SameerP

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, but its done now.

First i had to re-dremel multiple times to get enough clearance. End up getting plastic bits all over carpet, in hair. Realize that Satan in conjunction with Audi put in a 3rd torx that is inaccessible to the suckers that buy torx wrench sets. So pull out hex allen wrenches and find one that i can barely, through contortion worthy of the Ringling brothers, turn 1/16th a turn. Do this for an hour, curse a few major Gods. Complete the simple light removal 3am, and go sleep.

Tied in the ballasts and installed only to realize i put the ballasts in up-side down. Being the confident fool, of course i installed both ballasts instead of checking one first.

Remove and re-install ballasts. Realize the E-code turn signals cannot be used, so i wasted $$ on a set of silver bulbs. Then, whack at OEM turn socket to get into E code. Put in Mark P sourced LED turn signal...install light, LED don't work. Curse multiple Gods, then pull out entire light (no room to change in car) and turn LED over, reinstall.

Every time i had to re-dremel i had to remove light, go from basement to my 2nd floor apartment, dremel, then return. (no outlets in garage at my place)

After Ken's warning i pulled out my Lumiko 70W xenon-looks, and sure enough, BOTH had bubbles on them! I was extremely careful when installing, i used tissue, so no oil was on the bulbs. I had run em in the fogs for about 2 weeks, and both had bubbles. So im gonna contact SPP and see what they will do, id prefer a discount on their "new" Xenon looks fog lights.

In terms of the E codes, the only non-fixable issue for me is the ballast kinda pushes against the intake tube of my T28 kit, so the pax E code. Ill have to see if that has any deleterous effects on the ballasts. Nothing i can really do about that other than place ballast somewhere else.

Thanks to Skabaru, i copied him and bought 70W Eurolite Gold H7s for my highs...and they do rock. I need to aim the lights tonight, but when i tested them...my eyes hurt I ran the Lumikos in the fogs with OEM bulbs in the main for a couple weeks waiting for Xenons to come...with that setup, the fogs actually made more light than the mains. Now, i can't even tell when i turn on the fogs.

So...i want to get true yellow H7 fogs for the fogs after seeing the Lumiko fiasco. Thanks Ken for the tip. I noticed that with the 5300K Xenons, the Lumikos weren't dead on match, but pretty close. What is amazing is how little they *seem* to add to lighting with the Xenons on now.

Will go for a long drive tonight, will re-aim the lights. I assume there is not separate aiming for lows and highs? The highs seem to make a massive gold blotch on my drivers side...almost as if both are aimed at the same spot.

Despite all the irritations, the 1/2 bag of zip ties, the shame of cursing multiple Gods...the feeling when you finish a little project is darn sweet...and my eyes still hurt from staring into the lights.

BTW w/o the resistor, my turns blick at 2x speed, but ive actually wanted that. What id like to do though is have the turn signals do a on/off regardles of parking light position, instead of brighter/dimmer when parking lights are on. Eventually ill do city lights, but i think ill look for a wiring harness and get the LEDs first.

Cheers,
Sameer

JeffK (B6S4)

Congrats, Sameer! HIDs are GREAT, aren't they?

kennyc

I wanted to wired up so the first click will turn on only the city light, (no parking light) and the second click will turn on the low beam and cut off the city light, (still, no parking light. Like you said, I wanted the turn signal to do on/off regardless of the position. Someone recommended me to tape off one of the contacts. But I found it's better if you just remove one contacts from the bulb holder using a small flat-head screwdriver (if you are careful, it's totally reversable.)

Anyways.. hope that helps!

SameerP

so you simply disconnected one of the contacts?

HDClown

using electrical tape.

EE:OutofBounds

super Sameer....it is a long, but worthy mod.....5300k Xenons? so they're bluish/white?

Bryans12v

Youll have alot more fun aiming them. =)

kennyc

so the parking light lit up again.

I then decided to pop the parking light contact off.

RKA

After 10 hours, I would have put the stock lights back in, spent the rest of the weekend "cursing multiple gods", and drove to MP Monday morning with two "Valeo" boxes in hand, and an unhappy look on my face!

About those xenons...I'm not sure what WSYIWYG has in his car, but at one of the Clifton Common's meets, he turned them on...HOLY BEJEEZUS!!! My eyes actually HURT, and I wasn't even under the beam cutoff (so they weren't pointed directly at me). They made my factory xenons look like puny little halogens!

SameerP

i really enjoy the satisfaction of doing it myself if i can. I did alot on my Miata which had me cursing, but at the end of the day, feeling really proud. Like when i was driving home and my engine bay was smoking, i knew it was because i dripped gear oil on the exhaust manifold (Miata) so i wasn't worried

I bought the lights and codes from an AW, they are like 4 months old, he said they were actually 5300 or so...they appear very white with a touch of blue, the Lumikos do match them well.

Now aiming seems a pain, i can tell they should be a little higher, but i turn the white **** and nothing happens...

So when you coming to visit me again?

Cheers,
Sameer