So I have asked before, and searched and there has not been much info on DIY retrofit HID projectors into a facelift coupe.
Backstory... I have a facelifted E46 coupe with halogen projectors. As I gather all facelift coupes have projectors, whether halogen or bi-xenon(they didn't do low beam only xenons AFAIK?)
But currently there is an ebay PnP HID kit in there, and while light outout is good, cutoff is decent, there is a tiny bit stray glare when projected towards a wall. I have not yet tested them with halogens back in to see if it improves glare and cutoff.
:thumbdwn:
Big question is, how feasible is it to retrofit a HID projector into the coupe headlights. Bi-Xenon isn't a requirement, heck if its easier would prefer to just have Low.
Reason is to look for a cleaner cutoff and hopefully even better light output!
Looking at TRS, What model of projectors could fit in the headlights? RX-AFS? FXR3?
Or would it be more economical to get OEM Bi-xenons at a sky high price or cheap looking depo's:thumbdwn: and retrofit a decent HID projector into it.
Sorry can't help but you're not alone. I have the same questions.
So far I've read that the FX-R projector won't fit the facelift coupe (if I find the thread again I'll post a link).
I'm wondering about the Morimoto H1 or D2S Minis. Short of baking and opening up a headlight just to measure the factory H7 projector it's hard to know!
Not all facelifts came with projectors. There are combinations of halogen, xenon, and bi-xenon. Putting a HID kit in a halogen housing will blind everyone coming at you. You need to put projectors in to use HID. Don't listen to the eBay hype.
If you want it done right Caesar at Lightwerkz will help you out. They even have a kit to put projectors in halogen bowls on the E46.
With the exception of the M3, ALL facelift coupes (and convertibles) came with projectors for the low beam. You're confused I think because the facelift saloon didn't. But we're talking here about facelift coupes.
Yes that's me! And now in a few days I will try it again, I will open my headlights an I will try to make a mounting bracket that will fit in oem screw holes between
the inside part of the headlight and the fx-r projector.. Soon I will post photos in a new topic when the "project" will finish. Wish me good luck..
I know the FX-R is regarded as probably the best projector available, but it's not as small as some of the others. For someone who wants an easier install and is willing to sacrifice a little on output, did you think there'd already be enough room without the major surgery for the Bosch AL/ZKW projector from a pre-facelift car?
So, as about the Bosch projector I think that it will be much easier to install it. Bosch projector dimensions isn't far away from the oem projector. The FX-R is faaaar away, that's why it is difficult to mount..
If you ask Umnitza for their instillation guide, they'll send you some pictures of installed FX-R projectors. Not much left of the reflector bowls when you are done.
I've talked the Caesar from Lightwerks and recommends the Morimoto H1 kit. They even have an E46 kit with wiring harness and all. It mounts in the in the halogen bulb location with no modifications necessary. He says it has a little less output for distance and width. I've seen pictures of the output and it's way more than the halogens.
I've got a extra set of lights I'm doing quads on. These are the lights used in the DIY projector project.
Thanks, but the <b>facelift coupe</b> lights are nothing like those on the rest of the E46 range. Once again, we don't have reflector bowls. We have projectors.
I know it's easy enough to fit the Morimoto H1 in place of the halogen reflector in the big-ass headlights you guys have, but our <b>facelift coupe</b> lights with their halogen projectors are much, much svelter.
This thread is titled "Retrofit options for <b>Facelift</b> e46 <b>coupe</b>". I realise you mean well but it's potentially confusing for anyone else who reads this thread if you keep posting about your saloon/sedan lights.
Our headlight housings are completely different in size, shape and construction.
But neither contains a halogen "projector high beam". That's about the only thing they do have in common.
On our left is my facelift coupe ("22"). Halogen projector low beam, small reflector high beam, small housing (which is glued together). No known off-the-shelf retrofit kits to install xenon projectors.
On our right is my old Touring ("21"). Big reflector low beam, big reflector high beam, big housing (which is clipped together). Off-the-shelf kits already exist to retrofit xenon projectors.
It's not a great picture, but I hope you make out enough to tell just how different they are.
I do not know of it is true or not for all facelifted coupe headlights, but the pair I pulled apart was AL. The halogen (h7) projectors had the same dimensions as the d2s AL projectors I pulled from my facelift sedan headlights when I created my quad projectors. Eventually when my friend comes up with all the parts I am going to put clear lenses in my old bixenon projectors and fit them into his headlights. I do still have an old halogen projector sitting on my workbench, if you want pics or measurements, PM me. I will get them when I can.
Wouldn't it have been better to go for the 2.5" FX-R seeing as that the facelift headlight uses a 2.5" projector in the first place? Nevertheless how has your install come along?
Anyway that 04-06 coupe bumper can fit the pre-facelift/99-01 E46 coupe without having to change headlights?
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