DIY: hid retrofit on a budget! (for halogen lights)

^^post pics when done =D

Originally Posted by xi_chee

^^post pics when done =D

Def. Hoping to do it within the next month.

does your diy apply to pre face halogen headlights?

look at the last page hope it answers your Q's =)

Originally Posted by spellbound

Just purchased my kit, thanks for the diy. will be using this here when they come in!

Post pics!

xi_chee this is a great thread! Props to you. Thanks for writing this up.

I have been contemplating purchasing the p46's/DEPOs but I wasn't convinced it was as good as OEM (which they aren't - just a cheaper Chinese exported alternative). Having installed many different HID kits on my past cars, I really didn't want to settle for something average.

This H1 projector retrofit looks to be the best setup you can do for the halogen's due to the ease of installation and quality of output. I would recommed FX-R as well if you want to do some cutting. Can't beat the pricing either!

I hope to purchase this kit and do the retrofit in the next month or two. I will post pics.

Gotta find some time in between work and moving to my new place.

Thanks...glade i can help :-) have fun with the diy

Sent from my SGH-T959V using Bimmer App

Did mine this weekend. Bought the kit from theretrofitsource.com with the H1 Morimoto and E46-R shroud. Chose to purchase the Angel Eyes from Khoalty instead of the ones from theretrofitsource because theirs didn't include mounting clips. So this entire setup was around $370 total.

I'm not an install expert by any means, but found that the shrouds were challenging to get installed with proper fitment. Still a little concerned about them moving out of place. Angel eyes didn't fit perfectly either. Took a little trial and error.

Still need to get the HIDs aimed, but so far I'm really happy with the result. Will post pics a bit later once the car is washed and lenses all polished.

I was thinking about doing quad xenons with angel eyes and smoking my front headlights. Any ideas on how that would look before I do it? Dont want to waste money.

I will also note this.....when I connect the ballasts directly to the car's headlight wiring, HIDs work fine and no error. When using the relay harness instead, I get bulb out errors. I'm not really sure how much it matters if the relay is used or not. Perhaps the lights would get cleaner power from the harness....no idea. In any event, I ordered some error cancellation resistors from ebay to try. As cheap as they were, it is worth a shot.

I ordered all the stuff for this diy as well. Whenever it all arrives and I complete it Ill post some pics!

Great write up. I plan on helping a buddy do this in the near future.

xi chee, you have PM. If anyone can help, I got stuck at the step on how to secure the H1 bulb. After screwing the nut to secure the projector to the bowl, the original mounting plate with the spring clip won't fit back in because the nut is in the way.... I bought the DDM ones... thx.

will the same shroudandbulb work for the high both high and low beam bowls?

hope everyone is having fun with this DIY, please post pics when done

Originally Posted by jbrooksga

I will also note this.....when I connect the ballasts directly to the car's headlight wiring, HIDs work fine and no error. When using the relay harness instead, I get bulb out errors. I'm not really sure how much it matters if the relay is used or not. Perhaps the lights would get cleaner power from the harness....no idea. In any event, I ordered some error cancellation resistors from ebay to try. As cheap as they were, it is worth a shot.

Best would be to get your car recoded for HIDs and then leave the wiring hooked up directly to the ballast. (Factory HID E46s and Halogen E46s have the exact same wiring for the lowbeam and highbeam bulbs, so there really isn't any real need for a relay harness). If you get your car recoded for HIDs, you should also run Pins 2 and 36 to the bixenon solenoids.

Finally got some images...all complete with bugs on the front end after the project was done.

Old before image.....

i was freaking shocked at how simple this was, drivers side abt 45 min, passenger side 25 min (i timed it) wired, installed, everything. i am ordering another set now for quad setup. dont hesitate, do it.
as a side note, i wouldnt spend the money on the e46 style shroud.just use the gatling shroud that it comes with. fits better and looks pretty much the same after headlights are back together.

Gatling shrouds are ugly, IMO, when compared to the e46 shrouds. To each his own, though.

Not really sure why you would paint the high beam housing black (which will severely reduce light out put) other than for looks. But to each his own, still looks good.

For those looking to do a quad projector set up a little tip to get better light out put that would resemble actual high beams instead of normal projectors with a cut off. Disassemble the projector it self and remove the shroud inside which gives the light cut off, this will allow the full light of the HID to come out of the projector. I will note that constantly turning HID's on and off (using them as highs) will shorten the life of them drastically.