Legality of a Projector Retrofit

[mike1305]

passed two inspections since installation



i can't speak for the projector swap

Nobody would know what they are looking at, the HID bulb looks similar to the regular bulb I would imagine, and isn't as noticeable through the stock headlamp glass.

The projector casing is obvious especially with the clear lens in front. I would still argue that simply swapping the bulb is extremely dangerous and blinding to other drivers, where the projectors are specifically designed to spread the light in a safe pattern.

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

I disagree 100%

I have an aftermarket HID conversion kit and it was the best money I have ever spent on any type of headlight ever.
You really have to ride in my truck for you to actually understand, but as the old adage goes, "don't knock it 'till you try it"

I would never go so far as to modify my headlights with projectors and honestly I think it looks god-awful and would hardly yield any better visibility over HID in a factory beam.

Light focus looks factory when pointed at a wall from 25ft as you are supposed to when aiming, and I have never in the year and a half that I had them been flashed by oncoming drivers or been ticketed for having an aftermarket HID kit.

Don't knock it 'till you try it

out.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU 100% i have gone through both types of set ups by far a correct retrofit with projectors or a d2r/d2s bulb with glare shield by far is more superior than any plug and play kit. plug and play kits throw light in all directions there for bliding people and just making the fore ground infront of the car lighted more a retrofit setup will disperse light evenly where it is need with out blinding people.

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

Nobody would know what they are looking at, the HID bulb looks similar to the regular bulb I would imagine, and isn't as noticeable through the stock headlamp glass.

The projector casing is obvious especially with the clear lens in front. I would still argue that simply swapping the bulb is extremely dangerous and blinding to other drivers, where the projectors are specifically designed to spread the light in a safe pattern.

hey mike if you ever need a retro done or any advice let me know im actually gonna be done with my retro soon. and i will post up pics im doing a fx bi xenon projector with tsx-R lenses.

 

[mike1305]

hey mike if you ever need a retro done or any advice let me know im actually gonna be done with my retro soon. and i will post up pics im doing a fx bi xenon projector with tsx-R lenses.

That is actually the EXACT setup I had in mind. It's a project for the summer months, when I have no schoolwork to clutter up my free time. haha! I also plan to install LED tails, a bug shield, vent visors and a Vortex muffler... she will be a whole new truck before I know it.

Also, this mod will make my car one of a kind, unless one of you get around to doing it before me:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=980547339061120203&hl=en

^^Badass.

I would probably not use the blue color; I'd go with an amber and use them as DRLs. I love the look that the amber lights give without the headlights, but the marker lights as they are are too weak and don't give out much light in the day (see my sig picture with the markers on).

 

[SilverBullet01]

thought about doing that mike, the only problem would be properly wiring the halos to work as the drl.....

i just disabled mine


and if anyone out there has a somewhat legal way to do an hid retrofit.... please share your knowledge... otherwise i may just have to buy a lexus is300 as a second car, and put in a new crazy hid system

 

[Matt Starr]

hey mike if you ever need a retro done or any advice let me know im actually gonna be done with my retro soon. and i will post up pics im doing a fx bi xenon projector with tsx-R lenses.

I've seen someone who did that exact same set up, Im guessing thats where you got it from. How much did you spend total on everything. I would be interested in doing it to but I've got a feeling its really expensive.

 

[Supra725]

http://lightwerkz.net/

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44857

I'm thinking about retrofitting mine with some s2k projectors instead of the standard tsx projectors.

 

[LINY4Runner]

I DISAGREE WITH YOU 100% i have gone through both types of set ups by far a correct retrofit with projectors or a d2r/d2s bulb with glare shield by far is more superior than any plug and play kit. plug and play kits throw light in all directions there for bliding people and just making the fore ground infront of the car lighted more a retrofit setup will disperse light evenly where it is need with out blinding people.

that's so not true. i've had them for 2 years and I can see everything, and like i said before, have yet to be flashed by an oncoming driver

as for the light dispursal, I'll take a picture and when you finish your retrofit you post a picture, we'll see how much of a difference there really is

 

[Rock Slide]

I disagree 100%.

-That's cool. We can agree to disagree.

I have an aftermarket HID conversion kit and it was the best money I have ever spent on any type of headlight ever.
You really have to ride in my truck for you to actually understand, but as the old adage goes, "don't knock it 'till you try it".

