VincenzaV
Veteran Member
Well, it took me three days to do it, but it is now done. This is my second (and hopefully last) retrofit. The prior vehicle (Jeep Cherokee with rectangular 4x6 lights) was a chore too, using Nissan Maxima Bi-Xenon stock projectors.
I didn't realize how SMALL the inside of our MK4 lights are... I figured the Morimoto H1 "mini" 7.0 was going to be a simple plug and play type pot retro. I was wrong. They are long and require just as much work as fitting "full size" projectors. Meaning you can't just remove the lenses, insert the threaded body in the housing, level and tighten the nut on back, and bake the lens back on. That does not work on our cars. Maybe the earlier version would, it IS shorter.
Since I didn't plan on doing a hack job on the housing, I was at a loss on what I should do to take up the gap and stabilize the housing. I went to Lowe's and bought a various swag bag of parts that might work. PVC end caps, Plastic discs, JB weld stick and putty, and found I didn't want to use the PVC, it was too big. The plastic disc I had was too flexible. I was frustrated beyond belief. In a moment of utter desperation, I looked in my kitsch and found a plastic cooking spoon. I placed it on the back and laughed when it fit the housing better than anything else I had, and was a hard stable plastic.
I ended up going to the store and found the rice stainer spoon fit even better. Almost perfect. It also had holes to allow the JB Weld to seep through, giving it as better bite. It wasn't my first choice, but one I went with when I decided I had to get this job done because I was mentally tapped.
The TRS Halo's are so bright, freaking crazy bright, you can ALMOST drive with them at night. Best $60 spent of the retrofit... I wired them up to the wiper circuit with an "add a fuse" and a switch. That way I can turn them off/on and if I leave them on, which I will, when I pull the key out they shut off. They work JUST LIKE your DRL's now. I disabled the 173 relay for the DRL because my headlight switch would not come out. So pulling the fuse and clipping the coil wire was the second easiest thing to do.
The alignment isn't perfect, my fault. But completely livable. I may fix it but had to bring the wagon to the VW dealer last Monday morning for their amazing rust warranty work so I was pressed for time. (my 2004 172K mile Wagon is getting new front fenders, Rear hatch, DS door, and rocker panel work...All FREE).
I used HUGE shrouds and big projectors. Looks great from the outside and I love the output. I also added clear turn signals and used new Depo lights (Never buy them...poor quality control). Went through two sets with Amazon. Would have sent back the current set but just decided to accept it for what it is.
I was able to keep the factory light housing cover on the back, jut drilled a hole for wires, and used the TRS (the retrofit source ) grommet. The DS radiator support headlight cover (between the battery cover and headlight) had to go. I might be able to make it work, but it is tight.
Here's the pics:
Wiring I used to do the LED DRL's. It's on a on/off switch, but even on the "on" position, shuts off with the key is not in the "on" position. Works just like the factory DRL, accept I can shut them on/off at will!
The bad: They were so big, here are the ghetto mods for the back to get the "mini" H1 to fit.... Oh we'll. It works. I was on a timeline where I HAD to get the car to the dealer on Monday for the rust warranty.
Tried this plastic plug from Home Depot, buyt way too flexible for the back. It's the white disc. The rice spoon was stable hard plastic with holes for the JB weld. It's funny and ghetto but works. The concave shape fits this headlight bucket really well.
Big peg...small hole...
This is the bit (Rotozip I believe?) I used on the rotary tool. You will have to trim the center hole out more than the pic. I just don't have a pic of it apparently.
Before I finished, I SWORE I would NEVER do it again. Each car is different. I bought the Mini H1's thinking it would "just screw in to the bulb hole" like they said. Well, maybe on 80% of the cars out there, but not ours. The new 7.0 Mini's I have are longer than the previous generation. Because of that, on this car-you may want to consider using the prior shorter projectors. I was able to keep the battery cover on, but not the black DS light aesthetic cover that faces the battery cover. I am NOT talking about the cover that is ACTUALLY ON the headlight. I was able to retain that with a small hole in it and a grommet for the Ballast wires. I was happy about that.
