Bi-Xenon Headlight Retrofit Thread
 

I have been asked to post a build thread on my headlight conversion by a few members.
If mods feel this thread is not appropriate here, please feel free to move it an necessary.

Here we go:

I was not very happy with the light output of my halogen headlights - either that, or I am slowly going blind, I am almost 48 - so I decided to go bright with the lights. The headlights were badly discolored and cracked, too.
I did not want the ever irresponsible and unfashionably ghetto drifter Xenon bulb kits, so I decided to go full tilt with the more pc projector set up. They have a cutoff line, are brighter, you know, they are better.

So, I looked around and found a pair of Mercedes Benz E55 Bi-Xenon projectors for under $30 each.

OK, better make a parts list than tell my life story here..

Pair of MB E55 Bi-Xenon projectors $55
D2S Ballast kit w/6000K bulbs $195
Wiring, Relays, connectors $30
Fuses, shrink tubing, etc $10
Assorted sandpaper $5
Dish sponges free
Epoxy, paint $20
Extra bulbholders $4
Mirror Glaze #10 & #17 don't remember, maybe 30 bucks

I started by sanding the hell out of the headlight surfaces. I hit them with an orbital sander and 200 grit paper to literally remove the top layer.
I progressively worked my way to 250, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and finally 2000 grit. The finer sanding was done wet.
Sanding bit was finished with the Mirror glaze products..
The result was simply amazing.

Then it was time to open the headlights up.
I sed a heat gun for that, and it was actually easy with some patience.
Here is the projector, and a shroud I made from a recessed ceiling light reflector insert.
There would be too much stray light otherwise.

Removed and cut up the backsides of the reflector housings so they would accomodate the larger projectors. This was pretty much the most unnerving part. Measured quite a few times and drew reference lines for beam aiming before cutting. The trick is to remove very little at a time. Had to make modifications to the cuts to make room for the solenoids, etc, along the way.
Drilled the holes for the projector unit.

The small hole in the housing is actually for the parking light bulb. Our cars over here are not DOT spec, so the parking lights are inside the headlight reflector housing. Besides the fact that I don't particularly like the way they look, they would not work hidden underneath the projector. So I made a double socket, and moved the parking light to the turn signal housing, just like the US cars.

Then I test fitted things for fit, aesthetics, etc..

this is awesome. it should be stickied.

Then it was time to paint stuff.
You can either sand your ass off and try to get into evrey crevice to prep for painting, or you could just drop them in the dishwasher and run the pots&pans cycle with lots of detergent. I did not sand.

Painted everything black for a dark look.

Test installed everything once the paint dried...

...and hated it.
Was not the look I had envisioned, at all..

* the light source in the tast fit pic is a single LED flashlight. I wanted to see the effect.

* And yes, the car was in the shop, receiving a fresh - actually five coats - of paint at the time. Which meant I could not drive for a month and a half, which meant I could take my time with the headlights.

Anyway, the black look was plain ugly.

I repainted the reflector housing chrome. That is some resiously expensive paint.
I then tossed the painted bezels and found some chrome Mercedes bezels..

Looked much better.

Then I - very carefully - installed the projectors with large washers, locking nuts and epoxy for good measure.

The rubber doodad fit nicely with some trimming at the back to protect and weatherproof things in there.
I also ran the solenoid wires through the now defunct parking light socket hole and epoxied the hell oout of it.

Last shot is through the backof the projector. Shows the partial shutter operated by the solenoid for low/hi beams.

Couple shots of the finished headlights, and the Mirror Glaze stuff..
Could not find that stuff here, had to ask a friend in AK to send me those.

Then came the wiring part...

I tapped into the headlight relay for a trigger lead for the individual relays for the ballast units.

The idea here is to avoid any extra load on the car's circuits. Halogens draw 6-7 amps each. While HIDs draw very little during normal operation, they draw as high as 14 amps per ballast during the initial surge. So, I wanted separate, relay and fuse protected circuits for those.
The stock wiring, as well as the column stalk would then be merely used for triggering the on/off and low/hi beam functions. Total load would be reduced to maybe .3 Amps total (whatever is necessary to trigger the relays, in other words) on that circuit that way.

Power came from the main fuse. I used 3mm wires (heavier than necessary) and used a heavy duty eyelet to bolt on the main fuse (fused side) bolt.
Installed inline fuse holders on the line as well.

Best location I could come up with for the ballasts were just inboard of the headlights. There is a fkat patch of sheetmetal there. I cleaned it with alcohol and used some really strong double sided tape.

I used heavy duty relays just aft of each headlight, triggered by the headlight relay of the stock wiring. I left the stock headlight plugs intact, and plugged one lead of the hi/low solenoids of the projectors in the hi beam terminal of those plugs. That way, the column switch works. Ran the grounds to a common ground bolt on each side.

