[Gannu_1]

I had replaced the halogen bulbs on my GT’s stock headlamps and retrofitted a pair of Morimoto bi-xenon projectors last week.











This was one hell of an experience! Lasted almost 3 weeks, we met a few roadblocks, solved them as we progressed and as always, I’ve clicked some WIP snaps and have documented everything here. Those who are planning to install Morimoto Mini D2S 3.0 projectors on their cars, look no further!

Specifications:

The Morimoto Mini Stage III kit was customized and sourced from The Retrofit Source, US (link). Here are the specifications of the kit I had customized:

Projectors: D2S 3.0 O Lens/RHD
Bulbs: Osram Xenarc 66240
Ballasts: Morimoto 3Five DSP Long Cord
Wire harness: MotoControl Bixenon H4/9003
Shrouds: Apollo 2.0 Flat
Sealant: OCI butyl rubber strip 4.57 m
Epoxy glue: JB Weld QwikWeld epoxy

I am not a big fan of halos, angel eyes or DRLs and prefer clean no-nonsense setups, so skipped them. More on The Retrofit Source and their amazing customer support towards the end.

Before we begin, just to let you guys know - no stock cables or harnesses were cut/spliced/taped during this DIY. Once the projectors are retrofitted on the stock headlights, they cannot be replaced with the H4 bulbs. A new pair of headlamp assemblies will be required to return back to the stock state. As far as this DIY goes, this will be time consuming, will require some efforts and may leave a room or two in your house in shambles. Be advised, this is a long thread - extremely detailed on all counts! But rest assured, all the info you will EVER need for a Mini D2S 3.0 retrofit on your car - everything is posted on this thread.

[Gannu_1]

Tools/Stuff Required:

There is a long list of tools required for the retrofit but most of these are pretty common and can be found in your stash:

1. Screwdriver with magnetic chuck and bits - Torx bit for unscrewing headlamps from the body, flat bit for removing the hot butyl sealant from the headlight enclosure channels, Hex bit for removing the reflector bowl from the assembly/adjusting the cutoff, Phillips bit for removing the attachments from the reflector.
   
   
2. Ring spanner (10-11) - for unscrewing/fastening the nut on the battery and for screwing the ballast units to the body.
   
   
3. Adjustable spanner - for tightening the nut on the projector’s threaded shaft to the reflector bowl’s H4 slot.
   
   
4. Heat gun - for softening the rubber butyl glue which seals the clear lens with the headlamp enclosure. A hair dryer may work but no guarantees there since the butyl glue stuck between the housing and clear lens can be really hard when it sets. A heat gun works for sure.
   
   
5. M-seal phataphat - for sealing the PVC tube to the cardboard box (for the DIY oven). This is a must-have for this DIY IMO and helps when you need it the most! The phataphat variant was easy to mix, cured faster and does not stick to the fingers. Buy 3-4 packs so that you do not run out of it in the middle of a job. Costs Rs. 20-30 for a pack.
   
   
6. Utility knife - for cutting the hole on the cardboard box and other miscellaneous purposes.
   
   
7. WD40 - another must-have for this DIY. Helps to get rid of the butyl sealant if it sticks on the clear lens or tools while detaching the lens off the headlight assembly. Also helps remove the sticky residue from the masking tape (if it has left any).
   
   
8. Drill + 4 mm drill bit - to make a hole in the reflector bowl to take out the 2 wires of the high beam/solenoid harness. A soldering iron works equally well.
   
   
9. Silicone sealant - black color sealant (preferred). For sealing the clear lens with the headlight assembly and misc. sealing purposes. A good quality sealant tube costs anywhere from Rs. 100 - 250.
   
   
10. Caulking gun - the silicone sealant tube is inserted into the caulking gun and the caulk comes out of the nozzle as we pull the trigger.
    
    
11. Sandpaper - 2000 grit, dry, 2-3 nos.
    
    
12. Flat file - for grinding extra bits from cut surfaces.
    
    
13. Hack saw - for cutting the PVC pipe.
    
    
14. Permanent marker with a fine tip - for marking the shrouds for cutting.
    
    
15. Microfiber cloths - 2-3 nos. for cleaning the projector lens and the clear lens.
    
    
16. Cotton gloves/discarded socks - for handling the light after baking them in the oven. Bare hands cannot be used as the headlights will be very hot to handle after a 5 minute bake-job.
    
    
17. Masking tape - a good quality masking tape is required to stick some newspaper/plastic cover over the headlamp sockets of the car while they are taken out. Please avoid ABRO’s masking tapes! It left a sticky residue behind. 3M's masking tape should be a good bet.
    
    
18. Zip ties - for tying loose cables and for securing the headlights after sealing them. A pack of the smaller ones (5”) and the longer ones (10”) would be adequate.
    
    
19. Tooth pick/cotton swabs - 2-3 nos. To smear the JB Kwik epoxy adhesive on the projector lens’ shroud before installing the shroud. Helps spread the adhesive evenly on the surface.
    
