I picked up the new toy last night, a red 2003 TJ AWD, and my wife got the 2001 TJ Executive - It is a very different car to the executive, it actually handles very well, seats are more supportive and comfortable, 5 speed tiptronic makes it a lot of fun to drive, 1st gear is geared oddly (very low) but second gear is loads of fun - gets to 60K+ in a rush! :).

I was reminded again just how freaking awful those parabolic headlights are! The beam pattern is just a pool of yellow vomit out the front, with no visible cutoff, no flare, no redeeming features at all (I suppose they do look nice). I plan on fitting the standard lights from an executive (probably fitted with xenon discharge bulbs in caspers H4 adaptors) until I retrofit this one with xenon projectors. This is happening ASAP. I threw a set of the Philips Ralleye 70W into it, makes a heck of a difference to brightness. I highly recomend anyone with the parabolic headlights to get a set of these - better than the poxy blue bulbs out there. (The ralleye bulbs are a true offroad bulb, designed for rally car use - really, not marketing BS. The downside is the life, expect to get 250 hours out of these, less on crappy roads). I still hate the parabolics though.

The engine seems a bit more powerful, this may be due to the fact that it is a TJ2 rather than TJ1, but it seems to have a lot more urge at higher rpm. This one didn't have a sports style muffler on it, it had the executive muffler (weird) so some more ponies are waiting...

The handling - wow. Completely different car to an executive, even with front strut brace and whiteline rear swaybar and sports springs and shocks, it thoroughly trounced it (standard) on my favourite test strech. Could probably do with a strut brace on the front, and swaybar on the rear - but bodyroll on these is also very low.

It is currently mod-free, but I am about to attack it very soon. Headlights are the first to go under the knife I think. (evil laugh) Either bixenons (the highbeams a like a dim torch compared to the xenons) or single xenons with 100W H1 highbeams run with a DC:DC converter at 15V - they won't last long, but they sure burn brightly!

Some piccies will be taken this afternoon...

Cheers
Heath Young

Nice, can't wait to see what you do with it. I've always been a big fan of your headlight tinkering. :cool:

:stoopid:

I also love your headlight tinkering. It gives me ideas for later on when i get some money to tinker with mine, though atm i know nothing lol.

Tom

Oh yeah and well done with the purchase

I was reminded again just how freaking awful those parabolic headlights are! ......... I still hate the parabolics though.


i'll take them off you heath!!

cant wait to see what you do with the new lights!

good work

I'm really surprised to hear this - I was under the impression that parabolics were better than the standard headlights!

The 'poxy blue bulbs' you mention - do you know the particular ones they were? I ask because there are cheapo 'blue tinted' ones, and the 'proper' blue light ones that are supposed to be much better than regular bulbs.

yeah i'll swap and pay postage for each lamp :D

I'm really surprised to hear this - I was under the impression that parabolics were better than the standard headlights!

The 'poxy blue bulbs' you mention - do you know the particular ones they were? I ask because there are cheapo 'blue tinted' ones, and the 'proper' blue light ones that are supposed to be much better than regular bulbs.
The parabolics used in 3rd Gens are what's called DOT spec. That is they meet US Department Of Transport "standards". To be blunt they are crap, and can be dangerous imho due to the very poor light output and pattern. Throwing uprated globes in only makes them worse and you introduce a glare issue for other drivers, and if they've been adjusted so you can actually see then you cause glare for everyone else. Like it has been said before, they are fitted to Magnas because they look flash. Veradas got lumbered with them since the Verada is the export vehicle so to save money, and make the Verada look flash, they stick the same lights on the export, LHD, cars and the local, RHD, cars. Oh and I personally think the polycarbonate 1 piece lights are much worse then the early glass lens.
As for the blue globes, these also cause glare and reduced light output due to the removal of certain colour wavelengths. Plus they usually are cheap and nasty, are over wattage and a basicly crap. Note that some globes do have a faint blueish tinge to the glass envelope, they seem to generally produce a cleaner white light, not as blue as the cheap rubbish.
This sight is very informative:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/

Exactly - DOT regulations are very poor compared to ECE regs - why we recieved these I don't know, they don't comply with our ADR's (ECE based).

