So I've seen a few threads in which members talk about their aftermarket lenses, but never actually seen a thread about it. Let me start by saying I'm new to the whole "retrofitting" or whatever you would like to call it, but I am pretty handy with things so the swap was no problem for me. It just requires a lot of patience. I have the normal halogen headlights without auto leveling, you may follow this guide but it may be different. I'll start from the very beginning to make sure it is as informative as possible.
DIY Projector Lens Swap
What this does
-Sharper cutoff line
-Increased light output (Both HID and halogen)
-Looks sexy
-PICTURES OF RESULTS ARE HERE
Tools required
-Screwdriver (One with interchangeable bits)
-T10 Torx bit
-3" ZKW-r lens from theretrofitsource.com
-Oven (for opening headlight assembly)
-Needle nose pliers
-RTV Ultra Black (Can be had at any auto parts store, for resealing headlight assembly)
-Patience
The Swap
1. Start by removing your front bumper in order to gain access to the headlight assembly. After removing the front bumper, remove both headlights. There are 3 screws holding the headlight unit in place (2 on top and 1 on the underneath closest to the fender). I didn't take pictures for this section as there are plenty of threads that cover it.
If you don't feel like searching, here is an awesome video that shows you the removal of the bumper and headlights:
2. We need to put the headlights in the oven in order to separate the plastic lens from the housing. Remove all bulbs/covers/plastic from the housing. The headlights should be put in the oven on 210 Degrees Farenheit (98 Celcius) for 10 minutes. After heating the headlights, the glue should be warm enough to separate the plastic lens. If not, put them in the oven for another 5 minutes at a time until glue is warm enough. There are threads on this I'm sure.
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3. After separating the lens you will find that the housing is made up of 2 parts; the turn signal enclosure and the projector/high beam enclosure. We need to remove the turn signal enclosure. It is held in place be 3 small tabs, gently pulling should do the trick.
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4. We now have access to the projector/high beam enclosure. This is where it gets kind of tricky. The enclosure has 3 connectors holding it in place. The first 2 are on the top, connected to the manual adjustements. The 3rd one is located on the bottom, towards the rear of the housing. The connectors are a simple socket, some light prying with a flat object and pulling does the trick.
This is the hardest part, so be patient to keep from breaking any of these. It was easiest to start with the top right, then the bottom, and finally undoing the top left. I found that a small flathead screwdriver paired with my finger worked great for separating the sockets.
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5. Pat yourself on the back, the hard part is over
6. Pick up the projector/High beam housing, looks like this (Yours should be shiny, mine was previously blacked out) :
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Flip it over to expose the nuts holding the projector assembly to the housing. Undo the nuts with a needle nose plier (if you have a socket that fits, use that) :
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DIY Projector Lens Swap
What this does
-Sharper cutoff line
-Increased light output (Both HID and halogen)
-Looks sexy
-PICTURES OF RESULTS ARE HERE
Tools required
-Screwdriver (One with interchangeable bits)
-T10 Torx bit
-3" ZKW-r lens from theretrofitsource.com
-Oven (for opening headlight assembly)
-Needle nose pliers
-RTV Ultra Black (Can be had at any auto parts store, for resealing headlight assembly)
-Patience
The Swap
1. Start by removing your front bumper in order to gain access to the headlight assembly. After removing the front bumper, remove both headlights. There are 3 screws holding the headlight unit in place (2 on top and 1 on the underneath closest to the fender). I didn't take pictures for this section as there are plenty of threads that cover it.
If you don't feel like searching, here is an awesome video that shows you the removal of the bumper and headlights:
2. We need to put the headlights in the oven in order to separate the plastic lens from the housing. Remove all bulbs/covers/plastic from the housing. The headlights should be put in the oven on 210 Degrees Farenheit (98 Celcius) for 10 minutes. After heating the headlights, the glue should be warm enough to separate the plastic lens. If not, put them in the oven for another 5 minutes at a time until glue is warm enough. There are threads on this I'm sure.
3. After separating the lens you will find that the housing is made up of 2 parts; the turn signal enclosure and the projector/high beam enclosure. We need to remove the turn signal enclosure. It is held in place be 3 small tabs, gently pulling should do the trick.
4. We now have access to the projector/high beam enclosure. This is where it gets kind of tricky. The enclosure has 3 connectors holding it in place. The first 2 are on the top, connected to the manual adjustements. The 3rd one is located on the bottom, towards the rear of the housing. The connectors are a simple socket, some light prying with a flat object and pulling does the trick.
This is the hardest part, so be patient to keep from breaking any of these. It was easiest to start with the top right, then the bottom, and finally undoing the top left. I found that a small flathead screwdriver paired with my finger worked great for separating the sockets.
5. Pat yourself on the back, the hard part is over
6. Pick up the projector/High beam housing, looks like this (Yours should be shiny, mine was previously blacked out) :
Flip it over to expose the nuts holding the projector assembly to the housing. Undo the nuts with a needle nose plier (if you have a socket that fits, use that) :