    Optional:
    
    
20. Dremel/rotary tool with a cutting wheel - to cut the shrouds to fit the stock reflector bowls and grinding the H4 bulb flange on the rear of the reflector bowls. This tool is strictly optional. Any engineering shop will do cutting/grinding for you for cheap and takes 10-15 minutes tops.
    
    
21. Mr. Muscle toilet cleaner - refer the point below.
    
    
22. Mr. Muscle kitchen cleaner - a solution of the toilet cleaner and kitchen cleaner in water is used to strip the chrome from the reflector bowls and projector shrouds. Stripping chrome is necessary if you intend to paint the bowls and shrouds.
    
    
23. Bucket - required for immersing the bowls and shrouds in the solution. Discarded paint buckets work equally well.
    
    
24. Scouring pad - Scoth Brite’s scouring pad used for cleaning utensils, works well to clean the reflectors and shrouds after the sanding. They don’t scratch the surface so it’s perfectly safe.
    
    
25. Old newspapers - for covering the headlight slots on the car and for spreading on the floor while doing spray painting.
    
    
26. Matte black spray paint can - for painting the reflectors and projector shrouds. 2 nos. of 400/450 mL can.

Parts Required:

1. Morimoto retrofit kit - as customized.
   
   
2. 12 V battery source - for testing the solenoid of the projector. The easiest source is the car battery itself else a 9 V battery (Hi-Watt types) + a couple of 1.5 V AA/AAA batteries in series works just fine.
   
   
3. Cardboard box - for the DIY oven. Should be large enough to accommodate the headlight inside. Sample dimensions for reference - 700 mm (L) x 400 mm (B) x 400 mm (H).
   
   
4. Small cardboard boxes - 2 nos. for supporting the headlight inside the larger box. These are similar to those boxes Flipkart ships their smaller consignments in. Sample dimensions for reference - 180 mm (L) x 100 mm (B) x 100 mm (H).
   
   
5. Cardboard tube - 50 mm internal diameter or more; to insert the nozzle of the heat gun through the cardboard box. I used a PVC pipe and it deformed later! A cardboard tube works much better and can withstand the heat from the heat gun without deforming.
   
   
6. PVC pipe - 71 mm ID, 2 mm thk. This tube is used to extend the hole on the headlight assembly so that the thick harness that connects to the D2S bulb can be led out. The stock rubber cap fits to this pipe after a small modification.

All said and done, there is one must-have for this DIY - PATIENCE! And tonnes of it. I am not kidding! This is not a DIY that can be completed within a day’s time (not definitely when you are a married man) and consumes a lot of time. It is also possible that you run into a bad/defective component and you will have to wait for a replacement. The car cannot be used at this stage and will be in the garage/parking lot until the entire DIY is completed and the headlights are in. Lastly, with the help of a friend this DIY will end up being a whole lot simpler. A pair of extra hands always helps for holding the job, tools, tightening/unscrewing fasteners etc.

[Gannu_1]

The DIY oven:

Well, why do we need an oven? To bake the headlights of course!

The clear lens is glued to the headlight casing using molten butyl glue to prevent moisture and dust ingress. To pry open the lens, the headlight is exposed to heat by baking it in a large oven or by using a heat gun.

Most households today have microwave ovens but these may not accommodate a headlight assembly owing to its large size. There are some ovens built into a cooking range which are larger and may just be able to squeeze a headlight. Since I didn’t have access to an oven like this, the easiest and the cheapest solution was to build one using a cardboard box and using a heat gun as a source of heat. Full credits to Retrofitlab and their Youtube channel which inspired me to make this DIY oven.

The cardboard box:



The heat gun:



Mark a hole at the bottom-corner of the short width side of the box, cut it using the utility knife and insert the cardboard tube into it. The tube should be a snug fit through this hole.





Keep the 2 smaller boxes on diagonally opposite ends - the headlight is going to be supported by these boxes:



That’s all.

[Gannu_1]

Precautionary Measure:

Before beginning to attempt the retrofit, it would be a good idea to test the proper working of the projector solenoids using a 12 V battery source. A 9 V battery (Hi-Watt types) is usually sufficient but sometimes it will run out of juice quickly. Use a 9 V battery and a couple of 1.5 V AA/AAA batteries in series, connect the leads to the battery (and a switch for the ease, if need be) and switch it on and off in succession at least 40-50 times:



When the solenoid is energized by the battery source, it pulls the shield down which in turn activates the high beam. When this test is done, the shield must move up and down without absolutely any problems. Ensure that it does!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENZ6llbTGvs

Sometimes the shield plate may experience some friction and may hesitate to move. In such a case, analyse the movement very carefully and find out what is causing the shield plate to get stuck. Most probably, it is this channel that causes it:



In that case, use a nose plier to gently open the channel so the plate can move freely:



Test the solenoid multiple times to be absolutely sure there aren’t any problems. TRS insists that their solenoids are usually built to last and very rarely, do they face DOA (dead-on-arrival) instances.

