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Thread: My HID Retrofit DIY - using FX-R 1.1 projectors and Sky1Z3 brackets

  1. #1
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    My HID Retrofit DIY - using FX-R 1.1 projectors and Sky1Z3 brackets

    FX-R HID Projector Install

    Introduction
    OK. This is another HID install, using FX-R 1.1 projectors and Skylar’s Skylightz brackets. Please remember that I'm -vv (that's computer speak for 'very verbose'), and I like pictures (about 30 in here).
    NOTE: THIS INSTALL USED THE 1.1 PROJECTORS AND BRACKETS!!! THE SPECIFIC MEASUREMENTS I'VE INCLUDED ARE ONLY FOR 1.1 PROJECTORS AND BRACKETS! THE MOUNTING DEPTH AND BRACKET SPACING WILL BE DIFFERENT USING 3.0 PROJECTORS AND BRACKETS!

    My personal thanks to Sky, Dunkyfried, whoever derek is (j/k, Vinci ), The Retrofit Source, and AutoM3otives (Ryan) for selling me various components!

    Here are the two primary resources I used:
    derek’s headlight disassembly site
    *and*
    Dunkyfried’s DIY

    While it really appears that these two resources documented [almost] everything, I did a few unique things to ease the aiming/adjustment, and I also took a metric butt-tonne of pictures.
    NOTES:
    1. I’ve still written this up as a full DIY, covering tools and procedures (I’ve attempted to highlight unique ones of each), and using my own pictures.
    2. Some pictures appear twice, when I think they help illustrate more than one item/issue.
    3. For the sake of brevity, the new, assembled bracket/projector/reflector assembly will be referred to as the “Sky kit.”
    4. The install instructions assume you’ve already connected and tested the ballasts and bulbs.
    5. Some shrouds sold by TRS to fit the FX-R projector will fit better than others, and most should fit without interfering with Sky's bracket. Selection really comes down to the ability of the shroud to fill up the opening vacated through removal of the factory light's internal circular lens. This will depend on the diameter and depth of the shrouds.

    FINAL PRODUCT, UP FRONT:


    --------
    Project Phases and associated key tasks:
    1. PREP: remove and clean entire headlight housing, lay out and install wiring, connect ballasts.
    2. DISASSEMBLY: remove ancillary hardware (clips, vents, boots), remove front clear lens (outer housing), remove internal lenses and corner markers, separate middle and rear housing sections, separate reflectors from rear – remove ball sockets.
    3. MODIFICATION: Establish dimensions of headlights pre-modification (mounting points, reflector assembly, etc.), cut high-beam reflector away from low-beam reflector, file edge to be perfectly level, drill holes in upper central adjustment and lower mount points.
    4. PROJECTOR INSTALLATION: attach the bracket to the high-beam reflector, mount the projector to the new bracket.
    5. PRIMARY REASSEMBLY: Set up new lower mounting point, attach the Sky kit to the rear housing, verify measurements, bake rear and center sections back together (DO NOT ATTACH FRONT CLEAR LENS YET).
    6. ALIGNMENT: Temporarily install units for alignment verification (not the same as aiming), align if necessary.
    7. SECONDARY REASSEMBLY: Template low-beam internal lenses using thin cardboard, measure position of projector center, mark/cut opening on template, verify fitment (REPEAT IF NECESSARY), mark/drill plastic lenses, reinstall internal lenses, corner markers, bake front housing (lens) to rear/center assembly.
    8. REINSTALLATION: Install headlights, install all bulbs, connect ballasts, high-beam leads, etc.
    9. AIMING: link provided below.

