Thanks for that info you posted to.

Might have to investigate that further down the track

Here is how the projector mechanism looks like.

The projectors have the option to be used in both Left and Right hand drive vehicles.
There is a lever at the back of the projector reflector that can be turned to left or right and a shield inside the reflector moves to make the beam pattern to either Left, Neutral or Right Hand Drive.

There is a Hi beam reflector also on these units, but as you see they are very small and are there just for the looks since the projectors are Bi-Xenon.
These units come from the latest BMW 5 series.
Some vehicles like VW Touareg V8 and V10 are using 2 Projectors in each headlight assy/side.
However, at present the second projector is a Halogen using H7. Just for look again.

If you decide to retro the RX330 HID reflectors, you need to trim all the extra bits, as we did and then cut the original reflector out of your headlights make some sort of a holder and “stichâ€￾ the RX330 reflector into yours.
It fits any Ford reflector.

 

 

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mavs,

Is there anyway to improve/upgrade the projectors in a NC fairlane as the originals are pretty s**t spec at night after rain.

cheers

To imporve and obtain the best result you should replace the projectors with Either Xenon or Bi-Xenon ones.
I believe Hella used a Projector in earlier BMW 320s (E46) that should fit with some minor adjustments.
By replacing the projectors you should also change the electrical set up on the vehicle. All you need to do is build a sub harness and change the Projectors to run as Lo beam.
Of course if you find Bi-Xenons then you can use the Projectors for both Hi and Lo beam.

would you say a difficult job?

if not could you maybe give me a parts checklist if its not to much trouble

cheers

Not if you know what you are doing.

First of all you need to find a pair of HID Projectors with bulbs, ballast and wiring.
Then, You need to remove the headlight assys.
Heat them up (one at a time) in the oven.
Remove the lens from the headlight housing.
Remove the original Projectors.
Install the new HID projectors.
Test run everything.
Heat up the lens and housing again and if necessary add some more sealant.
Seal the headlight lens back to the housing.
Assemble the headlights back in the vehicle.
Connect to the new wiring harness.
Enjoy the ride.

Check out this thread http://www.nissansilvia.com/forums/inde ... pic=138712 and it shouws what can happen with the $350 ebay jobs. I was looking at getting a set of Xenonoz HID kit but they cost about $1800 for the kit.

Unsure if I should do it yet as low beam is ok but not the best and the lens is fine not yellowing on the outside at all. I currently have the Philips GT150 Lamps and they are the best I have used.

Thanks for the pointer, but I'm tending towards the idea the 'electronic gurus' over there are coming up with, a fault with the battery/connection caused the alternator to produce a massive surge.

Having seen inside a few HID ballasts, they're all filled with a solid dielectric goo (non-conductive glue like silicon, but white) to one make it waterproof, and two prevent any component failures from conducting to anything else. Again suspicious the poster didn't have pics of the ballasts, I sure as hell would.

Check out the ebay seller saturnbuys he claims to sell genuine german models with protection from that sorta thing happening.
Hooray someone useful in WA and just 25mins down the road from me.

He quoted me $469 for the kit.

i have bought over 5 kits from ebay n no worrys at all

I see this thread is somewhat dated, but thought I'd post to it anyhow, as I have heaps of experience with the topic.

In July 2005 I installed 2 HID conversion kits in my 2004 BA Futura. 4300k Hi/Lo on both beams in the H4's & 6000k in the H7's. Both kits were purchased on eBay for around $180 per kit + freight. I had them installed by an Auto Electrician, which cost around $120.00 for a VERY neat and tidy job. So all up it cost me approx $540.

I live at Tamworth NSW, I'm a sales rep, and do approx 80,000 km's per year, which includes a lot of night driving through areas such as Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Coonabarabran, Gunnedah, and down the Hunter Valley to Newcastle. This territory includes mountainous country, narrow/winding back country roads, and stretches of long straight highway. So I think it fair to say that I've experienced HID's under all conditions.

Overall comment - They are BRILLIANT, however there are some + and - points.

