[Keynote]

Surgical Strike on my humble tusker : Operation XP - Part-I

Prelude : During an impromptu meet in Bangalore couple of months ago both Anurag & Sudeep found out the stock headlamps in my vehicle had better output compared to other Scross Alpha variants they have driven. Though the output is better it still used to cry for more visibility during late evening/night drives especially during monsoons. This was also the primary reason for not having the similar confidence in driving through the highway during the nights as compared to during the day.

Anurag after driving my car for ~12 kms that evening had all the praises in the world for the way the car has been maintained and its sheer capabilities. He also casually asked why not consider upgrading to XP projector fog lights to improve the visibility. Possibly the ONLY logical upgrade that my car needed.

By this time, I had gone through almost all the posts in DIY thread by Anurag (Link), the dedicated XP thread where many folks including early adopters of this product have shared their feedback (Link) and not just limited to the positives & negatives about this product, quality checks, install and after sales support. Hence would like to thank members like Anurag, Sudeepg, lovetroque etc. for sharing unbiased views on the same which helped me in deciding to go for the XP Micro.


Since the objective was to improve visibility during late evening / night drives, decided to install the 3'' XP Micro Bi-Xenon Foglight Projectors with 4300k bulbs after a lot of thought process. To keep things simple, decided to install the XP's by opting just for Low-Beam only there by eleiminating any wiring issues. After hearing and reading through all the install fiasco at Evo Bangalore, the ONLY way I would get the XP's was through a DIY by folks like Anurag, Sudeep, lovetorque etc. as they know exactly what needs to be done to have a secure connection.

Anurag was more than happy to do this DIY or rather DIFO (Do it For Others)on most sought after Scross 1.6 and bought the kit for me from Xenon Planet Hyderabad in-charge Mr. Mayur Reddy @ 14,000. A quick call with Sudeep and Abhinav on doing this install, both of them happily agreed to join hands and accompany me. We also had few other folks in Hyderabad who were the early adopters of XP and their connections were not secured. So, for the benefit of everyone we decided to meet up at a common place and do surgical strikes one after another.


Hyderabad Gang Members: a4anurag, Warun & Sendhil
Bangalore Gang Members: Sudeepg, abhinav.s & Myself (all bhpians)
Where did we finally meet up : Karnool
When : Saturday, 22nd July 2017.


~6 am started from Kasturinagar


~7 am After covering 40 kms, stopped for a 30 minute breakfast at Nandi Upachar as there are not many food options post that till Karnool.


~7:30 am to 9 am we have covered another 183 KMs and stopped for a quick bio-break.


~9:10 am to 10:30 am, we covered another 140 KMs and reached Karnool much to the amusement of Hyderabad folks as they didn't anticipate us to reach so early.


Range left after covering 360.5 KMs


Average speed of the trip from Bangalore to Karnool



Let me just re-iterate this highway (Bangalore-Karnool-Hyderabad) for majority of the times doesn't see much traffic and this time it was no different. Tusker just kept pulling relentlessly and Sudeep at the rear seat didn't even realize the way this car masked the highway speed.

Your's truly at the wheels


Look at the smile at Sudeep's face. Doesn't even realise the car just cornered at triple digit speeds


Abhinav at the wheels, who just did that cornering and the one who had most fun driving during this trip


Tusker arriving at the Operation Theater




XP Micro specifications :

• Name: XP Micro
• Product code: xpmic
• Projector Size: 3 Inch
• Bulb: Unbranded/Unlabelled (tuned by XP)
• Bulb Type: H8/H11 HID
• Bi-Xenon Type
• Waterproof projector unit and Ballast
• 35W Canbus Ballast
• Colour Temperature: 4300K is what was recommended by Anurag
• Voltage: 12V
• Warranty: 2 Years from Date of Purchase

XP package contains the following :