    --------
    Materials:
    Sky's 1.1 brackets
    FX-R 1.1 bi-xenon projectors
    Morimoto 3-five ballasts (sold by TRS)
    Morimoto 35W 4300K D2S HID bulbs (sold by TRS)
    The Retrofit Source (TRS) CUSTOM wire harness (thanks, guys!!!)
    TRS 9006 pigtails (to split high-beam signal to 9011 HIR high-beam bulb and bi-xenon solenoid)
    E55-R and 'Iris' shrouds (sold by TRS)

    --------
    Tools required:
    Panel removal tools (quality plastic ones are fine)
    Medium flat head screwdriver
    Phillips screwdriver
    11/32" socket
    11/32" wrench
    9/16" inch OR 11mm wrench
    set of SAE ball-end allen wrenches
    * drill bit
    * Steel reinforced epoxy (JB Weld)
    * Dremel with HD cutter bit and small engraving bit

    -------
    Write-up:

    PHASE 1: PREP

    For me, prep consisted of three things:
    a) Removing the headlights (this is really straightforward)

    b) Removing the windshield washer fluid jug (not hard – drain, remove fastener along fender, pull up jug and remove the pump), and

    ***c) Laying out the wiring. The wiring is one of the things that I did differently
    I really appreciate the quality of the wiring harness provided by TRS, but it is meant to be universal, and the dimensions were not ideal for what I wanted to do. The harness has one 9006 input (18”), two relays, two 9006 outputs (1 @ 18”, 1 @ 64”), a power lead (xx”), and a ground lead (xx”). If you are okay mounting the relays in an exposed area, the universal harness will work fine. Actually, the relays are supposed to be sealed, so mounting them near near the Z3’s relay/fuse enclosure is probably fine - simply run the + and – leads along the firewall to the power distribution block in the secondary air pump enclosure and the ground point on the right strut tower (respectively), then use the driver’s side low-beam 9006 to connect to the 18” input, run the shorter input to the same side, then run the longer output in front of the radiator to the passenger’s side.

    However, because I really wanted the relays to be in a weather-proofed area, I decided to pay TRS for a custom harness. The relays are mounted in the secondary air pump enclosure, adjacent to the power distribution block. The single 9006 input (35”), 9006 output 1 (35”), and 9006 output 2 (84”) run out the grommet at the front of that enclosure. I used the passenger low-beam as input, and ran output 2 in front of the radiator. The new harness, instead of having a single ground wire, has individual ground wires for each output lead. There are perfectly-placed factory grounding locations adjacent to the backs of the headlights, so I used these. The following pictures show the mounting points and wiring routing.


    CAPTION: Universal harness from The Retrofit Source


    CAPTION: Custom harness on the left, universal harness on the right.


    CAPTION: Wiring Option 1


    CAPTION: My favored wiring option - shown with universal harness, which is not long enough. The custom harness fits like a glove.



    CAPTION: Before finalizing relay mount


    CAPTION: Wire routing through SAP housing grommet


    CAPTION: Fender routing - almost all of the wiring could be fit into the nice factory clips.

    <<PIC: WIRING FORWARD OF RADIATOR>>

    9006 inputs mated to the Morimoto ballast inputs, which I mounted just behind the headlights. Eventually, I will get the extended length Morimoto ballasts to mount inside the bumper support so that I can re-install a winshield washer fluid reservoir (opting for the smaller, 2.5L unit eventually)

    <<PIC: BALLAST MOUNT>>

    PHASE 2: DISASSEMBLY (per link #1 above)
    a) External disassembly (aka Cooking time!) - I really thought this was going to be more of a pain than it was. It was simple, following derek’s DIY. Removed the metal clips, the rear rubber boots, and the vent tubes, popped the unit in the oven (20 minutes at 225*), then pulled it apart in two stages – first front lens removal, then back into the oven before separating the center section from the rear.
    For the outer lens, I basically used my door panel tool to pry apart the lens along a small section of the top, then pulled the rest apart by hand. Once the outer shell was off, I removed the internal lenses (plastic on a 2000 model). After the second oven session, separating the rear section from the middle took more time and effort, but it was still fairly simple – JUST BE CAREFUL WITH ALL OF THE PLASTIC CLIPS!!!

    b) Internal disassembly – there are three multi-directional internal mounting points (as seen in other DIYs) which connect the reflector assembly to the rear of the headlight assembly, and all three need to be disconnected. The mounting points include two ball sockets along the top of the reflector assembly (which connect to the aiming adjustment mechanisms), and one at the center bottom that connects to a static metal rod which serves as the reflector’s aiming pivot point. For me, it was easier to pop the top ball-sockets off the adjusters first (as indicated in link 1), then slide the bottom socket laterally off its mount.

    c) Once the reflector assembly was removed, I removed the lower socket mount by lifting the clip and pulling the articulated socket away from the reflector (all visible in disassembly link).

