My custom HID setup

[maral01]

So, I was getting tired of my PnP HID kit because of the glare and the uneven lighting. I was off for the last coupe of days and decided to complete my HID retrofit project. I used projectors from a Infinity FX35 with custom shrouds made from ABS plastic. Here are a few pics of the projects where it stands now.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID2.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID3.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID4.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID1.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID6.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID5.jpg

I will post more images once the project is completed and the lights are installed on my car.

Post up!

[2002 GLS]

wow... looks great!!

[Munky]

Where did you get the projectors?

The setup looks great!

[KeWLKaT]

Sweet. This is a summe project for me aswell. What did you use to make the custom shroud?

Also I keep wondering all the time... How do you guys set up the projector for adjustments while the headlight is in the car?

[slyderdai]

Where did you get the projectors?

The setup looks great!

Sweet. This is a summer project for me aswell. What did you use to make the custom shroud?

Also I keep wondering all the time... How do you guys set up the projector for adjustments while the headlight is in the car?
How long did it take to do the actual retrofit? And approx. how much did it cost you? I've been looking into doing this for a while now but i keep forgetting about it.
BTW that looks soooooo Radass!

[Tx_boy]

How about you make them and I buy it off you. I am a lazy azz!

[maral01]

Thanks for all the comments everyone. Sorry for the long delay in the reply, G/F and I had to go and do the groceries yesterday and then I got to work on the lights again.

Where did you get the projectors?

The setup looks great!

I got the projectors on e-bay.

How do you guys set up the projector for adjustments while the headlight is in the car?

The projector is installed on 3 screws. Once it is leveled and low enough, you can use the stock adjustment screws on the headlight to adjust your beams.

How long did it take to do the actual retrofit? And approx. how much did it cost you? I've been looking into doing this for a while now but i keep forgetting about it.
BTW that looks soooooo Radass!

Thanks! I've put close to 20 hours in the project so far and it cost me between 300-350$.

How about you make them and I buy it off you. I am a lazy azz!

I think I had my share of fun for now. However, if I ever decide to make some, I will be sure to let you know. Do you already have a HID kit on your car?


As for the remainder of the project, I've still got to get my projectors down enough to adjust them correctly. Gave them a try last night but I was almost pointing at the sky (oops!). I will post more pics once the project is complete.

[Matrixloader]

Damn! those look awsome, good job on the retrofit its looking great!

[DJ Hellfire]

Nice! I just have one tip, though if you have already done it. before you close the housings back up, install the lights on the car and make sure the cut off lines are straight and even. the projector might need to be rotated a bit and it wll suck too have too open them up again. Also, I hope you bought these, instead of new ballasts! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/D2S-D2R-Bulb-Socket-Wires-Cable-Ballast-Harness-HID-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ36476QQihZ012QQitem Z220190710098QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW.

[04 elantra cvvt]

Great job on the install! I have been wanting to do this for quite a while, but haven't found the projectors yet. Let's see a full DIY on it.

[soullesselantra]

im going to be doing this on mine as well, with the same projectors i used on my sol...they came from a 2004 Nissan Maxima and the headlights are bixenon and the fogs are normal bulbs...i will be puttin the fogs where the brights would be, and the highs/lows where the lows is now...but heres my retrofit pic on the sol. i used aluminum flashing for shields

http://b7.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01089/72/13/1089043127_l.jpg

**edit** this pic reminds me that i need to amber my corner lenses...

[maral01]

Nice! I just have one tip, though if you have already done it. before you close the housings back up, install the lights on the car and make sure the cut off lines are straight and even. the projector might need to be rotated a bit and it wll suck too have too open them up again. Also, I hope you bought these, instead of new ballasts! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/D2S-D2R-Bulb-Socket-Wires-Cable-Ballast-Harness-HID-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ36476QQihZ012QQitem Z220190710098QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW.