Wiring Schematic:

Here is a custom schematic I had prepared by clubbing the schematics from TRS and using MS Paint to edit them to include everything in one place. The wiring is pretty simple as evident below:



The driver side H4 female connector/harness will be the lone one that remains unused and can be taped. As I had mentioned in the opening post, no cables are cut, spliced or taped.

[Gannu_1]

Procedure:

1. Removing headlights from the car:
   
   Pop up the bonnet and use the Torx bit to unscrew these 2 Torx screws from the bracket:
   
   
   
   The metal bracket need not be removed. Unscrew them and you have to give it a small push from the rear for the headlight to take it off the 2 slots it is currently resting in.
   
   Remove the connectors for the range control motor, H4 bulb, indicator bulb and the parking light bulb - 4 nos. in total.
   
   
2. Covering the car’s headlight slots:
   
   Once the headlights are removed, cover the open slots using newspapers and masking tape. Prevents water and rats from entering inside.
   
   
3. Prying the clear lens off the headlights:
   
   This step requires you to have tonnes of patience. If done hastily, you will end up with damaged headlights or the clear lens with scratches. Take it cool and take all the time in the world.
   
   First up, remove the 3 bulbs from the headlight (the H4 bulb is held by a pin beneath the rubber cap and the rest can be removed by twisting them), the range control motor, the rubber caps covering the holes. The naked headlight has to be baked in the DIY oven now.
   
   Place it inside the box with the lens facing upwards, supported by the smaller boxes:
   
   
   
   Direct the heat gun’s nozzle through the cardboard tube:
   
   
   
   Turn the heat gun on at the low-speed setting and keep a timer for 5 minutes. This will bake the headlight softening the stock butyl glue. Wear the cotton gloves/socks in the meantime and keep the screw driver with the flat bit ready. After 5 minutes, take the headlight out of the box. The headlight has been baked uniformly inside the box.
   
   Sit down on the floor, rest the baked headlight on some rag clothes (so it doesn’t slip), relax and insert the flat bit screw driver into a gap in the channel and begin prying. This is going to be hard but eventually the clear lens is going to come off the assembly since the butyl glue has become soft:
   
   
   
   If you are experiencing difficulty, turn on the heat gun and direct it to the channel for a few seconds.
   
   Once the clear lens is out, now may be a good time to scrape any excess glue from the channels and the lens since the glue is hot. Keep the lens aside - we are not going to need it in a long time.
   
   
4. Removing the reflector bowls:
   
   Notice these two hex. plastic sockets on the rear of the headlight assembly:
   
   
   
   These control the lateral and longitudinal movements of the reflector and are used to adjust the throw by moving the reflector bowl up/down and sideways.
   
   Insert a hex bit (or an equivalent Allen key) into the slot and rotate the plastic screw (on one side it is clockwise and counterclockwise for the other side) so the threaded plastic shaft comes out and eventually the reflector comes out of the assembly.
   
   Use the Phillips bit to remove all the attachments from the rear of the reflector. The threaded plastic shaft with the round head will come out when pulled at an angle. Store all of them safely in a box or two (one for LHS and RHS light).
   
   
5. Preparing the reflector bowls:
   
   The projector cannot be directly inserted into the hole and the lock nut tightened from the rear since the extra material of the flange has to be ground. For the Polo, this was definitely the case and the nut would not lay flat on the flange and lock itself properly.
   
   Use the Dremel/rotary tool (or take it to an engineering shop) to grind the extra material as encircled below in the reflector:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Take care not to grind too much - the slots (where the H4 bulb once fit) need to be intact so that the washer with the slots would go in. And the flange needs to have a parallel surface so the nut would sit flush without any play.
   
   Next up, drill a small hole on the bottom-corner of the hole as indicated below:
   
   
   
   The 2 wires powering the solenoid will be taken out through this hole. If there is no drill available, use a soldering iron’s hot tip.
   
   If you choose to strip the chrome off the reflectors, proceed to the next step else skip to step no. 7.
   
   
6. Painting the reflectors:
   
   The chrome on the reflectors once served a purpose with the halogen bulbs in place but not anymore. With projectors, the chrome is useless (as the projector bowl itself has a chromed surface inside to reflect the light from the HID bulb) and can be removed safely without affecting the performance of the projectors. Removing the chrome helps paint to adhere to the surface properly.
   
   Removing chrome is very easy - empty a bottle of Mr. Muscle toilet cleaner and Mr. Muscle kitchen cleaner into a bucket:
   
   
   
   
   
   And pour some water sufficient enough to immerse the reflector bowls. Keep them immersed for at least 3-4 hours. The best option would be to leave them in the solution overnight.
   
   Take the reflectors out later and using a scouring pad, scrub the bowls gently. The chrome would come off easily revealing the base material.
   
   
   
   
   
   Dry the reflector bowls and using a 2000 grit sandpaper, rub the surface of the bowls to get rid of the glossy surface. A 2000 grit paper will not damage the surface of the reflector so it’s safe. The downside is, the sandpaper runs out of juice quickly! Once they are sanded, clean them under water using a utensil cleaning solution (Pril or the likes) and let them dry. Next step - painting!
   