    PHASE 3: MODIFICATION
    a) Throughout phases 3-5, I made a whole BUNCH of measurements. I’m not sure anyone else who undertakes this DIY needs to place as much effort into measuring as I did, as long as they adhere to my specs (all of these will be marked in red).

    b) After measuring the height of the lower pivot rod/socket, I removed this lower hardware (the pivot rod) from the rear housing section – this simply requires a twist on the rear plastic part (rear of rear ass’y), and it may well break (both of mine did). This is okay, since you’re replacing the factory pivot rod with Sky’s bolt and washers. This is where I used some extra parts – I purchased a set of four additional nuts as well as a set of four ‘rubber’ (neoprene?) washers. Once the long bolt was inserted with the large washers, I secured it with two nuts (second acts as a ‘jam’). I then installed and tightened two more nuts and set one small metal washer and one neoprene washer such that the latter was resting at my pre-determined ‘mounting’ height (~39mm).


    CAPTION: Factory pivot rod (picture shows unit held upside down - the rod is actually at bottom of housing, but shows up high here)


    CAPTION: New hardware being positioned


    CAPTION: New hardware secured



    CAPTION: Mount set to height of 39mm

    Turning back to the reflector section… I removed the two top nylon sockets from the back of the reflector assembly, and cut off ~7mm from the ‘forward’ side of each.


    CAPTION: One socket left on reflector assembly (right side of pic)


    CAPTION: Socket shown post-modification

    c) I cut the high-beam reflector away from the low-beam reflector (attempting to keep the cut line as square to the face of the reflector as possible) – then filed down the cut edge to ensure it was flat and level/even with the face of the reflector (to verify, I put the bowl face down and set a bubble level on the newly-cut edge). Keeping the cut edge perfectly parallel to the bowl face aids in proper alignment. I measured the cut-side depth of the high-beam reflector ‘wall’ to be 56mm. I think this is an ideal measurement. In the picture below, the 56mm measurement was taken with a caliper between the two mounting holes, just a bit toward the center from the 'scuff' you see.


    CAPTION: Cut reflector (high-beam shown)

    b) It is necessary to drill holes in upper and lower mount/adjustment points on the remaining reflector section. On the bottom one, it’s best to make the hole with a bit of horizontal and vertical ‘slop’ since the new long mounting bolt angles downward, and since this lower mount serves as the pivot for the headlight aiming functions. See below picture for the holes from the front side.


    CAPTION: Drilled reflector

    d) Putting together the two parts of Sky’s bracket is simple, so I won’t bother describing that - besides, you should be able to infer assembly procedures from my myriad pictures.

    PHASE 4: PROJECTOR INSTALLATION

    The installation phase consists of two parts – connecting the bracket to the high-beam reflector, and mounting the projector to the bracket.

    a) Attaching the high-beam reflector to the smaller of Sky's bracket parts (we'll call it the 'perch' portion) is pretty simple – insert the long allen-head bolt (provided with Sky’s kit) through the socket end of one of the shortened nylon sockets, then through the smaller of the two holes on the perch, and finally through the smaller, upper hole you drilled in the reflector segment. Secure the bolt at the front of the reflector with the included nut. I had to notch out a small part on the front of the reflector in order to allow proper seating of the nut, but this was no big deal for a Dremel.


    CAPTION: The two bolts that connect the Sky bracket to the reflector can be seen here. The larger one on the left is clearly the lower mount/pivot already discussed, and the smaller one on the right also doubles as the means of securing the nylon socket to the back side of the small metal 'perch.' Unfortunately you can't see what I notched out there, but you can get the idea of where the work was necessary.


    CAPTION: "Sky Kit" - please note that the hex bolt head you see at the bottom mount is just to keep everything in place, and not part of the correct assembly, also note that this picture shows the nylon sockets BEFORE I trimmed them down.