I didn't realize how SMALL the inside of our MK4 lights are... I figured the Morimoto H1 "mini" 7.0 was going to be a simple plug and play type pot retro. I was wrong. They are long and require just as much work as fitting "full size" projectors. Meaning you can't just remove the lenses, insert the threaded body in the housing, level and tighten the nut on back, and bake the lens back on. That does not work on our cars. Maybe the earlier version would, it IS shorter.
Since I didn't plan on doing a hack job on the housing, I was at a loss on what I should do to take up the gap and stabilize the housing. I went to Lowe's and bought a various swag bag of parts that might work. PVC end caps, Plastic discs, JB weld stick and putty, and found I didn't want to use the PVC, it was too big. The plastic disc I had was too flexible. I was frustrated beyond belief. In a moment of utter desperation, I looked in my kitsch and found a plastic cooking spoon. I placed it on the back and laughed when it fit the housing better than anything else I had, and was a hard stable plastic.
I ended up going to the store and found the rice stainer spoon fit even better. Almost perfect. It also had holes to allow the JB Weld to seep through, giving it as better bite. It wasn't my first choice, but one I went with when I decided I had to get this job done because I was mentally tapped.
The TRS Halo's are so bright, freaking crazy bright, you can ALMOST drive with them at night. Best $60 spent of the retrofit... I wired them up to the wiper circuit with an "add a fuse" and a switch. That way I can turn them off/on and if I leave them on, which I will, when I pull the key out they shut off. They work JUST LIKE your DRL's now. I disabled the 173 relay for the DRL because my headlight switch would not come out. So pulling the fuse and clipping the coil wire was the second easiest thing to do.
The alignment isn't perfect, my fault. But completely livable. I may fix it but had to bring the wagon to the VW dealer last Monday morning for their amazing rust warranty work so I was pressed for time. (my 2004 172K mile Wagon is getting new front fenders, Rear hatch, DS door, and rocker panel work...All FREE).
I used HUGE shrouds and big projectors. Looks great from the outside and I love the output. I also added clear turn signals and used new Depo lights (Never buy them...poor quality control). Went through two sets with Amazon. Would have sent back the current set but just decided to accept it for what it is.
I was able to keep the factory light housing cover on the back, jut drilled a hole for wires, and used the TRS (the retrofit source ) grommet. The DS radiator support headlight cover (between the battery cover and headlight) had to go. I might be able to make it work, but it is tight.
Here's the pics:
Wiring I used to do the LED DRL's. It's on a on/off switch, but even on the "on" position, shuts off with the key is not in the "on" position. Works just like the factory DRL, accept I can shut them on/off at will!
The bad: They were so big, here are the ghetto mods for the back to get the "mini" H1 to fit.... Oh we'll. It works. I was on a timeline where I HAD to get the car to the dealer on Monday for the rust warranty.
Tried this plastic plug from Home Depot, buyt way too flexible for the back. It's the white disc. The rice spoon was stable hard plastic with holes for the JB weld. It's funny and ghetto but works. The concave shape fits this headlight bucket really well.
Big peg...small hole...
This is the bit (Rotozip I believe?) I used on the rotary tool. You will have to trim the center hole out more than the pic. I just don't have a pic of it apparently.
Before I finished, I SWORE I would NEVER do it again. Each car is different. I bought the Mini H1's thinking it would "just screw in to the bulb hole" like they said. Well, maybe on 80% of the cars out there, but not ours. The new 7.0 Mini's I have are longer than the previous generation. Because of that, on this car-you may want to consider using the prior shorter projectors. I was able to keep the battery cover on, but not the black DS light aesthetic cover that faces the battery cover. I am NOT talking about the cover that is ACTUALLY ON the headlight. I was able to retain that with a small hole in it and a grommet for the Ballast wires. I was happy about that.
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