   Spread out some old newspapers in a room, close the windows and doors (to momentarily stop ventilation and dust from spreading around), and keep the reflector bowls in the center of the newspapers. Shake the spray can vigorously to ensure that the contents inside mix thoroughly, spray a bit on the newspaper and in a zig-zag constant motion like a robotic arm while holding the can about 25-30 cm away from the bowls, begin spraying. Take it really slow and steady. It takes a while for the paint to adhere to the surface during the first coat but the successive coats will be simpler and sticks easily.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The side projection and the innards of the bowl is all that needs to be coated. The remaining parts will not be exposed outside. If need be, use the heat gun and dry the bowls. With a matte paint, the surface finish of the reflectors will be much more pleasing aesthetically compared to a glossy paint.
   
   
7. Replace all the attachments back into the reflector after the paint has dried completely.
   
   
8. Installing the projector:
   
   Take the projector assembly and the contents out of the box. You should have a set as shown below:
   
   
   (Image courtesy - TRS)
   
   TRS recommends using these supplied silicone washers for mounting the projectors but personally I would avoid that since it is not going to be a very secure mount and thanks to all the potholes and irregularities on our roads, the projector mount will eventually become wobbly. For a secure mount, avoid the silicone washers. We will use ample M-seal in place of these washers which will hold the projectors in place for an eternity - potholes be damned!
   
   This will be the hardware mounting sequence:
   
   
   (Image courtesy - TRS)
   
   A pair of these H4 metal washers are supplied with the bundle:
   
   
   
   This washer goes in the slot here:
   
   
   
   But notice that small tab at 12’o clock indicated by that red arrow? That tab will prevent the projector from rotating so that tab needs to be ground off using a flat file so that we can rotate the projector.
   
   Reason? We are aiming for a cutoff like this:
   
   
   
   But you may end up with something like this initially:
   
   
   
   So you need to rotate the projectors clockwise or anti-clockwise, to correct the cutoff so they are horizontal and are aligned parallel to the ground.
   
   So grind that tab of the washer:
   
   
   
   And place it in the slot of the reflector (if need be use some glue to fix the washer permanently in the slot):
   
   
   
   Insert the projector through the reflector bowl and check if it rotates without any hindrance. Lead the 2 bare ends of the solenoid wires through the small hole, screw the hex. lock nut using the hand first and tighten it using the pliers/wrench but do not over-tighten the nut! Not yet! We need to correct the alignment so some rotational movement must be permissible after the lock nut is tightened:
   
   
   
   
   

[Gannu_1]

Procedure: (Contd.)

1. Installing the bulbs:
   
   After the projector is installed, insert the bulb into the socket of the projector. This is the sequence that has to be followed:
   
   
   (Image courtesy - TRS)
   
   The bulb has a square notch on the plastic perimeter and the projector socket has a tooth-like protrusion. The bulb will go into the projector socket in only one direction - the rod on the bulb will be facing down.
   
   Once the bulb is in, insert the supplied spring such that the flat bottom of the spring mates with the bulb and not the other way round. Once the spring is in, screw the threaded retaining cap. The retaining cap has 2 slots which isn’t visible at the first glance:
   
   
   
   Another close-up indicating the slot:
   
   
   
   The 2 slots will go through the bulb’s projections on either side over the spring. Fasten the cap completely. There should be absolutely no bulb/spring movement and should be a secure mount.
   
   
2. Reassembling the reflector into the assembly:
   
   Replace the reflector back in the headlight housing. Align the tabs of the plastic screws with the slots on the housing and use the hex. key to rotate the two threaded plastic shafts so the reflector is pulled back into the housing.
   
   
   
   
   
   Replace the range control motor into the assembly. Notice the slots given on the enclosure, insert the motor aligning the notches on the motor with the slots, insert the ball of the stud into the reflector and lock the motor in place.
   
   Repeat the same for the other headlight assembly as well.
   
   
3. Installing the Motocontrol harness and ballasts:
   
   Time to wire up the harness inside the car. The ballasts are supplied with a hex. head bolt, spring washer and hex. nut. The bolt also has a Phillips head for added convenience. The wiring is done as per the schematic indicated in post #4.
   
   Fix the metal brackets to the ballasts using the supplied Phillips screws:
   
   
   (Image courtesy - Google Images)
   
   The most convenient location for the co-driver side ballast and the Motocontrol box is a small cavity behind the co-driver side headlight which is stuffed using some insulation.
   
   Moreover, there is a hole on the metal sheet in this location which makes it all the more convenient to fix both the boxes using one screw as shown below:
   
   
   
   
   
   We made a special right-angled Phillips screwdriver by sticking the bit to a discarded screw driver using M Seal:
   
   
   
   Held the screw in place while the nut was tightened from the other side for a secure mount:
   
   
   
   TRS suggests that the positive part of the harness be connected to the battery directly. So open up the plastic flap on the battery:
   
   
   
   There is one empty slot for fixing the +ve clamp:
   
   
   
   Unscrew the nut, connect the clamp, tighten the nut and direct the wire through the channel:
   
   
   
   Replace the plastic flap on the battery.
   