Best thing to do with these is to retrofit them with something that does meet the ECE's for beam pattern - I fit an Audi TT xenon projector into the parabolic headlight. You could also fit them with the projectors out of a non-xenon headlight, there are some very good ones out there, H7 valeos come readily to mind (fitted to the later model celicas), or audis.

The polcarbonate lens version is far more prone to discolouration (yellowing) than the glass version - I fitted HID projectors in the glass version, but there was some lensing issues caused by the thickness and irregularities in the lens.

Basically, if you want good headlights (and don't want to go to the time and expense of HID retrofitting), don't go for the flashy parabolics... They suck.

I also agree with the overwatt bulb comment in the parabolics - you just make the bad spots brighter.

Cheers
Heath Young

wow seems to be a lot of headlight gooroos here!
Well in that case hopefully someone can help me.
I have a 99 TH Sports... did they come with glass or plastic headlights? Reason I ask, is that other cars Ive had had plastic headlights and discoloured after I put brighter globes in.
Also any part number sugestions for some whiter/brighter lowbeam and high beam globes? I dont want those crappy blue ones as they are shocking on the eyes of anyone coming from the other direction. They are also illegal in SA.

Cheers
Pete

If you have the indicators separate from the headlights, these are 2 piece glass headlights - if the indicator is integral to the headlamp, then it is the one piece headlamp, and is plastic.

The best headlight bulbs (constantly come out on top in tests) are Philips Vision Plus. If you want a bluer bulb, go for the Philips Crystal Vision - very white light.

The discolouration comes from the high UV output of the bulbs, due to undoped (ie no UV absorbing agent(dopant) quartz - quartz on its own is very transparent to shortwave UV, whereas glass is almost opaque to shortwave UV.

Cheers
Heath Young

Also, for everyone asking for my parabolics, I am not actually getiing rid of them, just the lowbeam reflector, and replacing them with the lowbeam xenon projector out of a 2002 Audi TT.

In the meantime, I will be going back to the two piece executive headlights fitted with HID bulbs in very well designed adaptors.

I have already ordered and paid for the projectors + bulbs + ballasts from a reliable source in Australia (at $450, it is far cheaper than ordering from the US or Germany).

I will be posting on how to do this mod, with parts lists and step-by-step instructions this time for anyone who is interested (probably as a pdf file).

Cheers
Heath Young

Congratulations on your AWD purchase. You will love it! Just wait till you get to play in the wet - and the best bit is, if you get it into a slide it is so easy to recover!

Bad bits - heavy car - you really need that ABS. Drinks petrol.

Also, for everyone asking for my parabolics, I am not actually getiing rid of them, just the lowbeam reflector, and replacing them with the lowbeam xenon projector out of a 2002 Audi TT.

In the meantime, I will be going back to the two piece executive headlights fitted with HID bulbs in very well designed adaptors.

I have already ordered and paid for the projectors + bulbs + ballasts from a reliable source in Australia (at $450, it is far cheaper than ordering from the US or Germany).

I will be posting on how to do this mod, with parts lists and step-by-step instructions this time for anyone who is interested (probably as a pdf file).

Cheers
Heath Young


Im listening! Do you have any ideas/opinions on TL lights. I have some better Philips bulbs in there at the moment but if HID's can be had for 450 then I am all ears.

OK - firstly, I am not going to claim that these are ADR compliant. They aren't. Its a lot of farting around to get them so, and it mainly stems from the fact that they don't have autolevelling or parkers or washers.

Washers and parkers could be fitted (the washers could be fitted by using the wagon washer bottle (which has two pumps) and washer nozzles, the parkers are more difficult, with a non-adr compliant solution being the LED style ones in the bumper (wouldn't pass) or using the Hella 90mm highbeam modules with H7 bulbs and parkers.

If this doesn't worry you too much, then it is a worthwhile mod. For a TL, you have the one bulb right? Or is there a H4 and an H1 (for highbeam)? Cannot remember.

