unsullied_spy
12-30-2012, 07:19 PM
Like any BE/BH owner (especially with the L headlights) I was not happy with the performance of my headlights. I tried several different types of bulbs, headlight aiming, and restoration kits but was never really happy with the way my lights worked. I drive at night a lot and we have a lot of deer where I live and I'm always worried about hitting one (quick way to total your car) and the stock lights just suck, though other people on the road seem to think they're really bright--I used to get flashed at least once a day. Most HID conversions that use a proper projector involve a lot of hard work with cutting up your headlights and having to install the projectors just right otherwise your aim will never be right, but the Morimoto Mini H1 system is different. You simply feed the shaft through the hole your bulb normally goes into and tighten a nut on the end of the shaft. Make sure it's aligned properly and it goes back together the same day.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120912_153554_639_zps4a2648c1-1.jpg
I kinda suck at DIYs and I don't have pictures of every step, but hopefully this will help future retrofitters.
Here is the kit I used for my retrofit:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=227
I opted for the "XB35" bulbs at 4300k color temperature. This is a VERY nice color after you've broken in the bulbs, you don't get any of that ricer fanboy blue, the light looks very natural and is easy on the eyes. These bulbs supposedly run cooler, last longer, and put out more light than the standard bulbs. For this retrofit I also used the G-37R shrouds with the white XB LED halo rings, purchased some additional sealing glue (that $10 pack comes with a roll of butyl rubber, enough to re-seal a dozen headlights). The sealing glue isn't strictly necessary as you will be re-using the original glue, but I figured better safe than sorry so I used a little extra to seal mine. Remember to select the proper relay harness for your vehicle. They make the same projector except using a D2S bulb for those of you that wish to use OE bulbs and ballasts, but I've heard nothing but bad things about the performance of that projector. This one uses a HID bulb rebased to an H1 and uses AMP style connectors. Keep this in mind for when it comes time to buy replacement parts.
TRS has a very good reputation amongst professional retrofitters so I spent the extra money to buy from them. These parts are available elsewhere, but at very least the customer service is worth the extra money in my book. I had a few issues with initial quality but they wasted no time E-Mailing me back and fixing the situation.
I also purchased a set of brand new TYC housings for my retrofit as well as some X-Pel headlight protectors. The TYC housings are very high quality, I'd say as close to OE as you can get without having to pay $300/ea for dealer parts. The X-Pel protectors are very thick and seem like they will last a long time. My only issue so far is that my driver's side protector has a white spot on it, but that may have been me going overboard with the heat gun. Either way it costs about $60 shipped and includes protectors for your fog lights and will protect your headlights from hazing and pitting.
On to the actual retrofit:
Start by pre-heating your oven, the actual temperature varies depending on who you ask but I did mine at 250 for 10 minutes and the glue was nice and soft. While the oven is warming up remove the bulbs from your headlight and set them somewhere safe. Then grab a phillips screwdriver and remove the screws around the outside of the housing, they go through the butyl rubber sealing glue so they will be a little difficult to remove. Once all of the screws are out you can put the headlight in the oven. Again, the temperature and even amount of time it takes is a different story depending on who you ask but you will need at least 200 degrees and no less than 5 minutes, I recommend 250 for 10 minutes. At this point it is a good idea to have a strong putty knife, screwdriver, etc. to use to pry the clear cover away from the headlight. Don't forget to lift the tabs that hold the cover on as you work your way around. Here is a link to some additional help on this step. Getting the headlight apart is pretty much the hardest part of the whole process so take your time and do it right, you may need to put it back into the oven a time or two.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pdf/trs_tech/Morimoto_Mini_H1_Retrofit.pdf
At this point, I chose to hit my side reflectors with some VHT Night Shades paint. This is the stuff people use to black out their tail lights. You can also remove your reflector at this point, but you are technically supposed to have them and cops have a tendency to find stuff like that to pull you over for, so I just darkened mine and left them in.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_204916_24_zpse6f5be9b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_204921_848_zpse46a5ed4-1.jpg
The chrome ring around the front cover is removable with just a couple of screws. I chose to remove mine to paint the turn signal area, but I left most of it chrome so it would match my grill.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120915_205552_447_zps687d82cd-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121001_232452_699_zps95858299-1.jpg
Apparently I don't have any pictures of that area painted, but with the primer on you get the idea.
