Headlights Gone!!!!

RWLib3 · 03-20-2005, 10:05 AM

Not really...just removed them to do a couple mods. =)

First I removed the orange lenses...

Then I retro'd a set of OEM HID Ballasts and Projectors into the OEM Halogen headlight. Can't wait to see the difference tonight and so I can adjust the levels so I dont blind anyone =)

4Driver4 · 03-20-2005, 10:23 AM

How did you get the housings apart without damaging them?

When I tore some HID units apart to "harvest" the projectors for my urS6 I destroyed the housings getting them apart.

RWLib3 · 03-20-2005, 10:33 AM

Had some of the black sealant to clean up, threw em back in the oven to put them back together.

4Driver4 · 03-20-2005, 10:35 AM

kkemp · 03-20-2005, 11:38 AM

Xenon projectors and halogen bulbs have dramatically different performance characteristics. If you just cut the back out of the halogen housing and popped a xenon projector in there, you'll basically never be able to get the lights aimed properly. They'll be scattering light inappropriately, either not being as effective in lighting the road, dazzling other drivers, or both.

Sorry to be harsh but mods like this (if in fact that's what you did) are what give HIDs a bad name and have the federal governtment considering banning them.

TeddyBGame · 03-20-2005, 11:41 AM

Ever since I did my OEM HID upgrade (see sig for details)...I often wondered if the inner housings of these headlights (HID vs. Halogen) were interchangable (historical reference to Eli Whitney...for those history buffs of firearms...and the inventor of the cotton gin..and a local Boston native in the late 18th century....but I digress). I have a couple sets of halogen housings in my attic that I've been planning on experimenting with....but have been busy with other mods (see my sig). I was able to snatch up a mint pair of E-code halogen housings (DRLs, clear corner, etc) for my 2001 A6 2.8....for $100. So I always wanted to see if I could just add the HID projectors, ballasts...and just make them work....but more on that later (see below).

Hella is the OEM supplier of the headlight housings for the C5 A6/allroad/S6/RS6 etc. Based on your pictures, it looks like the halogen reflector and the HID projector share the same mount points for the internal housing. You probably used a pair of needle-nose pliers or a nut driver to get them out....either way...you'd need some small hands to do the job (reference to Austin Powers "Carnies....smaaaulllll hands". Ha!)

While the inner housing of the HID housing has:

A) HID projector/optics for a D2S bulb vs. a Halogen reflector
B) Auto-leveling motor linked to sensors in the rear of the vehicle
C) A different black plastic rear cover with specific openings for the HID/ballast wiring. (Ryan: I assume this is what you used the black epoxy for? Can you clarify? I only hope that your headlights don't suffer from internal condensation as a result of this...as the rear of the headlights have specific "exhaust" ports for channeling any humidity out of the housing; only time will tell. Please keep us posted.)
D) The passenger side (for US-based left-hand drive models) projector has a slightly different cut-off angle, as it is designed to provide more light onto the sidewalk area (for spotting deer etc.) while not blinding oncoming traffic via the drivers' side.
(Ryan: How were you able to determine which projector was for the drivers' side vs. the passenger side? Please...share your knowledge.)

So here's a laundry list of what parts you'll need to do this:
1) Original OEM halogen housings (daaaaaahhhhh!)
2) HID projectors (E-code or DOT/US); only the C5 A6 projectors will fit. Also, if you have a 2002-2004...then you could probably do this same mode to add the bi-xenon projectors. Cost: $100-$150 via ebay; just make sure they come with the plastic bulb holders. FYI - the C5 A6 HID projectors are the most commonly used for HID retrofit projects for the "ricey" Honda Civic-types.
3) OEM Ballasts and associated wiring: It is best if you find some that are from a wrecked/broken/damaged A6 housing, as the length of the ballast wiring will be an ideal fitment and will probably include the unique black plastic covers to make this an easier install. Cost: $150-$250 via ebay.
4) D2S HID bulbs: Go for a new pair, so you have equal "burn-in" rates for both bulbs. Cost: $100/pair via ebay...or $300/pair from dealer.
5) Wiring: The only wiring you'd need to do is to run the two wires from the HID ballast into the internal wiring connector to provide power/ground to power the ballast. I have proven that the wiring from a non-HID equipped A6 is exactly the same for one that came with HID from the factory. Therefore, you shouldn't be worried about "frying" your wiring etc as a result of this mod (FYI - mine has been working for 2.5 years. Of course, your mileage may vary...standard disclaimer stuff..etc.)

Given all of the parts needed, you'd probably need to spend about $400-$500 for these parts. Then comes the installation (Ryan: Can you provide some more insight into how you did yours?).

The other option, would be to just purchase a set of used HID housings from ebay and spend about $200-$250 per housing. Which is what I did (again, see my sig for all the details you could ever need).