If you were to fit a TL with HID - I would do it as a retrofit with something like a Mercedes projector, preferably a bixenon, with the stock bezel (trim piece) and a shroud (to stop the waste light from the projector bouncing onto the old reflector and blinding other drivers.

If you are serious about HID conversions, there is a great article here:

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=166

Bear in mind that a retrofit, if properly done, will take quite a bit of effort, but will be professional in both appearance and function. The TL's have a heap of room in the headlights so some of the really bright projectors (such as BMW E55 Bixenons) will fit in there with ease - in comparison, the TJ headlights are a real squeeze to fit much at all :( Only Audi TT (and only single xenon I think - will trial bixenons, I have a set coming).

As for other options with the TJ's - I have also been thinking of knocking up a real pair of twin headlights (ala EL/EF XR6/8) but using the Hella projectors rather than the EL/EF ones - they work, but are not really bright enough.

Need a good source and a good price on these - Bain??? Are you there?

Cheers
Heath Young

The best headlight bulbs (constantly come out on top in tests) are Philips Vision Plus. If you want a bluer bulb, go for the Philips Crystal Vision - very white light.

Ahah! The Vison Plus are the ones I had in mind - I've heard that they were good. Wanted to know if the 'crappy blue ones' included those.

Unfortunately need a username and password to look at that article. The Tl lamps have an H4 (high/low) in the main reflector and an H1 in the inside smaller one. Oh and another fun fact is you have to take the wheel and guard liner off to get to the left bulb which is a major pain. The parker is just in the bottom of the main reflector so maybe it wouldnt need to be moved.

Here it is - if you are considering doing this, I highly recommend setting up an account anyway - these guys really know their stuff, and are only too happy to help you.

************************************************** ***********
How to: Retrofitting projectors

Tools/Materials:
Dremel tool
Sanding drums for dremel
Rotozip bits for dremel
Flat blade screwdrivers
Philips screwdriver
Clear silicone sealant
8 3” screws
Box of nuts for screws
Electrical tape
Epoxy/glue (like jb weld)
Shop towels
A brain


Step one: take your headlights out of your car…DUH!

Step two: you need to take your headlights apart. If your headlights are like 90% of the newer ones out there, you can just bake them in the oven to get them apart. This will loosen the glue between the front clear lens and the rear of the housing. Personally, I would preheat the oven to 260 degrees, once its reaches the desired temp TURN IT OFF. Then put 1 headlight on the middle rack at a time. Leave it in there for no more than 7-8 minutes. You don’t want to leave it too close to the heat source, that is, unless you want your headlights to melt.

Step three: once you take the headlight out of the oven (using oven mitts- it will be HOT!) place the headlight on a safe non-slip surface. Use 2 rather large flat blade screwdrivers to pry apart the headlights. Stick one screwdriver in between the lens and the back of the housing and pry it apart. Once you get the first pry in, work around the headlight with the 2nd screwdriver. Once the lens is pretty loose, you can just pull it off (still being careful not to burn yourself)

Step four: at this point you should be looking at you headlight with the front lens off, the trim inside the headlight is probably attached to the lens. You should put that aside so you don’t scratch it up or anything with any tools. This is a good time to paint the trim and clean the inside/outside of the front lens. Try not to get anything on the glue left on the lens.

Step five: look the rear of the housing with the halogen reflector still in it. There should be a couple aiming screws on the back of the housing. Most of them use either a screwdriver, or an Allen wrench to adjust them. You’re going to want to get the reflector out of the housing completely so you can retrofit it. This is where the aiming screws come in. you want to back out those all the way so that eventually the reflector will just completely come out of the back of the housing. They basically just work like big screws, so un-do ‘em.

