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Old 2nd September 2019, 16:33   #16
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Sorry to hear about the bad experience with a projector retrofit. Most of the times, the problem lies with skill (or rather lack of) of the technician who does the retrofit. I have seen a few retrofit jobs in my car and a few friends' cars, and it is always a jugaad job. It is very difficult to find professional retrofitters in India.

If you are open to DIY, I would highly recommend you to look up some DIY videos on headlight retrofits to understand opening up the headlight, aligning the lights and sealing the headlight. We have a very good DIY thread here in this forum. Mod Gannu has very clearly documented the procedure in the below thread.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...tallation.html (DIY: VW Polo Bi-Xenon Projectors. Morimoto Mini D2S Stage III Installation)

The above DIY is for a Polo headlight, but the process is the same for any headlight.

The second major problem in your installation is the splicing done on the wiring. I see that you have added a relay kit after the installation. You have mentioned about using water proof tape for insulation. Regular insulation tape would soften and peel off very quickly in the high temperatures inside the engine compartment and this poses a high risk of fire. I would recommend you use heat shrinking sleeves to insulate the joints.

Check out the below post where I have documented the usage of heat shrinking sleeves for a clean and safe wiring.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...ml#post3908081 (Installed! Bi-Xenon Projectors on my VW Polo GT TSi. EDIT - Reliability concerns on page 8)

I would also recommend using TESA cotton tapes to wrap over the joints insulated using heat shrinking sleeves.

TESA tape

Regarding the alignment, there are two parts to the alignment. The first is the angular alignment which has to be done before the headlight is sealed. If the projector has proper notches that sit in the headlight holder of the headlight assembly, this alignemnt will not be needed. If there is no locking of the projector in the headlight assembly, then you need to perform this alignment. Fix the headlight without the front glass in the car, and position the car in front of a wall. Rotate the projector to get a horizontal cut off. Once you have a proper horizontal alignment, you can use a marker to draw a small line on both the projector and the headlight assembly to mark the position. Then remove the headlight from the car, and keeping the lines aligned, tighten the projector.

The second is the alignment of the beams of the left and right projectors. I have documented this alignment in my below post.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-d...ml#post3892702 (Installed! Bi-Xenon Projectors on my VW Polo GT TSi. EDIT - Reliability concerns on page 8)

Before you giveup and switch back to OEM headlights, I would encourage you to do a DIY and fix all the issues. There are no words to describe the satisfaction derived from such a DIY. Good luck
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Old 2nd September 2019, 18:28   #17
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Well well well. Autobots strikes again. I had a terrible experience my self with Autobots. They do not stick to the time, no courtesy to contact back once the work is assigned!

I had visited them to replace leather on my Ford Fiesta Armrest. I was promised delivery in 4 days (Which is high in the firstplace for a small change of leather). the 4 days promise was not kept, the owners never bothered to call back, the part was never returned to me. Finally after repeated fail attempts to reach them to get an update I decided to let go the part rather than loosing my mind

Last edited by newtonMeter : 2nd September 2019 at 18:29. Reason: grammer
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Old 2nd September 2019, 19:59   #18
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

I am horrified reading your experience. It was already established here that xenonplanet charges more than twice for their rebranded products compared to others in market but even after charging so much, they are not able to provide the service which one expects after paying a premium. I can only imagine your plight where you had to travel back 1k km with a kid being sick worried if something could go wrong. Even I was thinking of these upgrades first in my Tiago and then Brezza but after reading such mixed reviews, I have just decided to upgrade to Tigor headlights first which come with projectors.
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Old 2nd September 2019, 20:18   #19
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

I can't wrap my head around traveling a couple of thousand miles just for a head lamp upgrade. Weren't there any good ones in your hometown or nearbouts? Not to mention the fact that fully believing Instagram ads is, well... naive.
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Old 2nd September 2019, 20:51   #20
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by graaja View Post
Sorry to hear about the bad experience with a projector retrofit.
Thanks for all the links. I did not venture into a DIY because I was told that Brezza headlights have a permalink or something different from a butyl sealant and it was difficult to open them. So I thought why not let a (un)professional person do it! Now since it's been opened once, I may try it some time later this year.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newtonMeter View Post
Well well well. Autobots strikes again. I had a terrible experience my self with Autobots. They do not stick to the time, no courtesy to contact back once the work is assigned!
That's exactly the way they work. But you should have named them and put up your experience here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shivamk11 View Post
I am horrified reading your experience......but after reading such mixed reviews, I have just decided to upgrade to Tigor headlights first which come with projectors.
Good decision, better to stay away from them.


