[craigr]

Now take your H4 rubber boot and get your ballast. Put some silicone grease on the rubber boot where the H4 bulb would have gone through it. Also, I later turned my H4 rubber inside out (so the ribs are on the outside) because I think that the fit and finish is better.

Siliconed up, place the rubber boots in the oven at about 180 degrees F for 3~4 minutes to soften the rubber. Wearing rubber gloves (that rubber is hot) stretch the H4 rubber hole around the bulb plug leading off your ballast. The heat and silicone grease will allow the rubber to be forced over the plug.

Again, most retrofitters suggest that you should always use a wiring harness with relays that draw power direct from the battery. This is the safer way to do things so if you want this, either buy a prefabbed harness or make one up. What you need to know is that the 03~05 Foresters use a "ground switched" H4 plug. This means that when the headlights are on (high, low, or running) there is always a +12 volts at a common hot. The way high / low / DRL beams are switched is by supplying ground not hot.

I decided that since this car can be had in Canada with hid reflectors, and since we already have 15 amp headlight fuses (most cars have 10 amp) that it is probably ok to use factory wiring to power the bulb and bi-xenon solenoid. Below is a wiring diagram of what I did... The H4 plug is as it looks with the OEM plug in your had looking at it.

I also liked using the stock wires because that way there aren't two fuses for the headlights and an additional relay to fail.

So I am sure I've left a lot out, but that's the gist of it...

craigr

► Edit - moderator's note - the images on this post are not recoverable. :frown:

Bobby...

 

[craigr]

Sorry about the rather rough grammar, spelling, etc... I was pressed for time and spent more than I had on this write up!

craigr

 

[toddlamp]

Wow, great write-up, thanks! i have been wanting to do this, but i'm afraid i'll screw it up.

 

[craigr]

Wow, great write-up, thanks! i have been wanting to do this, but i'm afraid i'll screw it up.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think anyone has done a Forester before me (that I know of anyway). Lots of Imprezas have had hid projector retrofits, but not any other Subaru's.

The Forester headlights are particularly challenging because they are not very deep. IMHO the further back the projector sits in the factory reflector the better it looks. I wasn't sure how it would all come out when it was done so I just went for it. I used the smallest bi-xenon projectors I could find that I thought I'd be happy with. I measured out from the front of the headlight acrylic lens to the back of the OEM H4 and hoped that the FX would fit. Incidentally, the FX projector's back sits our about 1.5 inches further than the OEM H4 bulb. I still have just enough room to install the driver side bulb plug even with the battery in the car. The ABS side is no issue.

The e46 bi-xenon projectors are actually a bit smaller and I am sure would be easier to work with, but they are considered very poor projectors. They are dated, have soft cut-offs, and have a lower light output than FX projectors.

craigr

 

[craigr]

Just a note... this entire project was waaaaaay easier than it looks and than I thought it would be before I started. Just don't fry a set of ballasts and you will be doing better than I did :huh:

Also, I forgot to mention that if you use my wiring method, and if you don't want your HID's on all the time (like DRLs), then you need to disable the DLRs. You can't just pull the plug on the resistor under the hood either. You have to pull the plug on the DRL control module behind the glove box inside the car. The resistor pull method doesn't work because the resistor is bypassed when you ground the ballast to the chassis.

My next project is to swap out the 6 watt marker bulbs for a higher wattage flavor and then to run my marker lights as DRLs. I am not sure it can be done though. If anyone has the SUBARU 05 headlight schematics I'd be grateful to a poster. I have the crappy Haynes schematics but they don't have enough info or wire colors.


craigr

 

[ziggie216]

wow, I was expecting this project to cost at lease 1k.

no angel eye? hehe..

 

[craigr]

wow, I was expecting this project to cost at lease 1k.

no angel eye? hehe..

When I started looking at costs I was happy at what I found for the money. Even so, it's all so silly though... I mean none of this hardware should cost this much. The high prices are due to what it is, not what it costs to make :icon_evil:

I have been flip flopping with angel eyes. Honestly, I think they really only look great on BMW's. But on the Forester they could be used to fill more space inside the large reflector, and could possibly be used as running lights if CCF eyes are used. Here are some photos of a Honda with angel eyes. I think it looks really good and the headlight is kinda the same shape and size as the forester.

I read a bit on making your own custom angel eyes and I might give that a whirl if I get a wild hair.

craigr

► Edit - moderator's note - the images on this post are not recoverable. :frown:

Bobby...

 

[nwroller]

We have got to see some night shots. Nice work!

 

[craigr]

Here are some shots of the back so you guys can see what's going on there. It's hard to find back shots on the internet for some reason.

craigr

► Edit - moderator's note - the images on this post are not recoverable. :frown:

Bobby...

 

[wadejg]

This is a fabulous post. I will be doing this at some point and this is a great guide.

Can you give some reputable sources for the parts that you used? Or maybe PM me your ebay vendor. I've spent some time on HID planet and sources for parts are hard to figure out. At this point in my life I'm kinda a one stop shopping guy

Do you think the FX35 projectors are better than some others available (like the acura TL's) for this application?

I looked in your post and can't quite figure out your explanation about how you aim the projectors and if they be easily adjusted with the oem screws?

Heck, I think this should be a sticky.

Thanks,
Justin Wade
2004 FXTi

 

[craigr]

Night shots...

Sort of white wall at about 25' back. The camera couldn't clearly get the cutoff... it's much sharper and more colorful!

Same wall, close shot of the cutoff. My camera must suck because there is also a purple band as think as the blue above the blue. Also, the blue is thicker in person.

Low beam.