-I agree, an aftermarket PnP HID Kit is a "step up" compared to stock bulbs. Mainly b/c of the greater light intensity produced by HID bulbs themselves. I have no arguement with that. However, IMO you are never going to reach the full potential of your HID bulbs w/o swapping in a set of projectors. With as much light that is produced by a HID bulb and no way to properly disperse it, all you really have is brighter bulbs. The projectors are the key to the entire system. HID bulbs were simply not designed to be mounted in our stock headlight housings for optimal performance. The way the light is reflected off the housing, it's thrown out all over the place. Granted, our headlight housings somewhat control the light, but it's not as much as you might think.

Oh and BTW, "don't knock it 'till you try it"... I have tried it. Unfortunately, they still fell short compared to a quality set of Philip D2S 85122+ bulbs matted with a set of oem projectors. Buddies of mine who have PnP HID kits currently installed in their own vehicles, have already started their own projector retrofit after seeing mine in person. So back at cha...don't knock projectors 'till you try them. :bigok:

I would never go so far as to modify my headlights with projectors and honestly I think it looks god-awful and would hardly yield any better visibility over HID in a factory beam.

-I respect your opinion. Not everyone feels the same way about them as I do.

Light focus looks factory when pointed at a wall from 25ft as you are supposed to when aiming, and I have never in the year and a half that I had them been flashed by oncoming drivers or been ticketed for having an aftermarket HID kit.

-That's just it - "Light focus looks factory when pointed at a wall from 25ft." Key word being "factory". My issue w/ PnP HID kits is not whether they blind oncoming traffic or not (personally, I've never been blinded by someone running a PnP kit), it's the fact that you stil retain "factory" light output. Yes, the light itself is now brighter, but what good is that if you can't control it? Projectors effectively spread the light evenly across the cutoff.

This sounds gay even as I'm typing it, but projectors remind me of the guy off X-men who shot the blast of laser out of his eyes. (Can't remember his name). Every time he opened his eyes without his glasses on, the light shot uncontrollably all over the place. But when he wore his red glasses (better yet, his projectors), he could control the light and focus it as needed. Again, not the best analogy, but you get the idea.

LINY, in all honesty, if what you got works, keep it. I just wanted you to see the other side of the coin. Projector vs. PnP Kit discussions are always fun to attend.

See my remarks in red above.

what if inspection time comes when its time to register?? whould they not pass you because of it not being DOT approved?

If you are talking about passing inspection with projectors retrofitted in, well that depends...depends on the person doing the inspection. I had my vehicle inspected a couple years back (before the retrofit) and the goof ball doing the inspection asked me 3 times point blank what model of vehicle it was...he was even 5ft way looking directly at it! :bang:. Didn't matter if I had already done my retrofit or not...my headlights were the least of his concern.

I DISAGREE WITH YOU 100% i have gone through both types of set ups by far a correct retrofit with projectors or a d2r/d2s bulb with glare shield by far is more superior than any plug and play kit. plug and play kits throw light in all directions there for bliding people and just making the fore ground infront of the car lighted more a retrofit setup will disperse light evenly where it is need with out blinding people.

Again, I've personally never been blinded by someone w/ a PnP HID kit (maybe b/c I drive a lifted 4Runner), but I do agree w/ everything else you've said.

and if anyone out there has a somewhat legal way to do an hid retrofit.... please share your knowledge... otherwise i may just have to buy a lexus is300 as a second car, and put in a new crazy hid system

lol. That's the catch 22. There is no legal way to complete a HID retrofit. Granted, if done right, I doubt you'll ever get pulled over simply for that, but just by tampering w/ the headlight housing themselves, voids the DOT approval rating. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it right the first time and just purchase a lexus instead. Much easier. :bigok:

I've seen someone who did that exact same set up, Im guessing thats where you got it from. How much did you spend total on everything. I would be interested in doing it to but I've got a feeling its really expensive.

Here's my a link to my own Bi-xenon FX/TSX install. Contains plenty of photos and a price list too:

http://www.yotatech.com/f2/another-hid-bi-xenon-retrofit-install-pics-151917/

Oh and Retros are only as expensive as you want them to be. Mine was a shade under $300. BTW, there are companies out there now that will sell you everything you need to complete your retro in one simple kit.

