Midwest Light Creations- HID Headlights and Retrofit Kits (Headlights by Jeff)

Drywaller, you want to bench focus the lamp (adjust it up/down/side within the housing) so that half of the hot spot is below the cutoff line and half is above the cutoff line and the hot spot side-to-side lines up with the step in the cutoff line. Jason and I ended up having to shim one of the lamps a little bit with some aluminum foil because the hot spot's natural resting point was above the cutoff line, making the low beam very dim. We actually adjusted them so that about 2/3 of the hotspot is in the low beam and only 1/3 is in the highbeam, sacrificing some of the high beam illumination for extra low beam illumination.

As for the lamps, I'm considering purchasing some premium lamps to put in there to see what sort of difference that makes. The ones that we got from Jeff has some interesting color shift towards the outsides of the beams, with only the hotspot being 4300K.

drywaller said:

Jeff, is there a better bulb to be had for these housings? Don't get me wrong. These things rock. Id just like to squeeze a little more lumens out of the ballast if possible. (Without goi g to 55 watts of course)

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I just used the DDM slim 55w for the added lighting. Night and day. So far no ill effect. Some where in Internet they said that the 55w slim is really only 38w. Works well though. Just as good as my OEM bug HID.

Veedub, so I'm clear. You are saying that one can also adjust the lamp assembly separate of the actual headlight housing? If so where are the adjusters and can I access them while the housing are mounted in the vehicle?

To answer the question regarding upgrading the bulbs, the best thing that is out there in the H1 format would be the XB35 bulb sold by TRS. Other than that, the only thing to do would be to upgrade to 55W. What Boertje says is likely true regarding the 55W ballasts. Most of them actually run about 45-48. It is one of those industry things that is misleading that nobody wants to correct (kind of like when you go buy a 250gb hard drive and when you plug it is you get 230gb of storage). No doubt that an OEM ballast would run at the stated wattage for sure, but anything aftermarket is going to run lower.

The concern about burning up of the reflector bowl in the projectors when using 55W balllasts is real and it happens, but it is not definite by any means. I find that it is the exception rather than the rule. If you are using a DDM ballast that says 55W you would be alright in most instances as it is likely not running that high.

What Veedub is saying is that one can shim the bulb itself. In other words, place something between the bulb and the plate that it rests on to adjust how far it moves into and out of the projector and how it sits left to right. If you think about the bulb sitting inside the projector, if you were to place a shim on the upper section of the bulb, it would raise that axis and therefore make the bulb tilt up in the projector and move the hot spot. The same can be said for any other part of the bulb. He used aluminum foil it seems. I PM'd him a little while ago and he is going to send me some photos of his light output so that I may look at them to inspect the color shift. There is always going to be some fading as you go to the outer edges of the light output, but with that there is a normal range and an abnormal range. I'll take a look at his and report back what I think of it.


If anyone wants an upgraded pair of bulbs (or ballasts for that matter) included in their order, just ask. The sky is the limit with HID lighting, but so too is the cost. The XB35 bulbs are indeed better, but they also cost $65 per pair so I decided to stay away from them. But if you want them I have no problem with putting them in.

Boertje, veedub and Jeff. Thanks for the replies. All great info. Jeff where can I source the xb35 bulbs and are they in of themselves brighter than what ships with your lights?
The only bulb that will fit your lights is an H1 right?

The Retrofit Source sell them. There are a number of other places that also sell them, but they are all simply vendors for TRS. Yes, the H1 is the only bulb that will fit the Jetta 2.0 lights. The claim is that they are brighter than any other H1 bulb, and that seems to be the consensus according to the reviews. I have personally never used them, but I would think it is safe to conclude that they are better.

Thanks Jeff. Am I alone in thinking that once one starts to mod there is just never really an end to it?
Madness I tell ya.

Movement of the lamp is actually the inverse of the hotspot movement. If you move the lamp up, the hotspot will move down. If you move the lamp left, the hotspot will move right.

There are no adjustment screws or anything for the lamp position, you just have to move the lamp with your hand and it will stay (for the most part) due to the compression fitting or spring that holds it tight. A little bit goes a long way, so don't expect the lamp to move very much.

OK. Thanks for the tips. When I get a bit of extra time I am going to play around with it to see if I can fine tune them.
Thanks again.