Now that the headlight assembly is apart, you need to go ahead and remove the reflector from the back of the housing. You will need to remove the adjusters first, turn them the opposite way you'd normally turn them to remove them, after that there's just ball and socket joints that pop loose, it will take a little muscling but not too bad. Then just remove the one little screw holding the bulb cap on and toss the cap. At this point it's up to you. I thought it would be cool to paint the reflector to match my car so I scuffed the reflector, primed it, and painted it. You can leave it chromed if you'd like, but where's the fun in that? Before painting, take a Dremel and grind off the part at the back of the reflector where the locking ring normally goes to hold your bulb in place. You will not be able to properly fit the projector without shaving this part off.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120920_235353_229_zpsefa1666a-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_211409_757_zps4a1b4a5e-1.jpg
All painted up:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120917_231412_78_zpsb15ce981-1.jpg
Another picture with the projector mounted. This is a later step and with this shroud you will have to trim part of it to fit properly. Also don't forget to mount your Halo ring before final installation of the projector.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120920_230533_318_zps4b51f15f-1.jpg
At this point it's a good idea to put it back together just enough to mount on the car for testing, don't put on your shroud or do anything permanent yet.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121005_231441_903_zpsbdfb3fde-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121005_231435_763_zpsbcf938ee-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120921_194232_355_zpsab77bd0b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120921_195433_310_zps510b8358-1.jpg
When I mounted mine to the car I found that I had put the projector in upside down. Because a projector uses an ellipsis shape everything is bass ackwards, you want the foreground limiter on the top and the high beam solenoid on the bottom.
Check everything, recheck it, then do it all over again. Now it's time to start putting things back together. I used some JB Kwik to attach my Halo rings to my shrouds, it's very tough and will resist the heat of the ring. Then I used some more JB Kwik on the shroud to ensure that it never comes back off. You can feed the solenoid wires as well as the halo ring wires through the hole where the bulb cap used to go. With Version 5 (and newer, assuming they continue updating it) the Morimoto projectors have a 27mm nut on the back to tighten the projector down in conjunction with a little rubber donut that keeps moisture out and one of the metal adapters from the kit. These adapters are for 9003 or H7 so you'll have to aim manually using one of these adapters and then tighten it down. I didn't have a socket, but a big vise grip worked just fine. Now it's time to get it all back together and go back in the oven. You will need some big clamps and some patience for this step, but once it's all clamped down put it back in the oven for 10 minutes at 250°. Once your 10 minutes are up pull it out of the oven and make sure the front cover is securely back where it belongs. Once it cools, you can put your headlight protectors on. Not an essential part of the process but they really help your headlights to last longer and keeps them nice and clean.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120925_235107_989_zpsd9b4afd0-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/D20120925_235251_3581_zpsd855df88-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121006_170522_749_zps03cc8acd-1.jpg
You can't get all of the air bubbles out with a squeegee, as you can see in the last picture, but those will work their way out in a couple of weeks. Not much you can do about that.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121102_202052_936_zpsf3a32d69-1.jpg
Mmm, sexy!
There is a blue plug that goes into your old driver's side headlight plug and you will need to switch the white and blue wires because Subaru uses a switched ground electrical system. There are little metal tabs holding the pins into the plug, depress them with a little flat blade screwdriver and they slide right out. Run the positive and negative wires directly off of your battery.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121009_185022_754_zps9ac2cd3b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121011_193208_724_zps5cf0a1d4-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121010_214635_833_zpsc63d14c1-1.jpg
The only remaining step is to disable your DRLs. The Morimoto ballast is "DRL Compatible" but all that means is that instead of getting burned up by the DRL circuit like some cheaper kits, these lights just turn on whenever they get any juice going to them. Given that those bulbs cost $70/ea. you will want to disable your DRLs. Here's a good link on doing so:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=5332
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121230_145746_280_zps24d37a35-1.jpg
And now you're set! I've had mine for about 4 months now and they are excellent! Once I finally managed to get mine aligned properly I never get flashed anymore. The only issue I've been able to find with them so far is that they mess with your factory fog lights. When you turn on your fog lights everything works just fine, but when you go to high beam the high beams stick on and when you go back to low beam you have high beam + fogs (I haven't done the high beam + fog mod). It's not a big deal for me since I never use fog lights (people that have them on all the time drive me nuts) but it's bothersome that something's not working right. I'll update later when I get this issue resolved.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120912_153554_639_zps4a2648c1-1.jpg
I kinda suck at DIYs and I don't have pictures of every step, but hopefully this will help future retrofitters.
