Started my D2S retrofit!

I eyeballed mine and it came out just fine.

Look through the lens at the cutoff shield and carefully line it up with the horizontal line in the reflector bowl.

The severe angle seems to be more of an issue with the Mini-H1 than with the D2S, but mine took a small amount of filing.

 

Ok I looked at the shield and it looks level from what I can tell. What did you have to file? The little adapter ring?

What about the test I did on the table, as long as they are the same shouldn't it be good? Or does that test mean nothing lol.

 

Like Rich stated above you can look through the projector, but I'm just being safe and test it on the truck, I don't trust my eyes.

 

Ya, file the edge of the ring where it keys into the reflector "tail" so allow the projector to rotate slightly.

I had to file mine to get it to slip over the tail... it was just too tight and didn't want to walk down as I tightened the mounting ring, but I didn't take off much at all.

If you have that tab taken down 25% or so and it's not enough to rotate the housings, then start on the outer tabs... more of a PITA because all 3 need to be trimmed the same amount.
Looks like FH's need that, but I've never seen a D2S that bad.

 

Ok gotcha, yea one of mine was a little tight but I still put it on. I am still able to move the projector because there's a little bit of play on the 3 tabs. Once I get it on the truck I'll see where I'm at and go from there.
Crossing my fingers hoping it's already level.

I will be using the resealing glue that TRS sent, so when I'm ready to seal them back up how long should I let them cure for before mounting them back on the truck. I only ask because it's been between -40 and -50 deg celcius here.

 

I didn't cook them to reseal (wife was home and flipped out).
I squished them back together, put clamps around the perimeter, and then got creative with shims and bar clamps to pressure the areas where I couldn't put the clips.

Since I didn't have time to install because of work, they sat that way in the garage for a month.

Normally, cooking to reassemble, they're good to go as soon as they cool, provided that you're "preflashed" any added paint (like if you blacked out the reflector bowl or shrouds). Paint offgassing is more of a concern than anything else.

-40 to 50? Ouch. HIDs are going to take some time to warm up and get up to full brightness, and you may have some problems getting them to strike. Make sure you have SOLID grounds. I'd recommend cutting off the forks on the ballast end of the harnesses and soldering in a piece of #12 stranded, run that back to the body ground next to the battery.
I've installed 5 HID systems and I've had grounding issues with 3 of them.

DEFINITELY do not short cycle them in those temps. Once they're on, leave them on for 10 minutes or so, and when shut off, leave them off for 5 or 10 so they go through a full thermal cycle.

Remember to resist the urge to "flash to pass" or flick your high beams to warn of a speed trap or something during the day when your lights are off.
Not only is it a short cycle that will shorten the life of the lamps... the other driver won't see more than a flicker from the initial arc. They don't get to full brightness for 30 seconds or so.

 

Thanks for the tips and btw your retro looks good, only difference in mine will be a chrome reflector. I will definetely route both of my grounds to the factory location. Is 12 awg really necessary for these grounds being a little longer? The TRS harness uses 20awg, I'm not quite sure of the draw on this system.

 

It's not extremely high current (it's fused at 10a), a pair of 20ga is more than adequate, but IMHO, bigger is better to a point. #12 is a good size without getting onto the stiffness and expense of #10. Yes, it's overkill, but it's not a bad thing to be able to tell yourself "My problem is absolutely not because of poor grounding"

Right now, my driver side is grounded to the bumper support and the passenger side is tied to one of the bolts that holds the smog pump. Initially, I grounded the passenger side to one of the AC line support clamps on the radiator shroud. Unpainted, 10mm hex, what could be better? It would not strike. Not even a flicker.
I disconnected the ballasts and swapped them, same thing.
Put a meter on the plug, showed 14v.
Used the spare connector to apply power directly to the ballast from the stock headlight socket, sparked right up.
Plugged back into the relay harness and moved the ground, it's been trouble-free for about 6 weeks.

 

Sounds like these systems can be picky, I'm sure I have some larger wire kicking around to use. So I may as well use a ground that I know is good.

What did you end up doing for the rubber grommet/dust boot on the back of the housing? Right now I have mine trimmed so I can stretch it around the orange part of the plug(as seen in the picture on my first post). I'm just trying to get the best seal possible. Or am I just being anal? Haha

 

The grommet thingy, one is in the trash for me cuz I screwd up, the other is still hanging so I'm I'm crossing my fingers it won't leak. Baking your light will be easier as it goes in as you push it together, then clamp it.

Rich, I'm a total electrical noob, is it possible I ask you for a few pictures of how you mount your ballast and wires? Plus how can I wire the halos in the ignition, and where is it at exactly? Thanks

 

Right now my ballasts are (still) temporarily hanging by zip-ties from the top of the radiator support. Wiring is run under the radiator cover, not really much to see.

For the halos, wire them to a switched accessory circuit. They're low enough current that you won't need a relay, but I would add a switch so you can kill them to sit and listen to the radio.

BTW: Here's my D2S cutoff....





And you can see where the beams fall on the back of a car....

 

Nothing wrong with that cutoff line. So you eyed the projectors up, sealed and didn't touch em?

 

nice cutoff Rich....I also did the same with my wire routing under the radiator flap with zipties, ziptie squares, and wire loom (just in case)
I used this velcro many times and its held up to water crossings, mud, rain, nasty bumps, and charging up rutted hills I had no good reason to even try..

Its the "PRO SERIES EXTREME" velcro.......... got it at home depot or lowes iirc.

 

My cutoff, yeah gonna adjust the driver side in the morning.

 

Going to be running the wiring tonight and hopefully mounting the lights to see how level the cutoff line is. The truck is warming up in the garage now hopefully I don't bust any clips it's -30 out right now. I will report back.

 

Ya, if anything, I'm a little low on the left, but they're both the same, and it doesn't bother me because it's pretty freaking close, and it is less likely to blind oncoming drivers. If I need more light, I can always hit the highs.

That's what I don't get about guys who intentionally aim high, or don't reaim after a lift or leveling job, and claim they need it because of deer and the dark country roads.

Use your freaking high beams! Nobody wants to get blasted. Nearly every morning on the way to work, I'm making a lane change and slowing down to let some moron with HIDs in stock housings or improperly aimed lights pass.

 

I'm happy with mine now, very close to being even. Drove next to a new Volvo with OEM hids and my light output is just as bright.

 

VERY BEAUTIFUL! I'M JEALOUS!

 

I'll be getting mine on Wednesday.. but all this talk and problems from a lot of people have me pretty nervous on doing this myself...
And perhaps it is because I dont have the lights and housing in front of me but it all sounds pretty complicated.

Do you all think I should buy a set of spar headlights and do the retrofit in those incase I completely screw it up? Or am I just being overly worried?

 

You're overly worry, but then you can never be too careful lol I think you'll be fine, I was scared as hell too but I got it done.