    ***b) Here’s another one of the areas where I took some artistic license… Since I didn’t want to have to bake/separate the rear and center housing sections just to realign my projectors, I decided to do something a bit different. Adjusting the projector rotation requires loosening the upper and lower mouning bolts/nuts, moving the projector, then tightening the bolts/nuts. I figured that if the nuts were static, I’d only have to have access to the bolt heads to loosen/move/tighten. I decided that steel-reinforced epoxy was going to be my friend. I used it to connect the upper nut to the rear of the bracket (since this mounting point is static, it could serve as a rotational pivot point), but the same could not be done on the lower, inner mount, since this is the little ‘quarter moon’ slot that allows the unit to be moved around its longitudinal axis – JB Welding that nut would preclude adjustment (DUH). SO, I did a touch of grinding to the projector housing, and JB Welded the nut to the front. When mounting the projector, I inserted this lower bolt from back-to-front. I then drilled a small hole in the rear headlight housing piece – just big enough to allow me to insert correct size ball-end allen wrench to loosen and tighten the bolt.


    CAPTION: Upper projector mounting hardware visible through opening (unit is upside-down)


    CAPTION: Upper projector mounting nut JB Welded in place (unit is upside-down). BTW, the dangling wires are connected to the Bi-Xenon solenoid.


    CAPTION: Lower projector mounting nut JB-Welded in place - this is the inboard hole on the passenger light.


    CAPTION: Access hole behind lower mounting nut to facilitate rotational adjustment

    c) I secured the projector to the bracket with the bolts provided by Sky. For the upper-outer mounting point (single pivot hole), I inserted the bolt through the appropriate mounting point on the projector, then eased it through the bracket and threaded it into the epoxied nut until there was resistance. For the lower-inner mounting point (the one in the quarter-moon 'slot', I inserted the bolt from the rear of the bracket, into the projector mounting point, and into the epoxied nut on the projector. I then 'eye-balled' the alignment, and tightened both mounting bolts down.

    d) Installing the top-outer nylon socket is straightforward - bolt through socket, into bracket, secured by nut on front of bracket.

    PHASE 5: PRIMARY REASSEMBLY

    a) Okay… in phase 3b, I already set the lower mount height to 39mm - so this is unchanged.


    CAPTION: Repeat of lower pivot mount measurement

    b) The next step was retracting the upper mounting balls by turning aiming mechanisms counter-clockwise. I just got them to the point that their bases were just inside their openings.

    ***c) Attaching the Sky kit to the rear housing isn’t rocket science, but might take some patience. I used neoprene washers atop the the bottom mount washer for added flexibility around the pivot, then slid the Sky kit onto the lower bolt – this required some wiggling to get it to sit all the way down on the perch. I then popped the upper sockets onto the adjuster balls, placed two more neoprene washers on the area of the reflector where the lower mounting bolt protrudes, then topped them with the metal washer and the anchor nut. Once the nut touches the metal washer, just give it about a half turn.
    NOTE: The neoprene washers were a ‘late addition’ – I had installed everything without them the first time, and when I tightened the front nut and manipulated the adjusters, one of the reflectors cracked (the area immediately adjacent to the mounting bolt). The way to avoid this is to include the flexible buffer (front and rear) and not tighten the nut excessively. Picture below shows the crack I caused... my remedy was to seal it with some flowable silicone sealant designed for windshields.


    CAPTION: Lower mount with washer and nut - neoprene washers not shown. You can barely make out the crack I mentioned

    c) I made some measurements at the outer edge of the Sky kit+rear housing assembly, and the bracket sits 15mm from the plastic, more or less parallel.


    CAPTION: Lower mount with washer and nut - neoprene washers not shown. You can barely make out the crack I mentioned


    CAPTION: Another view of the Sky kit mated to the rear housing (sans projector)

    d) Bake rear and center sections back together (DO NOT ATTACH FRONT CLEAR LENS YET).