Also, call it paranoia if you like, but I don't like taking chances with wiring work. I soldered and double shrinkwrapped every joint, every terminal. And used dielectric grease. Safer that way. Lasts longer, too. Made me feel better both times I saw a burning car on the side of the road.

Finished..

The Mazda tech was kind enough to break out the adjustment equipment and give me a hand with the adjusting part.

I had asked the Mazda guys for permission to work on my car and do the wiring as they were putting the car together after the paint job. They agreed, and I was able to do all the electrical work there.. Made life much easier for me.

And here's how it all looks after everything is done.

Light output is considerably more.
High beams are amazing.

The kit originally came with 6000K bulbs. I will switch to the much brighter 4100K bulbs once these wear out..

All in all, it was not really a difficult project. I did most of the work in the living room, on the coffee table. My wife helped with the heat gun work, so I had an extra hand for the awkward parts.

Oh, almost forgot.. I padded the reflector housings with dish sponges on top and below as I installed them in the main housings to prevent vibration issues with the relatively heavier projectors in them.
Beam adjusting motors work, and I can adjust the beam height as I drive, just like the stock halogens.

Good night, and thanks for reading this far...

would those have fit into the 01 housings any easier?

I don't see why it would be any more different for an '01..

You might want to look into Acura TSX or Lexus projectors. They are somewhat smaller and have more light output.
I had to work with what I could get my hands on around here.

I like it. Nice work.

Very good writeup +1 on the sticky, also where did you end up finding the E55s?

well for one, you would already be starting with a small round hole where the headlight is...

http://www.y8s.com/miata/images/DSCN0248.jpg

Wow, that very clean work! A lot of people might have been satisfied with a half-assed job with no high beams, no motors, etc. That you took the time to aim the things, addressed vibration issues, kept the motors' functionality... wow!

Thanks..

I bought the projectors off a guy who scavenges them from junkyards..
There are quite a few on on eBay, tho.

You could look in the Acura TSX and Lexus projector selections. They are much smaller than the E55 projectors, have amazing light output, and are very much sought after items.

I guess, since you live in the states and have infinitely more resources than I would ever have in Turkey as far as auto parts are concerned, you could buy a busted up headlight from a junkyard for next to nothing and make your plans based on your own measurements and intended modifications.

(I know, I used to spend half an hour at the junkyard and collect precious crap that I could use for my projects when I was there.
I even built a $60.000 "Panther" (an articulating dolly/boom assembly for a movie camera) for exactly $600 that way..)

Put my set-up to shame....damn nice work there!

Hey Thanks for posting that! What a fantastic look!! :D

Well done sir.!

I am sorry to report that I no longer have my custom headlights.

A slight mishap wiped them out.
Turns out retrofitted headlights do not withstand a 100+mph head on impact with the armco.

Car has been in the shop being re-everythinged for some time. Has stock halogens on it.

I will do them again once I get up from under the catching up bit to get it back on the road.
I guess I will go for the Lexus or TSX projectors this time around.

Damn. All that work shot. It wouldn't be the money lost making me sad as much as the time and effort that went into them. Will be looking forward to version 2 though.

And then there was only one with projectors ;). Sorry to hear about the accident though

awesome job. I remember doing this stuff to my VW and it took incredible patience and determination to get it right.

ok so ive been doing research about doing this mod myself, and im looking at some TL projectors. i looked at the TSX projectors but they are not bi xenon, correct?? the TL projectors are. my question is, do you think they will fit in the headlight housing? and what brand ballast should i go with? phillips? thanks!! btw, great work! sorry about the accident.

I've done this myself, with my msm headlights. Its easier with 01+ lights, but I'd recommend an RX-8 single beam projector. I use the E-55s on mine because I tried the other bi-xenons and they don't work. DO NOT try another bixenon with 01+ lights, you'll be sad when it doesn't work. You need a unit with the solenoid on the front, not the back. It could be done, but its a waste since you have to cut all the good stuff out of the light.

Great job on the project, sorry it got trashed. GL with the new one. Seriously, 01+ lights (05 msm's would be ideal) with Rx-8 projectors. And, oh. well, search Ms.com for my thread, big differences between 05, 01-02, 03-04 headlights internally. Anyway, later.

Resurrecting an old thread here..

I am tackling the bi-xenon retrofit project one more time.
(My headlights were destroyed in an accident, I have been driving with the halogens since..)

After I had completed my retrofit the last time, I have had a few comments directed at me regarding the bi-xenon projector quality and illumination capacity.
Some said I should have used Acura TSX, or Lexus projectors.

So, I went ahead and got all of them, so I could examine and compare them all. Side by side tests (hooked up to an identical ballast, and using an identical bulb) revealed vastly different results in both brightness, and beam width.

