I own a set of Xenon headlamps that I'm currently running on my Z. I opened them and corrected the cut off shield for LHD, as I'm in the US. So I've seen the internals up close. These photos are from my blog which I'm currently working on. The inside of the Xenon projector showing the cut off for RHD. The cut off shield mounts in the same fashion as the Halogen but the screw mounting holes don't line up. Thus you can't swap the Xenon cut off into the Halogen. The Xenon projector is totally redesigned to accommodate HID lighting. Here is what they look light on a dark road. I'm also experimenting with another project. I picked up a second set of Xenon lights and also own a few sets of the Euro spec headlights with electronic vertical aiming. I'm currently in the middle of trying to merge the Xenon projector into the Euro spec to have both the fun of the vertical aiming and the power of the Xenon. There is a lot that goes into creating the proper light output and it all depends on the location of the projector lens and the distance of the cut off shield in relation to it. Further, the design of the housing lens can also affect output. The housing lens is identical between JDM/Euro halogen and the Xenon. They have the same fluting in the glass, just difference market identification numbers in the glass. I've seen many posts from people doing retrofits with Xenon projectors but then complain the output isn't as great once the assembly glass lens is put back on. While they blame this lens for ruining the retrofit, the reality is it is probably not the right Xenon projector or its mounting location within the housing...thus not accommodating for the glass assembly lens. Point is the Xenon assembly lens is identical and this unit produces the proper light output wonderfully. Again there are several factors at play that affect the light output and the correct design of it all working together is important. Below are a few comparison photos. Halogen at left. Xenon at right. The Xenon projector is larger and the Hi beam reflector in the Xenon based assembly is smaller. The larger projector meant the Hi reflector had to be made smaller in width. Further the Hi reflector is also smaller in height due to the raised area of the housing...which accommodates the ballast underneath. Halogen projector as left. Xenon at right. The Halogen projector has a fully clear lens. The Xenon has a frosted lens. You will also notice the bowl shape in the Xenon is bigger, this allows for more light to spread. There is also stamped markings inside the bowl that help reflect light. They are different than the markings inside the halogen. Halogen projector size Xenon projector size A small note. As old as our Z32's are, the lens on your projector is likely dirty. This will impact visibility. It is actually very hard to produce a well balanced light output by simply sticking an HID kit into a projector that is not designed for it. IMO you're better off doing a retrofit or cleaning your halogen lens to get better light output. Cleaning it will make a difference. Here's how it should look. If you have any specific questions ask away, I might have an answer. lol.
Heres the thing I appreciate all the research that has gone into the above post but i dispute that there are projectors "designed" for HID's and halogens only. The 2K spec lights are a vast improvement on the older lights, no question, for a rather simple reason, they are bigger and they are newer. A lot of research and development has gone into automotive lighting between the late 80's and the late 90's. The early "halogen" type lights are old school from the 80's when HID's were the things of science fiction. It doesnt surprise me one bit that the later and larger projector inserts are better. Even fit a set of halogen inserts into the 2K spec light and Id be unsurprised if they easily out performed the early versions. hell, look at some earlier versions of those "eyeballs and they are about as optically precise as a large glass marble!!! Now, measure the distance from the mounting flange face of any ordinary halogen bulb to the center of the filament, Compare with a few different globes and the distance to a few thou will be the same. This is crucial to the accurate aiming and spread of light from a reflector type of light insert. When you measure from the mounting face of an HID bulb to the center of the light emitting "bulb", what do you get children...? Well... bugger me, exactly the same distance from the light source center to the mount flange!!!!!! Its a standard!!! Unless the 2K spec uses some funky assed globe design not commercially available then a halogen insert works just fine in a 2k spec projector and an HID works just fine in an older spec projector!!!!! The light shape produced from the front of each instrument will be as close as fornicating