The "Lets make the Depot Projectors not suck" Project

[The Architect]

Well I've gotten tired of how the 'ol Depot Projectors are looking so I've started the project and gotten pretty far in one day.

I will also be adding the super legitimate audi style side emitting flexible LED strip.

My main gripes are as follows

- The clearcoat layer is peeling away and looks like crap
- The Halo's are dim and yellow and effectively pointless
- Moisture would clearly get inside and...well that sucks
- I wanted to clean up and hide the wiring

Pro's are

- The angel eye led's are still performing well
- With an HID kit the projectors put out a good amount of light with a nice cutoff
- They look sweet when they are in good condition.


Process:

I went out and got a few things to make this all possible and I also ordered a few things online. This is the laundry list:

- Ribbon Sealer from an Auto Parts Store (to seal EVERY SINGLE HOLE)
- 1500 and 2000 grit sandpaper
- A dedicated Headlight polisher/wax
- 6 Hyperflux Blue LED's & 6 3MM Super Bright Standard LED's from Oznium (just to be sure of fitment)
- Assload of zip ties if you want to be organized
- Basic Tools


I have so far gotten the headlights apart into their 3 respective pieces.

To do this I removed the smallest and probably rusted for you too screw there is near the top of the housing underneath.

Remove the entire stalk of cables and the bulbs...remove it all...everything..good.

I then took the biggest cookie tray i could fit in my oven and covered in it a wet wash cloth and put it in the over at 275 degrees for 3-5 minutes...I would say 4 minutes.

The washcloth will also introduce moisture into the oven so as to keep things from truly burning.

Once i removed the headlight(s) i then took a flat head screw driver and started to go around the ENTIRE perimeter and separate the housing from the lens.

Be very careful and take your time, the glue wont harden all that fast but once you see them starting clearly separate just pull it apart with both hands slowly.

You will then have 2 parts, with the part that has the lens and the other thing there are two small phillips head screw somewhere along the edge, find them and remove them and then remove the piece from inside the lens, you now have 3 pieces.

This is as far as I have gotten and I am waiting to receive my LED's and ill starting polishing the lenses tomorrow.


PICS

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030633.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030631.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030628.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030636.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030630.jpg

MY LED Flashlight is brighter than what came with it and Im just holding it sorta in the opening....
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030635.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030634.jpg

[custom Lftback]

Cool!! can't wait to see the finished project! good luck!!!

[The Architect]

Step 2: LED Swap & Additions

So I got my LED's from oznium today which was very fast and im pretty excited.

Each halo will be getting a hyperflux blue LED at the oem hole and I will be drilling an extra hole directly below it at the other end of the halo for a 3mm blue led so that the circle of light is completed with little gradation.

I will be using a dremel tool with a 3mm bit to drill and then i will be putting a small amount of JB Weld around the perimeter of the LED housing to secure it.

To ensure the LED stays in place while curing I will use ribbon sealer which is very tacky and rigid (puddylike) to keep it in place.

I did do a test to see how well one Hyperflux LED would light up the halo and it does at least twice as well at the stock LED (and this is without the extra 3mm led) & looks a whole lot better than the standard yellowish color.

Here are some pics of the headlights curing.


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030650.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030649.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030651.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030647.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030648.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030646.jpg

[PHXDEMON]

Cool project. If I personally had the time/patietnce I would rather spend it retrofitting some good projectors into the OEM headlight assembly. Something about the double projector aftermakret headlights just screams rice.

[The Architect]

its single projector and the lower one is for high beams though im not using it right now.

[ezhacker1]

awesome, way to turn something from Meh to Yeah! Could you have put in microimages projector?

[JumpmanYaris]

Looking foward for results:thumbsup:

[YAR1S]

hmmmmmm
excited to see the end result.

[The Architect]

Here are some test pictures with the halos lit up at night.

These pictures do proper justice. the blueness wont be for everyone so if you dont agree then cool..leave it at that.


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030658.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030659.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030660.jpg

[YAR1S]

I'd be a little nervous about having BLUE headlights......

[1NZYaris1]

Love it :thumbup: 110% , :clap::clap::clap:

[marcus]

I'd be a little nervous about having BLUE headlights......

i bet you theyre white..digital cameras makes those white light bluer on a pictures..

[The Architect]

the actual headlights are of course not blue, theyre cool white or 8000k.

Also the blueness shown in the pictures is quite accurate, maybe from a distance itll appear a little less blue but you get the gist.

[PETERPOOP]

not scared of the popo when running just the halos?

[The Architect]

the halos during anything but night time all nearly unable to be seen, i tested the halos during the daytime and they were basically just clear.

For the few times that i am running just halos at dusk ill just be careful i suppose but im not too worried.

[eTiMaGo]

awesome progress!!!

I was thinking of doing a similar thing for the halos, but basically making a ring out of equally spaced LEDs, so it would sorta mirror the RS rear lamp design :biggrin:

So, thanks for the dismantled pics, giving me ideas again :laugh:

[CTScott]

the halos during anything but night time all nearly unable to be seen, i tested the halos during the daytime and they were basically just clear.

For the few times that i am running just halos at dusk ill just be careful i suppose but im not too worried.

Be careful in CT with the blue. Enviri got nailed one evening on I-84, after leaving my house, with his blue LEDs on. If I remember right, the ticket was for over $200.


BTW - Nice job with reworking them.

[The Architect]

well the headlights are back together 100% resealed and with the wiring cleaned up like i wanted.

It was sort of annoying getting them back together just as good as they were before but I think I did ok.

I sealed the entire perimeter with ribbon sealer as well as every other possible opening and crevice on the underside.

All thats left to do is swap them back on the yaris and hope all works like it did in the test.


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030669.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030670.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030668.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030665.jpg

[Red Horse]

what happent to the headlight waxing?

[The Architect]

they got smudges and stuff on them from the final reworking, theyll be cleaned up once theyre back on.

[The Architect]

All done for now, we'll see how they hold up.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q29/thenixonyouth/P1030680.jpg?t=1259550750


And an HD Youtube vid walk-around at night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pz3vSPHHEc

[PETERPOOP]

cool video. i like the blueee

[JumpmanYaris]

Nice good job sir

[vten]

nice!!! :drool:

can't wait to do the same with mine ....may do mine in red or maybe a warm white instead