Headlight Upgrade

First topic message reminder :

Merry Christmas all!

Well, as I'm sure most of you are aware, the headlight on the 'Cat is diabolical.

So I decided to do a Xenon Retrofit on the headlight. What a difference!! I'm sure there's a bit of a divide regarding aftermarket Xenons, there is on most forums. However, this is brilliant. It's not just a HID kit in the standard housing, it's a Bi-xenon projector in the standard housing with a good xenon kit.

A few pictures of the projector itself:





(Yep, Missing a few screen bolts. Anyone know where I can get some standard ones? Lost them in the garage whilst it was in bits.)


The light output is brilliant. Considering it's a single projector it's very bright with a good beam pattern. I'm waiting for it to be a dry night so I can go and take some decent beam shots. However the weather is shocking at the moment and the Port is much more attractive than getting wet! Here are a few from the garage but they don't do it justice. They also weren't aligned properly at this point.

Dipped:



Full:



Thoughts?

Regards

Mike

Ah right ok. Well the link to their page is here:

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/diy-installation-guides.html

Obviously, they're for their projectors and kits so will differ from the one you're getting.
I hope you don't suffer reliability issues, it's a pain having to take apart the fairings and headlight to do the mod, last thing you want to be doing is taking it apart again for a fault. The only thing id recommend not skimping on is the projector. The rest is fairly simple to change if it goes wrong. That's just my 2p worth though.

Regards

Mike

There's no mention in that ad about which way the beam dips (LHD or RHD). Be careful that you don't run into MOT issues with beam pattern.

weasley wrote:There's no mention in that ad about which way the beam dips (LHD or RHD).  Be careful that you don't run into MOT issues with beam pattern.

This too. While I've had no problems with the Xenon passing the MOT, I'm sure beam pattern would be an issue.

Regards

Mike

Give us an update when it arrives and you've fitted it please Harry.

Good luck

Rosco

Does anyone know if this will work.
Check out this item I found on eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=331076423444

Please don't put that in your headlight, for your sake and other road users. A Xenon bulb will never be effective in a halogen headlight. Go here:
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?61709-Why-HIDs-in-Reflectors-Will-Never-Work

You won't get a decent beam pattern compared to what a proper xenon projector will give. You will blind on coming drivers and struggle to see. Although you will have the impression it is bright, it isn't really, it's only because of the glare. My projector will easily outshine a car with these fitted.

Also, the colour temperature of 12000k will be purple and you'll soon be pulled over. Also, it doesn't seem like that kit will provide high beam. I've also read of wiring melting issues with these kinds of kits.

This is a comparison between a kit like you're looking at and a proper retrofit:




More reading:
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?44158-HID-plug-n-play-fails-govt-test

Obviously it's your choice in the end. But I wouldn't recommend it and would recommend the proper kit any day.

Regards

Mike

The image above isn't a like for like comparison.
The top one is from a car with pop-up headlamps against the side of (what looks like) the side of a Shell petrol station, and the lower one is from an unknown source in a driveway against a garage door (possibly in the US or EU, given the higher right 'cast' on the beam.) (the Gnome looks like a US thing though)

No denying the standard lamp on the Cat is like something out of a 18th century Mail Coach though, so anything would be better.

If I'm honest though, I prefer the diffusion from the non-reflector setup for main beam.
(As long as it doesn't dazzle on dipped. If it does that, then your biggest problem will be the occasional oncoming driver who thinks you're running main beam and switching theirs up in retaliation, rendering you pretty much nightblind for the next few minutes.)