Options for upgraded headlights

[capthook]

Hello all... I would like to upgrade the headlights on my 2004 Jetta TDI to brighter lights... I often drive on remote highways where the risk of hitting wildlife is ever present. and I'm finding the OEM lights are inadequate... What are my options for brighter lights?

 

[oilhammer]

The Ecodes (Bora) assemblies. Much, much better. But the good Hella ones seem to phase in and out of availability lately.

 

[KrashDH]

Hello all... I would like to upgrade the headlights on my 2004 Jetta TDI to brighter lights... I often drive on remote highways where the risk of hitting wildlife is ever present. and I'm finding the OEM lights are inadequate... What are my options for brighter lights?

Look into someone to do a projector retrofit for you. Far superior to anything OEM.

 

[benmarks]

^^ this, or if they're in stock, try VXTuning. I was going to link to Midwest Lighting too, but it looks like they aren't taking orders anymore.

Either way, Xenon HID's are going to give you the best results, and they're basically plug & play.

 

[KrashDH]

^^ this, or if they're in stock, try VXTuning. I was going to link to Midwest Lighting too, but it looks like they aren't taking orders anymore.

Either way, Xenon HID's are going to give you the best results, and they're basically plug & play.

One thing to add to this... Those HIDs need to be behind projectors, not in the halogen housings

 

[TomJD]

I purchased Ecodes from ECS tuning in January. Due to supply chain issues they have not yet arrived, although the price has gone up on their website.

If you can find any, I’d go with those.

 

[yeahkkyle]

I drive at night a lot on back roads and probably the best thing I did was a light upgrade. I got cheap headlights off eBay and retrofitted Morimoto d2s projectors from the retrofit source using a 4x3 pvc bushing. Found a forum where someone did the same thing. Took a little bit of time carefully cutting the reflector out with a dremel and then jb welding them in. Only downside was they hang out the back of the housing and I had to slide my battery over 2”. I’ll try to grab a better pic of the light output and the forum I used if you’re up for a small project.

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Image B5-AF3-F6-E-5-BAD-41-FF-B6-BE-E06-AB371-FBB0 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

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Image D34-F8928-4194-4-D94-ABD3-6-F694-CA78900 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

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Image C4-E94-C82-0465-426-A-AA19-0-E5020-C8-F71-C hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

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ibb.co

 

[yeahkkyle]

You can also retrofit mini H1's in to the housing without cutting the reflector. Here's a link for a cheaper option.
MK4 mini H1 conversion

I will add that the additional extension out the back of my housing due to the d2s retrofit is only the thickness the bulb plug itself, maybe 1-1.5inches. The passenger side required no modifications and fits just fine. The whole process was straight forward with the supplied harness other than getting the PVC bushing in to the correct place. I cut the hole slightly big in the reflector for some wiggle room and installed the lights back in to the car. Then set up a reference piece of cardboard to get the lights adjusted properly, hot glued everything in place and took them back out to final JB weld them in. As the picture shows I blacked them out and sealed the lights back up, put them back in the car and adjusted properly with the normal headlight adjustment screws.

It took me about 2 weekends total with interruptions from the kids but that was the benefit of buying additional cheap ebay housings to not have any car downtime. I haven't had any issues with moisture/leaks as I've seen before from cheap housings but I made sure they were completely sealed in any possible spot.

 

[KrashDH]

You can also retrofit mini H1's in to the housing without cutting the reflector. Here's a link for a cheaper option.
MK4 mini H1 conversion

I will add that the additional extension out the back of my housing due to the d2s retrofit is only the thickness the bulb plug itself, maybe 1-1.5inches. The passenger side required no modifications and fits just fine. The whole process was straight forward with the supplied harness other than getting the PVC bushing in to the correct place. I cut the hole slightly big in the reflector for some wiggle room and installed the lights back in to the car. Then set up a reference piece of cardboard to get the lights adjusted properly, hot glued everything in place and took them back out to final JB weld them in. As the picture shows I blacked them out and sealed the lights back up, put them back in the car and adjusted properly with the normal headlight adjustment screws.

It took me about 2 weekends total with interruptions from the kids but that was the benefit of buying additional cheap ebay housings to not have any car downtime. I haven't had any issues with moisture/leaks as I've seen before from cheap housings but I made sure they were completely sealed in any possible spot.

Where those eBay housings are going to fail you is the lens clear coat. Be prepared to wet sand them all the way down then apply a 2k clearcoat. Or find a glass lens replacement

 

[yeahkkyle]

Where those eBay housings are going to fail you is the lens clear coat. Be prepared to wet sand them all the way down then apply a 2k clearcoat. Or find a glass lens replacement

I use to wetsand/buff head lights every year and even clear coated a set but still would yellow over time. Lately I’ve been just using Jescar Powerlock plus polymer sealant every 6 months and have zero yellowing in the past 2 years.

 

[GP_RZ]

Hello all... I would like to upgrade the headlights on my 2004 Jetta TDI to brighter lights... I often drive on remote highways where the risk of hitting wildlife is ever present. and I'm finding the OEM lights are inadequate... What are my options for brighter lights?

I Just did a mini H1 conversion on some aftermarket ebay housings, I live in a rual part of ontario and need better light for morning commute, stock light on these are absolute crap . I can say I am happy with the results and I am just running LED bulbs. If your capable with a retrofit I would do it!

 

[KrashDH]

I use to wetsand/buff head lights every year and even clear coated a set but still would yellow over time. Lately I’ve been just using Jescar Powerlock plus polymer sealant every 6 months and have zero yellowing in the past 2 years.

2k clear is the only long-term solution. Haven't had one of my retrofits yellow yet, since 2k is the same clearcoat used on vehicles with UV inhibitors. Never have had to maintain or reapply. I don't want to be redoing it every 6 months.

 

[PakProtector]

I built in micro H1 where the fog lights ride on Helix E-code buckets. The 2" ones v the Mori Matchbox 1.8. 35W Mori ballast, and a Motocontrol H4 harness to keep the HID's lit on change-over to high beams.

Douglas