1. 3 inch projectors x 2 No's
2. Mounting clamps (Two different types in different sizes)
3. 35W Canbus Ballast x 2 No's
4. Custom made brackets for the Canbus Ballast x 2 No's
5. Wire connectors and terminals
6. Mounting screws and washers
7. Dual Core wire for the High beam of the XP Micro (thankfully this was NOT needed as the objective was to have ONLY low beam for improved visibility on the road)

3 inch projector


Projector plus its wiring connected to Ballast


Clamps that YOU see on the right hand side were chosen to mount the projector on my car


35W Canbus Ballast with custom brackets


Connectors (early adopters of XP were not so lucky to get these connectors)


Coupler for high-beam and terminals (did not use)


Dual Core wire for the High beam of the XP Micro (did not use)


The complete kit



Tools required to complete this install

1. Stanley socket set.
2. Assorted tools set.
3. Trim panel opening set.
4. Plus Anurag's car was a like a mini workshop with all the tools required if we were ever short of anything.

Stanley socket set


Inside the set


Assorted Tools set


Trim panel opening set


Anurag's Car Boot if we ever run out of any required tools (for eg. Nylon Zip Ties etc.)


Please Note : Surgical Strike on my humble tusker : Operation XP - Part-II - On how it was carried out - step by step procedure will be updated as soon as possible. Stay tuned fellas

[Keynote]

Surgical Strike on my humble tusker : Operation XP - Part-II

Objective of this install : Better visibility on ROAD while night drive and NOT focussing at someone's balcony in a high rise.
Requirement from XP Micro : Very basic and logical one. Low beam only to light up the road.
Advantage of this install : Retain OE look as is. Didn't even have to buy additional switches to fire them up and used the existing fog lamp switch.Simple, plug-n-play and NOT messing up any of the OE wiring whatsoever.


Basic process of Install

Step – 1: Disconnect the negative (–ve) terminal of the battery so that the circuit is protected in case of a short.

Step – 2: Open the fog lamp cover using trim opening kit. Using a star screw driver, remove the screws that hold the OEM fog lamp. Disconnect the coupler from the bulb.

Step - 3: Open the front wheel cladding, wheel/fender liner which will be of help to open the front bumper easily.

Step – 4: Using the provided clamps in the kit fix them on the projector unit. Mount them in place of the OE fog lamps either by using the screws provided in the kit or one can use the OE screws that held the fogs in place. Plug-in the low beam wires to the OE fog lamp coupler.

Step – 5: Once the wires and ballasts are connected to the projectors, check all the terminals for tightness of fitting.

Step – 6: Connect the negative (–ve) terminal of the battery and test the functioning of the low beam of the projector.

Step – 7: Once it is established that the functioning is as it should be, tidy up the extra or loose wires using extra zip ties so it is secure and reliable.

Step – 8: Re-install the bumper and check the functioning again.


Then comes the very important aspect of proper alignment of XP Micro Fog-light Projectors.


Alignment of the Projectors

Step – 1: Wait for the late evening / nightfall and once that happens, park the car on flat ground pointing towards a wall (preferably white) with a distance of approximately 10-15 feet.

Step – 2: Set the headlight level on level 1 using the leveler switch. This is lower than Level 0 that I use regularly. Mark the Level 1 point on the wall and switch OFF the headlight.

Step – 3: Switch ON the projectors in low beam and align the projector's low beam cut off line on the same point as marked on the wall in Point 2. Do the same for both sides and tighten the alignment screw so the projector is fixed and doesn’t move around.

Step – 4: Once tightened, re-install the fog lamp covers and recheck if the alignment hasn't been disturbed or not. If all okay, set the headlight level to Level 0 and check the beam pattern.

This will ensure that the low beam will NOT affect the oncoming vehicles since it is set at a level lower than the OE Low beam of the headlight.

Once all these steps are followed to the T, you're ready to rule the roads during night drives and unleash the vehicles capabilities more than how much you would do during the day drives.

Removing fog lamp cover housing


OE Fog lamp when seen after removing the fog lamp cover


OE fog lamp being removed


OE fog lamp once removed from the car


Difference in length between the OE fog lamp vs XP Projector unit in comparison with above picture


Connect the XP kit to OE fog light wiring to test before the actual install


Fired up and initial impressions we are on right track.


