Calling all retrofit gurus...
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Pole Position
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,384
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From: Chicago, IL
Calling all retrofit gurus...
I have a question. After the install of projectors into your rides be it SC, ES, LS, GS and so fourth, did any of your run into problems adjusting the cuttoff after the install was done? For some mysterious reason, my lights lined up perfectly with the older OEM setting that was there before. (don't ask how or why they just do!) LOL!!! but how did you guys manage to get around the problems? My E46 projectors were mounted tightly using zip ties and have mounting tabs that were too big a fit for the black plastic back part of the headlamp. I ended up using my handly Black and Decker Dremmel saw to cut and made some adjustments in the black plastic part to allow them to pass through. This threw my alignment off until I cut into the plastic some more for them to fit. Do you guys see where I'm coming from though?
Last edited by tiguy99; May 5, 2003 at 11:31 AM.
I had the same problem, the adjusting screws no longer do any adjusting. I had to reopen one of the lights to adjust it a little. Complicated the process a little bit, but you do what you gotta do.
Thread Starter
Pole Position
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,384
Likes: 16
From: Chicago, IL
In response to LEX400SC mounting flange suggestion:
Sounds great and this was the aim of the project (no pun intended). However with our ES headlights, the scenario is a little different. See this is the dilema. THe projectors themselves have mounting tabs that don't make sense when matched up to the black plastic part of our headlamp. In fact this part is the one that holds another assembly. The assembly is what the projectors are mounted onto and presents a huge problem following the method you prescribed. The probelm is that the aiming screws are not attached onto the metal mount...they're attached onto the black plastic and you have this entire projector assembly to deal with and not just one part you can cut off to create the flange needed . Because of the black plastic not making way for the fit, when its time to bring everything back together, no matter how you put it, its nearly impossible to make it all fit. You must take another route. I'm bad at explaining this since I'm a visual person. So let me show you guys what I'm talking about.
The first pic shows the metal assembly detached from the black plastic part that holds it. In the retrofit process, this thing's job is to hold your new projector in place. Now watch what happens in picture number two when the E46 projector is attached to the mounting assembly.
Observe how the mounting screws of the E46 progs obviously dont' even match the assembly. Normally, the black plastic part is where our progs would go if this were another brand car or a different model Lexus like the SC etc.
The third pic depicts the assembly mounted to the black plastic that holds everything together.
A solution matching your intention would be to destroy the cylinder and keep just a small part for our HID progs to mount onto the black plastic. What this would do is totally block our chances of closing everything back together properly. In other words, the headlight won't close back together. This is the original problem I ran into when I had the A6 projectors. No matter what I did, the complication of the ES300 headlamp (really the black plastic part provides so many problems other lexus drivers don't have to deal with) Its a different set of rules. That's why every person with an exception for Kyle
(who used JB weld)
has done the retrofit to their first gen ES using zip ties and manual aiming. Even though all retrofits require TLC, its the easiest method to use and its sturdy enough to not fall apart. Trust me, cable ties are rock solid tight, you would have to physically open the headlamps and sever the wires to get the progs out of there. Hope that explains everything. The project is a success and no doubt would I have used the method you talked about in fact its the way I inteded to do it in the first place. However when it somes down to the ES and they way Toyota designed our headlamps, its a different ballgame. Hope this helps)(anyone else care to add to this...feel free to help me out!)
Mike T
Sounds great and this was the aim of the project (no pun intended). However with our ES headlights, the scenario is a little different. See this is the dilema. THe projectors themselves have mounting tabs that don't make sense when matched up to the black plastic part of our headlamp. In fact this part is the one that holds another assembly. The assembly is what the projectors are mounted onto and presents a huge problem following the method you prescribed. The probelm is that the aiming screws are not attached onto the metal mount...they're attached onto the black plastic and you have this entire projector assembly to deal with and not just one part you can cut off to create the flange needed . Because of the black plastic not making way for the fit, when its time to bring everything back together, no matter how you put it, its nearly impossible to make it all fit. You must take another route. I'm bad at explaining this since I'm a visual person. So let me show you guys what I'm talking about.
The first pic shows the metal assembly detached from the black plastic part that holds it. In the retrofit process, this thing's job is to hold your new projector in place. Now watch what happens in picture number two when the E46 projector is attached to the mounting assembly.
Observe how the mounting screws of the E46 progs obviously dont' even match the assembly. Normally, the black plastic part is where our progs would go if this were another brand car or a different model Lexus like the SC etc.
The third pic depicts the assembly mounted to the black plastic that holds everything together.
A solution matching your intention would be to destroy the cylinder and keep just a small part for our HID progs to mount onto the black plastic. What this would do is totally block our chances of closing everything back together properly. In other words, the headlight won't close back together. This is the original problem I ran into when I had the A6 projectors. No matter what I did, the complication of the ES300 headlamp (really the black plastic part provides so many problems other lexus drivers don't have to deal with) Its a different set of rules. That's why every person with an exception for Kyle
(who used JB weld)
has done the retrofit to their first gen ES using zip ties and manual aiming. Even though all retrofits require TLC, its the easiest method to use and its sturdy enough to not fall apart. Trust me, cable ties are rock solid tight, you would have to physically open the headlamps and sever the wires to get the progs out of there. Hope that explains everything. The project is a success and no doubt would I have used the method you talked about in fact its the way I inteded to do it in the first place. However when it somes down to the ES and they way Toyota designed our headlamps, its a different ballgame. Hope this helps)(anyone else care to add to this...feel free to help me out!)
Mike T
Last edited by tiguy99; May 5, 2003 at 08:57 PM.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: TheOC
It took about 2 hours of delicate work, but what i did was use a leveler and a measuring caliper to ensure that it was parallel and balanced with the stock projectors. I even tested the horizontal alignment with the leveler. I *HOPE* it works as I planned.
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