Appearance: How to: Retrofit True HID projectors in your cobalt
08-07-2007, 02:55 PM
#53
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Make sure you get Bi-xenon ones so you can retain the brights and remain street legal in case you get pulled over. If you're car doesn't have brights its not street legal. Just FYI!
Do a search for the cars with true bi-xenon in them. The Infiniti FX and G35 coupes have them for SURE but will be difficult to find in a junk yard probably.
Do a search for the cars with true bi-xenon in them. The Infiniti FX and G35 coupes have them for SURE but will be difficult to find in a junk yard probably.
08-07-2007, 04:25 PM
#54
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....a little tip to on the ballasts . Alot of the OEM ballasts are attached directly to the headlight and the wiring from that point is contained inside the headlight , so even though they may come with ballasts , bulbs ect ect , you may still need to source out a way to plug the ballast in , and connect it to the ignitor . Just trying to cut the surprises u may run into should u buy a complete OEM set-up .
08-07-2007, 04:33 PM
#55
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our OEM Infiniti setup had all the plugs to go from the bulbs to ballasts. But they came from the dealer too! So, yeah. I agree with above. IF you are lucky enough to get bulbs and ballasts make sure you get everything. Make sure if you don't get the full setup then you make sure you get the right bulbs (d2 and so on...)
08-07-2007, 04:33 PM
#56
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Also
05+ BMW 5 series
02-current Audi A6
05+ Audi A4
Latest gen Nissan Maxima and Murano ...the stanley projectors in these are really good and can be had cheaper than most .
Honda S2000
Acura TL
Caddy XLR
...theres **** ton more , but those are the most common .
08-07-2007, 04:43 PM
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i need to get another set of bi-xenons and stock headlamps and try this again. I can't get over how easy this project actually was for someone with poor electronics background like my self.
09-10-2007, 04:27 PM
#58
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I got lucky this week... mine will be cheaper than Mercury's set 
Headlights were $50
e55 Bixenons with Shrouds were $95
85122 Bulbs + Ballasts $95
I own a Dremel 35k rpm, adjust speed dremel tool... so the fun starts as soon as it all gets here.
Headlights were $50
e55 Bixenons with Shrouds were $95
85122 Bulbs + Ballasts $95
I own a Dremel 35k rpm, adjust speed dremel tool... so the fun starts as soon as it all gets here.
09-10-2007, 05:13 PM
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hey silverss/sc where did you get those tool springs from your build? i haven't attempted to go look for them yet but wanted an idea where to start.
I bought a set of FX35/45's and im going to make a bracket to mount the projector and eliminate the reflector bowl all together. Also attempt to have the ballast mounted inside the headlight as mine is starting to corrode.
I bought a set of FX35/45's and im going to make a bracket to mount the projector and eliminate the reflector bowl all together. Also attempt to have the ballast mounted inside the headlight as mine is starting to corrode.
09-10-2007, 10:13 PM
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Charged- I got the die springs from MSC industrial supply . The link I posted below is to all the die springs . I used a medium duty spring , which is blue . The strenght of the spring is color coded . Theres a blue print for each spring , so should be able to easily select the proper spring to match the bolts you use . I made a new bracket as well out off 3/8" thick clear polycarbonate lexan . Its easly to work with because its clear . Makes lining everything up to drill your holes a breeze . And the durabilty of thicker lexan is all the strenght could ever need . If u choose to go that route , Dont confuse polycarbonate/lexan for Acrylic which looks the same and is cheaper . Acrylic is alot harder to cut , heat form , drill ect because is no where near as dense or durable as lexan . You can buy sheets of lexan at MSC too . A 12x12 piece is all I needed . If you dont have one already . Pick up a 2.5" hole saw . Thats the size of the center hole I made in the new brackets . Then I angle cut the edge of the 2.5" hole , so the bowl shaped back side of the projector housing had a nice base to sit it and was free to move in any direction , when the adjustment screws and springs were in .
I only used the screws/die springs to set up the side to side adjustment . I transfered the black plastic mounts from the OEM headlight reflector over to my new bracket . So up and down I still adjust like OEM . Once i got the projectors centered and aimed right from side to side , I covered the bolt heads with a small amount of JBWeld , since the fabbed left/right adjusters wont be accesible once the lights are sealed up . I wanted no chance of the those moving on me .
Good luck on getting those ballast in the headlight . You run out of room qwik . Another alternative is sell the ballasts you have and pick up a set of damaged like BMW headlamps , or mecedes that would still have the ballasts attached to them . The hella ballasts are mounted right to the headlight , and the ballasts and the plug are 100% waterproof . I like this ballast , its pretty compact and slim . I just cut out the female plug portion off the headlamps I used for my conversion , and also cut off the 3 mounting posts and fabbed them into the bottom of my stock headlamp housing . That way you can run the wiring internal to the headlamp , and just plug the ballast into the bottom . Then just fab into the backside of the Cobalt headlamp housing a 4 way weather pack connector ( 2 wires for the HIDs , and 2 for the highbeams ) <<<- on that type of set up , theres a pig tail of wires coming off that female connector you had to fab in that plugs into the ignitors . Its pretty slick . Definately MUCH more time consuming , but it does a great job of minimizing the external wiring . Just a thought man
I only used the screws/die springs to set up the side to side adjustment . I transfered the black plastic mounts from the OEM headlight reflector over to my new bracket . So up and down I still adjust like OEM . Once i got the projectors centered and aimed right from side to side , I covered the bolt heads with a small amount of JBWeld , since the fabbed left/right adjusters wont be accesible once the lights are sealed up . I wanted no chance of the those moving on me .