Open the front wheel cladding, wheel/fender liner






Anurag in action to remove the Bumper


Bumper removed and kept aside


And the boys played well





Securing the Ballast with Custom brackets and ensure they are not in contact with anything else




Bumper being fixed and put in the original place where they belong


Wheel liner / Fender liner back to OE position


Now that ballasts were secured, it was time to put the XP 3 inch projector units


Some protruding plastic parts were cut with precision to seat the XP projectors. Although XP claims these are Plug-n-Play, folks had to literally plug their A$$ to make XP play.








XP 3 inch projector units are fixed and being tested again.


My tusker back to OE avatar with XP 3 inch projector units finally fixed.


"Hyderabad ka DON - Warun" with his hands folded backwards ensured the final alignment of XP projectors were completed as per our expectation .


That little dance moment definitely translates to a job well done


We had to wait for late evening and some darkness to fall in to check the output of the XP foglamps in my car. In the meantime, we decided to finish our well deserved lunch and then Anurag & Sudeepg started to work on Sendhil & Warun's (early adopters of XP) car to secure the ballast and wiring which was NOT done in safe manner earlier by the Hyderabad installer.

Will cover the XP foglight output pictures in the next post.

[Keynote]

3'' inch XP Micro Fog-lights post install pictures :

Time was around 6 PM now and XP's require some running in to unleash its full potential





Next to Anurag's Blue Streak




With Warun's & Sendhil's Crossover - tusker being the hero of the day, stood in the center





Time to stare at each other







tusker leaving the operation theater successfully at 7:30 PM


Couple of pictures taken by co-passenger while on the move. This was within 15-20 minutes of hitting the highway back home from Karnool.

Stock headlamps


Stock headlamps + XP Micro Fog-lights on the move with just low-beam


Filled up fuel on the way at Reliance and reached near Nandi Upachar Devanhalli at around 11:30 PM.

Total trip till Devanahalli


Range left


Average speed of the total trip till Devanahalli



Well if you thought all that starts well ends well too, sometimes you will be proved wrong - Especially with XP Micro. Why I say this? Take a look at the below picture and you will notice difference in color output of fog lamps. Yes after all the hardwork and meticulous planning, we were a bit disappointed to see the bulbs colors were a mismatch. One is 4300k and the other one turned out to be 5000k. We have been told the replacement bulbs will reach us latest by 1st week of September 2017. Once received, I shall take few pictures and share it with folks here.

Mismatch in color



Partners in Crime : Left to Right

Sendhil, Warun (Don), Sudeepg, Keynote, a4anurag & abhinav.s



Verdict : All these gentlemen have regular jobs and work with some of the best organizations and big MNC Corporates. But just look at the amount of knowledge and passion these folks posses when it comes to automobile DIY's ,modifications and helping fellow bhpians at no cost. My sincere thanks to all these folks who traveled such long distance to help us install XP Micros. Special thanks to Anurag & Sudeep for carrying out majority of the surgical strike so meticulously. This install would always be known for one of the most safest and robust install in the history of XP Micro's.You guys had given professional installers a run for their money... watch out guys reading this. Last but not least Abhinav for getting us back home safe at around midnight in the similar fashion he drove my tusker during the day to Karnool.

A Saturday well spent with like minded folks, and the confidence to have fun while driving in the night with my tusker , I couldn't have asked for more.

[Keynote]

Note from Mod: This was posted on 1st September 2017 @ 11:05 AM - but moved up in the thread.