Yes, I am aware that I should have done that but since I had to go to work, I had to seal them back up before I could aim them properly on the car. I'll probably just drill some holes in the casing in order to access my mounting bolts and adjust them from there. And yes, I did get those adapters for D2S bulbs, as per the link you've put up.... it would have been a waste of money for me to go and get new OEM ballasts (althought I might get some later on).
BTW, you are one of the people I was looking up to when I did that retro. Great job on yours too, and I also really like the one you did on your Nissan.

Let's see a full DIY on it.

I think it would be easier and smarter for me to direct people who want to do this project to register on www.hidplanet.com . This site is full of ressources and that's where I got my idea for the mounting method (ask DJ Hellfire about the site, he is also a member there). I used JnC's mounting method from that site. I will start a thread on it over there once I am done. I've been registered there for a while but never posted (as you can probably see on my post count here, I am not someone who posts much).

im going to be doing this on mine as well, with the same projectors i used on my sol...they came from a 2004 Nissan Maxima and the headlights are bixenon and the fogs are normal bulbs...i will be puttin the fogs where the brights would be, and the highs/lows where the lows is now...but heres my retrofit pic on the sol. i used aluminum flashing for shields

http://b7.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/01089/72/13/1089043127_l.jpg

**edit** this pic reminds me that i need to amber my corner lenses...

Nice retro there! Yes, bi-xenons on mine too. Really lights up the road when you hit the highs (I also still have my halogens that come on when I put the highs on, so you can really see me coming from far, lol :D ).

[soullesselantra]

the only halogens on my retro are in the fog lights, even then, they are a little brighter than the stock headlights used to be :D and its daylight for miles with my light setup on the brights

[04 elantra cvvt]

What were those projectors actually out of?

[DJ Hellfire]

What were those projectors actually out of?

Infinity FX for Maral01! If I remember correctly, Souless used E55's in his Sol!

[soullesselantra]

Infinity FX for Maral01! If I remember correctly, Souless used E55's in his Sol!

nope, i used 04 Maxima highs/lows and fogs :D

[04 elantra cvvt]

I just got a set of projectors from an NF Sonata today. I am going to try them out. The only problem that I see with these is that they are built like the Mercedes projectors (i.e. not totally sealed). Hopefully, I'll be able to get them in there.

[maral01]

Infinity FX for Maral01! If I remember correctly, Souless used E55's in his Sol!

That is correct. They came from a Infinity FX35. I actually modified the projector by cutting the 2nd shield (the one closest to the lense) to get rid of the yellow cutoff line. BTW, I just went out and snapped a few pics. My project is now 90% completed. I still need to readjust the projectors in order to get them close to the height of the reflector but I will wait until warmer weather..... you will see what I mean by the pics.

IMG]http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID7.jpg[/IMG]
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID8.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID9.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID10.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID11.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/CustomHID12.jpg

On another note, I read lots of posts in the last few days regarding HID install (PnP kits). Here is my car with my previous HID kit. You will notice a lot of glare but take into account that I also had glare shields. That was a 6000k color temp (wanted more color at the time). That shows that even thought glare shields does reduce lots of glare, there is still a lot that goes through.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/pre-retro1.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/pre-retro2.jpg
http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh53/maral01/pre-retro3.jpg

Any comments are appreciated, thanks for looking!

I just got a set of projectors from an NF Sonata today. I am going to try them out. The only problem that I see with these is that they are built like the Mercedes projectors (i.e. not totally sealed). Hopefully, I'll be able to get them in there.

What do you mean by not totally sealed? Got pics?

[04 elantra cvvt]

I do like the look of the projectors. You gotta love the cut-off.

[maral01]

I do like the look of the projectors. You gotta love the cut-off.

Yes sir!!! :D

[04 elantra cvvt]

Did you use the oven method to open the lenses? If so, how long did you "bake" them, and at what temp? I have a couple of extra housings to play with, but I don't really want to muck them up to bad.

[maral01]

Did you use the oven method to open the lenses? If so, how long did you "bake" them, and at what temp? I have a couple of extra housings to play with, but I don't really want to muck them up to bad.