Just some thoughts. Just my .02. I hope this helps those who want to add HID..without adding a "ricey" aftermarket kit.

-ted (Go Celtics!!)

4Driver4 · 03-20-2005, 11:59 AM

RWLib3 · 03-20-2005, 12:26 PM

I'll need to go thru your laundry list more thoroughly when I have the time. (later tonight)

Yes they are OEM A6 Ballasts and projectors, but unfortunately the projector mounting posts are different. They're close..but definately different. There are 3 connection points for the inner reflectors and it pops right out. Makes removing the projector a hell of alot easier. I'll explain in more detail later. Wishing now I took pics though!

The ballasts I bought came with the original backplate to the headlight so there was no cutting invlolved. I did have to drill a small hole to run the wiring from the H1 plugs (cut) to the 9006 connector on the ballast. Filled that with some black silicone to prevent the condensation factor (hopefully)

I'll hopefully take some pics tonight of the beams.

RWLib3 · 03-20-2005, 12:27 PM

kpereyra · 03-20-2005, 12:30 PM

See my sig for an example. Looks good though.

03-20-2005, 10:05 AM	#1
RWLib3 New Member Account #: 79099 Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 312	Headlights Gone!!!! Not really...just removed them to do a couple mods. =) First I removed the orange lenses... Then I retro'd a set of OEM HID Ballasts and Projectors into the OEM Halogen headlight. Can't wait to see the difference tonight and so I can adjust the levels so I dont blind anyone =) __________________

03-20-2005, 10:23 AM	#2
4Driver4 Tech Guru Account #: 43812 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 27,960	Wow. That's a lot of work. How did you get the housings apart without damaging them? When I tore some HID units apart to "harvest" the projectors for my urS6 I destroyed the housings getting them apart. __________________ 4Driver4 "Never give up the throttle until the bitter end." -RC 1990 Coupe Q 1999 A6 Sedan Q 2.8 2000 A4 Avant Q 2.8 1995 Mazda Miata: the anti-Audi 1999 Mazda Miata: Track beotch 1999 Chevy Suburban: the anti-earth :-( 1990 Nissan Pickup: Snow plow/garbage hauler 1981 VW Scirocco: the car I shouldn't own

03-20-2005, 10:33 AM	#3
RWLib3 New Member Account #: 79099 Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 312	Baked at 350 for 5 minutes or so....came right apart. Had some of the black sealant to clean up, threw em back in the oven to put them back together. __________________

03-20-2005, 10:35 AM	#4
4Driver4 Tech Guru Account #: 43812 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 27,960	Huge b@lls to put the $$headlights$$ in the oven. Good trick though. __________________ 4Driver4 "Never give up the throttle until the bitter end." -RC 1990 Coupe Q 1999 A6 Sedan Q 2.8 2000 A4 Avant Q 2.8 1995 Mazda Miata: the anti-Audi 1999 Mazda Miata: Track beotch 1999 Chevy Suburban: the anti-earth :-( 1990 Nissan Pickup: Snow plow/garbage hauler 1981 VW Scirocco: the car I shouldn't own

03-20-2005, 11:38 AM	#5
kkemp AudiWorld Senior Member Account #: 9979 Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,769	Hmm, If you really just stuck HIDs into Halogen housings you may never get it to not blind others Xenon projectors and halogen bulbs have dramatically different performance characteristics. If you just cut the back out of the halogen housing and popped a xenon projector in there, you'll basically never be able to get the lights aimed properly. They'll be scattering light inappropriately, either not being as effective in lighting the road, dazzling other drivers, or both. Sorry to be harsh but mods like this (if in fact that's what you did) are what give HIDs a bad name and have the federal governtment considering banning them. __________________ I distinctly ordered the antarctic blue super sports wagon with the CB and the optional family fun pack 2002 S6 Avant [Ming/Silver] with: * RNS-E * Parrot CK3000 BT HF kit * V1 with ADR remote display * Carbon fiber dash trim * RS6 Silver leather sport seats * RS6 air-leather paddle shift steering wheel * 18" RS6 5 spoke reps (summer) She's got a 2007 A6 Avant [Quartz Gray/Light Gray] totally stock