PLUS - 1/ 50% more usable / visable distance on low beam, with huge increase in contrast of the road and any objects. This was by far the greatest improvement. 2/ I have focused the RHS low beam so that it illuminates the centre of the lefthand side lane. With the LHS light focused to give greater illumination to the side of the road, so I can see the roos before they get onto the road. 3/ The HID's also cut through rain and fog MUCH better than any other light I've ever seen. 4/ The high beam with both the H4 & H7's on, is FANTASTIC, from the driver's seat of MY car (see minus below)

MINUS - 1/ To have the H4's focused for greater low beam benefit, they lose out on high beam. I did have them focused for best high beam, but the loss on low beam wasn't worth it. 2/ On coming vehicles HATE me. Especially when driving those long straight stretches around Moree, Narrabri, Wee Waa etc. I get oncoming vehicles flashing me from what must be 5klm away. I seem to drive a lot of time on low beam because of this. I have to dip my lights so often, that I'm probably driving 50% of the time on low beam, whereas with halogens, that would have been 25% of the time. Long and short of it is, that when oncoming traffic is NOT a problem, the HID's are GREAT. But due to the vastly increased range and volume of light, I actually drive less on high beam, which means I would have been better of with Halogen high beams, because I could have used them more. And Halogen high beam gives more light than HID low beam.

Having said all that, I'm now looking to install something similar in my XR6, which is exactly the same standard headlights as the Futura.

The other option is to leave the headlights standard, and install a set of auxillary driving lights, that are HID's, such as Hella Predators, which cost around $1500 each, or buy a set of Rallye 4000's for $500, and fit HID conversions to them.

Hope the above is of interest, and helps out anybody contemplating similar.

If others have something to add or comment on, I would be VERY pleased to hear it, as I'm going to do something with my XR6 VERY soon.

You can email me directly if you like t.dare@bigpond.com

Cheers

I know the thread is a little old, but what you wrote made for a great read. It was perfect timing as well as my dad has just installed a set in his NL fairlane ghia and they are f**k AWESOME. I myself will be also fitting a kitl...so perfect timing for you comments.

cheers

Andrew

Last edited by andrewsfutura on Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

HIDs are cool. ive had them for about 3.5 years now. great light..im running them behond the XR projectors so its a very nice clear beam.

I've got them in my GT-P, H4's lo/hi, but I've left the H7 highs as halogens. Also HID-ified my spot lights/fog lights.

Just be careful by aiming them a little lower than standard, and you won't annoy oncoming traffic.

A few things I forgot to mention in my earlier post

1/ I used to be a Sales Rep for one of the leading Automotive wholesalers. Lighting products were approx 25% of what I sold. I had access to technical info from all the major manufacturers, and attended many product launches, and trade & demo nights etc. So I got to see all the latest & greatest, and to hear all the promotional guff that the manufacturers would have you believe.

2/ I have tried all the "new" style halogen globes. The manufacturere's reps would always try to ply us with freebie globes to try out. Fortunately for me, my company car was a BA ford, same as my own 2 vehicles, so I got to "suck it and see" at somebody elses expense.
Make no mistake, the "Improved Vision" halogen bulbs all work. But maybe not to the same degree as the manufacturers might claim.

3/ My XR6 is a 2005 BA series 1 - Not a AU, which means mine has the vacuum chrome plated reflector in all the headlights. An important point to keep in mind with this type of headlight is that it can be EASILY damaged by heat. I have seen numerous examples of units damaged by people fitting 100w globes. The extra heat generated by a 100w filament globe, in place of the standard 55w globe is pretty severe. The heat causes the reflector to go brown. I've seen some do this in as little as 3 months, and others have taken as long as 12 months. I guess it all depends on how much night driving you do, and how much of that night driving is on high beam. But if you fit 100w filament bulbs, you WILL sooner or later, cause irrepairable damage to an expensive headlight assembly.

4/ The "Standard" HID globe is 35w, but as is very well known, this puts out far greater light than ANY wattage of halogen. There are now suppliers of 50w HID's ,,,,, BE WARNED ,,,, The 50w HID'S COULD / MIGHT / MAYBE ,,,,, cause the same damage to the vacuum chromed reflectors. The heat from 35w HID is LESS than any other bulb. The heat from 50w HID is GREATER than 55w Halogen, and getting up there with 100w Halogen ,,,, so BE WARNED.