    CAPTION: Sky kit enclosed in rear and center housings

    PHASE 6: ALIGNMENT

    You’ll need to make sure that the projectors are properly oriented/aligned, and don’t exhibit excessive rotation. This is where my idea of using JB Weld on the nut on the projector, and drilling the hole in the rear housing section paid off (as detailed in Phase 4b above). My passenger side unit needed to be rotated, and instead of having to dismount the unit, bake and separate the middle and rear sections to access the bolt head or nut, all I had to do was insert the ball-end allen wrench through my access hole, loosen the lower-inner projector mounting bolt (the one in the quarter-moon track), rotate the projector to the correct orientation, then re-tighten the bolt.


    CAPTION: Temp install for rotational alignment

    PHASE 7: SECONDARY REASSEMBLY

    This is where you need to decide whether you want to use aftermarket shrouds or bore out your internal lenses (actually, you will need to decide this at least a week before the project, in order to allow enough time for delivery…). Either way, I’m only covering the latter scenario for now, since I’m still waiting on some shrouds, myself. EDITORIAL NOTE: cutting the internal lenses really isn’t something that you want to ‘swag.’ If you mess up, you’ll find yourself buying an entire replacement headlight assembly – JUST for one internal lens. As such, I’m recommending the following, which worked well enough for me:

    a) I traced out the low-beam internal lenses onto some thin cardboard, then cut these out to serve as templates. I measured the position of each projector’s center, then mark/cut out the opening on the template and used them to verify fitment (REPEAT IF NECESSARY).

    b) After verifying that the templates are accurate, I used them to mark the factory internal lenses, and drilled them out (mine had MY2000-and-later plastic parts). If yours are not plastic, take them to a glass shop to have them drilled out for you.

    c) Reinstalled the internal lenses (or install shrouds with centric rings on projectors) and corner markers.


    CAPTION: Temporary picture until I can get a better/corrected one!

    d) Baked front housing (lens) to rear/center assembly.

    ***PICS OF TEMPLATES AND DRILLED LENSES, PLUS SHROUDS, WILL BE ADDED LATER

    I’m not going to write up anything on step 8 because executing the steps should be completely obvious if you’ve gotten this far!

    PHASE 8: REINSTALLATION

    a) Install headlights,

    b) install all bulbs, connect ballasts, high-beam leads, etc.

    PHASE 9: AIMING

    Here is a good link to instructions on how to aim your headlights:
    http://www.futurevisionhid.com/pdf/h...structions.pdf


    LIGHT OUTPUT COMPARISON:
    Please note that the below pictures were taken with identical ambient lighting conditions and camera settings (ISO, aperture, shutterspeed, exposure compensation, white balance, and metering mode) in manual. This comparison is not entirely the best way of looking at the output, but the best way I could think to show it.


    CAPTION: Low beam halogens


    CAPTION: Halogen low + high beams


    CAPTION: Low-beam HIDs only


    CAPTION: HID + 9011 HIR halogen high-beam. Note that the Bi-Xenon solenoid was activated here, so the low-beam shroud is retracted for high-beam-like function.

    Search Terms: BMW Z3 roadster coupe M Coupe headlight HID projector retrofit Xenon bi-xenon Sky bracket conversion E367 E368 E36/8 FX-R improve lighting Retrofit Source
    Last edited by BMWBergy; 04-03-2016 at 03:34 PM.

  2. #2
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    Absolutely amazing work on the DIY and your retro my friend. A+ to you. I especially like the metric butt-ton of pictures. I was just discussing with the Ms. that sh!t ton is a unit of measure. HA.

    Glad I could be of help, even though I didn't do too much. You did a great job!

  3. #3
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    Nice work Bergy!!!! do you have any pics of what the final light looks like on the car or does it look stock?
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Racer MXM View Post
    Nice work Bergy!!!! do you have any pics of what the final light looks like on the car or does it look stock?
    Thanks Matti!

    I will have more pics next week sometime - sorry that the one section is just a placeholder for now. I'll add a temporary picture (EDIT: DONE) for now. The approach with the bored-out inner lens makes it look just like X5 headlights.

