| phins2rt |
After working on and off (mostly off) on this the past 3 months, I finally have some of this done. I retroed in some valeo (audi a4/s4) projectors into some 01/02/03 headlights. These projectors are European code so they have a different cutoff than the DOT versions. I purchased an extra set of lights off of ebay just in case I screwed anything up.
I have just a few shots of the completed headlight. I plan on getting the driver's side done and do a complete write-up on the process. |
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| phins2rt |
| I think I am going to end up blacking out part of the reflector. I am getting some glare bouncing off of the bottom. |
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| phins2rt |
Now everything I have is OEM (ballast, projector and bulbs). If my bulbs burn out, I can easily replace them with aftermarket parts and not proprietary parts from a company that may or may not be in business when I need them.
More posts to come as I finish up this project. |
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| jswift2000 |
| Nice. The valeo projectors are great and have a very nice cutoff line. Can you post some pics of the beam pattern? Once again, nice looking job!!! |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by jswift2000
Nice. The valeo projectors are great and have a very nice cutoff line. Can you post some pics of the beam pattern? Once again, nice looking job!!!
Thanks jswift. I'll get some pics of the beam pattern after I get the other projector in. Right now the halogen is contaminating the beam pattern. So far, the cutoff looks really good but the color of the cutoff is a little lacking. I may need to experiment with the shield a bit. |
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| manus1980 |
phinsrt,
How come you didn't just purchase a set of 2004 MDX projector headlamps? Looks good but a lot of work. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by manus1980
phinsrt,
How come you didn't just purchase a set of 2004 MDX projector headlamps? Looks good but a lot of work.
manus,
The 04 lights are still halogen projectors. I would have had to go through the same amount of work (or maybe more) to get the projectors in there (the mounts aren't the same). Plus, at the time, the headlights were around $400 a pair. You can do a complete retro for about that much. |
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| degoon |
I think it's so silly our ~$40k vehicles don't come standard with HID projector headlights, decent stereo or instrument cluster.
*bump* |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by degoon
I think it's so silly our ~$40k vehicles don't come standard with HID projector headlights, decent stereo or instrument cluster.
*bump*
Agreed!!:4: |
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| manus1980 |
quote:
Originally posted by phins2rt
manus,
The 04 lights are still halogen projectors. I would have had to go through the same amount of work (or maybe more) to get the projectors in there (the mounts aren't the same). Plus, at the time, the headlights were around $400 a pair. You can do a complete retro for about that much.
You going to add some angel eyes? |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by manus1980
You going to add some angel eyes?
No. For now I am going to keep it simple. But a good idea, though. |
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| jswift2000 |
quote:
Originally posted by phins2rt
So far, the cutoff looks really good but the color of the cutoff is a little lacking. I may need to experiment with the shield a bit.
Thats what it sounds like. Good luck and once again it looks really nice and professional. |
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| manus1980 |
| Whats the difference between a halogen projector and a xenon projector? If an 04 owner were to purchase a xenon HID kit doesn't that make their projectors HID projectors? What bulbs size do you use for the Valeo projectors? |
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| phins2rt |
Nope. Manus the halogen and xenon projectors are different. Just like halogen and xenon reflectors are different. The xenon projector bowls tend to be more shiny and have a sharper cutoff. They are made to manage the higher lumens of HID. There is almost three times as much light in a xenon projector vs a halogen projector. Also, most DOT xenon projector lenses have ripples in them. I am not sure if the MDX are clear or rippled.
The valeo (as well as most OEM xenon) use D2S bulbs. I will admit that the 04 MDX prjectors do a pretty good job when you stick a rebased xenon bulb in them but they still are not meant for HID. |
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| phins2rt |
Now for a somewhat step by step of the process. The first step is to remove the headlights and bake them in the oven to loosen the glue that holds the headlight together. I found 15 minutes at 225 degrees to work pretty well. YMMV.
There are threads on here that detail the removal and baking of the lights so I won't go into it.
I did get an extra set of front headlights off of ebay just in case I screwed something up.
Once you get the lense removed from the housing, you need to remove the reflector bowl from the housing. What you have is this: |
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| phins2rt |
| You then need to get your projector ready. I used some 3 inch 1/8 inch bolts for this. There should be existing holes on the projector to attach these bolts but it does depend on the projector. |
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| phins2rt |
You then need to cut the back of the reflector bowl. I basically just cut where the old bulb socket was.
