I bought two pairs of projectors. One of them is a high beam only LED projector that will replace the high beam reflector.

The other is a Bi-xenon D2S HID projector that will replace the low beam. This will have both high beam and low beam functionality. I did not buy ballasts, instead I bought a D1S to D2S igniter adaptor which connects the stock ballast to a D2S igniter that plugs into the D2S HID bulb. The 9005 splitter cable will allow me to have both the LED High beam projector and the Bi-Xenon projector connected to the Jag’s high beam wiring harness. It is all plug and play. The Bi-xenon projector that will have the D2S HID bulb is only powered by the Valeo LAD5G ballast. The 9005 high beam cable will relay the signal to flip down the cut-off shield so that that projector will have it’s high beam function.

On the Bi-xenon projector there is only one bulb, but there is a cut-off shield that allows only a small beam of light to pass through, that’s the low beam. When the high beam is activated, a solenoid flips down the cut-off shield, allowing the entirety of the light beam to be projected.

I’m still waiting on the packages to arrive. The first order with the LED high beam only projectors has already shipped, but the second order with the bi-xenon projectors has yet to not.

I will make an install guide and provide pictures of the upgraded light output once both pairs of projectors arrive.

Edit: I looked up this image of the anatomy of a bi-xenon projector to better explain how it works.

As you can see, when you activate the high beam, the solenoid will flip the cut-off shield, allowing the light to be reflected from the projector elliptical reflector (bowl) uninterrupted. On our stock HID projectors, the cut-off shield is fixed in place. If you were to remove it entirely, you would have an always high beam HID bulb.

 

Porta Rico,

I'm still a bit confused with all this, so it sounds like you a replacing both the Low Beam HID and the High Beam LED-Reflector with HID Canisters. Why not just the LED-Reflector?
I thought we could continue with the Low Beams as is...and only replace the High Beam Reflector with a Canister type HID Beam? Is this because the LED Bulb must Burn all the time and has to have the Cut-Off Shield?

I'm sure I will catch-on to this Canister LED stuff...Please give me a while! I'm counting on you to come up with the changes we need to make!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

I am replacing the High beam reflector with a dedicated LED projector that is not designed to use HID bulbs. I am replacing the low beams because one of them has a burned-out spot and the other has an opaque area. Although they are serviceable by flipping the orientation of the bowl, the Valeo projector has been described as junk compared to projectors available in the aftermarket and even from other brands like Lexus. I couldn't find an aftermarket projector that would only offer low beam, they are all Bi-xenon (high and low beam). As such, I decided I might as well wire it in for high beam function as well and have "**** you" high beams if I need them.

I just got a notification that the LED projector High beams arrived today. The tracking says the bi-xenons should arrive by Monday.

 

I couldn't wait to see what the light output was like although I am still waiting on the bi-xenon projectors for my low beam. I connected the Morimoto Mini HB High Beam LED projectors to the car and held them in my hand while I took some pictures to give us a preview of the high beam light output. Keep in mind, these pictures are only for one projector, although I tested both to ensure that they do work.

They are super bright. And as amazing as this looks in pictures, they are brighter in person. They look like they will be easy to install. They are about the correct size with the shroud I bought for them. They also have a threaded shaft slip in the reflector's hole for the bulb, and have a locking ring that will secure them in place. It seems like I might not even have to remove the reflector at all. We will see when I do the install. I can't wait for the low beams to arrive so that I can get started with the retrofit.

 

Hi Guys,
Reading this with interest as my Low-beams are pretty terrible. Dark country roads at night I have to use my fogs to supplement (which annoys everyone).

Is there a good Led replacement bulb I can use for the projectors that will brighten things up a bit? If so any recommendations?

Cheers!

 

Porta Rica,

Hey Man, That looks' great! Can't wait til you get this system sorted out!!! I'm excited about it....You know how much I hate these darn Texas Pick-up Trucks with their Headlight Beams shining directly in the XKR's rear window during the Winter months....Maybe, after you get this worked-out, they will have more respect for little XKR's at night.
Looks like you've gotten on the right track and I'm looking forward to your getting this done....