Here is the kit I used for my retrofit:
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=227
I opted for the "XB35" bulbs at 4300k color temperature. This is a VERY nice color after you've broken in the bulbs, you don't get any of that ricer fanboy blue, the light looks very natural and is easy on the eyes. These bulbs supposedly run cooler, last longer, and put out more light than the standard bulbs. For this retrofit I also used the G-37R shrouds with the white XB LED halo rings, purchased some additional sealing glue (that $10 pack comes with a roll of butyl rubber, enough to re-seal a dozen headlights). The sealing glue isn't strictly necessary as you will be re-using the original glue, but I figured better safe than sorry so I used a little extra to seal mine. Remember to select the proper relay harness for your vehicle. They make the same projector except using a D2S bulb for those of you that wish to use OE bulbs and ballasts, but I've heard nothing but bad things about the performance of that projector. This one uses a HID bulb rebased to an H1 and uses AMP style connectors. Keep this in mind for when it comes time to buy replacement parts.
TRS has a very good reputation amongst professional retrofitters so I spent the extra money to buy from them. These parts are available elsewhere, but at very least the customer service is worth the extra money in my book. I had a few issues with initial quality but they wasted no time E-Mailing me back and fixing the situation.
I also purchased a set of brand new TYC housings for my retrofit as well as some X-Pel headlight protectors. The TYC housings are very high quality, I'd say as close to OE as you can get without having to pay $300/ea for dealer parts. The X-Pel protectors are very thick and seem like they will last a long time. My only issue so far is that my driver's side protector has a white spot on it, but that may have been me going overboard with the heat gun. Either way it costs about $60 shipped and includes protectors for your fog lights and will protect your headlights from hazing and pitting.
On to the actual retrofit:
Start by pre-heating your oven, the actual temperature varies depending on who you ask but I did mine at 250 for 10 minutes and the glue was nice and soft. While the oven is warming up remove the bulbs from your headlight and set them somewhere safe. Then grab a phillips screwdriver and remove the screws around the outside of the housing, they go through the butyl rubber sealing glue so they will be a little difficult to remove. Once all of the screws are out you can put the headlight in the oven. Again, the temperature and even amount of time it takes is a different story depending on who you ask but you will need at least 200 degrees and no less than 5 minutes, I recommend 250 for 10 minutes. At this point it is a good idea to have a strong putty knife, screwdriver, etc. to use to pry the clear cover away from the headlight. Don't forget to lift the tabs that hold the cover on as you work your way around. Here is a link to some additional help on this step. Getting the headlight apart is pretty much the hardest part of the whole process so take your time and do it right, you may need to put it back into the oven a time or two.
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pdf/trs_tech/Morimoto_Mini_H1_Retrofit.pdf
At this point, I chose to hit my side reflectors with some VHT Night Shades paint. This is the stuff people use to black out their tail lights. You can also remove your reflector at this point, but you are technically supposed to have them and cops have a tendency to find stuff like that to pull you over for, so I just darkened mine and left them in.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_204916_24_zpse6f5be9b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_204921_848_zpse46a5ed4-1.jpg
The chrome ring around the front cover is removable with just a couple of screws. I chose to remove mine to paint the turn signal area, but I left most of it chrome so it would match my grill.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120915_205552_447_zps687d82cd-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121001_232452_699_zps95858299-1.jpg
Apparently I don't have any pictures of that area painted, but with the primer on you get the idea.