High beam... these are Hella bright :mob:

This is a cool shot. With the lights on you can actually see through the shroud because the chrome is so thin and the shroud is made of clear acrylic. I actually cut to front of the FX projectors so you could see into them as well. You are actually looking through the shroud, through the opening I made in the projector, directly at the bulb. You and the camera can see it because the shroud is like sun glasses

craigr

► Edit - moderator's note - the images on this post are not recoverable. :frown:

Bobby...

 

[craigr]

This is a fabulous post. I will be doing this at some point and this is a great guide.

Can you give some reputable sources for the parts that you used? Or maybe PM me your ebay vendor. I've spent some time on HID planet and sources for parts are hard to figure out. At this point in my life I'm kinda a one stop shopping guy

Do you think the FX35 projectors are better than some others available (like the acura TL's) for this application?

I looked in your post and can't quite figure out your explanation about how you aim the projectors and if they be easily adjusted with the oem screws?

Heck, I think this should be a sticky.

Thanks,
Justin Wade
2004 FXTi

Thanks :rock:

I got a lot of stuff from a guy who goes by djsmokie86 and he's got more Hella gen 3's for sale now http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HELL...QcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ36476QQihZ022QQitemZ350036020666QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
I got both sets of ballasts from him, three FX projectors, and my bulbs. I've met him in person twice and he's supper cool.

Shrouds, well if you follow hid planet then you know e46 shrouds are hard to come by so... Like I said, I just bought two e46 headlights off ebay and harvested the shrouds myself.

Honestly, I don't know much about different projectors. I went with FX because they were recommended to my by some long time members and mods on hid planet. FX's are plentiful at the moment due to the headlight recall so the market is saturated with these projectors. They are really cheap right now because there are so many available. I'm sure that based on reviews the TL's are great, but I figured $50 for projectors verses a lot more for something else.

The projectors are adjustable with the oem screws. However, you must be sure that the rotation of the projector is correct, that the projector points as close to parallel to the original halogen as possible, and that the pitch is within range of the adjustment. If you line the projector up with the chrome flute in the reflector, and you have the FX "feet" and solenoid screw on the bottom of the reflector, you should be good with these two. Rotation as I explained will be some trial and error.

craigr

 

[EricB]

Wow, great work. I'd love to do this, but I'm not sure if I'm up for this.

thats awesome. makes me feel like i got ripped off paying a LOT more than that to have lightwerkz.net do my S2000 projector retrofit in my WRX

What kind of job did lightwerkz.net do on your WRX? Just wondering if it's an option.

 

[crikreef]

he does amazing work. i talked to him about doing my FXT lites and he said he hadnt done any yet but was in the process of doing a prototype on a set. still havent heard about a finished product tho.

here is what he did for me, said i was 1 of 2-3 people with the setup in the country:
s2000 retrofit with CCFL integrated into the E46 shroud along with CCFL inside the high beam area.

here's a shot of them on my car:

and finally, a link to the page he has it all posted at.
http://high-intensity.org/forums/showthread.php?t=105&page=3

 

[CreoSTi]

he does amazing work. i talked to him about doing my FXT lites and he said he hadnt done any yet but was in the process of doing a prototype on a set. still havent heard about a finished product tho.

Caesar is doing a TSX projector retro into a set of '08 FSXT housings for me, so I'll post up photos once it's finished and I receive the lights back.

 

[crikreef]

sweetness.

 

[BAC5.2]

This is actually pretty cool. I'm not totally sold on HID's, but if your dying for HID this is the best way to go about it.

 

[craigr]

Wow, great work. I'd love to do this, but I'm not sure if I'm up for this.

What kind of job did lightwerkz.net do on your WRX? Just wondering if it's an option.

lightwerkz posts photos of lots of his retros on hidplanet and every one I have seen has been top notch oem looking. So what he chooses to show off is phenomenal. He's also very knowledgeable on hid projectors and retros and shares lots of great info.

This is a craft, so every headlight will always come out different and you can't be sure what you will get if you send out your headlights to be retroed. But lightwerkz has a great record and if I hadn't done my headlights myself he's where I'd have sent mine.

craigr

 

[craigr]

he does amazing work. i talked to him about doing my FXT lites and he said he hadnt done any yet but was in the process of doing a prototype on a set. still havent heard about a finished product tho.

here is what he did for me, said i was 1 of 2-3 people with the setup in the country:
s2000 retrofit with CCFL integrated into the E46 shroud along with CCFL inside the high beam area.

crikreef, your WRX headlights look awesome I feel a certain amount of pain when I see an e46 shroud that's been painted though :raspberry: But I think they have to be cut up to fit in a WRX headlight and I bet the chrome comes off anyway. So then your are left with painting or rechroming and chroming usually runs about $100 or more for each headlight's trim.

craigr

 

[craigr]

Caesar is doing a TSX projector retro into a set of '08 FSXT housings for me, so I'll post up photos once it's finished and I receive the lights back.

Cool I can't wait to see them!

I thought about swapping my headlights for the 06 or newer flavor. The 06 and newer will be an easier reto than the 03~05 because you have separate high and low beam bulbs, and because the shape of the headlight reflectors is more round. The 03~05 Forester headlight is one of the hardest headlights I can fathom to do a retro in because it's an odd shaped reflector and the headlight isn't deep at all. Once I got into this project I found myself staring at headlights all the time. There are few cars I have seen with a more difficult layout than the 03~05 Forester.

Are you going to do single or bi-xenons? I would probably base it on aesthetics... The one thing about the 06 on headlights is that they are even smaller and a bi-xenon might not fit well. So I'd go single xenon if the fit forces you that way, but do bi-xenon if a projector can be jammed in there. I think you could get e46 bi-xenons in there almost certainly, but e46 projectors aren't nearly as goos as others.

craigr