Yes, I find that the oven method is the best. I baked them at 210ºF for exactly 9 minutes. Brings the sealant just soft enough. Make sure to use a hobby knife to cut the sealant as you go because it can get really messy!

[04 elantra cvvt]

I found that out today when I used a heat gun to separate the Sonata lights. That damned glue got everywhere. Thanks for the tips.

[maral01]

Do these Sonatas have HIDs or what? If so, I wasn't aware they came like this from the factory...

[04 elantra cvvt]

No, they're not HID's, but they are projectors. They do have the stepped cut-off like the other projectors though.

[maral01]

No, they're not HID's, but they are projectors. They do have the stepped cut-off like the other projectors though.

If I were you, I would test a HID bulb in them before doing an actual retrofit.... I know that some halogen projectors respond well to HID (like the tiburon's) but some of them cause more glare than anything else.

[04 elantra cvvt]

I will do that. Thanks.

[hyundaiLKsunday]

Maral,
What color temp are you using now? I can definately see a difference between the 6000k and whatever you're using with the projectors. I'm half tempted to go with a 5000k PnP bulb instead of what I got.

[soullesselantra]

I just got a set of projectors from an NF Sonata today. I am going to try them out. The only problem that I see with these is that they are built like the Mercedes projectors (i.e. not totally sealed). Hopefully, I'll be able to get them in there.

the projectors that are in my Sol are not completely sealed either, that jsut means you will have to find some way to be creative and seal em up.

[maral01]

Maral,
What color temp are you using now? I can definately see a difference between the 6000k and whatever you're using with the projectors. I'm half tempted to go with a 5000k PnP bulb instead of what I got.

I have 4300k now... it is a genuine OEM bulb made by Phillips. It might look a different color than white, but that is because of the optics of the lense.

the projectors that are in my Sol are not completely sealed either, that jsut means you will have to find some way to be creative and seal em up.

I would have needed to do that too but forgot.... a good trick is using tape that is meant to seal metal vents (the tape has a layer of aluminium on top and is heat resistant, can't remember for sure how it is callled thought).

[DJ Hellfire]

nope, i used 04 Maxima highs/lows and fogs :D

Those are E55's. Same projectors used in the Benz E55!

[Midnightsky]

Glare is a HUGE problem with my HID's kit as you can clearly see below.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x311/midnightskynate/100_0149.jpg
http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x311/midnightskynate/100_0151.jpg

[KeWLKaT]

Yeah but Nathan you don't even have the shields in.

And pics of direct light hitting your camera don't mean anything actually, lol.

[Midnightsky]

Yeah but Nathan you don't even have the shields in.

And pics of direct light hitting your camera don't mean anything actually, lol.

That's why I took 2 different pictures. Glare shields? No I never bought any, didn't think I'd have this huge glare problem, oh well, lesson learned lol buy a car that comes stock with projectors

[maral01]

That's why I took 2 different pictures. Glare shields? No I never bought any, didn't think I'd have this huge glare problem, oh well, lesson learned lol buy a car that comes stock with projectors

...or retrofit some!!!;)

[Midnightsky]

...or retrofit some!!!;)

lol how would i manage that?? i=nub

[KeWLKaT]

This damn thread is about it, comon bro... just read...

[maral01]

Like I said in my first post, best ressources can be found at www.hidplanet.com . Visit the forums and any question you could have, just do a search and I can pretty much assure you that you will find the answer. If not, just ask the people there. There are some very knowledgeable members on that board.

[04 elantra cvvt]

Here is a shot with shields. They do really help.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p13/camaro_thunder92/hid12.jpg

[soullesselantra]

Those are E55's. Same projectors used in the Benz E55!

gotcha, thanks for the enlightenment :)

[DJ Hellfire]

gotcha, thanks for the enlightenment :)

No prob!;)

[Midnightsky]

Here is a shot with shields. They do really help.

