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

Nice thread, I noticed a few people with stock (bi)xenons added the morimoto's in their high beam for quads. For anyone that has done this or has any info on a quad setup...

How does the light output compare to the stock single-xenons?


Would it be difficult to wire a set of minis to the stock xenons to have all four as low beams and just the minis for the high beam? I would assume you could tap into the lows or fogs and tap into the high beam for the solenoid on the bi-xenon. But won't that throw a bulb error light if i dont get it programmed or add a resistor?


How would you go about aiming the projectors if they were mounted in the high beam bowl? Could there be a way to adjust them after they have been mounted?


This looks like a fun project but Im not sure if I can justify the price for performance considering I have the stock xenons. Otherwise I think my best bet would be to just go all out with some FX-R's.

i HATE how you can still notice theres halogen bowls were the hids are mounted into, heres a pic of mine vs oem, i wish i could make it look oem but i guess the only way to make it look better is paintin them black and or adding angel eyes...
any suggestions?

Originally Posted by blksab65

i HATE how you can still notice theres halogen bowls were the hids are mounted into, heres a pic of mine vs oem, i wish i could make it look oem but i guess the only way to make it look better is paintin them black and or adding angel eyes...
any suggestions?

Why didn't you add the shroud? Mine doesn't look like that.

+1 you need the shroud and you can also plasti-dip that bowl black.

Originally Posted by Solidjake

+1 you need the shroud and you can also plasti-dip that bowl black.

This. Or just paint the shroud black and avoid damaging your halogen bowls, I've heard they are delicate and ruin easily.

Hi everyone,

Great thread. I read through the entire thing and ended up ordering the TRS H1 Minimoto retrofit kit with e46-r shrouds, and XB35 5000k bulbs. Also have a set of Umnitza Orion V2s on the way.

I have a question. I will be splicing the HIDs into the high beams so that I can have a high beam function with the HIDs. I'm assuming that I am leaving the halogen ballasts in place to allow for the halogen highs to kick on as well? Therefore, run both ballasts when running it this way?

Originally Posted by daewon774

Hi everyone,

Great thread. I read through the entire thing and ended up ordering the TRS H1 Minimoto retrofit kit with e46-r shrouds, and XB35 5000k bulbs. Also have a set of Umnitza Orion V2s on the way.

I have a question. I will be splicing the HIDs into the high beams so that I can have a high beam function with the HIDs. I'm assuming that I am leaving the halogen ballasts in place to allow for the halogen highs to kick on as well? Therefore, run both ballasts when running it this way?

That's correct.

Alright I did the retrofit. I got 5000k xb35 bulbs with the Hi minimoto 35 watt retrofit kit. Hooked the ballast straight to my halogen plug then the ballast to the 5000k bulb. Everything looks great. I drove the car tonight for about 20 min then started smelling something funny. I lifted the hood and the smell was coming from each of my new hid ballasts. Is this normal break in, or is something wrong? Anyone else have this happen to them? The smell wasn't a burning smell, and it didn't smell like it was electrical. Not sure how to describe it.

Originally Posted by Solidjake

+1 you need the shroud and you can also plasti-dip that bowl black.

Originally Posted by Erikx559

This. Or just paint the shroud black and avoid damaging your halogen bowls, I've heard they are delicate and ruin easily.

if you use plasti-dip, you can remove it later on, incase you change your mind.

Originally Posted by blksab65

i HATE how you can still notice theres halogen bowls were the hids are mounted into, heres a pic of mine vs oem, i wish i could make it look oem but i guess the only way to make it look better is paintin them black and or adding angel eyes...
any suggestions?

Originally Posted by Erikx559

Why didn't you add the shroud? Mine doesn't look like that.

to me, it looks like he has the shroud on there.... i recently did mine like 2 weeks ago, and until now, i never noticed that you could still see the halogen bowl a little outside the shrouds. the halos kind of block it and i only saw it from looking up close. maybe i should have gotten the e46-r extended shrouds? i'm not sure what the difference is, but now i'm perhaps thinking of making some custom shrouds myself

Originally Posted by cobyK

here's the plastic "o rings". the e46 shrouds come with clips on the inside that theoretically should mount to something but they don't so you hould break them off...



hope this helps!....

Thanks for the recommendation. I do however believe the rounded edges should face into the shroud

If anyone wants to take this a step further---

The black plastic o-ring (at least mine - may not be the same for every ring) attaches to my projector more snug when applied with round edges of the o-ring facing away from projector. Therefor if you pull out your dremel tool and file away those 3 pointed triangles on each shroud in addition to shaving away some parts of the o-ring than the ring will fit perfectly into the shroud (round edge facing shroud). Glue the o-ring onto the shroud and than the shroud will fit very snug over the projector without the need of glue or silicone. Just an idea. Worked great for me and will allow me to disassemble the projectors etc in the future without any permanent glue or silicone in the way

UPDATE

Post #461 looks like a brilliant idea.... i think this is the best way and by sure the easiest... i'd definitely try that way first before you entertain my way. However, i did modify my oring the way he did (but my way you need to shave off the sides on both top and bottom b/c the oring will fall further down into the shroud when you remove the tabs and triangles)

BUT no matter which you choose the o ring rounded side should face into the shroud not away from it. So when your looking down into the shroud you dont want to see the rounded edges.

Originally Posted by jinxie

if you use plasti-dip, you can remove it later on, incase you change your mind.





to me, it looks like he has the shroud on there.... i recently did mine like 2 weeks ago, and until now, i never noticed that you could still see the halogen bowl a little outside the shrouds. the halos kind of block it and i only saw it from looking up close. maybe i should have gotten the e46-r extended shrouds? i'm not sure what the difference is, but now i'm perhaps thinking of making some custom shrouds myself

Yes, the e46-r extended are the ones you want if you want to cover the bowl.

I MIGHT buy a set to do a quad setup...

Where did you get the part that screws onto the back of the projector(the round silver nut type thing)?

If you guys are debating if to do the retro buy the parts now since some are on sale.


- HID Kit (another member here has this kit, no bulb out warning, no dash flickering) - $32 shipped US

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260561192283...84.m1439.l2649

Then from TRS

Morimoto mini version 5, e46 shrouds and centric rings for $115.

You can use coupon code TRSgiving10 and it will be $103.50 + shipping which is $10 for USPS.

$146 for an entire projector retrofit...

just placed order at TRS, 113 to them and ill probably pick up the h.i.d's you posed jake, thanks for the simple walk through! pictures to come as parts arrive!

Awesome! I just got my parts in, just waiting for my bulbs/ballasts. Quad projectors here I come!!!

Originally Posted by Solidjake

Awesome! I just got my parts in, just waiting for my bulbs/ballasts. Quad projectors here I come!!!

What's the difference between the 4.1 and the new 5.0 version?

Originally Posted by Erikx559

Why didn't you add the shroud? Mine doesn't look like that.

i do have a shroud glued in there is it the wrong one?

Originally Posted by Solidjake

+1 you need the shroud and you can also plasti-dip that bowl black.

theres a shroud in there? is it not the right one or something? others on here posted pics and you can still see there bowls as well

Originally Posted by blksab65

i do have a shroud glued in there is it the wrong one?

Which one do you have on? I have the E46-R extended.