I'm just about ready to install my Jetta 1.75 lights. I just got the CCFL inverters today and I got to play with the angel eye:



The plan is:
Verify combo parking light / turn signal operation (US style) Confirmed
TFL wire to current main beam relay, re-directed to run the the angel eyes so they function as the DRLs. TFL Pin doesn't work as I expected. I decided to slave the angel eyes to the front marker lights as they operated on my old headlights
CCFL inverters mounted inside the headlight housings (plenty of room). No problem at all
The included harness will replace my current main beam HID harness & 3000k bulbs in the fogs using my existing Foglight relay setup

I should mention that the 1.75 lights with amber turns function like the NA lights. That is, the amber turns turn on as a DRL marker and flash when the turn signal is activated.

Also, I am now using 55W ballasts on the recommendation of a number of members. The new ballasts are AC ballasts which are more reliable than the DC ones. they are also completely filled with potting epoxy to prevent moisture from getting into the internals.

Lastly, Jetta IV 2.0 lights are now on sale. $230+shipping for base. Some of the options have also been lowered in price. All black option is now $40. Golf IV lights reduced in price as well.

This may seem like a silly question but I have to ask. Are these lights a "mostly" plug-n-play light or is there lots of wire splicing and modifying involved... Thanks

JDSwan87 said:

This may seem like a silly question but I have to ask. Are these lights a "mostly" plug-n-play light or is there lots of wire splicing and modifying involved... Thanks

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Only wiring is to add fogs or activate the angel eyes.

Out of the box you plug everything in, connect a single hot wire and then a ground at each ballast. It's VERY painless wiring.

I tried to over complicate things on my lights

Shawnz said:

TFL wire to current main beam relay, re-directed to run the the angel eyes so they function as the DRLs. TFL Pin doesn't work as I expected. I decided to slave the angel eyes to the front marker lights as they operated on my old headlights
CCFL inverters mounted inside the headlight housings (plenty of room). No problem at all
The included harness will replace my current main beam HID harness & 3000k bulbs in the fogs using my existing Foglight relay setup

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Shawn, when you say marker lights, do you mean turn signals? or orange lights in bumper?

Did your 1.75 lights come with CCFL invertor for angel eyes? or your purchased separate?

I really like your setup. Considering similar for mine.

TDI Convert said:

Shawn, when you say marker lights, do you mean turn signals? or orange lights in bumper?

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The US style the turn signal and front marker is in the same light. This is an improvment over my old FK lights that I took off. The old lights eliminated the front amber marker and replaced them with a near invisible yellow angel eye. These Jetta 1.75 lights are MUCH better:


I used tap slices inside the headlight which I know everyone hates, but they seemed appropriate for this application:

TDI Convert said:

Did your 1.75 lights come with CCFL invertor for angel eyes? or your purchased separate?

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I bought them separate. I got them on ebay for about $11 shipped from a US seller. Be careful to get the correct connector for the angel eyes. I needed the female connector. I couldn't find a single output inverter so I just put shrink wrap over the un-used #2 CCFL lead.

TDI Convert said:

I really like your setup. Considering similar for mine.

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I'm happy with them. The high beam is pretty insane.

I actually have the invertors for angel eyes. In fact, I think I have about 20 sets of them laying around. I normally toss them in the box, but I must have forgotten on your lights! My apologies on that!

Shawn, would you mind posting up a photo of the light output on yours. I don't think I have one posted here but you sent me a good one the other day.

Jeff, this is what I was talking about. I spliced into the indicator light like Shawn did with no luck. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!

freakwithracket said:

Shawn, would you mind posting up a photo of the light output on yours. I don't think I have one posted here but you sent me a good one the other day.

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This is the pic I sent you while aiming / clocking them:


It still needs some fine tuning but it's close. The caveot with this picture is that my driveway slopes to the right but if you look close you can see the slight rise on the passenger side.

hussainm said:

Jeff, this is what I was talking about. I spliced into the indicator light like Shawn did with no luck. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!

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I would play with it off the car. Make sure you can light the CCFL with straight 12v, then wire it to the car. Make sure you get the polarity correct. Black from the inverter to brown (I used the fog light ground) and then the red middle wire is the 'running light'. i don't know if it was necessary, but I put shrink wrap on the unused CCFL connector.

I used 3M doublestick and mounted the inverter inside the light:

Jeff,

For those of us having already installed V2.0 what model are the 55w ballasts you are selling now and can I get them through you? Also do you think there would be a heat issue installing the 55w ballast under the headlight housing on the drivers side?