    There were two issues:
    1) The 'chrome' paint on the inner lens borders is really sensitive. I tried to wipe off a small smudge with a microfiber towel, and the finish all came off. Ended up buying a used unit for $85, JUST for that inner lens. It's alright though this cloud has a silver lining (even if I removed the lining from the lenses) - this allowed me to practice my hole-saw use in advance.
    2) I am waiting for a set of shrouds that I want to test fit on the projectors. They are simple, straightforward with no excess protrusions or divots or anything. They may work really well.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Sky1Z3 View Post
    Absolutely amazing work on the DIY and your retro my friend. A+ to you. I especially like the metric butt-ton of pictures. I was just discussing with the Ms. that sh!t ton is a unit of measure. HA.

    Glad I could be of help, even though I didn't do too much. You did a great job!
    Thanks Sky! Even if you didn't do 'too much,' you kept me moving along with answers, AND you designed and built the bracket in the first place - so this really wouldn't have been possible without you!!!

    So based on the other thread, and your answer that the projector-mount section (larger part of the bracket) is the only difference between the 1.1 and 3.0 bracket, I'm hoping that the mounting dimensions I detailed above will still work fine for anyone installing the 3.0.
    Last edited by BMWBergy; 12-19-2013 at 12:54 AM.

  5. #5
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    How much would this kit cost if lets say one wanted something like this done, and supplied the headlights for modification? I mean you might have covered this and I missed it, just curious. Thank you.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Knowthebattle View Post
    How much would this kit cost if lets say one wanted something like this done, and supplied the headlights for modification? I mean you might have covered this and I missed it, just curious. Thank you.
    It's really a funny question, because it comes up in almost every one of these threads! Most of the OPs say "No way - I don't have the time" or if they make a quote, potentially-interested parties say "No way - I don't have that kind of money to spend!"

    Either way, it's not something that's crossed my mind. I'll have to think about it.

  7. #7
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    Absolutely an amazing job! I wish the headlights came like that from the factory.

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    Love the function but can't get past the look. I still greatly prefer the Apexcones.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by kobayashi View Post
    Love the function but can't get past the look. I still greatly prefer the Apexcones.
    I'm not totally thrilled with the look of the drilled stock lenses myself, which is why I'm going to try out one or two shroud options. I'm not sure quite how much I'll like the one-shroud-one-lens look (as opposed to the fully re-done Apexcones), but it's worth a shot. Either way, TRS has great prices on 'scratch and dent' shrouds, so I can buy a few for testing without breaking the bank.

    On the 'bright' side, as I pointed out to Matti, this 'drilled-lens look' is not unlike that of the X5 with HIDs, so it doesn't really 'stand out' like many aftermarket options might.

    In the end, for me this wasn't as much about aesthetics and upgrading the look of the headlights, as it was about increasing the output/illumination for safer night-time driving.
    Last edited by BMWBergy; 12-19-2013 at 12:56 AM.

  10. #10
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    Awesome Bergy!

  11. #11
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    Incredible. Well done! One day I'll have a set. Beautiful job.
    i3 & Z3 M Coupe

  12. #12
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    My reading comprehension skills are not worthy of this thread. Awesome work.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by jajou318 View Post
    Awesome Bergy!
    Thanks Tony!

    Quote Originally Posted by Edev View Post
    Incredible. Well done! One day I'll have a set. Beautiful job.
    Appreciate it. Hopefully the 'final' finished product pictures will impress... testing with shrouds this weekend, if I can make the days longer...

    Quote Originally Posted by robrez View Post
    My reading comprehension skills are not worthy of this thread. Awesome work.
    Hehe. Thanks, Rob. I can't tell you how hard I tried to write this up with about 1/3 the words. It didn't work. Sadly, I let this distract me from writing my thesis for waaaaaay too many hours.