After a close inspection of the reflective surfaces on the bench, I found out that the geometry of the reflectors themselves are indeed not a significant contributor as far as the light output is concerned.
The real factor, it turns out, is how brightly coated the reflective surfaces are.

Hella reflectors have a satin-like finish, while the coveted, expensive bi-xenon units are mirror-like on the inside.

On the other hand, Hella reflectors have bullet proof and lightning fast solenoids for hi-low beam, and are rather compact in size, which makes the retrofit installation much simpler.

So, I had an idea:

I am taking a set of Hella reflectors apart, to have them chromed inside. I have access to all sorts of chrome (and zinc, and anything else) plating at a friend's factory where they do super fine work on both metal and plastic materials, so I can experiment till I am satisfied with the results.

I also have access to a huge assortment of projector lenses, so I can experiment with Fresnel and clear lenses to get the best output.

I mean, the light output was amazing compared to the stock halogens to begin with. I can only imagine what it will be like when I am done with them this time around.

I will keep posting the results here as things progress.

Finished..

I decided not to go with the E55 projectors, after all.
A bunch of projectors, tested side by side produced a clear winner: The Infiniti FX35 projectors were the brightest, with the widest beam.

The only drawback was their bulky size.
So, I modified the hell out of them.

Here is the projector before:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/9475/dsc09453u.jpg

Here is what I did to fit them inside the Miata headlight reflectors:

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7684/img0620v.jpg

I did not want to paint the reflectors black this time around.
Instead, I had a more radical approach. I decided to build a vacuform setup to make a housing to conceal the reflector.

I heated 1mm thick PVC sheeting in the oven till it was barely sagging (I sanded the PVC before heating to make the painting step easier)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9749/img0629r.jpg

Then The vacuum took care of the rest

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5997/img0630mo.jpg

The result was actually satisfying:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2233/img0636yt.jpg

So, I made two of those housings.. Took me a dozen tries to get here...

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/915/img0640q.jpg

I used one of the rejects to see how it would look.
Instead of painting and waiting for the paint to dry, I used aluminum tape to make it "shiny", so I would see the result.

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/4163/phone001w.jpg

I liked how it turned out, so I did a full mock up:

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5079/img0675j.jpg

Once I was satisfied, I primered (is that a word?) and painted the trimmed PVC pieces in chrome paint.
Turned out pretty cool.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9782/phone004.jpg

[URL=http://img408.imageshack.us/i/phone010i.jpg/]http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7913/phone010i.jpg[/U

Next, I closed up the headlight assemblies, and mounted them on the car. I used relays for both sides this time around, as well.

Sorry for the crappy pics. I will take better pictures during the day.

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/3034/phone016.jpg


http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/3643/phone013.jpg

The light output is far better than the previous HID conversion. The light simply floods the road.

That's some dedication, good work!

Wow! I'm impressed with the actual fabbing that went on. ;)

Thanks..
Here are some better pics for detail:

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/4094/dsc09500a.jpg

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/1974/dsc09502.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5145/dsc09503s.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6117/dsc09506a.jpg

That's super impressive dude. I know how patient you have to be to get that stuff right. Did you ever look into the so called FX-R projector or fressnel lenses? I had myself a pair of FX-r's and they put out amazing light. I went through three or four projector choices before I found the E55s were the only ones that would fit my headlights (01+). The E55s have ok light output but not the best, even with mods. I did clear lenses, sheild mod, and mild reflector mods. worked out ok in the end though.

Looks great man.

very nice i wish i have the skills to do retrofits myself. so many different types of cars are modding their headlights these days.

you can probably handle it honestly, its not as hard as you may think. he went way out of his way to make his setup very unique and finished, but at its core all you need to do is either cut a hole or drill some pilot holes for screws, and line up the projectors and then reassemble.

Hidplanet.com and Theretrofitsource are good places to start researching. I managed and I knew 0 about the project before i started. Fitted mine in oem msm lights. Looks awesome, and I have bixenons like him, so you get hi/lo in one projector.

Great job Hakan!

This is phenomenal. I want to do this the right way for my NB1 over the winter. Great write up!

I know you were a bit limited re: parts because of your location. Any suggestions for other manufacturers etc to look for if doing this in the states? We have a few retrofit sites too and I've seen another writeup on one of them.

This was on m net: Retrofitting 99 NB headlights to HID Projectors; with pics! - MX-5 Miata Forum

I am running "The retrofit source" kid and i love mine.

H1 Mini kit.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2c556c8255.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...48409e0af5.jpg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...55f41a46c1.jpg

How much did everything for that run? Link for the kit?

I'm super stoked to do this.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/co...1-stage-3.html

270 i think it was.

Get the right harness. For my 99 it was the H4/9003 connection. I have the Mini Gatling gun shroud.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...849940441a.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...990b0df7c8.jpg