Step six: put the halogen reflector aside and pick up your projector that you’ll be using. In this case the projector being used is a E55 Bi-xenon made by Hella. Your going to want to put screws through the pre-existing holes in the projector body. I usually use 3” screws so that they’re always long enough and if they’re too long, you can always trim them down. Put the screws through the front, and then put a nut behind the hole in the projector to hold the screws in place so they don’t wobble around. See the pictures for reference. Ignore the other nuts farther down, and the electrical tape for now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_003.jpg

Step seven: your are now going to be making a template of where the screw holes should go in the halogen reflector. This way, you can align the template so that the holes will be level and you wont have a lollypop-eyed beam pattern. With the screws tightened down on the projector body, place the projector sitting on the screws onto a piece of sturdy cardboard. Carefully mark where each of the screws sit on the cardboard with a marker, making sure not to bump the projector around as you do it. Then, once all of the spots are marked, connect the dots and the cut out the template. It ends up so that each corner of the template marks where each hole should be drilled into the old reflector. Your template should come out something like the one in the picture. Also- (not seen in the picture) poke a hole in the exact middle of the template with a pencil or something so you know where the bulb holder will be on the projector in relation to the screws.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_007.jpg

step eight: take your finished template and your old halogen reflector in hand. Align the template so that it is horizontally and vertically straight. Usually, reflectors will have lines molded into them that run horizontally. Its usually easier to line the template up with these lines. Its important to line up the hole that you poked in the center of your template in the previous step with the hole in the reflector where the old bulb went though. Make sure the center of the hole in the template is in the center of the hole for the bulb. Once you’ve got things all aligned, mark on the reflector with a black permanent marker at the corners of the template (where the screw holes will go)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_008.jpg

Also note that the reflector is already painted black, this reduces glare inside of the housing.

Continued Next Post (due to word limit)

Step nine: first, draw a centerline in the top/back of the halogen reflector starting from the center of the hole where the halogen bulb would go, all the way to the front of the top of the reflector. This will come into play later. Next, bust out your handy dremel tool with the rotozip bit installed in it. Take the reflector that you just marked on as to where the holes should be, and drill them out. Make them only slightly larger than the diameter of the screws so you have a millimeter or 2 for play room. After the holes are drilled, they should visually be straight, if they are not- something’s wrong. After the 4 holes are drilled out, cut out the center of the reflector where the halogen bulb would normally plug into the reflector. Make the hole big enough so that the new bulb holder on the projector can fit through there. Be careful not to cut the hole too close to the holes you just drilled though. You don’t want to make the area very weak or anything. You can also make an extra small hole in the bottom corner as pictured if you have a bixenon projector and need a place to route the wiring for the solenoid through.

At this point your reflector should look something like this (black or not)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_009.jpg

step ten: this can be a little tricky, but its important. It relates back to the electrical tape and extra nuts as mentioned in step six. Put an extra nut on each of the screws attached to the projector, screw them pretty far towards the nuts that are already on there, but don’t make them tight or anything. Now, put the projector with all of the hardware on it into your newly modified reflector. Make sure that the projector looks level etc. put the projector in a position so that the lens is pointing slightly- I mean very very slightly upwards. Also, make sure that the center of the front lens on the projector is in line with the centerline you drew earlier in step 9. Stick your hand in there and back the nuts back out so that they lightly touch the reflector. These will prevent the projector from moving back and forth etc in the housing over time.

Step eleven: take the projector back out of the reflector (being careful not to move the nuts you just backed out to touch the reflector) then, you will put long strips of electrical tape across the screws so that the nuts don’t move around on the screw and make them relatively tight. This also helps with some vibration damping. You can also back 2 nuts up against each other to keep them in place if you wish. At this point your projector setup should look a little like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_001.jpg

The last 2 steps can be a little confusing, but just read over them a couple times. Its pretty much common sense on how you want it all to be aimed. Obviously you don’t want the projector to be aimed down and to the left.