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

I'm also quite interested in the final outcome.
I played with led and other combos last winter and finally kept zenon for both the low and high beams. BC mentioned the slow 'on' of xenon hi beams; I had the same issue and resolved it with a separate wiring harness for the high beams only. This cured the issue in my 05 x100.
Would you be so kind as to try your handheld lighting again but this time shoot the beam out into the nether world?
I live out in the country +/- and a long distance beam is far more important for my driving than a super bright closer target. My experimentation with LEDs in projectors didn’t reach that deep into the field of vision...they tended to light a tight area and fall off rather quickly in the surrounding areas. If I have time I was going to try to include the xenons into projector housings but I have many other more pressing projects at the moment.
jn

 

If I have a chance I will try it out tonight. However, it has been raining heavily today, and if it does so this night, I might have to delay that.

 

Mr. Porta Rico,
You know!!! This is my 4th XKR and 2 things that I always disliked about them have been the Tail Lights (Not Bright enough) and the Headlights (Not Bright enough) Then, I thought I had the Headlights worked out until I saw what you were doing and then realized that they stink bad! Finally got the Tail lights burning bright and all loaded up with LED's and Victory Edition Lens...so far that has taken over 15 years.....and shoot...I didn't even know that I could really go a long way with LED Canisters.....I am really a happy guy! Thanks to my Friends Bjorn and Porta Rico!
Just can't be happier!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

At the request of wymjym, I took these pictures behind my local Planet Fitness/Kmart building. Without the High beam projectors or the Jag's headlights, the area is nearly pitch black. All pictures are of the high beam only. I achieved this by keeping the key in the second position and having a facemask tied around the right spoke of the steering wheel and the high beam stalk taut enough for the mast to pull the stalk, I then held the projector that was connected to the high beam harness and aimed it while I took pictures with my free hand. All pictures were taken using the iPhone's manual mode with the exposure set to 0, and the flash turned off.

I have not retrofitted the Morimoto LED HB Mini High Beam projectors yet because I am still waiting for the second order with the Bi-xenon's to arrive for the low beam. I would rather not have to remove the headlights a third time.

I think the light output is fantastic, and if aimed correctly, will be a massive improvement over the reflectors regardless of bulbs. What do you guys think?


This picture has the LED Projector high beam and the Reflector LED high beam both on. You can clearly tell where the projector which I was holding haphazardly is aimed at.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed at the vet's office... I would guess that's about 4 or 500 meters away.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed at the vet's office and towards the building to my left.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed at the trees over there.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed at the vet's office, the angle points a little more skyward than other pictures.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed at the vet's office but closer at an angle that reflected more off the ground.



This picture is of a single High beam projector aimed straight towards the ground about 100 or 200 meters away from me.



This is a picture of a single reflector High beam for comparison, aimed by the Jag.



This is a picture of both reflector High beams on for comparison, aimed by the Jag.

 

There is no question! The single handheld High Beam projector is by far the better, even as a single is beats the double Reflected High Beam.. There is no question as to which is Brighter and more Focused......Can't wait to see this set up on your XKR.....The Low Beams will be much brighter and then BOOM! The Bights!!!! The XKR now has Lights.......The answer we've been looking for!

Thanks for your time putting this together Porta Rica! You are the MAN! We could heard Cows with these Bulbs!!!

Billy Clyde @ Cinco Ranch

 

thank you very much, it looks good.
I'll await your final install and try to duplicate it...I'm curious how you plan on making the individual angle adjustments

wj

 

I am thinking of keeping the factory reflector in place by slipping the projector’s threaded shaft through the reflector’s bulb hole and using the included locking ring to secure it in place. Then I will use the factory headlight manual adjustments to aim them. This does mean that the low beam will also be adjusted. I may have to compensate a little.

 

all I can say is I'm happy you are doing this and since you're spending all the time and $. As a sign of appreciation, if you are ever in the Austin Texas area, drinks are on me.
wj

 

giandaniel,
Let me show my ignorance..... are you saying that Hi and Lo has a common adjustment. I.e. they can not be adjusted individually??? I do like the concept of mounting using the bulb hole, as done with the Morimoto mini HB. With a bit of luck, the alignment should then be pretty close.🤞

 

Yes, the manual alignment is common for both Hi and Lo. And yes, I hope that by using the bulb hole for mounting the projectors, the alignment will be close to the original reflector bulb's. I do wonder if the HID auto-adjustment provided by the sensors on the control arms will still work when I replace the low beam projector. I guess I will find out soon enough. The bi-xenons for the low beam should be delivered by tomorrow.

 

Thanks for info. Really looking forward to see your Morimoto mini HB installation! I am planning to keep my Low beams as they are good.