03-20-2005, 11:41 AM	#6
TeddyBGame AudiWorld Super User Account #: 32631 Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 6,784	Rich: You make me proud. You've reached "Pioneer status". Congrats! Some thoughts of my own... Ever since I did my OEM HID upgrade (see sig for details)...I often wondered if the inner housings of these headlights (HID vs. Halogen) were interchangable (historical reference to Eli Whitney...for those history buffs of firearms...and the inventor of the cotton gin..and a local Boston native in the late 18th century....but I digress). I have a couple sets of halogen housings in my attic that I've been planning on experimenting with....but have been busy with other mods (see my sig). I was able to snatch up a mint pair of E-code halogen housings (DRLs, clear corner, etc) for my 2001 A6 2.8....for $100. So I always wanted to see if I could just add the HID projectors, ballasts...and just make them work....but more on that later (see below). Hella is the OEM supplier of the headlight housings for the C5 A6/allroad/S6/RS6 etc. Based on your pictures, it looks like the halogen reflector and the HID projector share the same mount points for the internal housing. You probably used a pair of needle-nose pliers or a nut driver to get them out....either way...you'd need some small hands to do the job (reference to Austin Powers "Carnies....smaaaulllll hands". Ha!) While the inner housing of the HID housing has: A) HID projector/optics for a D2S bulb vs. a Halogen reflector B) Auto-leveling motor linked to sensors in the rear of the vehicle C) A different black plastic rear cover with specific openings for the HID/ballast wiring. (Ryan: I assume this is what you used the black epoxy for? Can you clarify? I only hope that your headlights don't suffer from internal condensation as a result of this...as the rear of the headlights have specific "exhaust" ports for channeling any humidity out of the housing; only time will tell. Please keep us posted.) D) The passenger side (for US-based left-hand drive models) projector has a slightly different cut-off angle, as it is designed to provide more light onto the sidewalk area (for spotting deer etc.) while not blinding oncoming traffic via the drivers' side. (Ryan: How were you able to determine which projector was for the drivers' side vs. the passenger side? Please...share your knowledge.) So here's a laundry list of what parts you'll need to do this: 1) Original OEM halogen housings (daaaaaahhhhh!) 2) HID projectors (E-code or DOT/US); only the C5 A6 projectors will fit. Also, if you have a 2002-2004...then you could probably do this same mode to add the bi-xenon projectors. Cost: $100-$150 via ebay; just make sure they come with the plastic bulb holders. FYI - the C5 A6 HID projectors are the most commonly used for HID retrofit projects for the "ricey" Honda Civic-types. 3) OEM Ballasts and associated wiring: It is best if you find some that are from a wrecked/broken/damaged A6 housing, as the length of the ballast wiring will be an ideal fitment and will probably include the unique black plastic covers to make this an easier install. Cost: $150-$250 via ebay. 4) D2S HID bulbs: Go for a new pair, so you have equal "burn-in" rates for both bulbs. Cost: $100/pair via ebay...or $300/pair from dealer. 5) Wiring: The only wiring you'd need to do is to run the two wires from the HID ballast into the internal wiring connector to provide power/ground to power the ballast. I have proven that the wiring from a non-HID equipped A6 is exactly the same for one that came with HID from the factory. Therefore, you shouldn't be worried about "frying" your wiring etc as a result of this mod (FYI - mine has been working for 2.5 years. Of course, your mileage may vary...standard disclaimer stuff..etc.) Given all of the parts needed, you'd probably need to spend about $400-$500 for these parts. Then comes the installation (Ryan: Can you provide some more insight into how you did yours?). The other option, would be to just purchase a set of used HID housings from ebay and spend about $200-$250 per housing. Which is what I did (again, see my sig for all the details you could ever need). Just some thoughts. Just my .02. I hope this helps those who want to add HID..without adding a "ricey" aftermarket kit. -ted (Go Celtics!!) __________________ TeddyBGame - C5 Avant - "the Beast" (Ha!!) - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica Touring (Nav, Sirius, Bluetooth, Xenon, TPMS, ParkSense, DVD Changer - basically loaded) - 2003 Vespa ET2 (modified exhaust and carb -- so I can max out at 45MPH) - John Deere Gator (4x2) for the boy As of November 2006: Accessory Add-ons: (Definition: An item that provides a specific function - in a cyclical nature - and can be removed very..very easily.) 1) OEM winter floor mats 2) OEM rubber trunk mat and cargo net 3) VW Touareg cigarette lighter flashlight 4) Thule roof bars with Evolution 1200 roof box Upgrades: (Definition: A [bolt-on/bolt-off] item that enhances the appearance, performance or misc function of your car.) 1) OEM front/rear Euro black Recaro Seats (from a Euro 2003 S6 Avant) http://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/618112.phtml 2) OEM HID/Xenon (complete) housings (car never came with the Xenon option from the factory) 3) OEM Euro front/rear (avant) beam-style wiper blades/arms (available via www.vagparts.com) 4) OEM B6 S4 Interior auto-dimming black mirror with compass and on/off button 5) OEM Euro blindspot exterior mirrors 6) OEM S6/4.2 exterior lower door trim 7) OEM S4/S6/S8 aluminum mirror housings 8) OEM Euro rear license plate panel from 2002+ facelift avant (slight MODification to US plate required) 9) ? 10) OEM Euro RNS-E DVD Navigation system with MP3, SAT control and TV input 11) Dietz 1417 A/V input to RNS-E 12) Blaupunkt ME3 DVD/CD/MP3/TV Tuner with aftermarket amplified TV antenna in windshield 13) OEM Sirius tuner (special version to work with RNS-E) 14) OEM Phatnoise Phatbox MP3 player (trunk mounted) with custom interface cable to allow Sirius tuner and Phatbox to work together -- cool!! 15) ? 16) BBS RC 17x8 ET35 with Michelin Pilot Sports (summer tires) 17) 2002+ Rear bumper with valance openings for Magnaflow 3" exhaust tips 18) OEM submarine fin roof antenna for SAT / GPS / Cellphone (GSM) 19) OEM Euro gunmetal black avant roof rails 20) 2002+ Climate control faceplate to match faceplate color of RNS-E 21) Walnut wood trim near hazard button (above RNS-E) to match rest of interior wood scheme 22) OEM Euro Avant door panels with integrated sunshades (imported from Germany to match the black leather in my Euro Recaro interior) 23) OEM Euro blacked out front grille (no chrome perimeter) 24) OEM gunmetal black lower rear hatch strip (specific part# for avant vs. sedan) 25) OEM RS6 gunmetal black interior door latches; no need to add any RS6 badges in my car (Thanks Nelson!!!) 26) OEM Euro four spoke walnut wood and black leather (special order via Audi GmbH) multi-function wheel with tip buttons and OEM phone (BT) control 27) Upgraded "618" MF/Tip control module Coming soon: - rear mounted removable 7" LCD panel MODifications: (Definition: Any permenant change to a part or component of your car that you cannot reverse) 1) Tray under armrest to add aux. cigarette lighter 2) OEM avant CD changer bracket MODified (to fit two large CD changers etc) - now I just use it for Phatbox, OEM SAT tuner and OEM BT module. 3) Exhaust tips MODified to add Magna Flow (#35163) 3" dual walled tip 4) Factory wiring behind Sym I to simplify installation/removal of RNS-E 5) MODified glovebox to support fitment of Blaupunkt ME3 (a biatch to install!!) 6) MODified headlight switch bezel for fitment of GALA switch for "video-in-motion" for playing Blaupunkt ME3 through RNSE 7) MODified stock exhaust and had magnaflow 3" tips welded on (see above) 8) MODified rear Euro license plate surround to house 2nd rear foglight (2001 model only came with one from the factory); US license plate needed to be MODified a bit to fit inside the narrow Euro opening. RNS-E for C5 A6/S6/allroad/RS6 - your quest starts here - (regularly updated) <a href="http://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/607331.phtml">OEM submarine fin installed on