Step twelve: your ready to permanently place the projector onto the reflector. Put it back through the modified reflector once again making sure its all looking aligned. At this point, you can put nuts on the back of the screws and moderately tighten them down. You don’t want to tighten them too hard and risk cracking the plastic reflector. That’d be bad.
Heres where you should be at now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_013.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_014.jpg

Step thirteen: your getting there! Keep going. Look at the back of the housing with the projectors bulb holder sticking out and the screws sticking out with the nuts tightened on the end of them. Time to do a little cleaning up and sealing. Put some electrical tape over the excess space around the bulb holder to keep moisture from traveling inside there. Be plentiful with it. Also, put either some glue, epoxy, or back together the nuts on the back of the screws so that they don’t vibrate loose over time. At this point you can also trim down the excess length of the screws with your heavy duty cutting discs and the dremel. Be careful b/c they get hot, and lots of sparks fly all over. Also- don’t worry about the looks of this. Nobody will EVER see it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v129/ScurRT/projector_how_to_017.jpg

Step fourteen: (assuming you have already mounted your shrouds- all are different so I'm not even gonna go into that) you are ready to put the reflector with the projector mounted on it back into the housing. Put the aiming screws back into their respective holes in the back of the housing, and re-screw them in. for the time being until you can get the headlights actually mounted back on the car, just leave the aiming screws in about ½ way.

Step fifteen: paint any trim inside the headlight you want, clean the lens on the projector, and clean the lens for the front of the headlight inside and out. Put the lens/trim back onto the front of the headlight in its relative position. Put the whole housing back into the oven (260 degrees for 5-7 minutes) to re-melt the glue. When it comes out, press the housing back together (being careful because it’ll be hot). You can use some pliers or small clamps to push the front lens back on. Once it cools down, you can put a bead of clear silicone sealant around it to insure a good seal. The sealant should take about a day to dry. Also note that sometimes the silicone sealant shrinks a little when it dries, so you may need to add a little more later on.

Step sixteen: my personal favorite, put some high quality shop towels in the rear hole of the housing to absorb any small amounts of moisture that gets into the back of the housing created by the imperfect seal that sometimes occur. You can also try and fabricate some sort of new seal using some PVC materials.

YOU’RE DONE! Well at least with the basics. This should give you a good idea of how to do everything when it comes to retrofitting. Obviously I didn’t touch on all subjects because every housing/projector is a little different. Just use common sense, don’t be scared. Its not really thaaaat bad. Look for the wire harness edition coming out soon. For any simple questions you can e-mail me at ScurRT@yahoo.com. Anything obvious that I missed? Let me know.

This site is also a goldmine of photos and information...

http://faqlight.carpassion.info

Excellent resource!

Cheers
Heath Young

Wow, loads of good info there Heath, thanks for taking the time. For those of us who want to improve our lights, but without the time or skill to convert to HID, are replacing the bulbs with Vision Plus or similar the only real option?

Nice one Heath!

The major problem I have had is sourcing affordable used Audi TT projectors, I would like to avoid buying a pair of brand new ones as much as possible.

There is a source for used Audi TT projectors, I can put you onto him - he is located in Sydney, and offers a return policy if you have gear that is no good.

He did a set of RHD (Australian) Audi TT Projectors, Ballasts and bulbs for $450. Good bloke.

For those who either don't want the concern of legality hanging over them, or don't want to spend the time and money converting to xenon, then yes, the only real option for better lighting is to use the Philips Vision Plus or Crystal Vision (pricey though) - or go to good overwatts - Philips make an 80/100 that is excellent (true output, good filament geometry) - you do need to use relays if you use overwatts, the stock wiring is marginal at best.

If you want a cheap way out, I would go relays with decent wiring guage AND Vision Plus then you can upgrade to Philips overwatts if you like. Crimp and then solder the wires into the crimps for the best connection, also keep your contacts clean (on bulbs/relay prongs) with some CRC CO (contact cleaner) prior to installation. A decent autoelectrician should be able to sort you out with a harness no problems.

I don't recommend brands such as PIAA, and there has been some issues with Hella/Osram/Narva with having incorrect filament geometry.

Remember that overwatt bulbs may cause overheating problems, the stock headlight plugs are prone to melting too - they are Nylon (a thermoplastic) whereas a good one will be made out of phenolic plastic (glass filled plastic) - which are usually duller in finish, often brown and are NOT flexible.