Now that the headlight assembly is apart, you need to go ahead and remove the reflector from the back of the housing. You will need to remove the adjusters first, turn them the opposite way you'd normally turn them to remove them, after that there's just ball and socket joints that pop loose, it will take a little muscling but not too bad. Then just remove the one little screw holding the bulb cap on and toss the cap. At this point it's up to you. I thought it would be cool to paint the reflector to match my car so I scuffed the reflector, primed it, and painted it. You can leave it chromed if you'd like, but where's the fun in that? Before painting, take a Dremel and grind off the part at the back of the reflector where the locking ring normally goes to hold your bulb in place. You will not be able to properly fit the projector without shaving this part off.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120920_235353_229_zpsefa1666a-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120928_211409_757_zps4a1b4a5e-1.jpg
All painted up:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120917_231412_78_zpsb15ce981-1.jpg
Another picture with the projector mounted. This is a later step and with this shroud you will have to trim part of it to fit properly. Also don't forget to mount your Halo ring before final installation of the projector.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120920_230533_318_zps4b51f15f-1.jpg
At this point it's a good idea to put it back together just enough to mount on the car for testing, don't put on your shroud or do anything permanent yet.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121005_231441_903_zpsbdfb3fde-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121005_231435_763_zpsbcf938ee-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120921_194232_355_zpsab77bd0b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120921_195433_310_zps510b8358-1.jpg
When I mounted mine to the car I found that I had put the projector in upside down. Because a projector uses an ellipsis shape everything is bass ackwards, you want the foreground limiter on the top and the high beam solenoid on the bottom.
Check everything, recheck it, then do it all over again. Now it's time to start putting things back together. I used some JB Kwik to attach my Halo rings to my shrouds, it's very tough and will resist the heat of the ring. Then I used some more JB Kwik on the shroud to ensure that it never comes back off. You can feed the solenoid wires as well as the halo ring wires through the hole where the bulb cap used to go. With Version 5 (and newer, assuming they continue updating it) the Morimoto projectors have a 27mm nut on the back to tighten the projector down in conjunction with a little rubber donut that keeps moisture out and one of the metal adapters from the kit. These adapters are for 9003 or H7 so you'll have to aim manually using one of these adapters and then tighten it down. I didn't have a socket, but a big vise grip worked just fine. Now it's time to get it all back together and go back in the oven. You will need some big clamps and some patience for this step, but once it's all clamped down put it back in the oven for 10 minutes at 250°. Once your 10 minutes are up pull it out of the oven and make sure the front cover is securely back where it belongs. Once it cools, you can put your headlight protectors on. Not an essential part of the process but they really help your headlights to last longer and keeps them nice and clean.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20120925_235107_989_zpsd9b4afd0-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/D20120925_235251_3581_zpsd855df88-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121006_170522_749_zps03cc8acd-1.jpg
You can't get all of the air bubbles out with a squeegee, as you can see in the last picture, but those will work their way out in a couple of weeks. Not much you can do about that.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121102_202052_936_zpsf3a32d69-1.jpg
Mmm, sexy!
There is a blue plug that goes into your old driver's side headlight plug and you will need to switch the white and blue wires because Subaru uses a switched ground electrical system. There are little metal tabs holding the pins into the plug, depress them with a little flat blade screwdriver and they slide right out. Run the positive and negative wires directly off of your battery.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121009_185022_754_zps9ac2cd3b-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121011_193208_724_zps5cf0a1d4-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121010_214635_833_zpsc63d14c1-1.jpg
The only remaining step is to disable your DRLs. The Morimoto ballast is "DRL Compatible" but all that means is that instead of getting burned up by the DRL circuit like some cheaper kits, these lights just turn on whenever they get any juice going to them. Given that those bulbs cost $70/ea. you will want to disable your DRLs. Here's a good link on doing so:
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=5332
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/20121230_145746_280_zps24d37a35-1.jpg
And now you're set! I've had mine for about 4 months now and they are excellent! Once I finally managed to get mine aligned properly I never get flashed anymore. The only issue I've been able to find with them so far is that they mess with your factory fog lights. When you turn on your fog lights everything works just fine, but when you go to high beam the high beams stick on and when you go back to low beam you have high beam + fogs (I haven't done the high beam + fog mod). It's not a big deal for me since I never use fog lights (people that have them on all the time drive me nuts) but it's bothersome that something's not working right. I'll update later when I get this issue resolved.