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DIY Projector Headlights

2K views 24 replies 15 participants last post by  soccerrplyr 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Nice find.
I always wanted to attempt this project, but never head time.
I have a couple questions i didn't understand.

1)When he put the projectors on the glass things, then he put that aluminum on top to cover that stuff up. Does that aluminum piece cover the hole opening and just have the cut out for the 2 lights?

2) Did he make his own back cover with the carbon fiber? Will this be hard to do with another material?

Thanks
 
#3 ·
He used plexiglass has a mounting surface for the projectors inside the housing. He then a peice of aluminum to cover the screws so they can't be seen. The aluminum doesn't cover the enire headlamp are...just enough to cover the screws, because there is an interior trim for the headlamp assembly that covers everything else. He then painted the trim and the aluminum the same color.

For the back...he just covered the back of the housing with CF and taped it down. It works, but im sure it can be done better with another material. We may not need to cut the back off. I'm pretty sure there's a way around that.
 
#5 ·
Have to burst your bubble kiddies.

High and low beams must be aimed differently. Projector headlights can only be aimed in 1 direction and therefore, you will need 4 headlights.

NG900/OG9-3 are 2 headlight systems. Have you folks figured out how to modify the wiring for the conversion? I won't bother mention the issue of different wattages.
 
#24 · (Edited)
All you would need is to use a bi-xenon projector, thats really not a tough problem there (saab 9-5, audi a6, acura tl (some of the best out there now)), the main issue will be dealing with the glass lenses on the car which are fluted etc. Light will scatter everywhere and it will suck, possibly worse than stock.

Also you wouldn't use the stock wiring, just install a harness so no biggie....

EDIT: Just saw how old this is..... oh well.
 
#6 ·
slaab said:
Have to burst your bubble kiddies.

High and low beams must be aimed differently. Projector headlights can only be aimed in 1 direction and therefore, you will need 4 headlights.

NG900/OG9-3 are 2 headlight systems. Have you folks figured out how to modify the wiring for the conversion? I won't bother mention the issue of different wattages.
Yea i've checked all those set backs. They're all covered in the tutorial as well. There are two different projectors..a high bean and a low beam. Each projecter has a different glass curvature as well and are both 65w(pretty much the stock wattage). So each housing will have two projectors and yes they will need to be aimed not really that big of deal.



Here's the site for the projectors. They are by Hella and are only $57, the connecters that go to them are only $6 each.
http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/hella/headlamp.htm#90mm

Wiring is a breeze. Just tap a ground for high and one for low. Then tap the high beam wire from the current harness for the high beam projector and tap the low beam wire from the current harness for the low beam projector.

Its really not a difficult job. The hardest part is constructing the bracket to hold the projectors in the housing. ;)
 
#8 ·
NG900/OG9-3 are wired for 9003 bulbs. The manual says not to replace the bulbs with anything greater than 60/55 watts.

Saab headlight lenses actually focus the beam rather than using a clear lense and reflector to focus the beam. This will distort the beam coming from the projectors.

As part of the prestart check, the ECU will test the state of the headlamps. Will this mod pass? Who knows?

With small bulbs in such a small space what are you doing with the leftover? Neons? Saab logos?
 
#9 ·
slaab said:
NG900/OG9-3 are wired for 9003 bulbs. The manual says not to replace the bulbs with anything greater than 60/55 watts.

Saab headlight lenses actually focus the beam rather than using a clear lense and reflector to focus the beam. This will distort the beam coming from the projectors.

As part of the prestart check, the ECU will test the state of the headlamps. Will this mod pass? Who knows?

With small bulbs in such a small space what are you doing with the leftover? Neons? Saab logos?
As per any car, the manual suggests to use 60/55 watts so that the harness will not melt. For instance some high wattage replacement bulbs are 100/75 watts (don't quote me on the numbers, its just an example). Because of the higher wattage, the bulb much hotter than a regualr 60/55 watts. This heat sometimes will melt the stock bulb harness. We won't have this problem because:
1) 65Watts is not a large enough heat increase to melt the stock harness
2) We won't be using the stock harness on the bulbs..just tapping them and adding another harness for the H9 projectors.

You are right about the beam lenses. This is one thing that I have been pondering. When trying it out however, I will test to see if the lenses have a large effect on the beams. I think that by properly adjusting the lights, this problem can be solved, unless a clear lense is constructed.

As for as the ECU precheck... this system is basically is a closed circuit. As long the high beam is a completed circuit to ground, and the same for low beam, the ECU will okay the precheck. When a filament burns out, the circuit is opened and the ECU will say so.

I didn't quite understand your last question :?
 
#10 ·
I would love projectors in my c900T :p.... Hey guys... most of you know me, some do not. lol, my name is Zach Wallace, from Claremont, NH.... I was at Swedish Car Day this year. I met most of you there.

I also hang out in saabcentral a lot and i run the website saabin' online...

Ring a bell... anyways... just thought i would introduce myself....

Zach 8)
 
#13 ·
I want to attempt to modify my headlights as well. I dont much like the way they look anymore.... i have euro style ones to install but still think they are one of the things that shows the age of the car. i want something to style it a little nicer. I might think of attempting something with angel eyes. anyone have any other ideas? maybe me and my dad will sit down and plan something!! figure it out for ourselves.

-Kaylan Marie

if anyone attemps this or anything else on a 9k please let me know!
 
#16 ·
mike saunders said:
That's a lot of time and energy, but wouldn't HIDs have a similar effect and be less time consuming?
If I made projectors I would buy HID's for them.... but I am not in the mood to destroy my e-code housings, I will just get the HIDynamic 6000k kit and forget about the projectors.... as cool as it would be, I dont feel like wrecking my e-codes and don't have the money.
 
#17 ·
whats the dif between the housings?

you should use a stock c900 housing and cut that up (im sure you have plenty :wink: )

when i do mine.... in a long time from now...
i am going to see if my friend can make a plastic lens so the projectors can be seen better...
 
#18 ·
iwantaviggen said:
whats the dif between the housings?

you should use a stock c900 housing and cut that up (im sure you have plenty :wink: )

when i do mine.... in a long time from now...
i am going to see if my friend can make a plastic lens so the projectors can be seen better...
big difference... one, the stock 900 housing is a sealed beam... the e-codes aren't...

e-codes are h4, us is 9004.
 
#21 ·
Wow.. forgot about this. This post has been resurrected almost 3 times now.
 
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