Quote:
Originally Posted by superbad View Post
I can't wrap my head around traveling a couple of thousand miles just for a head lamp upgrade. Weren't there any good ones in your hometown or nearbouts? Not to mention the fact that fully believing Instagram ads is, well... naive.
Yup, it was naïve of me to take everything on face value looking at their social media posts and here I'm repenting my decision. But it was a personal visit to Gurgaon and I took that opportunity to unknowingly destroy my headlights. There is no one in my hometown or nearby cities who will do this kind of stuff in my part of land. Like I said earlier, Murphy's Law.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigsom View Post
+1 to this suggestion; please NEVER get back to square one.

After spending time and money on an upgrade, that little extra effort on your own would help you derive immense satisfaction, and learning too.

Who knows - maybe you're destined to become an HID advisor and that's why you've been put through this experience.
I'll definitely give a try of DIY. The current weather and work timings don't permit me the same. Maybe some time during winters.

Last edited by BoneCollector : 2nd September 2019 at 21:17.
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Old 2nd September 2019, 21:00   #21
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by graaja View Post

Before you giveup and switch back to OEM headlights, I would encourage you to do a DIY and fix all the issues
+1 to this suggestion; please NEVER get back to square one.

After spending time and money on an upgrade, that little extra effort on your own would help you derive immense satisfaction, and learning too.

Who knows - maybe you're destined to become an HID advisor and that's why you've been put through this experience.
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Old 3rd September 2019, 08:57   #22
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Go for the DIY method, you will surely do a better job and at the same time understand a lot about the wiring and everything related. Buy some assorted sleeves from amazon, a lighter,wire stripper and do it patiently over a free weekend.
I recently completed wiring two independent window modules to lower or raise the windows via central locking. It took me about 5 hours but the job done is with proper wire sleeves and connectors. In some places i have also used double sleeves just to be sure.
Roadside shop guys will never do a job better then you would do it yourself. So invest some time and i am sure you would have better and more satisfied results plus the added joy of doing it yourself is priceless.
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Old 3rd September 2019, 14:59   #23
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BoneCollector View Post
So it means that the sealant can be easily removed? If that is the case, I might as well do the alignment part myself and then reseal it. Will I need a heat gun also?


Anyone using glue guns? Can a headlight be sealed with that glue as well as butyl also?
Yes, you can remove the sealant - tonnes of youtube videos for guidance and likewise yes to silicon glue (via gun). Been running modded headlights with glue gun for over an year without issues.

Last edited by Rajiv0909 : 3rd September 2019 at 15:01.
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Old 3rd September 2019, 15:18   #24
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajiv0909 View Post
Yes, you can remove the sealant - tonnes of Youtube videos for guidance and likewise yes to silicon glue (via gun). Been running modded headlights with glue gun for over an year without issues.
I guess silicone glue is different from the plastic adhesive glue? Can you share a link or picture of the gun you have used?

Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)-screenshot_20190903151435__01.jpg

Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)-screenshot_20190903151608__01.jpg
I'm talking about this one.
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Old 3rd September 2019, 16:09   #25
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by BoneCollector View Post
I guess silicone glue is different from the plastic adhesive glue? Can you share a link or picture of the gun you have used?

Attachment 1912312

Attachment 1912313
I'm talking about this one.
I think i have the exact same gun from Stanley that i bought off amazon. i am sorry i didn't pay attention to the glue material and assumed it to be silica. Glue sticks were bought off amazon as well.

