DIY:BE/BH Headlight disassembly & FX35 HID retrofit (PICS)

[rougeben83]

Things you'll need:
-2 L headlights
-2 FX35 projector housings and ballasts/shrouds whatever else to make it work.
-8 4" philips screws that have the same thread pitch as the ones holding the projectors together, 16 nuts to match
-heat resistant tape
-extra wiring and prongs to extend the hi-beam solenoid leads.
-dremel w/ small cutoff disc
-drill
-8mm wrench
-philips head screwdriver
-flat head screwdriver
-10mm socket to remove headlights from car
-glue of all sorts
-optional: weatherstripping, 3" rubber pipe caps, worm clamps

1)First, remove the headlights from the car, take out all bulbs and wires.
2) Now you'll need to remove 5 screws on the back of the headlight.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312010232-1.jpg

3)Now set your oven to 200-250F, pop one headlight into the oven and wait for 10-15minutes.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312005545-1.jpg

4)Now take your flat head screwdriver and pry the two halves apart, its best if you start at one of the clasps and just give the screwdriver a twist. There are 3 black philips screws that secure the headlight trim to the front of the headlight, remove them and you can paint the trim any color your want, as well as pop out the orange reflector to clear the headlight. If this is all you want to do, then reheat the two halves for another 10-15minutes and put the headlight back together.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312011408-1.jpg

5) now to remove the reflector from the headlight. There are 2 8mm bolts that you have to remove. Then simply turn the 2 adjuster screws until the reflector is loosened from the headlight.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312011707-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312012224-1.jpg

6) Now for the meat of the retrofit. Take your Fx35 projector, replace the 4 regular screws holding the halves together with the 4" ones, you should have a fair bit of tread sticking out the back of the projector. You do need to cut off some of the extra metal surrounding the projector to make it sit relatively flush inside the L reflector; you'll figure it out once you have everything in front you IMO. Also take some heat-resistant tape and cover the openings around the bottom of the projector.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/P1060065-1.jpg

7)now take the projector and see how it will sit in the headlight reflector. Mark off where the 4 screws around the projector would stick into the reflector housing. Try to center the 4 screws around the central hole where the old bulb plugged into. Measure several times to make sure the 4 holes are centered. Now you're ready to cut out the bulb socket area to make room for the projector. Here's a comparison; in hindsight, I think I cut a little too much off...learn from my mistake.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312012846-1.jpg

8)Here is the projector test fitted into the reflector.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/P1060068-1.jpg

9) Extend the 2 wires that run the solenoid for the high-beam. To get highbeams, there's a shield that flips down, allowing more light out of the projector, this is controlled by a solenoid. I also removed the extra yellow ground wire from the previous pics; it wasn't needed for how I was going to power the HID bulb. Just hook those two wires up to the high beam and it will work. Neg/positive doesn't really matter. Of course if youre not sure just hook the wires up to the battery and you can see the acutation work.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/P1060074-1.jpg

10)After you have testfitted the projector into the reflector several times until it sits to your liking (ie centered and level), sandpaper the reflector, clean and paint flat black. Now to do final assembly of the projector. You can also see where those 4 bolts I was talking about slip into holes I drilled for them in the reflector. Tighten the nuts over the 4 bolts/screws, use 2 nuts per bolt to lock them in place (I took the extra step to JB weld them). Cut the excess thread off with the dremel.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/P1060070-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/P1060069-1.jpg

11) Now take your shrouds and install them on the front. I used theretrofitsource E55 shrouds with the trim ring adapters...the extra $10 is well worth it to have a clean, secure fit. Shrouds are for cosmetic purposes in this application as there is very little light leakage from these projectors, so its on you if you want to add them, along with LED's, angel eyes, demon eyes, etc.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051112084833-1.jpg

12) Time to reassemble the light, as the FSM always says, assembly is the reverse of disassembly. :wink: Now turn your attention to the rear opening; if you want, you can take some weatherstripping to fill in the space between the what sticks out of the projector and the rubber sleeve around the hole. You can also take some 3" rubber pipe caps and cut the right shape to fit over the ballast plug that would provide the power to the projector/capsule. Secure with a worm clamp.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312025106-1.jpg

13) Repeat the same steps for the 2nd light, and reinstall onto the car.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312062607-1.jpg

14) Align the headlights according to the FSM:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312045104-1.jpg

With shrouds:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2007/10/100_1117-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312062751-1.jpg

Without shrouds:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/07/P1070708-1.jpg

[anothernord]

Awesome. The FX35 is one of my favorite projectors! You ought to swap in some FX-R lenses!