03-20-2005, 11:59 AM	#7
4Driver4 Tech Guru Account #: 43812 Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 27,960	The HID projectors were used. If adjusted correctly, NP. __________________ 4Driver4 "Never give up the throttle until the bitter end." -RC 1990 Coupe Q 1999 A6 Sedan Q 2.8 2000 A4 Avant Q 2.8 1995 Mazda Miata: the anti-Audi 1999 Mazda Miata: Track beotch 1999 Chevy Suburban: the anti-earth :-( 1990 Nissan Pickup: Snow plow/garbage hauler 1981 VW Scirocco: the car I shouldn't own

03-20-2005, 12:26 PM	#8
RWLib3 New Member Account #: 79099 Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 312	Thanks TeddyB! You are the HID man in these parts... I'll need to go thru your laundry list more thoroughly when I have the time. (later tonight) Yes they are OEM A6 Ballasts and projectors, but unfortunately the projector mounting posts are different. They're close..but definately different. There are 3 connection points for the inner reflectors and it pops right out. Makes removing the projector a hell of alot easier. I'll explain in more detail later. Wishing now I took pics though! The ballasts I bought came with the original backplate to the headlight so there was no cutting invlolved. I did have to drill a small hole to run the wiring from the H1 plugs (cut) to the 9006 connector on the ballast. Filled that with some black silicone to prevent the condensation factor (hopefully) I'll hopefully take some pics tonight of the beams. __________________

03-20-2005, 12:27 PM	#9
RWLib3 New Member Account #: 79099 Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 312	and its Rich not Ryan =) __________________

03-20-2005, 12:30 PM	#10
kpereyra New Member Account #: 87016 Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 263	Replace the orange bulbs with clear ones that blink orange and it looks even better. See my sig for an example. Looks good though. __________________ 2001 A6 2.8 Quattro Racing Green Pearl / Melange Interior Rondell #22 18"x8" Nitto 555 235/40/18 Koni Sports/ Eibachs/ H-Sports RS6 "style" spoiler / S6 Door Blades / Clear Corners Magnaflow 4" Exposed Exhaust Tips Aux Power Mod / Hardwired Passport 8500/ XM 00032 Tip Recode / Window Recode

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