Hussain, are you using the same tap connectors that shawn is using? If so perhaps you didn't break through insulation and make a connection with the metal wire? I agree with him though, you should try to give the invertor 12V direct to make sure that it is good. You can also try using an electrical tester at the different connection points of the invertor to make sure that you are actually getting voltage there and that your tap points are good.

The ballasts are the same general type (slim) as the old ones. Pretty much all aftermarket ballasts come in one of two forms, the thick and the slim, regardless of the brand that is out there. You can hop on ebay and get a set of ballasts for $9 and they will be junk. You can also go someplace like DDM or hylux that has a good reputation and pay more for a better ballast, yet the outside of the two looks the same. It is inside that counts. Things that strike me as being better: the wiring insulation is better and is more flexable, the interior is fully potted with potting epoxy. The interior of the 35W had a thin layer of what looks to be silicone in there..so the epoxy is much better both in terms of keeping things in place and in keeping out moisture. The ballasts have less of an overshoot on the initial power draw and a faster warm up time (both are better qualities to have). I have seen all sorts of ballasts from every which place. These seem to be exactly like what you would get from DDM in terms of features, and definitely not like what you'd get out of a $10 pair ebay which will likely have no waterproofing at all, will how be potted, will use very cheap wiring, will drastically overshoot on startup, and will warm up to a significantly lower wattage then listed.

The heat issue would not likely be a problem. I would recommend mounting them to the back of the turn signal cover though for easy access. It would also give them more breathing room. If you want to know more about them or want to get a pair from me, feel free to shoot me a PM.

Jeff

I used butt splices and checked my writing after with a multimeter. I will find some time tonight to play with them offline to make sure they work. I'll have to find a 12v source. I think I have an old adapter laying around somewhere. I update when I can.

I just placed an order to two sets. One version 2.0 GLI style for my Jetta - to replace the Depo e-code GLI style 'upgrade' I've been running for a couple of years. The second (1.75s) for a coworker's bone stock 03 wagon. He's polished the lenses a couple of times, but has never been happy with the light output. I should have a good side-by-side comparison shortly! Really looking forward to it!

What kind of option do I have.... Mine,is a 2010 tdi jetta. I've shopped around and nothing is available for my build. How much would it be with angle eyes vs. halogen just want something brighter and different

1dieselsteve said:

What kind of option do I have.... Mine,is a 2010 tdi jetta. I've shopped around and nothing is available for my build. How much would it be with angle eyes vs. halogen just want something brighter and different

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GTI HID headlights, it's only a $1200 upgrade to change it over, direct bolt in...lol

Ouch,,from where? I've seen a set from Esc tuning but cheaper.

I did a set of MK5 just the other week. It ran the customer $435. That included new assemblies, bi-xenon projectors, HID bulbs, 55W ballasts, and shipping. The price would vary slightly on the shipping depending on where you live, but figure within $10 either way of that. If you wanted angel eyes I can do that as well for $75. Definitely better than $1200..

Also, I can do them in chrome or black.

freakwithracket said:

I did a set of MK5 just the other week. It ran the customer $435. That included new assemblies, bi-xenon projectors, HID bulbs, 55W ballasts, and shipping. The price would vary slightly on the shipping depending on where you live, but figure within $10 either way of that. If you wanted angel eyes I can do that as well for $75. Definitely better than $1200..

Also, I can do them in chrome or black.

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Wow... That's a good price. Do I have to remove my headlights and then ship them to you, and another do you have pics what the look like head on. I don't have a euro switch either just the normal one

That price included new assemblies. Now, if you wanted to send me yours you would save a lot of course. you'd have to ship them to me so there would be downtime, but savings would be significant and in the 150+ range depending on the cost to ship. Click the link below for some photos.

Two items of note on the photos. 1. This retrofit that I did was on the customer's lights, hence the lenses are a bit hazed. If you went with the new assemblies they would be totally clear, of course. 2. They have the standard projector shroud around them. There are large number of premium shrouds that can be used that give varying looks to the lights, so there is some customization there as well. For example, there are shrouds that have a larger radius, some are smooth looking, others are more cut and ridged looking. We can talk more about those if you are interested through PM.

The normal switch will work no problems.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4302219&postcount=194

I have a ballast that went out on my right side headlight. Switched over the ballast from the left to right and headlight worked, so know it's not the bulb. Are these ballasts pretty much plug and play?

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/components/ballasts/amp-morimoto-3five-dsp.html#.UxzvELSkTTU