I will admit, my camera sucks. I've had a hard time capturing the light spread at night on film. Probably b/c I do not have a good "night mode" on my PnS camera. . There are a couple photos in the above link of my lights at night, but again, the photos do not do them any justice. Either I need to purchase a quality camera or find someone with one who can take a few night shots for me.

If you're interested, here's another write up posted by a YT member: http://www.yotatech.com/f2/hid-bi-xenon-retrofit-complete-w-pics-133563/

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

http://lightwerkz.net/

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44857

I'm thinking about retrofitting mine with some s2k projectors instead of the standard tsx projectors.

most people go with the TSX because they are cheaper than the s2k and product almost the same results. the cutoff on the s2k's are really sharp. i have heard the new plug and play kits have anti glare shields now. but when hid kits first came out they were really bad.

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

that's so not true. i've had them for 2 years and I can see everything, and like i said before, have yet to be flashed by an oncoming driver

as for the light dispursal, I'll take a picture and when you finish your retrofit you post a picture, we'll see how much of a difference there really is

deal ill take a picture of my pnp kit in the factory housings and the projectors as well. well do a side by side comparison.

 

[GottaBeTRD]

i dont know IMO the runner light housing looks better without the projectors with the lights on and all. i like the cyclopes without his glasses look lol! thats just as long as its not blinding other drivers right?

and with the camera. you may have tried this but any dark pic will look bad if your holding it even in night mode. try setting on something, put your 2 or whatever second timer on and click it. just make sure the camera is not moving. oh and turn the flash off too guantee it "SHOULD" be good

 

[KellyJ]

Has anyone here ever had experience with a vehicle that had HID/Xenon bulbs in OEM headlight housings that were not projector style? Infiniti was a big proponent of this lighting method on the I35 and QX4.

If this method of using HID lights in non-projector lenses is frowned upon, then why was Infiniti allowed to produce cars with the lights they had?

It's interesting on the QX4 how the low beam headlight is HID but not in a projector lens when the high beam is in a projector lens, but is not HID

Heck, even Cadillac used this on their 2nd generation Escalades

 

[Rock Slide]

i dont know IMO the runner light housing looks better without the projectors with the lights on and all. i like the cyclopes without his glasses look lol! thats just as long as its not blinding other drivers right?

and with the camera. you may have tried this but any dark pic will look bad if your holding it even in night mode. try setting on something, put your 2 or whatever second timer on and click it. just make sure the camera is not moving. oh and turn the flash off too guantee it "SHOULD" be good

I knew someone would know who I was referring too! lol. Nah, I personally like the controlled look.

Trust me, I've tried using my PnS camera's night mode just like you've stated, but it's an old camera and the night mode sucks to no end. No matter how correctly I do it, it still comes out looking like trash.

Has anyone here ever had experience with a vehicle that had HID/Xenon bulbs in OEM headlight housings that were not projector style? Infiniti was a big proponent of this lighting method on the I35 and QX4.

If this method of using HID lights in non-projector lenses is frowned upon, then why was Infiniti allowed to produce cars with the lights they had?

It's interesting on the QX4 how the low beam headlight is HID but not in a projector lens when the high beam is in a projector lens, but is not HID. Heck, even Cadillac used this on their 2nd generation Escalades[

I know what you're referring too and I've seen those vehicles. I agree, it is odd they come equipped like that. However, they were designed like that.

I'm specficially referring to 3rd Gen 4Runner headlight housings not being sufficent to control the light spread of a HID bulb. Yes, the 4Runner stock headlight housings are some what similar to headlights found on those specific vehicle makes, but those vehicle headlight housings were designed to accept HID bulbs. That's where the difference is.

I have no beef with those style HID headlights since that's how they were designed from the factory.

 

[LINY4Runner]

as do I respect your opinion, but at least read what I wrote...

"Light focus looks factory when pointed at a wall from 25ft as you are supposed to when aiming, and I have never in the year and a half that I had them been flashed by oncoming drivers or been ticketed for having an aftermarket HID kit."

