ULTIMATE HEADLIGHT Thread!!! Xenon/Halogen Comparison PICS (56K-NO_

[CateraMV6]

This will serve as a guide for anyone who has any questions about the Catera Headlights...



What are the most common surfaces of curved lenses:?

# clear - Gives the best down the road illumination - typically found in ECE units.

# ribbed (fresnel like) - gives less down the road illumination, bleeds slightly more light above cutoff and generally spreads light sligtly better. Typically found in DOT units

# soft - same effect as above, but will reflect some light back into reflector which means less efficiency. Found on Acura Integra (DOT unit).


This does not mean that one of the surface designs neccesarily are better than the other. A projector unit is designed as a complete unit and total quality and level of output depends on many other factors. The observations above are more interesting as a comparison if you want to tweak a projector unit.

What creates the colorful cutoff band?

It is the edge of the cutoff shield that creates the colors in the cutoff band, not the bulb. It does not matter if bulb is 3500K or 7000K, halogen or HID. The curved lens only amplifies the colors. In standard configurations, most projector units has a yellow/orange cutoff when distance to screen (=wall) is close. At longer distances, the blue color band gets appearant and sometimes even deeper in color. This would be the view that most people whatch when meeting cars with OEM HID.
The colorful cutoff band is probably what started the demand for blue bulbs in late 1990's.

Why does moving the cutoff shield change cutoff band color?

It all has to do with making the right color hit both the 60% peak and as much angle on the curved lens as possible. The further away from the center of the curved lens the beam hits, the more will the cutoff band be enlarged.
How can the blue color in the cutoff band be increased?

Moving the cutoff shield closer to the reflector will accomplish this task. This is done by pressing the shield with a finger towards the reflector. Note that cutoff will be even sharper. Moving curved lens away from shield has same effect, but will decrease output hight and width.
Can the color of the projected beam below cutoff band be altered by the cutoff shield modification?

No.
How do I optimize bulb or shield placement in a projector?

This is mostly applicable to halogen projector units upgraded with HID bulb. The idea here is to make 30-50% of hotspot rise below cutoff line. Pictured beam would be a typical E-code or harmonized pattern. The dotted circle represent the hotspot. Both bulb and vertical shield hight will affect outcome. Moving bulb or shield too much away from default position will have other negative beam consquences.
To be able to see the circle better, use one or two pairs of sunglasses. This will increase contrast between hostpot and surrounding light.





#
What path does light rays take from reflector to the road?

# foreground (2-25meters) passes high above shield edge from upper part of reflector
# down-the-road (25-90m) passes right above the shield edge from area closest to bulb
# Bi-Xenon high beam (90m and upwards) passes right above and right below shield edge from area closest to the bulb


These are photos of the actual lights European vs US...



















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[CateraMV6]

[ARMY_MP_From_MO]

I just bought projectors off of Ebay. I'm hopeful that it'll be ok.

[Admin]

What are you going to do with the old lights...

I say if you dare take them appart try to do a projector swap... it will be fairly simple.

2 HID projectors off some newer model car... then some bulbs ballast, and some time on your side, I have done 2pairs so far, and about to do 2 more... working with RX projectors, will post pics as the progress continues..

[ARMY_MP_From_MO]

I broke the passenger side changing the bulb. What a frickin nightmare! lol

[Admin]

Aww yeah the adjuster pieces brake on those like no other...
Easy fix but you will have to crack them open and re-glue the bits together.

[Admin]

Here is my second project...

AFS projectors in a set of OEM Halogen housings...

Hre is the work so far...

RX330 Projectors...

[Matera97]

So the non projector housing will fit a projector with no modification to housing? I also noticed that your lights don't have the internal leveling bubble..

[Admin]

Yep... the projector ones will fit... the back pieces are the same the only difference is the carrier for the low/high beam and the front lens... the rest are identical.

Also the lights do not have that leveling buble... I guess you do it the old fashion way on a wall from 30ft away...

The RX projectors are a pain in the rear to fit but once they do it looks like a factory job...

Notice the projector is held by only 2 points... but its enough to keep it in check...

More on that later...