5/ I also have a 1989 Toyota Hi-Lux 4x4. The standard headlights on this were without doubt the WORST light I have ever seen on any vehicle. My son's pushbike light was better ,,,, no bull. On low beam, the light oozed out of the lamps and then down onto the bullbar,,,, and then it dribbled down onto the road about a foot in front of the vehicle if it was standing still,,,,, anything over 60kph, and I think the light used to get blown back under the vehicle by the draught. High beam pointed straight ahead, but was so gutless that it simply dissipated into the darkness, without actually illuminating anything. I tried everything,,,adjustments & focusing, larger wiring, direct wiring from the battery, via relays, 120w bulbs,,,,and all to no really usable improvement. So I fitted a set of 4300k Bi-Xenon H4 Hi/Lo's to the standard headlight shells. If I thought the improvement HID's made to my Futura was GREAT ,,,, the difference to the Hi-Lux was nothing short of MIRACULOUS. The lights are now good enough to actually drive on back country roads ( read as winding, hilly, dirt roads, with kangaroo infested scrub right up to the road side). The percentage improve that HID's made on my Futura was about 50% on low beam, and 100% on high beam. On the Toyota Hi-Lux, it was about 200% on BOTH low and high beams.

6/ I'm not big on fitting expensive auxillary lighting. After hitting about a dozen animals over the years (roos, sheep, cattle, and on 1 occasion, a horse). I've written off 2 vehicles, and damaged a few others. But every time, I've written off a set of driving lights, including Cibie Oscars & Super Oscars,,,, Hella 2000's & 4000's, and the light I found best of all,,,, the Lightforce polycarbonate. At least with HID's, the most you're likely to lose is the bulbs, because the expensive part is the ballast, which if your smart, is securely mounted on the inner mudguard,,,, a tad further back than the front of the motor, so there is something to protect the ballast in event of a crumpled front end. INSURANCE you ask ????? FORGET IT. Read your policy,,,, it asks if there are any modifications. HID's are ILLEGAL. The girl who takes your details over the phone when you take the policy out usually isn't savvy enough to tell you at the time, so you do the right thing, and list the HID's as modifications,,,,, but when you make a claim for a written off set ,,,,, it might be that they WIPE THE WHOLE CLAIM ,,,, because you have an ILLEGAL modification. Luckily for me,,,, but bad luck for a mate of mine,,, because thats EXACTLY what happened to him. Not only down a set of Rallye 4000's with HID inserts,,,, but also down a $4,000 claim for the rest of the damaged ute. THE TIP IS ,,,,, If you fit HID's ,,,, do NOT tell the insurance company. You will be breaching your duty of disclosure, but there ain't no other way around it if you want HID's on your vehicle. I'm not trying to lead anybody into making false claims, or breaching duty of disclosure, am just making you aware of a potential problem. Use the information,,,, make your own enquiries,,, and subsequent decision.

7/ Important things to bear in mind when fitting HID conversions -
a/ Buy units with UV cut glass bulbs. This will eliminate possability of "browning" reflector lenses.
b/ Unless you are a pretty smart cookie (aren't we all PMSL),,, get them wired in by a GOOD auto electrician. Don't skimp on cable size,,, go 5mm. Have a seperate relay fitted for each ballast. Have each ballast protected by either a good quality circuit breaker (silver contacts) and/or a fusible link. It's better to trash $50 worth of circuit protection, than to trash a few grands worth of wiring, and maybe a few more grands worth of BCM or EMS. Do a bit of research on the internet, there are a good number of stories about TOTAL vehicle meltdowns, suposedly attributable to shonky HID ballasts and/or associated wiring.
c / Take the time and effort to FOCUS your new lights PROPERLY. Firstly for protection of oncoming drivers, and inturn yourself (they might hit you headon at worst senario). And so that you get maximum benefit from your considerable investment. The light pattern generated by the HID bulb is DIFFERENT to that of Halogen. The parabolic reflector of your headlight has been designed for halogen. You will get best results possible from HID if you take the time to FOCUS and ALIGN PROPERLY.

Best wishes and good luck


At the end of the day,,,,, HID's are a HUGE improvement, and to my mind, a DEFINATE safety feature, especially for anybody doing a reasonable amount of night driving in rural areas.