elucid8

For everyone who doesn't want to read my over-detailed monologue (in this case, that likely means you, the reader)...
Over the few years I've had my '92 SC400, I've noticed the headlights have grown dimmer and dimmer. I also noticed my headlights had a bit more and more yellow condensation on it. I talked to a fellow CL member about 3 months ago and remedied most of it by applying various chemicals to the exterior of the headlight, toothpaste mainly, then I later bought some Meguiar's PlastX, which made the exterior of the headlight look very clear. Headlight vision has improved a bit, but not to the same level as when I got it. I figure my old headlight housings are simply growing dim - perhaps the alternator isn't providing as much power as it has in the past.

I realize I could open up the entire housing by following OLT's writeup. I'm not too inclined into doing that since I'm very accident prone with stuff like that.

Though I don't exactly have the money to fund this at the time, my other main options are to buy new headlight housings from a '99/'00 model or to upgrade my lights. Both are very expensive, but I'd rather be safe..

I was hoping someone who bought a '92-'94 and was experiencing bad lighting went out and bought a '99/'00 housing (as best as I remember, there are slight differences between the early and late models, but not enough to fix it up yourself). If anyone has bought headlights from the newer model SC400 ('99/'00) and replaced it on their older model SC400 ('92-'94), did the amount of light seem to increase a lot while driving at night?

If recalled wrong and those headlight assemblies are not interchangeable, I've also been thinking about upgrading to HID. I have major concerns with this as well for many reasons: illegal, expensive, and retrofits are almost mandatory. Sadly, I just don't have the money for a Bosch/Philips/XenonDepot kit, so I'd likely buy from a reliable* vendor that sells for a bit less. (*reliable would be my opinion of that vendor in comparison with other vendors that may look shady or simply look cheaply made) Like I had said above, the problem may lie with the alternator, so leeching power from my battery/alternator for a HID ballast may be bad - feel free to correct me if that sentence was not right, not exactly sure what would happen if I used a conversion kit as opposed to normal halogens. As for retrofitting, I really have no experience with that sort of thing, nor do I have the time nor materials to deal with it. And if I'd be buying a cheapo kit, I certainly don't have the money to spend on other projector lenses and metal brackets.

And no need to flame me, I've read the forums for months and searched quite a bit, probably much more than you think. Almost everyone is probably going to agree that going to HID and retrofitting is the way to go. If that's the case, it will be quite a few months until I get everything. The main purpose of the thread was to see if anyone that installed "newer" headlights saw at least noticeable improvement over their previous headlights. If no one has done this or it simply is not possible, is it practical to just stick a HID kit in without retrofitting? Yeah, I know, the stock projectors blow, but I thought they had an okay cutoff line. It didn't look like there would be much glare; if anyone's dropped a kit in before installing projectors, has anyone complained about glare when driving past?

And before someone says the inevitable, I have read many, many times that the SC400's lights are naturally dim. Fully aware of it, I just wanted to increase my brightness back to the way it was about six years ago..

I wasn't sure exactly where to put this, but I was asking this in a general sense and also in a specific way to the SCx00 and wanted more exposure to other SCx00 drivers.

O. L. T.

iTrader: (17)

* cliff notes - he is asking for general headlights options.

xx69xx

iTrader: (1)

I have a 93 Sc300 my old headlights were yello and barely lit up. I got new OEM ones off a 2000 .WOW it lit up my life. I didnt need a retro fit for my hids just grabbed the same buld size HIDS and pluged them in simple. I didnt do the relays and what not yet there working fine not a prob yet. The Cutoff is also crisp and with 6k theres a tint of a purple blue where the line cuts off.

BLK13X

I was in your boat as well... it's taken me nearly 3 years and 3 spare headlights to be brave enough to at least try. Once you do the first one it's easy. 150 degrees celsius for 9 minutes did the trick for me.

Oh and whatever you do, the factory halogen projectors suck. If you're going to buy an HID kit you could probably spend a tiny bit more and do a proper retrofit.