Then you need to make a template of the projector bolts. I used a nail set to transfer the template to the reflector bowl. I then drilled the holes for the projector bolts (shown in yellow). |
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| phins2rt |
| As you can see from the projector photo above, I used three different nuts for each bolt. One nut held the bolt to the projector. This is the closest nut to the projector. The second nut is the stop nut. This nut will rest against the inside of the projector. The third nut secures the projector to the reflector bowl. When you have it all installed, the back looks like this. |
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| phins2rt |
| The next step is to make sure your projector is level. You need the shield to be level or else your cutoff will be all out of whack. Luckily the X's reflector is easy to work with. If you put the reflector on a level surface, you just need to make sure the projector is level and it will be level when you reinstall it. You may have to monkey with the bolt holes (make them larger) to ensure you get the projector level. |
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| phins2rt |
| One other thing, you also need to make sure the projector is centered in the housing. I used the lines on the side of the reflector to help with the vertical positioning. The original bulb socket helps with the horizontal positioning. |
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| phins2rt |
| Once the projector is in and you are happy with the way it looks, you can move on to the shroud/bezel. The MDX has a pretty big and deep reflector so it can be a challenge to find the right combination. I went through 2 or 3 different things until I found this one. What I did was take a doggie bowl: |
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| phins2rt |
| And a 2 inch pipe flange from Ace hardware: |
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| phins2rt |
| After dremelling the doggie bowl bottom out and attaching the pipe flange with some JB Weld, you have a very nice bezel/shroud for this projector. I painted the inside of the doggie bowl black to help absorb any stray light. You also need to grind away some of the rim of the doggie bowl to make it fit in the reflector bowl. JB Weld the whole thing in place and here is what you have: |
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| phins2rt |
The hard part is done. Before I reassembled the headlights, I went ahead and blackened the front part of the headlight to help with stray light.
I used some rolled up foil and some caulk to seal the back of the reflector bowl with the projector. I also caulked all of the bolt holes on the back of the reflector. You basically want to make this as water tight as possible. Put the reflector back into the black housing and you are ready to reseal the two halves together.
I put the two pieces of the headlights into the oven (225 degrees) for about 6 minutes to loosen up the glue. You simply push the two halves together and make sure the clips are tight. I didn't use any silicon caulk to seal the headlights but we'll see if that works.
Reinstall the headlights back in the X, install your ballasts and you should be all set. You will need to aim your headlights once they are installed. |
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| phins2rt |
| Some final photos. Front with headlights blackened. |
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| phins2rt |
Overall I am very pleased with how everything turned out. I have much more controlled light than I did with my reflectors and a HID kit. Although it took a few months, it was well worth it and I now know more about automobile lighting than I probably ever wanted. However, I don't think I will ever buy another vehicle unless it has projector xenons (and preferably bi-xenons).
Let me know what you guys think about the blackened headlights. I think I like them but I am not sure yet. I can always put my originals back in, but they do reflect a lot of light upwards. |
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| TranMDX |
phins2rt,
You're the man!!! Dam that is a lot of work!!! I don't have all the tools to do that kind of work. It would probably cost me several G's to get all the parts, tooling, and time to get a job like that completed.
I cheated and got the Hid kit. A lot easier, cheaper, and lesser time consuming.
But I have to admit, THAT IS SOME QUALITY WORKMANSHIP THERE!!!!
Great job!
:2: |
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| hammermdx |
| Very nice, congrats on a great job! |
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| Mocking-DX |
you da man phin
i like the way they're blackened
i might do the blackening. very impressed
question though, what kind of paint did you use.
oh, and of course, i admire the great conversion.
thank you for the step by step instructions.
might do the conversion myself when i get the guts like yours |
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| phins2rt |
Thanks everyone. The passenger's side took the longest since I had to custom fit everything together. The driver's side only took about a week. It's just like everything else. Once you do it once, it only gets easier.
Mocking, I used Rustoleum High Heat paint. Excellent for high temp applications. And it really didn't take any real guts. I had an extra set of headlights so if I screwed up, it was back to OEM.
Now I just need to sell my old HID kit... |
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| manus1980 |
| Your beam pattern looks perfect. Do you ever get the high-beams from other drivers? |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by manus1980
Your beam pattern looks perfect. Do you ever get the high-beams from other drivers?
Thanks manus. The driver's side is a little off but I think I can live with it. I really haven't driven much with them. I think they are aimed a little too low right now. With the cutoff the way it is (higher on the right) I don't expect to get flashed too much from oncoming traffic. I may getted flipped off by people when I pass them since the flare is on the right.:D |
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| msy_tkhs |
| It is wonderful! I am trying to fix a HID projector lamp as well as you, too. It was very helpful. I want to raise a photograph if I complete it, too. |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by msy_tkhs
It is wonderful! I am trying to fix a HID projector lamp as well as you, too. It was very helpful. I want to raise a photograph if I complete it, too.
msy,
Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions.