   For the -ve/GND terminal of the co-driver side ballast, it can be connected to the chassis or the battery directly. I couldn’t find a better spot on this side of the chassis so fixed it to the battery's GND directly which had an exposed threaded terminal and used an M6 nut to secure it.
   
   
   
   Direct the driver-side ballast and solenoid cables through the space behind the front grill.
   
   Connect the -ve terminal for the driver side ballast to the GND terminal below the diesel filter here:
   
   
   (Image went out of focus. Sorry for that!)
   
   Use a ring spanner (10-11) to unscrew the acorn nut, insert the terminal and replace the nut back. Since I couldn’t find a proper hole on the chassis to screw the driver side ballast I decided to attach it to the diesel filter’s column using a couple of zip ties. You will have to loosen the Phillips screws of the ballast's bracket a bit, to insert the zip ties through the gap (and tighten the screws after the ties are in place).
   
   And with that, the wiring part is completed.
   
   
4. Replace the headlights into the respective slots:
   
   Connect the male-female connectors of the ballasts, the female D2S bulb ignitors and the range control motor's connector into the headlights and replace the headlights back into their respective locations. There are 2 slots at the bottom where the headlights clamp themselves to and the headlight must go into these slots properly. Once they are, screw them to the bracket securely. The next step is getting the alignment right so we need to ensure that the headlights are properly secured. All set?!
   
   
5. Fire 'em up:
   
   The car has to be parked under a shade (apartment parking lots are perfect), on an even surface without undulations, facing a wall 25 feet away so that the beam cutoff can be adjusted. Do ensure that the tires are inflated to the required pressure (32 psi in my case). Turn on the lights and you should see the cutoff projected on the wall.
   
   You may notice that the cutoff is not aligned parallel to the ground and is tilted. Something like this:
   
   
   
   Which is perfectly fine. Rotate the projectors using the hand gently (clockwise/anti-clockwise as the case may be) so that the cutoff appears like this:
   
   
   
   Real world tests:
   
   
   
   
   
   The height of the cutoff can be adjusted using the adjustment screws provided at the rear of the headlight assembly. Ditto for the spread (width-wise) of the beam. This can be done after the headlights are sealed so priority is to get them aligned parallel to the ground.
   
   Once the projectors are aligned perfectly, it is time to seal them up for good. But take ample time to ensure that the alignment is perfect - there’s no going back once the projectors are sealed!
   
   Turn off the lights, give it some time to cool down, use M-Seal Phataphat, mix the 2 parts thoroughly and prepare the beads. Mold the beads into strands that are about 10 mm in diameter (for approximation sakes). Apply the molds to the gap between the projector and the reflector. Use the fingers to press them into place and fill the gap. I don’t have the actual images since I missed out clicking them but this image should help:
   
   
   
   Repeat the step for the other side and leave the headlights to rest for a good 3-4 hours. Better still, overnight so the M-Seal cures completely resulting in a proper strong bond.
   
   
6. Attaching the shrouds:
   
   The M-Seal must have cured by now resulting in a stone like bond between the projector and the reflector. Take the headlights out of the car.
   
   Before resealing the headlights, the last but one step remains - attaching shrouds to the projectors. Shrouds do not serve any specific purpose other than hiding the internals of the projector; they are just there for enhancing the aesthetics. Without the shroud, the solenoid coil, cutoff shield and the bulb would remain visible. The bulb would leak some light as well and might be a distraction. All said and done, some shrouds may require some cutting and trimming before we can attach itself to the projector inside the reflector bowl. For instance, the reflector bowls inside the Polo, Ecosport, Fiesta etc. aren’t spherical, are wider but shorter and thus, some shrouds may not fit while some others would with some trimming. OTOH, the reflector bowls of the Punto, Swift, Beat, Brio, Ertiga etc. are spherical, larger in size and thus, would accommodate most shrouds without any trimming.
   
   Here’s an image indicating reflector bowls from various cars:
   
   
   
   I had ordered the Apollo 2.0 Flat shrouds from TRS and had to trim the lower part and the side (adjacent to the engine) to avoid interference with the reflector bowl while attaching it to the projector.
   
   This was how the shrouds were trimmed:
   
   
   (Image courtesy - TRS)
   
   After trimming and filing the rough edges, the shroud was fixed to the projector inside the assembly to check if the fit was right. Final adjustments may be made if necessary.
   
   After that, the chrome was stripped off using the same solution used for stripping the chrome from the reflector bowls (refer post #5, step no. 6) and they were spray painted in matte black:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Mix the JB Weld epoxy glue and smear some on the projector lens’ periphery using a tooth pick or a cotton swab. Do not apply too much or it may leak and spread to the lens! Attach the shrouds to the projectors and let them dry.
   
   
7. Resealing the headlights:
   
   This is the final step of the DIY.
   
   Before resealing the headlight clear lens with the housing, clean the clear lens’ innards using the microfiber towel and plain water. There’s bound to be dust inside so clean it gently without smudging or scratching the clear lens. The reflector bowls and the projector lens may also be cleaned one last time.
   