  14. #14
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    I'm glad I sold you my stash. I couldn't do it the justice you have; I was too scared/impatient to go the extra steps. Once I got my angel eyes into my headlights along with HIR bulbs, I was content. And I'm glad the kit went to you. Your sharing of information is definitely an asset to our community.
    M3 E30 | 190E-16V | M Coupe E36/8 | S2000

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by AutoM3otives View Post
    I'm glad I sold you my stash. I couldn't do it the justice you have; I was too scared/impatient to go the extra steps. Once I got my angel eyes into my headlights along with HIR bulbs, I was content. And I'm glad the kit went to you. Your sharing of information is definitely an asset to our community.
    Thanks, Ryan. Now if I could only dial down my cynicism/sarcasm/snark-iness, I could be even *more* helpful.

    BTW, I went back and edited my capitalization of your screen name in the initial acknowledgements.

  16. #16
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    Great work, excellent diy!

    /
    //

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Msilvia View Post
    Great work, excellent diy!
    Thank you!

    On a separate note, I received my first set of experimental shrouds, and I'm not sure if they'll work as expected. I was a bit concerned that the two units appeared to have been cast in the same mold - they're both larger on the same side - as though they are either they are both 'lefts' or both 'rights'. I contacted TRS about this, and they offered to swap them out at no charge. Appreciate the customer service.
    Last edited by BMWBergy; 12-19-2013 at 01:00 AM.

  18. #18
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    Terrific write up of your professional-level craftsmanship.

    I may have missed it but what temp are the bulbs? I ask because (on our Touring) I found even 5000K HID's counterproductive to enhancing vision in the rain. I eventually pulled 'em out and went back to halogen.

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    Quote Originally Posted by paul4223 View Post
    Terrific write up of your professional-level craftsmanship.

    I may have missed it but what temp are the bulbs? I ask because (on our Touring) I found even 5000K HID's counterproductive to enhancing vision in the rain. I eventually pulled 'em out and went back to halogen.
    Don't run anything over 4300k unless you're a ricer.

  20. #20
    Z3speed4me's Avatar
    Z3speed4me is offline Coupe Cartel Forever! BMW CCA Member
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    I would also contemplate paying.

    I ran 5500 on the old car, 6k on this one; I guess my cars are rice then huh?
    That's a pretty ridiculous comment... 5k actually has the most light output if I recall.

    ~Ken~ '99 M coupe THE "original" TT Stage 3 - HTA3586R; 701 whp 672 wtq @ 26.5 psi ; NeverSell - CoupeCartel

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    Quote Originally Posted by Z3speed4me View Post
    I would also contemplate paying.

    I ran 5500 on the old car, 6k on this one; I guess my cars are rice then huh?
    That's a pretty ridiculous comment... 5k actually has the most light output if I recall.
    Yes, you're a ricer then. 4300k has the most light output. Better luck next time.

  22. #22
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    Gentlemen, please keep it civil. I'm more than happy to open up a thread on bulb temps vs. light output. This is all about the retrofit and build options.

    Quote Originally Posted by paul4223 View Post
    Terrific write up of your professional-level craftsmanship.
    I may have missed it but what temp are the bulbs? I ask because (on our Touring) I found even 5000K HID's counterproductive to enhancing vision in the rain. I eventually pulled 'em out and went back to halogen.
    Thanks, Paul. I am indeed using 4300K. Zero driving in the rain or fog (yet), so I can't comment on output in those conditions; however, they HAVE to be better than factory!

  23. #23
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    Why run a separate relay, given that the OE circuit is already relay-operated?
    On my e36, I beefed up the OE wire from the relay to the headlight to handle more current for the HID ballast, but the OE relays worked fine. (basically, your option 1, but using the factory relays and power)

    I was planning to do the same on my coupe, thoughts?

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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWBergy View Post
    Thanks, Paul. I am indeed using 4300K. Zero driving in the rain or fog (yet), so I can't comment on output in those conditions; however, they HAVE to be better than factory!
    Wise choice. You obviously care more about go than show. Debating putting HIDs into my Apexcones since they are rated for both H9 and D2S by Hella.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by kobayashi View Post
    Wise choice. You obviously care more about go than show. Debating putting HIDs into my Apexcones since they are rated for both H9 and D2S by Hella.
    That's interesting. I didn't know there were projectors that could function with both Halogen and Xenon...

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