I only recommend Philips overwatts, as I saw a test with a Narva 130W H4 that drew 130W of power, but only produced the same output as a Philips 100W - meaning the rest was converted into extra heat. (BAD!)

Cheers
Heath Young

Where would you get bizenons from and at what cost?

Since I'm not allowed to stick Magna lights on the wagon, the wife prefers the look of paras, it is REALLY tempting to stick projectors in it. And being a Verada the parker issue is not an issue, looking at headlight washers off either the KS Touring or the Pajero anyway, so HID retrofit is doable. As an aside, what diameter are the reflectors on the TJ paras? Another option might be the Cibie complex surface headlight reflectors, having a set of the Oscar SC I can vouch for the effectivness of these reflector designs.

Mr Stationwagon -

The diameter of the TJ reflectors is 140mm, but there is the flat bit taken out at the top - which makes them 100mm high. If you could get a 100mm diameter decent reflector, it would be a good fit in these headlights with a bit of adaptation.

Another alternative is to use the Hella 90mm headlamp modules in the lowbeam projector (h7) and highbeam complex reflector (again H7) with Philips Vision Plus or Ralleye.

The hella highbeams have parkers installed. May try to get a set of these and have a play around. Could be an interesting *legal* conversion (without the overwatts installed).

People may think that I am banging on ad-nauseam about the vision Plus H7's but really - try the in the standard parabolics - they rock, practically doubling your light on the road! I chucked my set in yesterday morning, and that night went from hating the headlights with a passion to just loathing them. :) HID's just wipe the floor with them though!

It is a MUST DO mod for everyone who runs parbolics - they won't be dissapointed going from the crappy Osram standard bulbs...

Cheers
Heath Young

Greenmatt - Bixenons are a bit more than single xenons, I can put you in contact with the person who is selling this stuff. Not having done a TL headlamp, I cannot comment as to the suitability or complexity of the conversion.

You do have a large reflector with a clear polycarbonate front, which leads itself exceedingly well to a HID conversion though.

With the interest in this thread, it may be neccesary to start a new one where this one leaves off, on headlamp modifications...

Cheers
Heath Young

Would a fairlane or LTD fit???? 88 to 94

hey heathyoung any pics of your conversions when they are finished and in your car?? what about some photos of the light output at night?

Sorry for not replying sooner guys, been a bit busy.

Here are the photos of the completed headlights - along with the beam patterns - I included a beam shot using the standard parabolic headlamp fitted with a xenon bulb. OK, but pretty ho-hum compared with a projector.

I will get some more photos of standard parabolics fitted with H7 Vision Plus bulbs Vs. Xenon projectors, and standard parabolics fitted with standard osram H7s (YUK) vs xenon (if you can see them)

Cheers
Heath Young

Heath - I bought some Vision Plus yesterday for my non-parabolic TH lights. Pretty impressed with the improvement in light, kinda disappointed they don't look blue at all :) You mentioned the Crystal Vision have a bluer look - are they better or worse in terms of illumination? What about Diamond Vision?

pretty sure crystal and diamond vision globes are for off road use only, hence illegal onroad.... but if you want globes that look blue, go the cheapy $20 ones from kmart etc because if you want blue-look lights then you lose lots of onroad light... bluer isnt necessarily better....as far as i know you already have the best legal globes you can get that throw out the most light...

pretty sure crystal and diamond vision globes are for off road use only, hence illegal onroad.... but if you want globes that look blue, go the cheapy $20 ones from kmart etc because if you want blue-look lights then you lose lots of onroad light... bluer isnt necessarily better....as far as i know you already have the best legal globes you can get that throw out the most light...
Well the whole point of the exercise for me is the best illumination I can (reasonably) get. Purty blue lights would be nice, but definitely secondary. The Philips web site says "Ultimate blue with 5000K dazzling white daylight output" about the Diamond Vision, doesn't say anything about being offroad use. Oh well, I have to go back tomorrow anyway, might ask about them. The guy sold me H1s instead of whatever THs have for their highbeam bulb.