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p13/camaro_thunder92/hid12.jpg

Thx, that's good to know, I will definately have to see about getting some for my car

[hyundaiLKsunday]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I'll ask anyway. Couldn't you get a set of 04-06 fog projectors like these (http://www.kdmstuff.com/shop/step1.php?number=775), and retrofit them into the housings? They seem to have a nice cutoff.

http://www.wasteofbandwidth.net/public/photos/car/headlights-oemfog.jpg

[Pete03GLS]

theyre too small to be put into headlights... i mean, they dont produce enough light, and its not wide enough, know what i mean?? your night vision would be alot worse than even with stock bulbs.

fog projectors are too small. thats it. atleast thats what i think.

[maral01]

The problem with these projectors is not the wattage of the lamp, but more the design of the projectors themselves. They are not meant to illuminate for more than a few feet in front of the car and if you were to retro them in your headlights, the beams emitted would not be long or large enough for you to safely travel at night. If you would want just halogen projectors, why not go with the sonata's or the new santa fe's? They both seam to have very good output for halogen projectors.

[04 elantra cvvt]

I've got a set of NF projectors that I am trying to retro. And, yes, the 04-06 projectors have a nice cut-off, but it's also the wrong kind of cut-off. Headlights should have a stepped cut-off.

[maral01]

And, yes, the 04-06 projectors have a nice cut-off, but it's also the wrong kind of cut-off

Do they have a straight cut-off?

[04 elantra cvvt]

They actually curve up at toward the outside edges a little bit.

[maral01]

Have you tried a HID bulb in it like I suggested? You might find the cutoff very different with one, mainly due to the position of the HID bulb vs halogen bulb inside the bowl (different optics). The cutoff should remain similar, but I am unsure as to how the beam pattern will be. Hopefully, it should be fine but as I said earlier, test everything before attemting to retrofit... you might find it better to actually buy some real HID projectors to get the results you want.

I'm sure you wouldn't want to have your headlights apart and already cut before you find out that you don't like the output of your projectors. ;)

[04 elantra cvvt]

I haven't gotten a chance to do it yet. This project is far from being done, but I will certainly do that before I get too deep. Thanks again.

[maral01]

One last quick thought for you 04, that I did not think about earlier. When you test your projector, project your beam on a wall that's at least at 25 feet from you. The reason I say that is that the beam might look good at 5 feet but could look like hell at 25 feet. A lot of people did that mistake and once the retro was done, they were like WTF happened to the projectors?

I just don't want you to go through the frustation of having to do it again, for something as easy to check before.

With all that, good luck with the project and make sure to keep us updated! ;)

[soullesselantra]

One last quick thought for you 04, that I did not think about earlier. When you test your projector, project your beam on a wall that's at least at 25 feet from you. The reason I say that is that the beam might look good at 5 feet but could look like hell at 25 feet. A lot of people did that mistake and once the retro was done, they were like WTF happened to the projectors?

I just don't want you to go through the frustation of having to do it again, for something as easy to check before.

With all that, good luck with the project and make sure to keep us updated! ;)


that is some great advice, especially with clear headlight lenses. i did this with my del Sol and the projectors worked beautifully, but with the fluted lenses it distorts the cutoff a bit :(

[maral01]

that is some great advice, especially with clear headlight lenses. i did this with my del Sol and the projectors worked beautifully, but with the fluted lenses it distorts the cutoff a bit :(

Indeed, projectors really don't work well with fluted lenses. I saw that a lot of people had to grind them down to get them just clear. Many hours of work, but worth it in the end if you want the beam and cutoff to be perfect.

[soullesselantra]

Indeed, projectors really don't work well with fluted lenses. I saw that a lot of people had to grind them down to get them just clear. Many hours of work, but worth it in the end if you want the beam and cutoff to be perfect.

since the car is back with me, and i need to redo the surrounds that i made, i will be sanding the fluting down...i cant wait...seems like soooo much fun :(:bondage:

[04 elantra cvvt]

Good thing mine are clear then, eh? Thanks for the advise, and I will keep y'all updated on the project. If I ever get it off of the ground, that is.