Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   Modifications & Accessories (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifications-accessories/)

-   -   Fiat Linea with Projector headlights! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifications-accessories/114236-fiat-linea-projector-headlights.html)

Hello Friends,

I am starting a new thread about my recent painstaking mod i.e Bi-Xenon Projector set up inside the low beam of the Linea’s headlights.


To start with it the mission was to upgrade the headlights to something that can request respect from the oncoming vehicle with maniac sitting behind its wheels with headlights on High Beam.


Installing HIDs directly into the high/low beam would have been harsh onslaught on the oncoming vehicles. So I dropped that idea.


Them came in mind the idea of installing a Bi-Xenon projector in low beam and using my existing Osram Night breaker plus in high beams.

But when it comes to Fiat cars which are too-intelligent and not mod friendly due to its CANBUS circuits, you have to plan your mods perfectly. You remove a single bulb and you get an error in the Body ECU.


So I ordered a 2.8” Clear lens glass projector with 55 Watts Canbus Ballast. Dual Angel eyes though was not on my mind, was just an icing on the cake.


I ordered online after reading lots of reviews from various sites and paid up in USD with my AMEX card.
I was very happy with the deal I got but not for long – Customs added the pain in the deal.
I paid up the customs and got the projectors home.
I opened the package and was amazed to see the meaty shrouds and direct h7 fitting projectors. No need to cut the reflectors at all. They were just bolt on types.
I had already planned the DIY and had purchased a heat gun too for that.


Painful journey now starts here:
To open the bumper of a linea was real pain with Allen bolts all over and beneath.
The headlights came out and I started working on it with the heat gun. I tried hard but the glue dint melt even a bit. Later on I discovered it was sealed with perma-glue. I gave up.


The I started hunting for a headlight expert and found one who claimed to have 12 years of experience in opening the headlights & restoring them. I started rejoicing and handed over my headlights to him.


After 2 days he called me up and gave me bad news that he is unable to open it. I went to get my headlights back to discover that the so called experienced scoundrel broke one of my headlights.
I blasted at him and showed him some dadagiri after which he agreed to get me a new headlight.



With very bad mood I came home and thoughts of selling the projectors and dropping the project started taking over me.
But I decided to give it one more shot and called one more person. He assured me that he will get this done 100%. Then I told him the story that its sealed with permaglue and already one expert couldn’t open it.
He found one another person who was damn talented and he took the challenge. I handed over the headlights (one broken one) to him.



The very next day he called me up and told me that he fixed them. Wow !! he did it.



Fortuner and linea have a similar kind of tactic. There are few channels at the back of the headlight through which you have to insert some tool and press it so that the rivets come off and glass is released. This had to be done while cooking the headlights in oven to 250Degrees Celsius for 45 seconds.


I got them back and then started the DIY wiring which was another pain. Linea has all proprietary wiring connectors. I somehow prepared and fabricated matching connectors so that its plug and play.
I fitted the headlight back and the bumper too which took back breaking 4 hours.
I fired the projectors for the first time and a bad luck struck back. The left side high beam fuse blew off and the projector solenoid to operate the shutter stopped working.
Thankfully linea has fuses for each individual bulb and other equipment. There are 2 huge fuse boxes in Linea. I changed the fuse to 10amp (earlier it was 7.5amp)
After fixing everything I took my car against a wall and checked the beam pattern. To my shock again the bad luck returned with its hammer hedge. The left side beam was totally off.
After noticing the projectors inside the headlights I realised that the installer dint fix it properly.
Again I had to open the bumper take of the headlight and with great difficulty I altered the angle by doing some jugad using packing wire etc and angled it correctly. Thankfully I dint have to take out the glass.

After the huge efforts and 5 deal ordeal along with mental harassment the project finally ended well with perfect beam pattern , nice cut-off line and very bright low and high beam.
After this lesson I have made up my mind that I wont play with my linea again.

Some pictures:

@Amit

That is quite a journey to get your OE headlights converted to projectors. The car looks cool and makes it look more sporty. Well done.

