Ecodes or HID or other options?

Hi all. Just was reading a few other threads on headlights. What are a good option for good night driving on Highway etc?? I have cheap knockoff ecodes, they were great brand new and still are decent, but was wondering if HID or projector lights or something else is a better option. Are projectors better / brighter than ecodes? I really liked the ecode beam pattern and found them to be quite an improvement from the originals.

I don't know much about what the different types of headlights hid or xenon and what all that even means so any info is appreciated! Are there ecode projector lights?

Are there any light options for the mk4 Jetta that have high and low beams complete separate bulb?

Also what's a good option for avoiding the lense fogging over? Like I hear stuff about glass lenses, but are they susceptible to cracking from rocks etc?

Of course the glass ones are subject to breakage. There is enormous info on this site regarding your questions. The problem is, the search function here was written in 1993. Use bing or google to search for whatever, and include tdiclub with your search terms.

Here's an interesting vendor's site with a lot of options, and some depth of info:
www.midwestlight.biz
I'm looking forward to an upgrade myself, and going for bi-xenon HID's under glass.
Waiting for a few more paychecks!
The trick to preventing hazing on plastic headlights seems to be keeping them very clean and actually polished thereafter with some kind of hydrophobic polish with UV protection. Some ppl use actual clear coat for paint.

Xenon bulbs are HIDs. Never ever ever ever ever put xenon or LED bulbs in a standard housing unless you want to o blind everyone else on the road.

There's no such thing as an e code HID. The e code is the layout of the light cutoff. E codes are a great upgrade form stock, me personally I'm going to HIDs. I ordered a set from Midwest Lighting, they showed up Friday. I'll most likely be installing them tomorrow, and I'll upload photos as I go.

As for plastic lense fogging up, there's this UV protectant called 303 aerospace. One application every three months keeps them from yellowing out. I almost went with the glass upgrade, but was worried about breaking. Plastic can be sanded and polished up. Glass you have to replace.

There are halogen lights with projector low, and reflector high. The one bit I would like to see is a way to keep the low's on when the high's are engaged( like the Golf and its two bulb system; not lighting both in something like an H4).
cheers,
Douglas

I don't think that's a wise idea for a dual filimant bulb, it would output too much heat and can melt the housing. Seen it too many times on higher wattage dual filament brake lights.

Nero Morg said:

I don't think that's a wise idea for a dual filimant bulb, it would output too much heat and can melt the housing. Seen it too many times on higher wattage dual filament brake lights.

Click to expand...

Am not suggesting running both of a single bulb filaments. Examine these:
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-spyder-...ctor-headlight-set-chrome/5012265-space-~spy/

Low beam projector, reflector high. As delivered they light one or the other. Would like to deliver Golf-like lighting; turning on both the projector and reflector at the same time.

Ideas?
cheers,
Douglas

PakProtector said:

Am not suggesting running both of a single bulb filaments. Examine these:
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-spyder-...ctor-headlight-set-chrome/5012265-space-~spy/

Low beam projector, reflector high. As delivered they light one or the other. Would like to deliver Golf-like lighting; turning on both the projector and reflector at the same time.

Ideas?
cheers,
Douglas

Click to expand...

The Yellow/Green wire from the dimmer stalk switch Pin T12-8 needs to move to the headlight switch Pin T17-7. That's all it takes to make a Jetta act like a Golf.

Those are pretty neat headlamps. I didn't shop around much when I got my HID's, but I sure am happy with them!

STDOUBT said:

Of course the glass ones are subject to breakage. There is enormous info on this site regarding your questions. The problem is, the search function here was written in 1993. Use bing or google to search for whatever, and include tdiclub with your search terms.

Here's an interesting vendor's site with a lot of options, and some depth of info:
www.midwestlight.biz
I'm looking forward to an upgrade myself, and going for bi-xenon HID's under glass.
Waiting for a few more paychecks!
The trick to preventing hazing on plastic headlights seems to be keeping them very clean and actually polished thereafter with some kind of hydrophobic polish with UV protection. Some ppl use actual clear coat for paint.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks for this! But i couldn't make the link work ??

PakProtector said:

There are halogen lights with projector low, and reflector high. The one bit I would like to see is a way to keep the low's on when the high's are engaged( like the Golf and its two bulb system; not lighting both in something like an H4).
cheers,
Douglas

Click to expand...

What do you mean by projector low and reflector high?? Is that HID low and halogen high??

Nero Morg said:

Xenon bulbs are HIDs. Never ever ever ever ever put xenon or LED bulbs in a standard housing unless you want to o blind everyone else on the road.
There's no such thing as an e code HID. The e code is the layout of the light cutoff. E codes are a great upgrade form stock, me personally I'm going to HIDs. I ordered a set from Midwest Lighting, they showed up Friday. I'll most likely be installing them tomorrow, and I'll upload photos as I go.
As for plastic lense fogging up, there's this UV protectant called 303 aerospace. One application every three months keeps them from yellowing out. I almost went with the glass upgrade, but was worried about breaking. Plastic can be sanded and polished up. Glass you have to replace.

Click to expand...

Thanks Nero, where do you get the aerospace product?? Have you had ecodes before?? I really like the light cutoff pattern. How do they compare to your HID?? Post back after you install!!!

I bought the Aerospace at Napa auto parts. Not something they carried normally, but they were able to get it from their distribution center. I had used one of those 3M headlight restore kits on my wife's B5 headlights, turned them out to like new. That was a year ago and zero fogging out since then.

