Over the last couple of years my headlights have become dimmer.

 

Currently :-

 - The headlight glass is obviously aging and becoming more cloudy.

 - Getting home the other night, the RHS headlight seemed to produce very much less light and a yellow light.

 - Overall, they do not inspire confidence. I'm assuming the projector bowls are degrading at this point.

 

 

Will post pictures later once it gets dark.

Interesting. Hopefully there's material for a guide right there.

2 hours ago, vindaloo said:

Over the last couple of years my headlights have become dimmer.

 

Currently :-

 - The headlight glass is obviously aging and becoming more cloudy.

 - Getting home the other night, the RHS headlight seemed to produce very much less light and a yellow light.

 - Overall, they do not inspire confidence. I'm assuming the projector bowls are degrading at this point.

 

 

Will post pictures later once it gets dark.

TBH could be any or all 3 at this point. We really need daylight shots of the lenses and reflectors. and full dark of the units operating, for elimination purposes.

Piccies from just after dark.

 

Maybe I should run i forward a bit. That's from say 20 feet away.

 

More pics from today.

 

 

...And the passenger side.

I've switched out the driver's side D2S for a spare. See if that makes a difference.

With the age of it, its almost certain your bowls are faded. If you like DIY, you can strip the headlamps and get someone to plate the headlight bowl again, plenty of companies online do this,

 

Alternatively, you can change the projector itself for a replacement. In terms of choice? You have a huuuuge range to choose from. eBay springs to mind, a popular one is also https://www.theretrofitsource.com/ - they are amazing, and sell a wide range of quality replacements and not cheap ebay tat

It would be an oppurunity to change for a nicer projector, with something like squirrel finders and just better outptu and hotspot in general.

 

It doesn't have to be expensive - I changed my halogen Fabia vRS to projectors (£25) and HIDs (£75 from autobeam) - just be prepared to fiddle with a screwdriver and some tools hehe.

Still traipsing this path. Not averse to fitting bixenons in place of the low beam projectors. Would like to know the geography of the things before ripping the off my only car though. As any aftermarket solution is going to take fettling to fit and I don't fettle quickly very successfully. Probs need a week to think about it.

 

Specifically, I'd like to know the model of the OEM low beam projectors and if there are drawings or 3D models available. Partscat doesn't have this information to my knowledge.

 

J.

11 hours ago, vindaloo said:

Still traipsing this path. Not averse to fitting bixenons in place of the low beam projectors. Would like to know the geography of the things before ripping the off my only car though. As any aftermarket solution is going to take fettling to fit and I don't fettle quickly very successfully. Probs need a week to think about it.

 

Specifically, I'd like to know the model of the OEM low beam projectors and if there are drawings or 3D models available. Partscat doesn't have this information to my knowledge.

 

J.

 

I've spent considerable time and effort looking into sourcing genuine new replacement OE Xenon headlamp bowls. I even opened a dialogue with HELLA in Europe to see if they could direct me to a supplier of spares and they are long out of production.

 

I then looked at retrofitting a new projector bowl but the Mk1 fabia uses an odd size and nothing would fit off the shelf. The Mk2 fabia's used a larger projector so replacement on those models is much easier.

 

In the end I stripped a set of genuine hella Xenon lights down to the individual components and had the projector bowls re-metalled by a firm in Birmingham. Be warned it's not cheap but is at least as good as new. I've since built the headlights up but due to moving house, not got round to fitting them yet!

 

So in summary, no you cant buy a replacement bowl but you can refurb them. 

11 hours ago, Lofty said:

 

In the end I stripped a set of genuine hella Xenon lights down to the individual components and had the projector bowls re-metalled by a firm in Birmingham. Be warned it's not cheap but is at least as good as new. I've since built the headlights up but due to moving house, not got round to fitting them yet!

 

So in summary, no you cant buy a replacement bowl but you can refurb them. 

 

@LoftyCould you please provide details of the company & price. Also what was their turnaround like?

Sure can - Dual Metallising, 12, The Business Centre, 21 James Rd, Birmingham B11 2BA. 

 

I paid £125 + vat to have the two reflector bowls stripped and remetallised to as new. They said the new coating that's applied is thicker than the original so will be lot longer lasting.

 

Turnaround was approx. 4 days

3 hours ago, Lofty said:

Sure can - Dual Metallising, 12, The Business Centre, 21 James Rd, Birmingham B11 2BA. 

 

I paid £125 + vat to have the two reflector bowls stripped and remetallised to as new. They said the new coating that's applied is thicker than the original so will be lot longer lasting.

 

Turnaround was approx. 4 days

 

Brilliant thanks. I was looking to get mine done but I could only find companies who could do old metal reflectors not plastic ones.