Update : Stock Headlamp vs XP output images

Thanks to the late night rains last night, the street lights were completely switched-off. This became a great opportunity to capture the light output post XP install. So stopped the vehicle for few minutes and took these from the driver's seat. Please note I'm still waiting for mismatch of bulbs to be corrected, however this has NOT impacted the real time performance of XP output. It is only from outside when someone looks at them the difference in color output is seen. Take a look

Stock Headlight Low Beam only


Stock Headlight Low Beam + XP Fog Low Beam


Stock Headlight High Beam only


Stock Headlight High Beam + XP Fog Low Beam

[balajisv]

Hi Keynote, fantastic report! Just awesome! A group of passionate owners meeting up and helping out is too cool!
Reminds me of our own get together when we (passionate owners of Zest) all met in Bengaluru !!

[Rehaan]

Note from Mod: Have split these posts into their own thread

To see Keynote's full S-Cross ownership report, click here.

[abhinav.s]

Super awesome report of a "Super Human" Group DIY effort. Very detailed narration of the entire install with attention even to the minutest of things! Kudos.

Since you have covered the DIY in detail, let me stick to the before and after impressions. If you remember, on that first short drive to Kolar in your car, I exclaimed from the passenger seat that your headlights are not good enough for the highways when we narrowly missed the cyclist on the right hand edge near the divider. And how these poor projectors would make even a non-believer to start praying the moment they are on the highways and doing some moderate speeds?? Well I can confidently say that it is now a thing of the past with the fog lamp upgrade.

I experienced the difference in illumination right after the install on the drive back. Though we were almost dead tired with the DIY, on the drive back, i was able to maintain some really good speeds to get us back home in time only due to these fog lamps. With the stock lamps we would have been delayed by at least another hour if not more. Such is the confidence these fog lamps inspire during night drives. I would go so far to say, any S-Cross Alpha owners to think of this upgrade.

But honestly, the amount of work that went in to get this right, you are really lucky that Sudeep and Anurag literally worked their behinds off and you are blessed to have their expertise for your install. How can I forget Sendhil and Warun who left no stone unturned to ensure your fog lamp cover fit flush after the XP install. So any owner thinking of this upgrade should first ensure they have really good installers around else it is not really worth it. The product on its own is very good but it is not at all Plug and Play in any sense of the word and is a royal pain even for the seasoned installers to get it perfect.

So I repeat - at the risk of sounding repetitive - You are one lucky guy to have had the expertise and skill of Sudeep and Anurag for your install!! Enjoy the night drives -- Let there be LIGHT!!

[a4anurag]

First DIY on the S-Cross 1.6, feels good.

Extremely happy that the lighting is as desired and as we thought. Just that the mismatch bulbs spoilt the whole fun the DIY completely. Sad to be waiting for the correct ones after so long even after repetitive reminders.

Xenon Planet won't learn even after so much happens.

Do keep cleaning the lens when the projector is cool with a moist microfibre cloth to avoid light scatter.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Sad to be waiting for the correct ones after so long even after repetitive reminders.

Xenon Planet won't learn even after so much happens.

After sales support of Xenon Planet is just horrible. It's surprising that they can't even provide the replacement bulb and it's more than a month .

A friend sent me pics few days back saying that the XP Micro installed by their official installer has moisture and water issues. I hope the owner gets it replaced under warranty.

[Keynote]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

First DIY on the S-Cross 1.6, feels good.

I hear you buddy.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Sad to be waiting for the correct ones after so long even after repetitive reminders.

Not your fault, lets hope Xenon Planet sends us the replacement bulbs latest by end of next week. Except for the mismatch when one sees from outside, the real time output of these are really good as anyone can see from the pictures.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Do keep cleaning the lens when the projector is cool with a moist microfibre cloth to avoid light scatter.

Will do, thanks a ton

[Keynote]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Sad to be waiting for the correct ones after so long even after repetitive reminders.

Update : Call it a coincidence, the replacement bulbs were dispatched by Xenon Planet right after this thread went live and I've received them in good condition couple of days back.

Now the good part is Xenon Planet has sent a pair of bulbs as replacement with connectors than just sending one bulb for the mismatch that occurred. I truly appreciate this sort of gesture and pro-activeness shown by XP. Hopefully the replacement pair of bulbs are a perfect match of 4300K, however we would know this only after removing the existing pair of bulbs from the car. I shall update the output pictures once this activity is completed.



