So I went to MINI to ask about buying HIDs for my new R53 (currently has halogens) and he said it is impossible to retrofit them. I was wondering, could I buy the OEM projector housings, then a fleabay lit kit with ballasts and use that? Does the ballast convert the (assuming) 12v power to be used by the new HIDs? I know it is illegal here to just drive with HIDS and I was really hoping to do a nice Joey mod. Thanks. Cant wait to pick her up tomorrow

 

The connectors between the non-xenon and xenon head lights are different, as well as some coding required to properly retrofit them, but it isn't "impossible."

The HID kits you see on Ebay will usually be a plug and play type setup; that said I would recommend checking out retro-solutions.com for quality HIDs.

You'll just be "that guy" with eye melting glare cannons to everyone around you.

 

If you replace the housing, there are some OK projector style retrofit kits..
As said before, DO NOT just change the bulbs...
Since the wiring is different, I'm guessing the retrofit wiring is NLA...that's WHY the dealer said it can't be done (unless you find or make it).....the refresh xenon's are nice, but $$$$, but there are some projector style replament xenon's that seem to be decent...much better than just swapping the bulbs...
I spend hours driving at night, often in a truck for my 2nd job...and it is sad, the a MILLION MILE plus freightliner with ancient glass 4 headlights system (yes the entire thing is the bulb) puts out tons more light than the ebay "conversion kits...
See it EVERY night... A huge glare comes up from behind....blinding...they zoom up...right next to me and hangout...no more tail lights to follow on a dark night...their headlights tossing out a HUGE amount of light EVERYWHERE, but not focusing it down the road....sad...but folks usually make things worse, not better going to xenon's....
And another thing I notice...reliability...
Factory xenon bulbs are 100,000+ mile items....ballasts more but some do die earlier..
But about 15-20% of the aftermarket xenon headlights I see (the color and glare is the givaway) are singles....so many of the kits are junk, both optically and electrically...so look carefully for reviews IMO.

 

Why would I be that guy with glare cannons if I put them in a correct projector housing?

 

P.S.
YOU CAN STILL BUY the OEM "hella" brand headlights (yes, both the OEM xenon versions) on amazon..hella sells them direct, for less than the dealer, newer ones, the refresh is CHEAPER...
The coding is needed even if you make a diy conversion...
The stock headlights are run at a "slightly reduced " voltage to extend the life of the bulbs at the price of a very tiny loss off brightness (done on most CANBUS equipped cars)...results in a pulse or strobe effect if not coded out...the reason why many kits have extra parts to reduce/eliminate the issue...guessing you could make it work, just not dealer style plug and play with the parts from a box...

 

I was thinking about doing this, or something very similar to my wife's MINI. She has an 06 and I have an 05 with factory HIDs.
ECSTuning has a set of OEM style projector lights that use the H7 bulb, and they have them in a few choices. I like the chrome ring with the interior colored black. From there, Lifetimeled.com has a LED H7 set of bulbs that the light output is a little greater than HIDs.
That way, you may not have to deal with any wiring.
PM me and I can send you links.

 

We have the H7 type bulb projector housings right here: Several different looks and combos.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ight-help.html



Thanks

 

Ok so confused here:

So ECS sells the H7 (Halogen) OEM style projector style housings. You can't put HIDs in those right? This is because how light is focused. Also,
If/when I find a proper housing and I buy an Amazon HID kit (with converters and ballasts) I will still have to get it coded out, is this done only by MINI? Thanks, sorry, I'm the kind of guy that needs checklists and told twice.....

 

If you were to do a conversion with the aftermarket kit H7 bulb in Xenon ( we don't sell those ) it does have the cutoff ( Low beam ) and does focus the light way better then sticking xenon's in a halogen ( standard reflector housing ) . The Standard halogen housing for MINI would not focus the light and it would look like some cars you see with aftermarket xenons that blind everyone coming the other way.

For the older cars ( gen 1 ), don't know about coding for xenon aftermarket kits. Think thats only for Gen 2 + MINIs.

 

i think the only thing with the xenons, is that sometimes they pulse. and all you need to do from what I have read is put a capacitor in the circuit, then your good. if there are still issues, may have to go into NCS expert and turn off the warm and cold weather tests