Headlight Upgrade

[ZakG010]

I've noticed that some Mk1s have projector headlights (mine doesn't), why do some have them and some don't? And also, what do I need to upgrade mine to the projector ones? I can get my hands on a set of projector ones but can't imagine it's a straight swap? 

[ZakG010]

They are the ones I want to upgrade to 

[KenONeill]

39 minutes ago, ZakG010 said:

I can get my hands on a set of projector ones but can't imagine it's a straight swap

Option on Elegance, L&K and possibly vRS models. I don't know the relevant Irish laws but in the UK you'd need to fit headlight washers (may be present on Elegance and L&K) and headlight self-leveling.

[stratosg]

2 hours ago, ZakG010 said:

They are the ones I want to upgrade to 

These are Xenon headlights, that's why 

[petrolbloke]

11 hours ago, KenONeill said:

I don't know the relevant Irish laws but in the UK you'd need to fit headlight washers (may be present on Elegance and L&K) and headlight self-leveling.

I'm not sure that's correct. I thought if fitted they had to work, but if not fitted then as long as the beam pattern is OK then it's fine. The MOT testing manual is available online which will give the answer.

 

I used to have a car (Integra Type R DC2) that had Xenon lights but no washers and no self-levelling - that's how it came from the factory and was never an issue at MOT time.

[KenONeill]

9 hours ago, petrolbloke said:

I thought if fitted they had to work, but if not fitted then as long as the beam pattern is OK then it's fine.

Quote

MoT 4.1.4

Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible.

This does not refer to complete replacement headlamp units which may be constructed with HID or LED light sources.

If a complete headlamp unit has been replaced with a unit that was manufactured with HID or LED light sources, it must not be failed for ‘Light source and lamp not compatible’ but it must meet all other requirements detailed in section 4 of this manual specific to the type fitted at the time of test.

You can identify HID headlamps from:

• ‘DCR’ mark on the headlamp lens or body
• an igniter module or inverter behind the headlamp
• taking a few seconds to reach full intensity
• a bluish tinge to the light

 

Major

4.1.5. Levelling devices

Make sure any manual headlamp levelling devices (driver controls) work by:

switching on the dipped beam headlamps

operating the manual levelling device

checking that the headlamp beams move up and down

returning the levelling device control to its original position

Vehicles with high intensity discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps may be fitted with a suspension or headlamp self-levelling system. If these systems have been fitted, they must work.

Sometimes it is not easy to determine if the self-levelling systems work. In such cases you should give the benefit of the doubt.

You can identify HID headlamps from:

‘DCR’ mark on the headlamp lens or body

an igniter module or inverter behind the headlamp

taking a few seconds to reach full intensity

a bluish tinge to the light

HID headlamps use high voltage. You should take care when inspecting these headlamps.

The check of headlamp levelling devices does not apply to motor caravans.
 

Defect Category

• (a) Headlamp levelling device inoperativeMajor
• (b) Manual levelling device cannot be operated from the driver’s seat.
   

Major

4.1.6. Headlamp cleaning devices

You must inspect vehicles first used on or after 1 September 2009 equipped with headlamp washers.

You can identify HID headlamps from:

‘DCR’ mark on the headlamp lens or body

an igniter module or inverter behind the headlamp

taking a few seconds to reach full intensity

a bluish tinge to the light

HID headlamps use high voltage. You should take care when inspecting these headlamps.

 

Defect Category

• (a) Headlamp cleaning device:
• (i) inoperative
• (ii) inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)
   

Which is maybe a bit less directive than I stated, but is in line with the answer you'd get from the DVLA. Note again that this is a statement of UK requirements and not of Irish ones.

 

Edited 1 September, 2022 by DeanVRS20VT
Fixed formatting.

[ZakG010]

Understood. But what I'm asking is, is it a straight swap/plug and play. The xenons/projectors off a Mk1 Octavia in place of just the standard Mk1 Octavia headlights. Will the lights work if I swap them straight over 

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, ZakG010 said:

But what I'm asking is, is it a straight swap/plug and play.

No. The stock QI units have 1xH4 (headlight) and 1xH3 (fog light) each side. I can't remember the bulb codes, but the plasma discharge units have 3 bulb connectors each side, so the fogs will work if the connectors reach, but the headlights are single elements for dip and main beam.

[Dean]

8 hours ago, ZakG010 said:

Understood. But what I'm asking is, is it a straight swap/plug and play. The xenons/projectors off a Mk1 Octavia in place of just the standard Mk1 Octavia headlights. Will the lights work if I swap them straight over 

On a vRS they were a very expensive option. I think they were around an £800 optional extra. And, decent bulbs are around £70-£100 EACH!

Mine came factory, but it took forever to find one.

 

As for retrofitting them, yes it can be done and you'll need some loom adaptors from KUFTEC. They're around 60 euros.

 

The xenon units are around £150/£200 for a pair, sometimes more. It's a lot of money to chuck at lights.

 

But, as stated above, you need to check your laws. The cars with xenons auto adjust by leveling sensors on the suspension arms. Without them, you'll end up blinding people with a back end heavy car (if you've got stuff in the boot).

Edited 1 September, 2022 by DeanVRS20VT

[kentphil1]

The main issue you will have is that the levelling system uses different motors, so the manual level wont work out of the box, and you don't have the self levelling system hardware there either on a vrs without a retrofit. I appreciate that Irish law may be different, but you need some kind of motor in place just to stop the projector bouncing around free inside the lamp body as you go over bumps etc.

 

Even with the kufatec adaptors, that will only get the lamps working, but you may find the dip beam goes out when on main beam rather than staying illuminated as with the halogen setup, so you will lose light output. The proper factory sytem requires an extra feed from the headlamp switch to properly sort that issue.

 

Those of us that have fitted them have either retrofitted all the levelling hardware, or as people like me have done, we have modified the lighting looms and the lamp bodies to allow for use of the manual levelling motors.

 

Either way, you can't really call it a plug and play upgrade without some fairly serious work time on the job.

 

Hope it helps.

[Dean]

1 hour ago, kentphil1 said:

The proper factory sytem requires an extra feed from the headlamp switch to properly sort that issue.

 

I remember trying to tell people this online, but they weren't having it... That was until they ran them at night. 😂

[KenONeill]

@ZakG010 @DeanVRS20VT @kentphil1 - I've seen the same issue myself, more normally with people who've "fitted" Morette twin round conversions thinking them to be plug and play.

[ZakG010]

Appreciate all the feedback lads. Will 100 percent get them fitted, but the right way!