine or have a problem with the power supply? He's assuming THEY are the ones that might give me trouble with canbus and supply.

 

[Willz17]

I have a question. Are there canbus and non-canbus projector lens kits? My friend installed ones for the 2010 Golf Mk6 just fine and I am assuming it's going to be the same with my Leon? I have faced several canbus issues ever since I thought about HIDs and such, though, so I'd rather be cautious before I take this step.

And are the rings going to require rewiring in order to work? He says both the lenses and the rings are all plug and play. Another friend whose experienced in that stuff told me to ask the guy whether the rings are going to work fine or have a problem with the power supply? He's assuming THEY are the ones that might give me trouble with canbus and supply.

Personally i would prefer headlights without rings, just projectors only.
My new projector lights were simple plug and play, however i had a big light bulb icon on my dashboard after i installed them. This was because AutoArt Lighting forgot to send me the decoder with the headlights which come as standard.

Hope this helps.

 

[TarekElsakka]

Yeah, I understand what you mean. I don't know if a ring is necessary or if it even looks good, but since this is a retrofit, I can refrain from actually installing them at all and just stick to projector lenses. They'll be fitted inside the OEM reflectors as to avoid cutting or breaking anything, and so I can go back to OEM reflectors/bulbs and remove the lenses any time I want. I like the idea of rings, though, since they look very nice on the new BMWs, however if they're going to give me trouble he says I can just unplug the cable from them and it'll be like they're not even there.

I withdrew money from the bank today in order to pay for the lenses and installation but I'd have to leave the head light units with him for a whole day and my father's using my car today since his is in maintenance and if he sees I have no head light units he'll kick my arse, lmao.

Hopefully I'll be able to do it tomorrow. The fact that I can revert everything back to normal since there will be nothing removed, cut, or soldered makes me happy and assured that hopefully everything will be fine.

 

[TarekElsakka]

As I had feared, the head light units I was going to buy and install turned out to be made by a Taiwanese company rather than Dectane, don't have electronic adjustment, are pretty expensive, and not very good quality - so of course I decided against them; which is why I contacted my friend, went over to his place, and he showed me how he would retrofit projector lenses in my car and I was sold. There will be NO cutting at all, and the lenses will be fit INSIDE the OEM dipped beam reflector after removing the bulb and the grey thing the bulb touches (if you know what I'm talking about). There will also be no gluing or such, it'll be sort of like tying it to the reflector some how. He said that of course the electronic adjustment will work fine because it's the OEM reflector being used, and that the alignment will be perfect and can also be adjusted using the screws as well as the electronic adjustment, so I'll be fine.

I already gave him half the money to pay for the projector lens kit which are held by the customs until the duties are paid off tomorrow, and then I'll give him my head light units for the modification process. The kit also comes with angel-eyes in front of the projector lens but I'm unsure whether or not they'll give error as they will use the wire that connects to the sidelights. If they do give errors, I'll just not plug them in and order a resistor/sensor online which will hopefully fix this.

As directed by a couple of forum members here, this is where I am supposed to buy the resistor, but would any one know exactly which one the Angel Eyes (rings) would use?

Thank you very much.

 

[robthebubble]

Will be interested to see how your lights turn out and what other parts you end up getting!

 

[TarekElsakka]

Yeah.. I am very excited about this. I'll most definitely post as many pictures as I can as soon as he's done. I'll also make sure the alignment is 100% correct so I can use my Xenon ballasts with 5000K or 6000K bulbs, which ever is the purest white (like the Benz and Octavia), without bothering people that are coming from the other way; I might even test that by having my friend drive my car while I come the other way, lol.

This is definitely going to be the first "major" modification I have done to my car. The best thing about it and what made me truly determined to have it done is that he told me I can revert the head lights to stock at any time by just removing the lens and that's it.

We'll see how it turns out. Thanks for the support.

 

[robthebubble]

It will be interesting to see how he gets the new lense into the headlight unless he does take them apart? Photos would be welcome and also details of the projectors being used.

I'm waiting for my lights to arrive and my projectors so I can start modding!...should be here next week! . I won't say how much I paid for them but they were well under £100 for the lot!