so i have an 05 MCS and it came with halogens as i bought it slightly used ....of course i knew that xenons were the way to go but this price couldnt be beat. anywho i now am wanting xenons badly. mini of sterlin quoted it around 3k for the PARTS only and told me that a retrofit kit didnt exist i was like whATEVVV. so does anyone have a link to where i can buy a retrofit kit of even xenon headlight assemblies...i know it will be pricey but on the net i have yet to find any leads on my search for them ....has anyone done this to there mini's?....( fyi...im talking about the actual xenon assemblies but just a new light bulb thats more crisp i want the real thing not just a bulb)

 

I used the Sylvania Bulb and Balast conversion with the retro fit wiring harness to bypass the computer. Works great so far! and I got the kit through my work...so if you need, we can work something out.

Nick Q
Billet Superstore

 

im def a novice when it comes to the lights. that conversion you fitted ...do they emit light as well as the xenons ....also what is a balast lol and over all will my assembly resemble the OEM xenon assembles with the 3 xenon dome looking bulbs ....lastly how much will all this cost and where can i buy ?

 

If you're comfortable about taking the headlights apart.... then you can try to retrofit a HID projector assembly.

Try www.hidplanet.com/forums for tips and measurements

 

where could i find that assembly though ...the only place ive found are the oem assemblies from the dealership ...and those were around 1400 for those two peices.........and do you know how much that kit costs ?

 

I just bought a set of used earlier OEM hids. The reading I did said that they are plug and play, you just won't have the auto leveler and washer features. The voltage from the car is also different so there is a few seconds delay time when yo first turn them on. I will let you know how it goes when they get here on tues.

 

I plugged '04 Xenons in my '02 (stock halogens). I have no 'voltage difference' and not 'delay on turning them on'. Plug-n-play, work great.

 

The auto leveler and the washers are a Federal requirement for all vehicles equiped with HID lighting systems, which is what we are talking about here, regardless of which gas is used.

The "delay" that you are refering to is nothing more than the bulb getting up to temperature before it can produce full wattage and true color.

The voltage difference is handled by a transformer/ballast that is part of any HID lighting system where the 12VDC of the car is stepped up to approximately 22,000volts. This is used to "start" the Xenon gas florescing within the "Xenon" bulb. It is the glowing gas that replaces a conventional glowing wire element in a halogen bulb.

The leveling system is to prevent too much glare for oncoming traffic should you add weight to the rear of the car. The washers are also to prevent glare because a dirty lense produces more glare than a clean on. So both of these items are really safety items to prevent the blinding of oncoming traffic. Be kind to your fellow motorists, they just might be fellow MINIacs.

 

Thank you, I am aware of that. Unfortuantely in America pretty much any mod you do violates some type of vehicle code I will make sure that they are adjusted down and not blinding people

 

Are you sure, I don't think all cars have them...

How many times have you used your washers? I've never used mine on the road, only to wet people standing next to my lights... And if the lights are aimed properly you won't have any blindage.. Just think of all the SUV's out there and cars with HID systems before the auto-levelers became a requirement (if it is)...

I'm surprised danielstern hasn't come up...

 

I stand corrected. Washers specifically are not required, just some system to clean the lenses. It can be washers, wipers, whatever.

I use the headlight washers every time that I squirt the windshield and the headlights are on. We all do. It is how the system is designed.

It depends how the lights are aimed. Were they aimed with your weight in the drivers seat? Were they aimed with the usual amount of weight in the car that you would be driving with at night? The self leveling system is an active system and adjusts the lights while you are in motion. Adjusting for both acceleration and deceleration deflection of the suspension.

Glad you mentioned Daniel Stern. Excellent resource.

Just because people drive SUVs, wannabees, and ricers with overwattage bulbs does not make it OK for others to do the same thing. Too bad we can not get the police to enforce the laws that are on the books already.

 

ok thanks for all the info can someone gimme some links to where i can get some hid assemblies...not retro kits but the actual real hid assemblies...and so what im hearing from a few people is that HID's on my 05 mcs are plug and play ...no fancy wiring is needed no upgrades or any kind ncessary just plug the HIDS where the old halogens are ?...once again pleaseee if anyone knows of links or someone or somhwere selling HIDS please let me know im desperate

 

If you want actual OEM Xenon's just post a WTB in the classifieds. Some people installed the newer HID's in their older MINI so there may be some older HID sets out there. That's how I got these:

 

Whats the difference (other than the way it looks) between the new OEM Xenons and the old ones? I know the newer ones use projectors, but are the newer ones brighter? better cuttoffs?

Anyone have pics to show the difference in cutoffs / brightness?

 

Ahem.....

 

bump. what are the diff in the 02-04 Xenons vs the newer ones? any comparison pics?

 

bump