Has anyone done it? I am looking into this for my MC.

http://www.xenondepot.com/product.php?product_id=54

 

im in the process of doing now but im using the factory xenons ballasts and starters. i took an 02-04 headlight apart and gutted the pieces i needed and just put in the bulbs using the factory harnesses. as well. the hardest part was getting the older headlight apart. you can prob find the headlights cheaper on ebay. i payed like 18 bucks for mine because it was cracked and i just needed the parts. and the other one i swapped an 05 headlight for an o4 plus 150 cash. so that was pretty easy. but its definately worth it.

good luck

 

I don't have the OEM xenons. Do you see any problem with my popping in these aftermarket ones? A friend of mine popped them in his Toyota Matrix with no problem.

 

the only thing you might have to do is wire the the xenons in by either splicing the wires or cutting the old wires and soldering the new to the old. i really dont know how those wires connect to the the harness. if its just a quick plug and play then go for it.

 

6500k is kinda blue...is that what you want? I believe a lot of the factory ones are 4k.

I think you could buy the factory hids and ballasts on ebay close to the same price as a kit but I don't know how you need to wire it.

P.S. I meant factory hid headlights(entire assembly) and not just the bulbs and ballasts.

 

the only thing i saw for xenons for a mini was the complete headlight. as for the aftermarket ones. that they sell you have to splice the wires in.

 

A bud of mine installed the kit from these folks and the only wire splicing needed is to the battery. This kit is for slightly purple lights. For $549 I could go white-blueish but for that price I'm not doing headlights.

 

slightly purple, isnt that 10000K?

if they are, ive seen them and they are UGLY!!!

light blue and white HID are the only way to go, besides, i think after 6500k you start losing brightness. after that i think is just for show so the ricers can say that have 10000k HID lights!

 

I'm looking into the 6500K ones. They are slightly purple but also very bright for good visibility. I will probaly order these on Monday and do a write up on them when I finish. :smile:

 

I cancelled my hit kit purchase for our Lexus because of light scatter. Generally, the reflectors for xenons and halogens are different and when you put a kit in you will see the light scatter in one made for halogen lights. That's not something I wanted. I prefer the lower k because it's whiter and the visibility is better. People that are really into xenon headlights have pulled out their hid kits and went with the retrofit solution. But it's a bit more expensive.

 

I hear yah on that but I think anything is better then my Halogen bulbs. I can't see anything with these. I'll do some side by side pics to show the lights and such when its done. I'm excited new toy for the car.

 

It will be illegal unless you switch out the headlight housings,install the zke module, install the washing system, and install the sensors on your suspension. And without getting the new headlight housings, you will be blinding all drivers of oncoming traffic without the auto-level feature. Thats the light scatter that is talked about above, the glare will be VERY dangerous for concoming traffic...and you will lose nearly ALL of your luminosity.

I dont reccomend it at all...get some better halogens or something to brighten it....or actually do a complete switch. Just installing xenon's in your halogen housings will make your car look like some cheap civic or something with all that glare.

 

Yup there illegal and for reason I'm cool with that. My bud has then and they don't look like crap. Civics usually have xenon look alikes. i'll take alot of pics when I finish and see what you all think.

 

Did I understand correctly?
You realize they are illegal, you could potentially put yourself and other drivers in danger, but you're "cool with that"

 

Yah But then again most aftermarket MODs are not DOT approved for road use. And I think they will replace my high beams so they will only be on when I really need the light.

 

That's pretty goofy...things like exhausts are illegal just because the noise is annoying to some of the population. non auto-levelling xenons are illegal because they have been found to temporarily BLIND people. There is a slight difference between their illegality. One is for noise ordinances...the other one is TO PREVENT SERIOUS INJURY from crashes due to temporary night-blindness.


There is nothing cool about blinding people. And no matter what you say, people who know cars will know you cheaped out and dont have enough money to get real xenons, i have seen comparison pictures, and non-xenon housings stick out like a sore thumb. And i certainly hope i never pass you in traffic....i like my sight while driving

I suggest you find a better way to achieve greater light...or actually man-up and get real xenons.

 

I can tell if some of my friends and I drove by in our different cars (MINI, Matrix and Passat) we'd get weird looks for our mods. The only Ricey one being the lights. But we all have our different tasts and opinion. I respect that and understand your points. But as you can probaly tell I am young and stubborn.

I was posting originally to see if anyone has gone ahead and done such a change on a MINI. According to the people I am buying from they have done a MINI.

 

They are illegal to ship in the U.S. DOT has crack down on lighting dealers. The retrofit would be the best way to go. I don't know if you need to go as far as the self leverers and washers but definititely at least the hid housing and ballasts. It's about twice as much as a kit but it will definitely have the factory look and feel.

 

Well the kit I am getting is bulbs, wirring and a set of ballast. I hear yah on the housing and such. But this will have to wait till I get a new car with built in Xenons and use this as an upgrade.

 

Any HID retrofits are a bad idea. The light temp is too high. 6500k is too blueish purple not the proper blueish white like the factory 4300k. Not to mention that the stock halogen housings arent ment for HID lights, they dont have the proper cut off or reflectors. Plus it is getting illegal to do things like this cause of the hazards and the improper light it gives, and since its not aimed properly and/or reflected it gets in peoples face and is why you hear people complain about those "Bright Lights". Like i said its a bad idea. If you want HIDs buy a car that has them or retrofit OEM ones.

 

They have some retrofits that rival the factory installations but they cost $$. One company will take your factory non hid housing and put projectors in them for around $700.00. Then you will need to buy the hid bulbs and ballasts and splice it all together. It can be done...but not for cheap. I would say at $1,200 or so would complete the job. The OEM HID option at $500 is a steal.

So when is the next cooper?

 

Yah, im young and stubborn as well...i think its a good thing at this age

Anyways...i'm fine with the way it looks and stuff...i just dont want you hurting other drivers...and maybe yourself

People have done it...a buddy of mine in japan who had a VERY modded cooper had them....they definitely glared too much and blinded other drivers so he ended up taking them out(they were high quality phillips bulbs and ballasts) and he had the xenon housings etc installed, they worked much better with the aftermarket set up

 

FYI, the xenons are the LOW beams (on top.) Hi beams are standard halogens (on bottom.)

 

I actually didnt notice that you are ONLY putting them in your high beams...if that's the case, my view might be changed a little

Technically that is alright by my standards since you should never have high beams on when other cars are coming near you. Now...whether or not it will help brightness with the wrong housings, i dont know.

 

Yah! I'm not totally crazy.