   For a better understanding, this is the cross-section of the headlight:
   
   
   
   The channels might have the remnants of the stock glue - that’s perfectly fine. Remove anything that juts out of the channel using a knife.
   
   Take out the butyl sealant reel, take a small strip to begin with, gently stretch it and place them inside the channel:
   
   
   
   Some locations may need some extra glue so cut out small pieces from the reel and fill the channel properly. Take care not to use too much or too less of the glue. Less glue will result in an improper seal and moisture will creep in eventually. More glue means a messy job after the assembly is resealed!
   
   
   
   
   
   Once the entire channel is filled, take out the heat gun and heat the channels on the low-heat/speed mode by holding the heat gun from a distance. Holding it too close will melt the plastic so be careful. The key is just enough heat and time to melt the glue so it becomes less viscous but doesn’t flow readily. This process may be time consuming but do take ample time to ensure that the heat is evenly spread to the glue. About 10 minutes tops.
   
   Now would be a good time to wear a pair of cotton gloves! After the channel is heated sufficiently, take the clear lens, insert it into the channel and press it so all the edges are mated properly. Ensure that the edges have been pressed into the channel - some force may be required at the corners. Use a set of pump pliers like this to press the clear lens with the plastic housing:
   
   
   (Courtesy - Google Images)
   
   Some glue may come out while pressing but that’s fine. We kept the assembly inside the DIY oven after pressing just to be doubly sure.
   
   Here’s a video from Retrofitlabs illustrating the procedure:
   
   

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvxS6TTRzAA

   
   
   Once the assembly is cooled, silicone sealant may be applied over the mating joint as an added protection against moisture creeping in. Repeat the process for the second headlight.
   

[Gannu_1]

End Results:

Well, after all the things we did, I think the results paid off pretty well. To be brutally honest, I had zero expectations of how well these HID projectors would fare compared to halogen bulbs and I guess that helped a bit. On a dark stretch of road, the headlights did a brilliant job. Unfortunately the comparison snaps do not do justice. We felt every penny we had spent and every drop of sweat we had shed was totally worth it.











Comparison shots:

Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited H4 55/60 halogen bulbs:

Low beam:



High beam:



Morimoto Mini D2S 3.0 xenon HIDs:

Low beam:



High beam:



A short clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YIEZiSm1vM

The driver side projector does not have the blue hue on the cutoff - possibly a bulb reseat may resolve it but for the moment, I’ve left it as such. Will fiddle with it when I get some free time.

[Gannu_1]

The DIY experience:

This is perhaps the best part of the whole thing. I am sure a lot of us can relate to it. Building/fixing something by ourselves, taking it apart because something did not work as expected, fiddling with it and reassembling everything to finally see it work - that feeling and level of satisfaction is unmatched. This DIY had its fair share of worries and issues as well because this was the first time we were attempting a projector retrofit and had no clue about it. And team work works the best. Sometimes, an idea that may not have clicked you might come up from your partner.

• Fastening a bolt at a tight space:
  
  We found just one vacant hole wherein both the boxes could be screwed but we didn’t have a tool to hold the hex. head bolt from this spot:
  
  
  
  Good thing is the bolt head had a Phillips star socket inside. Then it clicked me. We had a discarded screw driver with a magnetic chuck (discarded because the shaft kept turning inside the grip) and a bunch of bits. So we used some M-seal to fix a Phillips bit to the tip of the shaft at right angle.
  
  
  
  
  
  And it worked!
  
  
  
  
• Fixing broken screw tabs on the headlights:
  
  Two separate plastic tabs on each of the headlight gave up! One of them broke at the joint (evident from the snap below) and the other midway through.
  
  
  
  Fixing the one at the joint was easy - use some epoxy adhesive or M-Seal. That was just a 2-minute job:
  
  
  
  The second one was a bit worse and we couldn’t really think of an alternative for some time. Then, it clicked me - the stock front grill is being unused and the black plastic is of good quality. Why not cut a piece out of it and then drill a hole on it? File the edges and this plastic piece can then be stuck to the tab using some epoxy glue.
  
  The grill with the plastic piece hack-sawed:
  
  
  
  
  
  Stuck to the headlight’s plastic:
  
  
  
  But wait! Won’t the threading on the plastic piece wear out eventually after some screwing and unscrewing? Nope! We used the metal piece with the internal threading as a nut to secure it from the bottom.
  
  X
  
  Worked beautifully and it was a secure mount - absolutely no wobbles.
  
  
• Fixing one of the projectors:
  
  During the 12 V test, one of the projectors had a problem. The cutoff shield which is a metal plate would get stuck on the channel and not move down when the solenoid was energized and magnetized. I thought the 9 V battery had drained and might have caused it but we confirmed that wasn’t the case because supplying 12 V directly from the car battery would yield the same result.
  
  Here’s a short clip taken after it was installed in the car:
  
  

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz02UNj0pkM

  
  
  Notice that the driver side projector would not turn on the high beams when the stalk is flicked.
  