Touge

iTrader: (4)

I did hid's on my headlights and am actually quite happy with the light output.

However the foglights are even better with hid's especially if you remove that metal bucket inside (about a 70% increase in output).

So now my fogs actually throw more light than my headlights lol. However driving is now amazing, I can light up a 3 lane highway being in the middle lane.

5sp_jzz30

iTrader: (2)

OLT you just save 10 minutes of my life. and if i read the whole thing i would want them back. lol.

honestly splitting the housings and doing the "OLT process" is easy. i never did anything like it and it worked out great.

make sure you have all the supplies you need before hand and dont rush it. if you go too fast you can break the housing.

andrewwake

iTrader: (1)

I just put new 2000 headlights in and with the hids it is such a huge improvement. The lens they put in it was from, what i recall reading, made by a different manufacturer (german) so the cutoff was different. it is so crisp compared to the old ones I have. I'll try to get some pictures of the difference between the 2 scs I have, one with hids + new lights vs old ones + regular halogens.

emoshun

iTrader: (11)

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=315602

spade

if you don't like your standard issue factory headlights. if you go to **********.com or go to andysautosport.com you'll find that there is now a set of headlights (a company named spyder)with a bit of a different design. thats actually what i'm going to get instead of just cleaning up the old ones, on top of that my old ones are cracked and the hinges are all busted. might as well change it up a little.

i like it when people have to really think about what kind of car i drive cus it looks different than most.

elucid8

I semi-like those. I don't know if it would really match that sort of sandstone beige paint on my car, I personally think it would look a little weird (been thinkin about painting it black, but that's way down the road after this semester). I wish I had been sitting on a toilet when I saw the price though.


I wasn't really going for anything over 6000k, thinking more along the lines of 4300k. Function over form, for me. Feel free to correct me, but the reason for a nice cutoff is so that drivers coming at you and drivers in front of you aren't blinded by your lights from the glare. Go to a parking lot at night with someone who uses halogens, park side-by-side. Look directly into both and you'll likely notice that the other guys' halogens are much more eye-friendly to you. Now imagine your car driving past you with all of that glare; you'll lose some of the contrast on the road because of the huge glare interfering with your vision, not to mention the possibility of it making those little "sunspots" on your eyes.

Not trying to say that your car has blinding headlights and that everyone will lose control when they see you, it's just that other projectors have nicer cutoffs which reduce glare a lot.


I've also been wondering why brackets are needed to mount other projectors. I've looked in many other threads and never seen exactly what they're mounted to and why you need brackets. Also never understood exactly what the shroud and bezel are for. If you post a link, maybe provide exactly what pictures to be looking at, which pieces I'm looking at/for (I might have overlooked or misinterpreted something).
Note: I've never opened my headlights before, so I may not know exactly what you're talking about.

BrysIS350

So I just need some clarification. I have some bad condensation in my headlight housing. Also the film on the outside. I've used the PlastiX cleaner stuff, and it works. But you can barely see the headlights at night. I have two holes in the bottom of the housing. Is it recommended I seal THOSE holes to prevent condensation OR leave them open to it can air out? You guys are talking about this sealing, but you're talking about the little bulb housing it sounds like? Thanks for any info.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Brackets are required to mount the Projector onto the factory adjustments allowing you to move the projector up and down, and also to the left and right. A shroud or bezel is used to cover the projector and make it look nicer. Most people put tsx projector into the sc headlight because it is almost a perfect fit into the housing, but the tsx has 2.5" lens and the oem sc projector is 3". A shroud is used to fill in that gap. I hope this helps you.

DasBach

iTrader: (7)

This is what I am currently preparing for. For the price I've paid for most of the parts (only missing some good brackets) I would still be saving money over originally wanting to purchase plug in HID.

Blkexcoupe

iTrader: (8)

Good luck with your retro. I need to get around to shaving down my projectors to fit them in, and then just taking the whole assembly apart, and bolting in the new projector.

Take pictures of your setup when you do it.