Check out hidplanet.com. There is a lot of info on there. |
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| jswift2000 |
Nice job. One of the nicest jobs ive seen. I have a question - did you think about retroing the valeos into the 04 projector assembly? I wonder if they would fit.
Once again... kick ass job and what a wonderful cutoff!!! |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by jswift2000
Nice job. One of the nicest jobs ive seen. I have a question - did you think about retroing the valeos into the 04 projector assembly? I wonder if they would fit.
Once again... kick ass job and what a wonderful cutoff!!!
Thanks jswift. I thought about it but the headlights (at the time) were $400 a pair. You can do a whole retro for a little more than that. I purchased some spare headlights off of ebay for <$100. I know now I have seen 04 headlights on ebay but they are still around $80-100 a piece. I think the 04s have a better lens on them. If you notice, the 04s have a bump out on them and are more parallel with the projector than the slanted 01-03 lens.
I think the projectors would fit but I am not sure they would be a straight switch with no cutting or drilling. Anyway, I am very happy with how this turned out. |
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| theXman |
Great job! I really like what you did. I wish I have the time and energy to do that, let alone the wife's issue (for driving w/o headlights for a few months).
Anyway, I heard that the '04 headlight assembly is not a perfect fit to '03. And you obviously looked into the '04 first. Do you know what need to be changed in order to retrofit it on? What about the wiring?
Again, what a great job.
Thanks. :) |
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| phins2rt |
quote:
Originally posted by theXman
Great job! I really like what you did. I wish I have the time and energy to do that, let alone the wife's issue (for driving w/o headlights for a few months).
Anyway, I heard that the '04 headlight assembly is not a perfect fit to '03. And you obviously looked into the '04 first. Do you know what need to be changed in order to retrofit it on? What about the wiring?
Again, what a great job.
Thanks. :)
Thanks for the compliments.
AFAIK the 04 will fit the 03 model. A couple of people have done this on the board. The only issue is the bulbs/wiring. 01-03s take 9006 bulbs and the 04s take H11. Remember, the 04 projector is a halogen projector and not a xenon projector. |
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| clb4life |
Hi Phins,
I have a couple of question for you.. i am looking to do the same thing you did..retro fit my MDX with xenon projector...
I am looking at this package at hidplanet.com:
Complete Xenon HID Projector Package:
If you are looking for a complete package solution for your HID needs, please consider our Valeo/Hella package. The package contains everything needed to install HID into your vehicle.
The package includes:
(2) Valeo Projectors
(2) Hella LVQ-212 G3 Ballasts
(2) D2S HID Bulbs
(2) D2S Bulb Adaptors
(2) Ballast Covers/mounts
(2) Ballast connectors
Price $389.00 + shipping
Special introductory offer. Limited time only!
is this all i would need for the project? i've already taken my headlight apart to remove the yellow reflector, so that part is easy..but i have done anything close to retrofitting my headlights..so i wanted to know that all i need it in the package above..thanks |
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| phins2rt |
clb4life,
That is a good start and will include most of what you need. You will still need to fabricate a shroud and bezel to block unwanted light and make the whole thing neat. Those projectors are good but they are halogen projectors (not xenon). The output is pretty similar to xenon but you may want to do a search at hidplanet on valeo h7 projectors just so you make an informed decision.
Let me know if I can help in any way. |
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| clb4life |
Hey Phins2rt,
Well after reading the posts I think i will be happy with the Kit that HIDPlanet is offering...I don't have time to look for different parts on ebay and stuff..cause i will work on this project over the winter break so i need everything soon..anyways, seem like the kit have everything except for the relay(which i can make) and the shroud/benzel(that you made out of doggie bowl)
:D You remember where you got the bowl from? and what the diameter and stuff, chance are i am gonna end up doing the same thing...Well, i guess i am ready to take the plunge..too bad my digital camera is broken, otherwise i'll have some pics for you guys..Thanks for the head up and hopefully i don't have to bother you for help soon!!:2: |
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| phins2rt |
clb4life,
I got the bowl from Petco. I think it was the 12 or 16 oz size. It was about $3.
A couple of suggestions:
1- I would paint the entire low beam reflector black before you install the projector. That's one thing I wish I would have done. I think I am still getting some reflections from the reflector. It doesn't affect the beam pattern but it is somehting that I notice. DON'T PAINT THE HIGH BEAM REFLECTOR!!
2- If you can, get a DOT spec projector. I have heard that the flare on the ECE H7 projectors can get huge if the bulb adaptor isn't aligned right.
Good luck with everything. |
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| clb4life |
Hey Phin,
If you have time, check your PM, just have more questions for ya..thanks |
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