Awesome is the word. Hats off to you for your perseverance and ingenuity,and boy, you have a beauty there, haven't you?

Now the much maligned low beam will be a passe. Happy motoring on the highways!

Wow! That looks amazing!! :D

The HLs now looks awesome with the angel eyes and leds!

Great job with the DIY! :D

Amazing , could you post a direct front view pic with only the angle lights ON ? .

i tried hard but they are so bright that the camera cannot capture the rings properly. you see muffled headlights.

i will try again :) may be when its just about to get dark

Thanks a lot car detailing guru :)

after the DIY i am left with cut fingers and bruised hands

Your Linea shall serve you as a Lighthouse, but one meant for the roads.

But i think your low beam is a bit too bright so much so that it may distract other oncoming vehicles into thinking you've got your hi-beams on... until they see your Hi beam!!

Awesome job bro!
Have been thinking abt something similar on my magnum, but haven't got a clue about how to go ahead yet..

Wonderful to hear that you succeeded without much damage amit at the same time, glad to know that you learnt not to mess with the electricals of your car. Why the hell would you want to R&R your front bumper for a small mod to fit 'Projector Lamps'? And why or how do you think that you can "request respect from the oncoming vehicle with maniac sitting behind its wheels with headlights on High Beam." change the attitude of these kind of people by blinding them more?

the best part of the projectors is when you look at the low beams from a distance you just see 2 whitish bright balls without scatter of lights.

when i switch to high beam, my h1 osram night breaker plus and the projectors with high beam mode come up and shoot everyone with bright light.

i rarely use high beam. i took such a pain to get this set up done to blast at idiots who drive with high beam and dont budge even if you request them too - read as cabs and nonsense people.

Thanks, what do you mean by R&R front bumper for small mod. to take out the headlight one has to take out the bumper first. and i will never say projectors is a small mod :)

with 2 days of night use i am now happy that when i blind them with my high beam they immediately switch to low beam.
earlier it was me who always used to be at the loosing end.
dont know if their attitude would change, but i dont want to loose a chance of teaching them a lesson.:deadhorse

That is a sorry state of affairs, when I was young in those ignorant times, I too used to think like you, maybe blind the other guy more and then he will learn the lesson, but as I grew older, I realised that I am putting a lot of people at risk and moreover I also saw that the newer generation was more aware of it than me and that made me proud of you guys. But today I see someone who wants to blind another road user, just because he has the means to install "projector lamps". I have and continue to be at the receiving end of such blinding lights (especially with scratched windshield), not once has it struck me that I have to do the same to the others. BTW, R&R means remove and replace. Just re-consider your attitude friend.

no not exactly. if you see my other posts in the say no to high beam thread you will see i am a person who is strictly of the opinion that one should drive with low beam.
so much so that for few days i pasted a flex on my glass saying " please drive with low beam" but someone tore it off.

if i had to just blind i had direct option of using hid in my high beam.

but i used projectors so that the focus is on road and not hurting others.

but when you daily travel in night that too in city and 99% of cab drivers are blinding you merrily you are left with not much options.

i know i am not convinced fully with my attitude, but i am living just on the edge.
i understand what you want to say here.

Beautiful is the word clap:
Your Linea looks awesome, the angel eyes give that sporty look and its looking really cool. Its well worth the pain, effort and your bruised hands mate.

I am planning something similar but only HID's without projectors, i know it can blind others but some work out for it? Like getting it only on HI-beam and flash those morons who dont dim the light even when requested to do so?

Would i need to take so much pain like you for even installing HID kit :Shockked:

Sorry, this is what i gathered from your posts and hence my response. IMHO, even to those lowly cabbies, especially to them (ignorant ones), this is not the way to teach them any lesson, they will never learn, they will only cause more accidents, I am sure you do not want to be responsible for any of it.

Wow, wonderful is the word. The rings looks awesome.

On the oncoming high beam lights, i have stopped bothering as you always get a moron frequently who refuses to budge no matter what you do. Flash and request and if he obliges then fine otherwise let it pass.

The big question is, how much of vitamin M went into this mod?