-That's just it - "Light focus looks factory when pointed at a wall from 25ft." Key word being "factory". My issue w/ PnP HID kits is not whether they blind oncoming traffic or not (personally, I've never been blinded by someone running a PnP kit), it's the fact that you stil retain "factory" light output. Yes, the light itself is now brighter, but what good is that if you can't control it? Projectors effectively spread the light evenly across the cutoff.

This sounds gay even as I'm typing it, but projectors remind me of the guy off X-men who shot the blast of laser out of his eyes. (Can't remember his name). Every time he opened his eyes without his glasses on, the light shot uncontrollably all over the place. But when he wore his red glasses (better yet, his projectors), he could control the light and focus it as needed. Again, not the best analogy, but you get the idea.

I said the LIGHT FOCUS was the same as factory, not LIGHT OUTPUT.

Your whole arguement is about the focus of the light, but the light cutoff and beam are exactly the same as factory, meaning the beam, cutoff and control of the light are all factory, with the higher OUTPUT of the PnP HID kit

I feel like the projector conversion is way too much work and money for hardly enough benefit over a PnP.

okay, but seriously I'm done hijacking this poor guys thread...good luck with your conversion, sorry again.

 

[Rock Slide]

See comments in red...

I said the LIGHT FOCUS was the same as factory, not LIGHT OUTPUT.

-Well of course HID light output is not the same as factory light output. HID bulbs are much brighter vs Halogen bulbs. However, by just adding a Pnp HID kit and not modifying the housing itself, light focus will still remain the same as factory light focus. This is simply b/c the housings have not been altered...only the bulbs have changed. Therefore, by just swapping out bulbs, only OUTPUT increases.

Your whole arguement is about the focus of the light, but the light cutoff and beam are exactly the same as factory, meaning the beam, cutoff and control of the light are all factory, with the higher OUTPUT of the PnP HID kit

Correct, my argument is about the focus of the light. You said it again: "but the light cutoff and beam are exactly the same as factory"...there in lies the problem. The beam and cutoff is still FACTORY. I want something better than factory. The only way to achieve a better light cutoff, better beam pattern & better spread compared to factory specs, is to install a set of projectors.

Projectors take light spread, focus, beam pattern and whatever else to a whole new level. I am still amazed how far the light reaches from side to side w/ my projectors. You've really got to see first hand a set of projectors retrofitted into a 4Runner housing and a Pnp kit in a 4Runner housing side-by-side to get an idea of what I'm discribing.


I feel like the projector conversion is way too much work and money for hardly enough benefit over a PnP.

-I agree, a retrofit can be a lot of work. It's also not for everyone. But IMO, it's def worth it. Plus, I kept my install under $300 total.

okay, but seriously I'm done hijacking this poor guys thread...good luck with your conversion, sorry again.

-lol. I wouldn't sweat it. We're all adults here. I'm sure Mike's cool with it. People have strong opinions when it comes to HID systems, so it doesn't hurt to speak your mind.

Again, if your Pnp kit meets your needs, then that's all that matters. I simply prefer the use of projectors. :bigok:

 

[SIKHILUXSURF]

as i promised some pictures of my 4runner retro.

i will post when i have them on the car i am waiting for my harness to come in.

 

[iceman601]

Looks pretty darn sweet....especially the bezel.

 

[Matt Starr]

Here's my a link to my own Bi-xenon FX/TSX install. Contains plenty of photos and a price list too:

http://www.yotatech.com/f2/another-hid-bi-xenon-retrofit-install-pics-151917/

Oh and Retros are only as expensive as you want them to be. Mine was a shade under $300. BTW, there are companies out there now that will sell you everything you need to complete your retro in one simple kit.

I will admit, my camera sucks. I've had a hard time capturing the light spread at night on film. Probably b/c I do not have a good "night mode" on my PnS camera. . There are a couple photos in the above link of my lights at night, but again, the photos do not do them any justice. Either I need to purchase a quality camera or find someone with one who can take a few night shots for me.

If you're interested, here's another write up posted by a YT member: http://www.yotatech.com/f2/hid-bi-xenon-retrofit-complete-w-pics-133563/

HA!!! It was you're write up that I saw like 6 months ago. Haha thats weird. I didnt even realize you have the same screen name on yota tech

 

[mike1305]

as i promised some pictures of my 4runner retro.

i will post when i have them on the car i am waiting for my harness to come in.

That looks awesome, I can't wait to see it installed!