 

The package that was scheduled for delivery tomorrow, the Bi-xenons for the low beams, arrived a day early. I got to work, however, I soon realized that I will need to make my own bracket for the Bi-xenons. I will attempt that on Tuesday. Tomorrow I will buy the necessary sheet of metal to fabricate my bracket. Still, since I had already removed both headlights I went ahead and did the Morimoto Mini HB LED High beam projector install. It is quite easy, anyone here can do it. The output is very bright, but I need to work on aiming them. Right now they are facing the ground at pretty much the same angle as my low beams.

You will need the following tools:

• A Dremel with a carbide bur
• Phillip's head screwdriver (a 10-inch long screwdriver should be enough)
• Torx screwdriver to remove the headlight from the car (I don't know the size of the Torx)
• 13 mm wrench to remove the headlight from the car

Installation guide:

1. Remove headlight from the car. I won't go into detail on this as other threads explain it.
2. Separate the lens cover from the rest of the headlight by releasing the tabs around it.
   
   Lift tabs. There are three on top, three on the bottom, and one on each side.
   
   Pull assembly apart.
3. Disconnect T-10 bulb and Turn-signal indicator bulb.
   
   The T-10 bulb holder twists off clockwise. This is a good time to replace the bulb with an LED.
   
   Pry the clip to disconnect the turn signal indicator connector.
4. Disconnect the 9005/HB3 high beam wire loom.
   
   First, pull the blue clip by lifting from one side, the rest will come out. Then lift the two large tabs to unlock the connector.
5. Remove the two Phillip's head screws that hold the reflector in place. One on the top, the other at the bottom.
   
   Top screw.
   
   Bottom screw. A magnetic screwdriver will make your life much easier on reassembly. You could also use tape or some super glue to hold the screwdriver in place.
6. Pull reflector out of headlight assembly.
   
   I find it's best to either pull on the left or right side of the reflector first. Trying to pull both at the same time is a wasted effort.
7. Adapt the reflector to receive the Projector's threaded shaft.
   
   Use a Dremel with a carbide bur to increase the diameter of the reflector's bulb holder hole. DO NOT grind the reflector part of the bulb holder hole.
   
   You don't need to grind down too much material. Just a little bit so that the threaded shaft can fit snugly on the plastic bulb holder.
8. Install the shroud onto the projector.
   
   Use four screws to secure the shroud to the projector (these screws were not included). Also, choose one of the supplied grommets and slip it onto the threaded shaft towards the back end of the heat sink.
   
   Supposedly the bottom side of the projector is the flat end, however, I found out that this doesn't mean it will be correctly aimed.
9. Have the projector make its new home inside the reflector.
   
   Slip the projector inside the reflector.
   
   Righty tighty gets the projector shaft all the way out. By not wearing down on the reflector portion of the hole, it itself is screwed onto the projector.
10. Use the locking ring to secure the projector onto the reflector.
    
11. Optional step: You may line up this tab (bottom one with the screw hole) with that empty space in the heat sink.
    
    This does not necessarily mean the projector will be correctly aligned.
12. Refit the reflector-projector assembly on the headlight. If it's dark outside, it's the perfect time to go aim them.
    
    Snap the reflector-projector assembly in place, and then fasten the Phillip's head screws that hold the reflector in place.
    
    This would be a good time to fit the headlight assembly as is (without the glass lens) and find someplace dark to aim the projector and play with its orientation on the reflector.
13. Time for wiring. We will add the wires to the connector as shown in the following three pictures.
    
    Using the tab or nub as a reference point, positive goes on the right, and negative to the left.
    
    Use a plier to gently pull the leads until they snap in place.
    
    Connect the 9005/HB3 connector remember that the nub is grabbed by those two plastic tabs
14. Once you have the projectors aimed at your desired position, you may seal the headlight and install it on the car. Take a look at the finished result.
    
    It even makes the headlight look more modern!

 

Here are some output shots. I haven't had the opportunity to aim them correctly. Due to the governor's latest executive order, I can't drive out on a Sunday to the area behind the Planet Fitness and Kmart to properly aim the headlights. As they currently are, I find that high beams are aimed too low. Despite them not being properly aimed, you can see how their output completely overshadows that of the factory HID low beams.


Factory low beam.



Factory low beam + Morimoto Mini HB LED Projector High beams

 

giandaniel,

I like the looks with the black surround on the LED High Beam. Does any of the old reflector show?? Did you have to paint the old reflector black??
How do you plan to address the alignment issue???