[rougeben83]

Awesome. The FX35 is one of my favorite projectors! You ought to swap in some FX-R lenses!

maybe, but it'll be awhile until I crack the headlights open again for something. Though my right one is currently being held together by JB weld (thanks to a neighbor who can't park her fat SUV)...need to transfer the HID guts to my spare housing sometime in the future...

[hallowpoint]

those look great, my mom has an fx35.........

[Legacy89]

Sticky this. I need this for later:P

[Matty2Hotty]

Sick! I wish we had options with projector headlights for 00 to 04. I would buy a set for sure.

[kawikid20o2]

dude that needs shrouds bad :-(

[rougeben83]

Then put them in when you do yours. :wink:

[Matty2Hotty]

When you making me a set? Haha

[kawikid20o2]

They are avail on theretrofitsource.com check em out. I have done many retrofits but my car has fxr projectors in the jdm bg5 headlights so its using stock shrouds. Ive done quite a few retros and this one looks good but needs the finishing touches.

[rougeben83]

Yeah, I believe that's Khanfucious' site. He was a regular here a while back and was the first one that did the retrofit for this application. I basically followed his in progress pics when I did mine but took more thorough step-by-step pics of the process. He originally ran the projectors bare and later added shrouds for aesthetics.

I liked the industrial/mechanical look of the bare projectors to be honest, so I've never had any issue with how they looked.

But then again, I have never passed myself off as a "professional" retrofitter...nor do I charge people hundreds of dollars for just the labor either :lol: (I charge them that when I see them in the clinic :smt005 ).

The point of this thread is that there's no black magic to retrofitting; I more than encourage someone to try and DIY it themselves for as long as you are thorough with your planning and measurements and have a clean implementation, it's really straightforward.

[kawikid20o2]

Yeah, I believe that's Khanfucious' site. He was a regular here a while back and was the first one that did the retrofit for this application. I basically followed his in progress pics when I did mine but took more thorough step-by-step pics of the process. He originally ran the projectors bare and later added shrouds for aesthetics.

I liked the industrial/mechanical look of the bare projectors to be honest, so I've never had any issue with how they looked.

But then again, I have never passed myself off as a "professional" retrofitter...nor do I charge people hundreds of dollars for just the labor either :lol: (I charge them that when I see them in the clinic :smt005 ).

The point of this thread is that there's no black magic to retrofitting; I more than encourage someone to try and DIY it themselves for as long as you are thorough with your planning and measurements and have a clean implementation, it's really straightforward.

they sure do get a lot of money for those retrofits man ur right! I just do em for fun because its a great project for any car and an amazing upgrade! If industrial was what you were going for, you sure got it right lol! needs a transformer front badge that would really get that look popping!

[rougeben83]

Re did first post to a full DIY. Hopefully it will help someone in the future. Mods if you want to move to the DIY section?

[chrish8r]

I do have a question about retrofitting. I want to do this while my legacy is under the knife. All the DIYs I looked at do not show the wiring. That is the only part I am afraid of because I dont want to dish out money then not be able to make the projector work.

Arent retrofit projectors H1 or H3? and how did you connect that to the 9007 or 9006 factory harness? thank you

[rougeben83]

I do have a question about retrofitting. I want to do this while my legacy is under the knife. All the DIYs I looked at do not show the wiring. That is the only part I am afraid of because I dont want to dish out money then not be able to make the projector work.

Arent retrofit projectors H1 or H3? and how did you connect that to the 9007 or 9006 factory harness? thank you


No, real HID projectors use their own "bulb" (capsule) size. The older ones use a d2 or d2r, the newer models use a different standard that I forget. You just need an adapter plug like the one in the middle of the lit portion here:

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/12/051312025106-1.jpg

to hook up the capsule to any generic HID ballast that uses the GM-style plug connectors. If you use an OEM take-off ballast, you can connect the capsule directly.

Wiring the ballasts up is just simply a matter of connecting the corresponding +/- wires to your OEM plug socket, or to a new relay triggered by your factory switch.

[chrish8r]

Okay. thanks man