is to swearing the same fundamental beam spread and pattern regardless of the light emitting source. Due to expected improvements in optics design and production techniques over time, the blue/purple artifacts produced right at the edge of the light cutoff, and spurious refractions and scattered light from cruddy old cast glass lenses are most likely reduced but again, that hardly surprises me. Bottom line is the later design probably concentrates even a greater percentage of light via what appears to be virtually a camera lens quality ground glass with most likely less dispersion and will just as successfully dazzle any oncoming eyes that happen to be lower than the level of the light cutoff who are silly enough to stare straight at them!!!! This happens regardless of the fundamental lens design so suck it up princesses. Heres an advanced driving tip for free. Avert your eyes slightly down and to the left side of your lane rather than so many pelicans who stare directly into oncoming beams and then bitch about themselves being dazzled! PRESTO, not dazzled anymore!!!!!!!!Simple as that!!!! You can buy awesome 3" and above generic projector inserts that are/could be easily integrated into the stock light housing if you could be bothered for remarkably low prices off Egay. Anyone capable of getting the light housings apart to clean the lens and repair the adjusting gears would be capable and able to swap their old school eyeballs for much higher quality and bigger projector inserts. Presto, instant modern projectors for a fraction of the cost of those old 90' era clobber. Fits some hot-shot high power halogen inserts and presto, running bright and looking legal!!!! That'l confuse those stupid, self important, uniform wearing roadside "engineers" defecting your ride!!!!!! Witness the light scattered and refracted from high end Euro jiggers, like almost none at all. Unless your directly staring into the beam, the lights dont look a lot brighter than those stupid looking LED light arrays as daylight running lights!! Progress is a wonderful thing eh?!!! Happy lighting gentlemen!!! E
Apart from the lack of confidence in the college kid presentation, and as mentioned, Kelvin units expressed as degrees, everything stated in that vid is all good. I have run all of these options in cars and bikes. The issue of the poor light shape of the LED's is really a function of the way they are manufactured. The light sources are spaced apart, top and bottom in a tubed housing which messes with the focus points of the light source and the reflector. The H4 style LED globes which are used in reflector type inserts produce an extremely exagerated high/low beam height difference making one of the beams useless as you cant adjust to get a reasonable compromise. Really disappointing as the light intensity is really good. High beam or low beam only. Additionally, the cooling fans included in the LED's are bulky and makes it difficult to install the globes depending on the insert design. H7's (fixed beam) on the bike reflectors are really nice and bright but again, the light is scattered a lot due to the space between the top and bottom LED elements which buggers the focus, creates plenty of scatter and long distance penetration is pretty average as a result. Hid's are definitely the shizzle by quite a way!!!!!! 4000K ftw! E
I think a headlight clean fitted with... PIAA Extreme Plus 4100K units for both Low & HIGH beams should make a big difference. The wattage still stays at 55w but the light intensity of the PIAAs is much stronger to original. The issue is though, if you wish to swap over any damaged gears (like I did) you will wreck the headlight alignment and will have to go to someone to adjust. I went to NISSAN and they did a crap job for some reason. Which I find amazing. And before anyone says "your gears" might be damaged again... no, they were lubed-up and I made sure they turned as smooth as butter and the reflectors moved easily! - To avoid future problems with them. I would love a set of 2K speck lights but at approx. $2000AU, it's*** R I d I c u l o u s***.
With a little patience, night time and a wall, you can align headlights perfectly. Just get both beams aligned vertically so the cutoffs are aligned closely. Sight along the side of the car to get a rough direction adjustment. Then out for a quick run somewhere to confirm alignment. Back to the wall for any minor adjustments and youre done. Costs nothing but 20 minutes of night time and having both beams working together will improve your nighttime experience incredibly. E
The full set of 2k lights wired up is closer too the 3 grand mark plus shipping. That's that killer right there for all of us.
yep, exactly. Is why you start with a 100 clams Egay HID kit and get the existing lights focussed well. Next best thing at a poofteenth of the cost. E
