Evil_Betty
01-28-2010, 07:56 PM
***Still updating page, work in progress; may take a few days***
No silly "55w hid kit" here. I pulled the headlights, swapped in TSX clear lense projectors and used new D2S bulbs.
Link to all the pictures so far :: http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/
Parts Source ::
This isn't the easiest project, but not too hard either. It took me a couple days to finish. You can have this done by professionals who do this kind of thing a lot, Lightwerkz (http://www.lightwerkz.net/index.htm). I'm a big fan of DIY projects so I visited The Retrofit Source (http://store.theretrofitsource.com/index.php) for my needs. They have awesome communication and support; I ran into some ordering snags and delays and they were super quick to help out and get it figured out. I highly recommend them.
HID Kit :: (all from The Retrofit Source)
TSX Clear Lense Projector
4500k Phillips 85122+ D2S Bulbs
(Also have 6000k D2S bulbs for backup - much more blue)
H7 wiring harness
Denso ballast(used on Toyota/Lexus)
Other things needed ::
Misc. bolts, washers, nuts.
Soldering iron/gun for wiring, heatshrink, etc.
Painters tape
Lots of time and patience!!
Headlight Removal ::
There are a bunch of threads on the web to remove your headlights from the car, so I'll skip that part. It's not that hard, just takes a bit of time and patience to figure out how to get the housing out without scratching any body parts. I use blue painters tape on the body panels all around the housing to keep from scratching.
If anyone needs help with this part, I'd be glad to add a tutorial.
Testing the projector ::
I borrowed a power supply from my tower computer. Having a test power supply is a HUGE help for this project. You can test the headlamps to make sure the projector is straight, the wiring and bulbs are working and more without ever having to mount the headlamps back on the car. Saves a lot of time and from damaging the body panels from repeated install/removal. The headlamp does have a vertical adjustment to match the two headlamps up vertically, but not horizantally or if you install the projector just a little bit rotated off-center. I also tested doing the washer mod and other mod to make the light output better and the cutoff smoother without ever putting the lights on the car.
Baking ::
I put a large baking sheet covered in foil wrap to keep the headlights from melting when they sit. Heat up the oven to *275 degrees with baking sheet in. As it warms up, you can prep the lights by removing all screws, lights, wiring and anything else from the headlamp that may melt in the oven.
Put one light in and let it sit 10-15 minutes. You can check it every 5 minutes to be safe; mine took ~15-20 minutes for the sealant to be soft enough to pop it open. I was really concerned at first about baking my headlights, but I've had to do it two or three times now and it seals back up just fine and no leaks(been over a month and through hard rain multiple times.)
After the lamp is heated, use gloves or mitts to separate the two halves; there are quite a few tabs that hold it together. Use a screwdriver(or something flat and rubber to keep from damaging the housing) to slowly pry apart the two halves. Go slow and don't let the sealant drip on the inside of headlight.
Triming the projector ::
*coming soon*
Fitting the projector ::
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpg.php*coming soon*
Stock bulb vs. D2S bulb(clear plastic pieces are part of shipping protectors)
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpghttp://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8835.jpg
Left :: TSX Clear Lense Projector fitted Right :: Stock projector
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpg
Rear of TSX projector in the stock headlamp.
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8911.jpg
Here is to difference in bulb kelvin
Top blue output is 6500k bulb :: Bottom white output is Phillips 4300k bulb
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_9720.jpg
Here is a picture of my retrofit's light output; MUCH better than stock!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JUUd5rvA1NQ/S2JZXqTpW7I/AAAAAAAAJBc/anzVls_OWTM/s400/DSC_9741.jpg
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ac9emDrqAuO1TNbUJrRuCA?feat=directlink
No silly "55w hid kit" here. I pulled the headlights, swapped in TSX clear lense projectors and used new D2S bulbs.
Link to all the pictures so far :: http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/
Parts Source ::
This isn't the easiest project, but not too hard either. It took me a couple days to finish. You can have this done by professionals who do this kind of thing a lot, Lightwerkz (http://www.lightwerkz.net/index.htm). I'm a big fan of DIY projects so I visited The Retrofit Source (http://store.theretrofitsource.com/index.php) for my needs. They have awesome communication and support; I ran into some ordering snags and delays and they were super quick to help out and get it figured out. I highly recommend them.
HID Kit :: (all from The Retrofit Source)
TSX Clear Lense Projector
4500k Phillips 85122+ D2S Bulbs
(Also have 6000k D2S bulbs for backup - much more blue)
H7 wiring harness
Denso ballast(used on Toyota/Lexus)
Other things needed ::
Misc. bolts, washers, nuts.
Soldering iron/gun for wiring, heatshrink, etc.
Painters tape
Lots of time and patience!!
Headlight Removal ::
There are a bunch of threads on the web to remove your headlights from the car, so I'll skip that part. It's not that hard, just takes a bit of time and patience to figure out how to get the housing out without scratching any body parts. I use blue painters tape on the body panels all around the housing to keep from scratching.
If anyone needs help with this part, I'd be glad to add a tutorial.
Testing the projector ::
I borrowed a power supply from my tower computer. Having a test power supply is a HUGE help for this project. You can test the headlamps to make sure the projector is straight, the wiring and bulbs are working and more without ever having to mount the headlamps back on the car. Saves a lot of time and from damaging the body panels from repeated install/removal. The headlamp does have a vertical adjustment to match the two headlamps up vertically, but not horizantally or if you install the projector just a little bit rotated off-center. I also tested doing the washer mod and other mod to make the light output better and the cutoff smoother without ever putting the lights on the car.
Baking ::
I put a large baking sheet covered in foil wrap to keep the headlights from melting when they sit. Heat up the oven to *275 degrees with baking sheet in. As it warms up, you can prep the lights by removing all screws, lights, wiring and anything else from the headlamp that may melt in the oven.
Put one light in and let it sit 10-15 minutes. You can check it every 5 minutes to be safe; mine took ~15-20 minutes for the sealant to be soft enough to pop it open. I was really concerned at first about baking my headlights, but I've had to do it two or three times now and it seals back up just fine and no leaks(been over a month and through hard rain multiple times.)
After the lamp is heated, use gloves or mitts to separate the two halves; there are quite a few tabs that hold it together. Use a screwdriver(or something flat and rubber to keep from damaging the housing) to slowly pry apart the two halves. Go slow and don't let the sealant drip on the inside of headlight.
Triming the projector ::
*coming soon*
Fitting the projector ::
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpg.php*coming soon*
Stock bulb vs. D2S bulb(clear plastic pieces are part of shipping protectors)
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpghttp://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8835.jpg
Left :: TSX Clear Lense Projector fitted Right :: Stock projector
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8922.jpg
Rear of TSX projector in the stock headlamp.
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_8911.jpg
Here is to difference in bulb kelvin
Top blue output is 6500k bulb :: Bottom white output is Phillips 4300k bulb
http://www.hysonmotorsports.com/zenphoto/albums/HID_Install/DSC_9720.jpg
Here is a picture of my retrofit's light output; MUCH better than stock!
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_JUUd5rvA1NQ/S2JZXqTpW7I/AAAAAAAAJBc/anzVls_OWTM/s400/DSC_9741.jpg
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ac9emDrqAuO1TNbUJrRuCA?feat=directlink