Clear light and Angel Eye Conversion - The Project and Story

Thanks everyone, must try and resist modding now I've done the lights.....I have my wedding and a house to save up for!

Andrew.
 
Looks great. :)

I went with darker inners but yours is what mine would've looked like if I'd have stayed with silver.

Hmm wonder whether having 2 interchangeable sets is the next mod...?

Silver for summer, dark for winter? 8)
 
here is my cutting disc that I used, forgot to measure it though, 20cm maybe? got through a set of lights completely, not even sure when that chip happened.

It's way better than those tiny ones that you can snap in half with your hands...

7656093038_331d1eb834.jpg
 
Seems much better than the small ones I used. I don't think they're up to this thickness of plastic.

So anyone about to do this - go for the bigger discs!
 
I have read through this entire thread and am still a little confused. I am correct in saying that when you remove the lens as "ranski" did, the dremel disk is perpendicular to the outer surface of the headlight and you are cutting completely through the lens and the channel in the black housing?

I saw the "CUT HERE" photo with the finger pointing so I assume I cut the line approx midway between the finger and the beginning of the clear lens. This sound correct?

I saw a a photo (one of BettyBMW03's) that made me think otherwise. But I am easily confused until I have torn things down at least once

Also has anyone drilled locating holes at points around the exterior lip of the housing going slightly into the lens. It seems if this was done prior to cutting then short pins(made from round brass stock found at most hobby stores) from the housing side would be placed after cutting. Seems like lens alignment becomes a non-issue then.
Thanks
Bruce
 
One other bit, could someone who has done "post" facelift HID's please speak to how you mounted the AE's.

Are they directly glued on the existing OEM AE's? Or do the OEM's get removed/cut away first?

Do the standard 80 mm AE's work here or....?

I saw only the ones posted by peddy on pg 11 and could not tell if these still had the OEM AE's or not.

Thanks again
 
spr_bimmer said:
here is my cutting disc that I used, forgot to measure it though, 20cm maybe? got through a set of lights completely, not even sure when that chip happened.

It's way better than those tiny ones that you can snap in half with your hands...

7656093038_331d1eb834.jpg
Click to expand...

That is a fiber reinforced cutting wheel. They dont snap like the ceramic ones. First time I ever saw one it was cutting through the hasp of a very heavy padlock. Took all of 10 min.
 
I used the '6 piece HSS steel cutting discs' from ebay. You get 6 different sized discs for around £6 - there's no chance of snapping these and they cut through the plastic very quickly.

As for where you cut, if you only have 1 set of lights to cut open, then just cut straight through the channel where the clear plastic meets the black plastic. There will be black silicone sealant inside the join. I didn't have any problen relocating the clear plastic lens afterwards, the polycarbonate is quite flexible so can easily be refitted.

Andrew.
 
BruceJ said:
One other bit, could someone who has done "post" facelift HID's please speak to how you mounted the AE's.

Are they directly glued on the existing OEM AE's? Or do the OEM's get removed/cut away first?

Do the standard 80 mm AE's work here or....?

I saw only the ones posted by peddy on pg 11 and could not tell if these still had the OEM AE's or not.

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Anyone done post facelift, little help please Thanks?
 
I just browsed through the whole thread but I couldn't seem to find any explanation on the connection of the AE's? Do you simply connect them to the daylights and take out the daylight bulb? Or is there a way to connect them directly to the contact, so that they always light up when starting the car (day and night)? I bought the AE's and getting ready to do it, but need some more info on the wiring... :cry:
 
Bad_Pritt said:
I just browsed through the whole thread but I couldn't seem to find any explanation on the connection of the AE's? Do you simply connect them to the daylights and take out the daylight bulb? Or is there a way to connect them directly to the contact, so that they always light up when starting the car (day and night)? I bought the AE's and getting ready to do it, but need some more info on the wiring... :cry:
Click to expand...


Historically everyone I believe has connected them into the sidelight bulb and used that circuit. Not sure if EU cars have these bulbs which are a legacy from parking cars on public roads at night.

I do however plan to convert mine to DRL's and find an ignition feed in the headlight to connect into. Just time to get to looking at it that prevents me.
 
That would be good CJ, as like most I reckon, I leave my lights on auto, so the AE's wouldn't be on all of the time unless going back to the old days of using the light switch :oops: , automation all the way :thumbsup:
 
You mean the bulbs that stay on at the side of all American cars for example? No indeed, I do not think EU cars have those... It's indeed the ignition feed that I would like to have but not a clue how to do that... Has anyone done it with or without AE's?
 
Bad_Pritt said:
You mean the bulbs that stay on at the side of all American cars for example? No indeed, I do not think EU cars have those... It's indeed the ignition feed that I would like to have but not a clue how to do that... Has anyone done it with or without AE's?
Click to expand...

In the UK we have small 5w bulbs located in the inner light unit below the halogen main beam. I think they are pretty much a UK thing and come on along with rear lights at the first 'on' position of the headlight switch. US have other and different lighting requirements.

My starting point would be to either read the WDS and see if there is an igntion feed to the headlight, or pull the connector off one headlight and test each pin with a meter with ignition on and no lights switched on to see if there's a feed.
 
I imagine there would be CJ, based on the fact I believe you can have 'follow me home' lighting activated via software, and also leaving the indicator on when turning the ignition off leaves that specific sidelight on doesn't it? For parking on busy roads at night...?

Does on some cars anyway, not tried on the z4.

Discussed here: http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34887

So there must be a feed that is live without ignition, however both are controlled through other means. (Indicator stalk)
 
I know the principle of the park lights, but these stay on the whole time, so not a good idea for the battery. I also have the small bulb in the main beam, this is the EU feature, which seems logical to be the same in the UK as well. So I guess I could connect it to that feed and delete the bulb so that at least I have a feed in the first position of the light switch. I suppose that this little bulb is also the same light that stays on when the "follow me home" feature is activated? :scratchhead:

Actually, what I would really like to have is that the lights (as they would be in the first position of the switch) go on and off when opening and closing the car. Same as the interior lighting. But I don't think that's even possible... I guess the ignition feed still makes best sense. I'll try checking all wires before cutting up the lights. I would like to have my questions answered before I go on my adventure :)
 
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