Good luck on getting those ballast in the headlight . You run out of room qwik . Another alternative is sell the ballasts you have and pick up a set of damaged like BMW headlamps , or mecedes that would still have the ballasts attached to them . The hella ballasts are mounted right to the headlight , and the ballasts and the plug are 100% waterproof . I like this ballast , its pretty compact and slim . I just cut out the female plug portion off the headlamps I used for my conversion , and also cut off the 3 mounting posts and fabbed them into the bottom of my stock headlamp housing . That way you can run the wiring internal to the headlamp , and just plug the ballast into the bottom . Then just fab into the backside of the Cobalt headlamp housing a 4 way weather pack connector ( 2 wires for the HIDs , and 2 for the highbeams ) <<<- on that type of set up , theres a pig tail of wires coming off that female connector you had to fab in that plugs into the ignitors . Its pretty slick . Definately MUCH more time consuming , but it does a great job of minimizing the external wiring . Just a thought man
09-11-2007, 12:49 AM
#63
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I only used the screws/die springs to set up the side to side adjustment . I transfered the black plastic mounts from the OEM headlight reflector over to my new bracket . So up and down I still adjust like OEM . Once i got the projectors centered and aimed right from side to side , I covered the bolt heads with a small amount of JBWeld , since the fabbed left/right adjusters wont be accesible once the lights are sealed up . I wanted no chance of the those moving on me .
Good luck on getting those ballast in the headlight . You run out of room qwik . Another alternative is sell the ballasts you have and pick up a set of damaged like BMW headlamps , or mecedes that would still have the ballasts attached to them . The hella ballasts are mounted right to the headlight , and the ballasts and the plug are 100% waterproof . I like this ballast , its pretty compact and slim . I just cut out the female plug portion off the headlamps I used for my conversion , and also cut off the 3 mounting posts and fabbed them into the bottom of my stock headlamp housing . That way you can run the wiring internal to the headlamp , and just plug the ballast into the bottom . Then just fab into the backside of the Cobalt headlamp housing a 4 way weather pack connector ( 2 wires for the HIDs , and 2 for the highbeams ) <<<- on that type of set up , theres a pig tail of wires coming off that female connector you had to fab in that plugs into the ignitors . Its pretty slick . Definately MUCH more time consuming , but it does a great job of minimizing the external wiring . Just a thought man
For mounting the ballasts in the headlight i have the denso slim ballasts. I was planning on changing up the look of the stock shroud and in the process making more room under neath. I was thinking about cutting out the bottom of the housing and make it possible to open it up that way and remove the entire ballast if need be. Then would have to cut the black mounting brackets also to make it all work.
I actually used power connectors from my computers to plug my solenoids into the harness. Probably end up getting something a little heftier and molding that into the headlight housing to keep it sealed up.
Thanks for the advise/info. I was gonna use a 1/8 stainless steel plate for my bracket but the lexan would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier to work with. Now i have to decide if i want to start all over with a another set of headlights or tear up the ones i already did.
09-11-2007, 04:34 PM
#64
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Now that I you painted more of a picture... that might not be too hard to get the ballasts in the headlights. I know the denso slim line ballasts are pretty thin. That's what I want, but they seem pricey, not sure... that's all I need left on my build is nicer Ballasts.
09-11-2007, 05:01 PM
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Thanks for the advise/info. I was gonna use a 1/8 stainless steel plate for my bracket but the lexan would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier to work with. Now i have to decide if i want to start all over with a another set of headlights or tear up the ones i already did.
Heheh , on the black plastic headlight brackets , mine are quite massaged
You guys will probably be alright with those ballasts then . I wasnt sure what you guys were using . My Hellla's are about the size of 2 razor cell phones stacked on top of each other and Im pretty sure they woulda fit inside if I wanted them there .
09-13-2007, 12:13 AM
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I am having troubles finding decent Ballasts, the ones i have were suppose to be "Working great, ignite on first try" well they dont. Do you guys have any Idea where to find some cost effective D2S ballasts? I have been stalking HIDPlanet, but don't want to pay $300
11-04-2007, 10:36 AM
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For relays , I just used 40 amp Bosch weather pak relays . Go to your local junkyard and get them off a wrecked GM car ( other models may used them too , but not sure ) . I paid 10 bux for 2 . If thats not an option , any 4 terminal 30 or 40 amp bosch style relay is fine .
The small amount of current where your gonna use , Im not sure that it matters . I just used some random diodes I had at work . All its doing is separating the high and low signal wires .
The small amount of current where your gonna use , Im not sure that it matters . I just used some random diodes I had at work . All its doing is separating the high and low signal wires .
11-28-2007, 01:47 AM
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i dont think i follow the whole adjustment process, like that picture he showed on the first page about centering the beams, maybe someone can flesh that out a bit for the ignorant (me)
11-28-2007, 03:24 AM
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11-28-2007, 04:01 AM
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