  We swapped the headlight to the co-driver side connections to rule out an issue with other components but nada, same issue:
  
  

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee6TWxVH3qk

  
  
  I felt very depressed. Returned home after dismantling the headlights. After having bought all the stuff, I wasn’t expecting any of the component to be DOA. I wrote to TRS’s customer support and sent a mail to the owner Matt directly. They were very prompt with the responses and suggested that the solenoids are robust and are built to last. It is usually the cutoff shield experiencing friction with the channel. So I went home after work and had a good look at the defective projector up close and figured out that the cutoff shield was indeed rubbing against a bent channel:
  
  
  
  I had a small nose plier in my stash. Used it to open the channel a bit. And it worked!
  
  

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENZ6llbTGvs

  
  
  The cutoff shield never gave any problems thereafter and the high beam flicks worked flawlessly.
  
  
• Modifying the stock rubber caps:
  
  The headlight assemblies have a rubber cap fixed at the rear and the H4 female connector would connect to the bulb resulting in a sealed fit ensuring no moisture or dust would get inside:
  
  
  
  But when we fixed the projectors into the assembly, the projector was jutting out so much and the cable from the ballast was thick, we couldn’t use the stock rubber cap as such. We had to improvise it somehow.
  
  So decided to cut the innards of the stock cap:
  
  
  
  
  
  And inserted the modified cap through the harness and fixed it with the cap in the ballast output harness:
  
  
  
  
  
  We then used the JB Kwik epoxy glue to fix the cap which was a part of the ballast harness:
  
  
  
  And it worked! The seal was perfect.
  
  But this cap could still not be used because the thick ballast cable would prevent it from closing properly. We had to extend the circular opening at the rear so we sourced a PVC pipe which had just an mm of clearance from the circular opening of the headlight and had it cut into 2 equal parts of 70 mm length:
  
  
  
  Gave it a matte black spray paint coat:
  
  
  
  And used some silicone sealant to ensure the seal is good:
  
  
  
  
  
  This pipe would be a press-fit over the headlight’s opening:
  
  
  
  
  
  We used a couple of cable ties (initial idea was to use a jubilee clip but zip ties did the job beautifully) to secure the PVC pipe properly.
  
  
• Messed up the shrouds! Reordering and trimming them correctly:
  
  Like I had mentioned before, the shrouds had to be trimmed in order to fit inside the reflector bowl. Instead of carefully observing where the excess material needs to be removed, we decided to trim an entire periphery of both the shrouds! And the result?
  
  
  
  
  
  What a big blunder! Notice how the shroud exposes the projector internals.
  
  Nothing could be done but to order a pair of new shrouds from AVS Tuning, Mumbai. Besides, the chrome started coming off at some areas so we knew we had to strip the chrome and paint them. So the original shrouds turned out to be guinea pigs!
  
  
  
  Once the shrouds arrived, we sat down and found out where the excess material could be trimmed off so it doesn’t spoil the aesthetics and at the same time, covers the projector internals. And thus, we came up with the pattern and got them cut to perfection:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  So do take care before you begin cutting these shrouds!
  
  Those were some of the issues we had faced and the workarounds we had come up with.

[Gannu_1]

Shopping Experience from TRS:

Mandatory disclaimer applies - I am in no way related to TRS and am not promoting TRS in any manner. Whatever I post below is purely based on my experience.

Their website suggests that they are a company based in Atlanta, Georgia state, US. They ship worldwide and offer some very good prices for their retrofit kits and individual components. Sometimes, they come up with lucrative discounts (through their Facebook page) and closeouts.

I happened to stumble upon TRS while doing my research for the upgrade and decided to contact the customer support explaining my requirements. I was completely floored by the level of customer support these guys offered! I had put forth all my requirements on the Contact Us page and a support personnel promptly responded in less than 24 hours to my query. A lot of mail exchanges followed and all the responses were contained in a single mail so it was easy to track them. The best part was, the same guy was in charge right from the start (when I had not even thought of this deal) till the end (when the consignment was shipped). The level of support offered was impeccable and consistent - no delays in responses and to-the-point, in a very customer-friendly tone.

Since the Polo doesn’t retail in the US, he did not have an idea about the type of wire harness which was best suited for my car so going by the Golf that retails there, he suggested a CANBUS based harness to avoid any errors. But further research (and help from a friend) yielded that the CANBUS based harness wasn’t really required and I chose to get the Motocontrol H4 harness instead.

Shipping prices to India were approx. 75 USD via UPS which is a good price for a consignment weighing in at about 2.2 kg and arrives in approx. 3-4 days from the US. Fortunately for me, I had a good friend (and an ex-colleague) who was visiting Michigan for a period of 20 days as a part of his MBA program. Looks like I hit an instant 75$ discount! I asked him if he could carry it with him while he returned and he was absolutely cool with it. He wanted me to confirm the dimensions of the consignment box and the overall weight just to be sure. TRS suggested that the box would measure 12” x 12” x 8” and weigh less than 3 kg.

