How-To HID Projector Headlights

Projector PreparationThe housing you just bought for a mere sixty dollars is actually very similar to the Hella projector that comes with their D2S kit that costs upwards of seven hundred dollars. If you inspect the bottom side of the glass lenses you will find a marking: H9/D2S. You have the H9 low beam. After opening the black aluminum backing you will also see a pit in an otherwise perfectly round circle where the bulb goes in. Coincidence? I dont think so, that pit is actually there for the electrode lead going to the front of the HID capsule. Although Hella has told me twice already that they are not the same products the pit, which is a space for the ceramic-coated electrode lead, as well as the marking on the projector tell me that they are the same part. And when you see the beam pattern there will be no doubt in your mind


cutout.jpg

D2Scoding.jpg

Figure: Here are the two give-aways that tell me this doubles as a D2S projector.

Now the only thing to do is to modify the back mounting plate for the bulb to place the capsule in the same spot as the filament in order to maximize light output. When placing the D2S bulb in the H9 mounting location you will find it is about 5-7mm short of where it should be.

lightcomparison.jpg

Figure: Placing the bulbs side by side out of the housing you will see if the bulbs were mounted with the stock mounting plate the D2S bulb does not go deep enough.

Take a look at the bulb and test fit it into the place where the H9 should go. You will see around this is a raised flange that guides the bulb into the proper orientation. Coincidentally both the H9 and the D2S have the same diameter. The next thing you must do then is grind out all that material inside the flange except for a little tab at the top of the projector back plate to align the D2S capsule. Take a large washer you purchased from the hardware store and grind it down to fit inside the back plate. Take some small machine screws and drill through both the washer and the back plate and tightly bolt them together. If you choose to glue these pieces together make sure the bond is tight by hitting it with a hammer with moderate pressure. Also ensure to test fit the bulb to make sure the electrode lead does not touch the washer and grind down if necessary. Why have you done all this just now? Your light is mounted properly and your capsule is now deeper in the projector where it needs to be.

backplate.jpg

Figure: Here is the back plate after being bored out. Note that at the top of the plate a tab that remains to align the bulb correctly

BackPlatePieces.jpg

Figure: Here are all the parts used before the washer was drilled and inserted

projectorcomplete.jpg

Figure: This is what your final product should look like. Depending on the size of the washer purchased more work may be involved in getting the flange fitted in the back plate. I found a washer with a 2 OD and 3/4 ID fit perfectly.

Either its my connection or my computer but I'm not seeing your how to pictures any more.
 
very nice. Do you have wall shots of you beam cutoffs? What projectors did you use? They look like bosch's Oh and nice shrouds, where did you get them from? I like the CCFL but not much where they are placed. There isn't much places to install tho. Do you have an installed day pic?

Nice retro!
 
very nice. Do you have wall shots of you beam cutoffs? What projectors did you use? They look like bosch's Oh and nice shrouds, where did you get them from? I like the CCFL but not much where they are placed. There isn't much places to install tho. Do you have an installed day pic?

Nice retro!


thanks. yours aswell. . . i used the tsx projectors. and i have the helios kit previously and i just used a d2s adaptor to accomodate for the phillips d2s bulbs. as far as the shroud i think it came off of a bens or some random headlight or might not even be a headlight ornament. just someone sold it to me on ebay.

i do have a day pic and i do have a wall shot just . not updated so the one i have is off and aimed high. but i love the ccfl =P i didnt really know where to put them and didnt want it to go to waste so i just interated it there. and i will use a smaller version on the turn signal.

here are the outdated wall shot and the day shot.

IMG_0623.jpg

IMG_0624.jpg

IMG_0632.jpg

IMG_0631.jpg

IMG_0717.jpg

IMG_0715.jpg

IMG_0716.jpg

IMG_0714.jpg

IMG_0709.jpg

IMG_0713.jpg

IMG_0708.jpg

IMG_0706.jpg

IMG_0705.jpg

IMG_0704.jpg

IMG_0686.jpg

IMG_0696.jpg
 
Last edited:
nice job.
my projector project is on ahold right now
Where did you get this??
IMG_0624.jpg

i'v been looking for a set somthing that looks like that
so that i can get back to work on my project.

thanks.
i'll post some pic when i am done
 
Thank, and nice. Your car's front end looks awsome.

thanks.. =) i try. but i wish i can custom fit that rear lip of yours onto mine. i just dont know how much work nor money it will take to get it done. what kind is it. is it the wingswest rear lip?

the reason i ask is cuz i need something to balance the look of the car. too much stuff goin on the front and hardly in the back. that rear lip of yours will top it off!!.

and i have a pic of two of my toys. the setup now is without the bezel and the dde kit. im not done as i said before. i just wanted to see how it holds up to the bump on the road and such i wanted to test the sturdyness of how i mounted it. so far so good. havent moved an inch. and i need to sand down the plastic lens too much pitting and scratches. lol

heres the current pic..










 
Last edited:
nice job.
my projector project is on ahold right now
Where did you get this??
IMG_0624.jpg

i'v been looking for a set somthing that looks like that
so that i can get back to work on my project.

thanks.
i'll post some pic when i am done

hey. i really dont know where it came out of or what its purpose before i bought it. but i bought it from a guy on ebay. its funny because some of the stuff i have on the car i dont know where it came from or came out of. lik my fogs someone had asked me about them. and i couldnt help him .so same scenerio here. =( sorry

just type in bezels or shroud. or you can go to hidplanet.com and go on the forum section and they have a FS section hunt there thats where i got the tsx projectors. anyways. good luck with your project.

im thinking of selling my helios ballast and get a mitsushita ballast one from tsx and s2000 . its a bit pricey though. in due time.
 
damn that pic of the bike and your p5 looks awsome.

The rear lip i have is the wing west one. the shop made it look like it is a one piece bumper, wich looks nice IMO. I don't know how he did it, tho.
DSCN4046.jpg



Hey, before sanding, i recommend you try Meguiar's PlastX. Really good stuff. Sanding is your last option.
 
so is it abs plastic. or fiberglass? or polyurethane?

anyhow. i think you should tint your car get the rockblocker film the lighter tint though. for your tails. and youd be set to go.

and i know of meguirs. i think ill use that and buff it out. it should work.
 
My right HID went out last week. So today I get a harebrain idea to take the ballast from the left side and hook it up to the right side. If It lit then my ballast was bad. If it didn't light then I knew my bulb was bad. Well it didn't light the right side. So I put it back on the left side and now I can't get the left side to light either.

So now I have no headlights at all. I've blown 3 fuses so far.
So back to the drawing board.
 

New Threads and Articles

Back