So I learnt the hard way, I had switched to projectors on my ecosport some 5 years ago. Since there were limited professional installation options around, i went on my own.

D3 lamps, ballast and dual beam Projecters were sourced from China, used m-seal to fix the projectors in the H4 slot and butyl to reseal the headlight. Over the next 3 years the headlamps lost brightness and it was getting extremely difficult to drive at night.

I thought it would be the HIDs (read it somewhere that they lose brightness over a period of time), i changed the bulbs, later the whole kit (upgrade from 35W to 100W) but it just didn't help. I had to open the headlights to figure that the reflector had lost the coating, at the same time dust made way into the headlights all the way to the projector lens.

I replaced this setup with LED lamps from Renault (ones you see on kicks these days). I was sure that i didnt want a permanent seal this time. More to ensure that i am able to clean it up once every year. So i used the thermoplastic glue

its been ~ 2 years, i have opened the lamps twice, once to align and later to clean, didnt notice any dust in the headlamps.
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Old 4th September 2019, 10:39   #26
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Sad to read about your experience, but it's nothing new when it comes to Xenon Planet and their "professional" dealers / installers.

Frankly, I don't find any good reason to even buy products from XP.

Why ?

1. XP doesn't manufacture any product, all are Chinese products with XP sticker. Do some research and I am sure you will find the same projector at half or 1/3 rd the price on Aliexpress. For example XP Micro is nothing but IPHCAR make Fog projector.

2. XP doesn't hold any advantage with respect to installation support. There are too many bad reviews already.

3. Customer support is below average. Most of the affected customers are blocked from their social media pages.

I was blocked when I asked them to replace the OE wiring / pay the amount for the same. I left it there and after couple of months when I had an issue related to relay, they sent a new one for free . Reason : Relay is super cheap and costs hardly 500 bucks while replacing the OE wiring harness would have costed a bomb

My advice is avoid Xenon Planet and their partners. Get the kits yourself online from Aliexpress and go DIY or find a good local installer.

P.S: Blaze India Delhi is good for sourcing Chinese HID parts. The pricing is very good and the customer support is impressive. Many members in our S-Cross group got the IPHCAR fog projector kit for Rs.6900. This is half the price of XP.

Last edited by Dr.Naren : 4th September 2019 at 10:43.
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Old 4th September 2019, 10:51   #27
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

A question to those who have gone the DIY route, I'm also hunting for a suitable option for Ciaz which I think has the same projector.

Is there a Maruti that comes with OE LED/ HID ? And can we fit that OE bulb onto the existing halogen projector assembly?
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Old 5th September 2019, 16:42   #28
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Sorry to hear about bad experience. Got scared when I saw the headline . BTW I am no way associated with them My user name is AutoBot.
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Old 6th September 2019, 19:53   #29
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Similar Experience

Technicians can make or break any install/modification. I did a basic speaker swap to my 1 week new car at a very reputed audio installer in Chennai. During the next rain, noticed water seeping from the speaker. On further analysis, found out that the spacer was fixed in the wrong orientation. The stock wire was not long enough to route it from the bottom, hence the genius technician mounted the spacer in such a way to avoid using new wires. This resulted in water seepage, rusted out speaker cores and most importantly heart break.
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Old 9th September 2019, 18:57   #30
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Re: Terrible experience with Autobots, Gurgaon (headlight upgrade)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kosfactor View Post
Is there a Maruti that comes with OE LED/ HID ? And can we fit that OE bulb onto the existing halogen projector assembly?
Most newer Maruti’s come with OE LED Projectors (the top variants). Baleno, New Ciaz, Scross, Ignis, Dzire etc. These are sealed units. They use LED chips inside them to provide the light. There are no bulbs inside.

OE HIDs in Maruti did come in the pre-facelift Baleno and Scross (D8S bulbs). You cannot use these bulbs in your existing halogen projector.

What you can do is:-
1) get the same type of HID bulb that the Ciaz uses. (h7 I’m not sure)
2) replace factory halogen projector with a HID Projector
3) replace your entire headlight assembly with the new Ciaz’s (OE LED projector)
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