Alchemist said:

The Yellow/Green wire from the dimmer stalk switch Pin T12-8 needs to move to the headlight switch Pin T17-7. That's all it takes to make a Jetta act like a Golf.

Click to expand...

So this is done by de-pinning the stalk, fishing the wire free to then stick it in the headlight's connector?

I thank you for the note, but for my limited experience with this sort of thing, a pic or seven would be of much help.
cheers,
Douglas

Do you have a mk4 golf or jetta/bora? The euro golf ones are glass, the bora ones from plastic. With the glass ones we recommend the oem hella, bosch , valeo e-code versions. Combined with some 65w osram bulbs it will outperform any xenon/hid system

PakProtector said:

So this is done by de-pinning the stalk, fishing the wire free to then stick it in the headlight's connector?

I thank you for the note, but for my limited experience with this sort of thing, a pic or seven would be of much help.
cheers,
Douglas

Click to expand...

this may help.....too bad the pictures are no more......


https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthr...on-aka-Jumpering-the-High-Beams-with-OEM-HIDs

maxmoo said:

this may help.....too bad the pictures are no more......


https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthr...on-aka-Jumpering-the-High-Beams-with-OEM-HIDs

Click to expand...

Woooo-Woooo! That is just what I needed to see. There are some pics, especially for the ones showing a simpler alternative to getting the wheel off to access the wire-to-be-cut...

cheers,
Douglas

Nero Morg said:

I bought the Aerospace at Napa auto parts. Not something they carried normally, but they were able to get it from their distribution center. I had used one of those 3M headlight restore kits on my wife's B5 headlights, turned them out to like new. That was a year ago and zero fogging out since then.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks!!

Frans said:

Do you have a mk4 golf or jetta/bora? The euro golf ones are glass, the bora ones from plastic. With the glass ones we recommend the oem hella, bosch , valeo e-code versions. Combined with some 65w osram bulbs it will outperform any xenon/hid system

Click to expand...

I have a MK4 Jetta. So do you recommend plastic or glass for my car??

It's what you would like. I know people have put clear milar on their headlamps to help prevent the glass from breaking.

Ok cool. Ya we'll see what happens here. I'm going to keep researching and maybe plan to have decision made in a month or so and get the lights and parts for March or so when it warms up a bit and i can get in my garage again......

Was it hard to incorporate the fog light?? I have the euro switch for both front and rear fog but never utilized it in my current ecodes....

I haven't wired it in yet. I'm not going to use the kit from ECS, I pulled a socket and relay from a GLX at the wrecker, when I wire it in I'll let you know. Looks pretty simple.

Ok keep me posted!

Biggest problem I have is I don't have any spare body plugs in which I cna run the wire through, and don't know where I can drill through the firewall to run the wire. While I'm in there drilling I'd like to run a vac line for a gauge as well. Any ideas on a good place to route them?

I ran my boost tube through an existing wire harness grommet on the drivers side.
Poked a hole with an ice pick and the tube was a snug fit.
Should be enough room for your needs.

You talking about the one that comes out kind of above the brake booster? I already used that one for my ESP retrofit. Not enough room for any more wires there.

I am looking for a bit more of a plug-n-play option, and see several low beam, halogen projector options with reflector highs. Stuff like this( two Spyder, and one from Helix/Depo ):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Spyder-Aut...Halo-Fits-99-05-Volkswagen-Jetta/162244439986
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Spyder-Aut...o-Projector-Black-Headlights-Set/262816293936
https://www.ebay.com/itm/99-05-VW-J...-PROJECTOR-HEADLIGHTS-H7-HOUSING/192794491205

I like the wiring on the Helix ones better, and they don't come with the warning to apply more silicone to keep them dry inside. Any experience with either of these? I like that all of them have the separate high and low so that with the 'Golf' mod I can keep the lows lit while the highs are lit.
cheers,
Douglas

Ultimately, getting a pair of the bi-halogen H9 projectors from Hella per side would be pretty much adequate... some cutting required.

I'm not familiar with those, but I can testify that mine were plug n play. I think I spent more time taking the bumper off than actually putting the headlamps in.

Alright, been researching retrofit of the Bi-Xenon HID's. With a set of jetta headlights I have been measuring. The projectors I wanted to fit, probably won't. The Morimoto Mini D2s 5.0. Have not read a poor review, or seen a bad output picture anywhere...LOL. So...whilst looking at some Retrofit Source vids, they brought out the Matchbox, a very small one and said it is OK for headlights, but the bigger ones are better. Best for for fog lights they said. Its beam pattern was far from poor though.

So, with the lights that rested in a warm oven for 10 mins opened up and the basket removed( pry off the two adjuster balls, and slide the lower one upwards ) I measured the empty fog light socket.

I do believe the Matchbox's will fit there. The Retrofit Source is quite brilliant for posting dimensioned drawings of the projectors they sell. There are three pedestals in-plane( vertical ) and it looks like a wee plate to them, and bolt the Matchbox 2.0's to it. Probably going to cut the pedestals down a bit to get the projector lens right out to the edge. Shimming will be available to true things up should that eventuality come to pass...aiming may indeed have to get done this way, but the install will be *CLEAN*.

Am going to drop the Franklin on a pair and see where this takes me. Will still have the halogen.

In order to keep the relay harness simple, do the Golf mod to the low beam circuit and then do away with one of the halogen filaments at the plug. I will make a build thread...
cheers,
Douglas

I'd be interested in seeing that, a buddy of mine wants a golf, I'll be sure to show him it.