All the components were finalized by then and it was just a matter of making the payment now. The time difference between Atlanta, GA and India is about 9 hours and 30 minutes. Taking that into account, I filled the relevant details, chose the TRS free shipping option (using USPS ground), made the payment around 9:30 PM and dropped them a mail since they had insisted me to because the shipping address (US based) and billing address (India based) were different. They promptly dispatched the consignment within 2 hours! That was blazing fast. And the best part? They shipped it via UPS Ground not USPS! That was a friendly gesture from their side I wasn’t quite expecting! My friend received the consignment within 3 days of dispatch and sent me a few snaps over WhatsApp. He disposed the consignment box, dumped the contents inside his suit case and lugged them to India when he returned. He handed them over to me when we met.

Total price paid inclusive of shipping: 385 USD (Rs. 24,232 charged to the credit card). No customs duties had to be paid so all-in-all this turned out to be a good deal.

All-in-all the experience was fantastic!

Shopping Experience from AVS Tuning:

Since I had to order 2 new shrouds for the projectors, I contacted AVS Tuning, Mumbai (link) over the e-mail address posted on their website. I got a response by the same day evening from Mr. Vishesh Agarwal. Paid the amount via NEFT the next day morning and sent a screenshot of the payment receipt. Vishesh confirmed the payment almost immediately and dispatched the shrouds the same day using FedEx’s Priority Overnight service.

Now, here comes the saddest part of the whole deal. FedEx did not deliver the consignment for over a week and despite multiple follow-ups with them over the toll free number, all I could gather was that the consignment landed in Surat on the second day but was not delivered. Reason? FedEx does not have their delivery service in Surat and relies on a 3rd party courier service to deliver the consignments. This was a shady courier service located close to the railway station, about 10 km from my residence and I had to pick up the shipment from their office. I could not drop a mail to FedEx’s senior guys either. Despite my best attempts to hunt for the mail addresses, I couldn’t find one on their website.

The shrouds were well packed in a box with bubble wrap - safe and secure but somehow the build quality of the shrouds were different from those sent by TRS. The shrouds appeared a bit flimsy in construction and the chrome coating was not even compared to TRS’ shrouds and the overall quality was bad. I suspected these shrouds originated from China (or elsewhere) and not definitely TRS. I sent a mail to Vishesh the next day informing him about my findings but AVS Tuning suggests that all the parts were received from TRS. They also said, ”It could be that your shroud had a defect or went bad due to some reaction.” I couldn’t be bothered about the shrouds since I had decided to strip the chrome off and spray paint them in matte black.

Total price paid inclusive of shipping: Rs. 2100

The overall experience was good.

And before I wind up, my heartfelt thanks to:

• Moorthy - my good friend, partner-in-crime and my ex-roomie now, who has helped me with all the DIYs so far. Hat-tip to your enthusiasm brother!
  
  
• Kedar - a friend I had interacted with on the HID Planet forums and had installed the Morimoto FX-R projectors on his Polo. If you’re reading this Kedar, you were of immense help with the prompt, to-the-point responses with the snaps of your DIY. Thank you so much!
  
  
• My wifey - this DIY wouldn’t have been possible without your support and love. Thank you Somu. Well this isn't going to be the last one for sure!
  
  
• Sreejith - for lugging the components all the way from the US to India and handing them over on the reception day. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift Jithe! Thank you so much.
  
  
• Team BHP - for the support.
  
  And lastly,
  
  
• The Retrofit Source - for the retrofit components and the amazing customer support.

That would be all guys. Let me know if you have any queries or feedback. Would be happy to help!

PS: Few images were sourced from TRS and results from Google Images. All copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line section. Thanks for sharing!

[ajaypjayaraj]

That is one detailed DIY thread Gannu Appreciate your effort in making it in such detail! Lots of nice and simple ideas and inspiration for those who wanna try something like this. DIY oven - NICE!

Was good reading through the whole thing. And I should have guessed since it is a retrofit kit, but I really din't know that attaching the projector would be as straight forward as this. Since I did not use a kit meant for retrofit, there was so much more fine work involved in just getting the projector fitted that I would think a lot before doing it again. Needs a lot of patience. These types of retrofit kits are a dream come true for DIYers. Makes life much more easier.

Well Gannu, Thanks for sharing. Keep them coming! Cheers.

[shashank.nk]

Thank you for painstakingly documenting every possible step involved in retrofitting these projectors. It gives me a good idea of all the work involved, from start to end and how difficult it is. Brilliant idea on DIY oven! It must be much easier than using a heat gun.

I hope you'll upload a few pics after the bulbs break-in, to see how the beam looks and are able to capture it well.

[rbp]

Brilliant work there, rated this thread 5 star, a must watch for people who want to do a retrofit. Just one question, why didn't you go for the FXR?

[shetty_rohan]

Thanks Gannu. The best DIY ever seen with minute details. Rated 5 stars

Though, I am contemplating about this, I have no courage to do it on my own.

[extreme_torque]

Thanks a lot for the detailed write up and painstakingly taking the pictures of the whole procedure in preparing the DIY for us. That itself is quite an effort. Can we have a day time frontal shot of the car without the headlights on?