Have driven ~2000 KMs since installing XP fog-light projectors during this monsoon season and vehicle has been through some heavy rains. XP as a product and the output has been excellent so far and are holding up nicely.

[Vigkey]

Wow Keynote! This is amazing!!

As someone looking forward to get the XPs for my S-Cross and DIY (probably another group DIY ), this thread is a bible. Great effort to put in the thread buddy!!!

Really appreciate the amount of effort put in by BHP-ians Anurag, Sudeep, Abhinav and dear friends Warun and Sendhil. This is truly truly terrific and I am sure most professional installers might not be able to achieve the quality of work you guys did It is really a shame that XP is getting the bulb combination wrong 95% of the times, but have to appreciate them as well to send replacement - albeit a bit late.

Lets see if we can meet up soon and I am looking forward to all your expertise to get the XPs installed in my car. What a shame of a headlights Maruti has given in its most premium product.

[Keynote]

Hopefully the replacement pair of bulbs are a perfect match of 4300K, however we would know this only after removing the existing pair of bulbs from the car. I shall update the output pictures once this activity is completed.

Update: Bulb replacement activity in my car was completed last evening and it took just 30 minutes of time for fellow bhpian Sudeepg to do this

We removed the old bulbs and put in the new pair that was sent by XP team. This time they are an exact match in color temperature (4300K) and the output is excellent. Take a look

[sudeepg]

Originally Posted by Keynote

During an impromptu meet in Bangalore couple of months ago both Anurag & Sudeep found out the stock headlamps in my vehicle had better output compared to other Scross Alpha variants they have driven.
....
Since the objective was to improve visibility during late evening / night drives, decided to install the 3'' XP Micro Bi-Xenon Foglight Projectors with 4300k bulbs after a lot of thought process. To keep things simple, decided to install the XP's by opting just for Low-Beam only there by eleiminating any wiring issues.

After a long gap, finally I get to reply. It's no doubt that your car's bulbs are better than mine. Mine is like a candle, your's is at least 40W bulb. As you say, the objective with XP micro is only to improve the lighting conditions. It's better than being blind. The real problems with stock lighting in alpha variant will be exposed in rains. I wonder how other owners are managing!

Originally Posted by Keynote

Basic process of Install

You have captured all of this very well, Mr. KeyNote. I think this can be used by anyone to install these projectors rather than spend 2500 - 5000 for installation charges. It's simply not worth it. An informative post/thread like this is enough to save that money

Originally Posted by Keynote

3'' inch XP Micro Fog-lights post install pictures :

Time was around 6 PM now and XP's require some running in to unleash its full potential

Great pictures. I totally loved the meet, the work, conversations. I think for all the work we did, Don (Warun) really closed the loop with the problems of getting the mounting correct. Great job there!

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

The product on its own is very good but it is not at all Plug and Play in any sense of the word and is a royal pain even for the seasoned installers to get it perfect.

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

After sales support of Xenon Planet is just horrible. It's surprising that they can't even provide the replacement bulb and it's more than a month

Originally Posted by a4anurag

Just that the mismatch bulbs spoilt the whole fun the DIY completely. Sad to be waiting for the correct ones after so long even after repetitive reminders.
Xenon Planet won't learn even after so much happens.

Yes, the product is really good except that it has been let down by its suppliers. I just don't see how they can miss the color temperature being off after so many months and feedbacks and claim that their QA control is top notch. I give them up on that.

Originally Posted by Keynote

This time they are an exact match in color temperature (4300K) and the output is excellent.

Finally, eh? I am glad. For a moment after the install I thought they sent us wrong bulbs again but thankfully luck is on our side this time.

I wish you many more happy miles with your car.

[ags82]

Hi all, I want to upgrade the stock fog lamps of my 2021 Scross to projector set up. Can you suggest some good places in Bangalore where I can purchase a set and have them installed? EVO is a name I see a lot in Google search. Anyone got prior experience with them or can suggest a good place?
Many thanks!