S5 Style Projector headlights

nikhsub1

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
2015 Golf R
I think those are hideous... I went with these and they are awesome. Plug and play and true HID's with 4 projectors, 2 HID projectors and 2 Halogen projectors for the inner lights. They have a really good cutoff and are very bright, way better than the stockers, I would even say they blow my OEM 2008 R32 HID's away. The nice thing is they are plug and play, they only thing you need to do is turn your DRL's off. A euro switch is needed to get the LED's to light up interdependently of the low beams, the LED's are not just on all the time... I highly recommend these.



 

Chris.D.TDI

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Location
Shrewsbury, MA
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SEL with Lighting Package
Those are awesome, but I'd want the LED eyeliners to run as DRL's. I know someone on the vortex suggested rewiring the DRL's to the LED's but I'm not sure if I'd be able to figure it out... Someone also mentioned on 2011 and up the LED's will work as the DRL's??

(I have a 2011 Golf TDI)
 

Chris.D.TDI

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Location
Shrewsbury, MA
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SEL with Lighting Package
Is there any truth to the LED's being able to run as DRL's on 2011+?? Any way to do it without rewiring??
 

CryoTech

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Location
VA
TDI
2011 tdi sportwagen
not that anyone has found. they really arent sufficent to run as DRL on a bright day anyway.

I just use the euro switch and am done.
 

Timpackman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
04 Jetta GLS TDI - 5spd, 2011 JSW 6spd Manual
just use VAGcom to turn off the DRL and these plug and play?
Do you need a Euro switch if you dont mind the LEDs only coming on with the low beams?
 

CryoTech

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Location
VA
TDI
2011 tdi sportwagen
I have no idea why you wouldnt want one. Theyre like $40. Spend the money. Its worth it.

You dont need one though
 

AO928

Active member
Joined
Jun 23, 2011
Location
Michigan
TDI
2011 JSW DSG
I have those lights. They are direct plug and play and the LEDs work just fine as DRL's.

Here are some pics of the install - and yes, you have to remove the front bumper, but it's only like 20 screws. Take about an hour or so for the entire job.









 

GraniteRooster

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2010
Location
Upper Valley NH
TDI
'12 JSW 6MT
AO928 - off topic but your wagen looks great with Detroits on it!! I have been wanting to see one with these wheels and you black car wears them perfectly. Nice job. On topic - nice lights!

Nikhsub1 - do you have a build thread? Your lights and wagen both look great and would love to see some more poser shots of rig with lights, wheels, black roof etc. You've got your JSW very nicely modded - nice job!
 

CryoTech

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2011
Location
VA
TDI
2011 tdi sportwagen
you do NOT have the same lights as us. Those are Spyders and cost about half.

I hope you have better luck with yours than others have reported with them. Im hearing many tales of burnt out led and turn signals, adn water in the lights. Those are also not plug and play HID, nor do the projectors have shutters in them. The inner lights are also reflector and they dont even look like the vortex lights.

Sorry man but you do not have the same lights as us. Yours are Spyders.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=327522 - my wagon with the kit from the vortex seller. Again, not to bash the other guy's lights, but these are WORLDS better. I've never seen a set of aftermarkets with a real shutter. makes a huge difference using hi beam at night.

Save yourself the frustration and money. Use these instead. Hell you can get a set with minor factory chips or flaws on it for like 500-600. Mine are "blems" and you couldnt even notice the blemish.
 
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nikhsub1

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
2015 Golf R
...and yes, you have to remove the front bumper, but it's only like 20 screws.
Actually, you do NOT have to remove the front bumper... http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthre...pped-Cars!&p=73312927&viewfull=1#post73312927
AO928 - off topic but your wagen looks great with Detroits on it!! I have been wanting to see one with these wheels and you black car wears them perfectly. Nice job. On topic - nice lights!

Nikhsub1 - do you have a build thread? Your lights and wagen both look great and would love to see some more poser shots of rig with lights, wheels, black roof etc. You've got your JSW very nicely modded - nice job!
Thanks! It's not much of a build thread but it is what it is... http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=316615
 

ToeBall

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2010 VW Jetta Wagon TDI
I hate to tell you this, but removing the bumper is exactly what you're doing. The only real difference is weather you move it out of the way or struggle to keep it from twisting/falling with leaving one side attached at a time. The total difference in time for one vs the other is less than 1 minute and save a bunch of risk/hassle.
 

nikhsub1

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2010
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
2015 Golf R
I hate to tell you this, but removing the bumper is exactly what you're doing. The only real difference is weather you move it out of the way or struggle to keep it from twisting/falling with leaving one side attached at a time. The total difference in time for one vs the other is less than 1 minute and save a bunch of risk/hassle.
Yes I know, I've done it several times now... what it saves is me having to jack the whole car up to unscrew the 7 or 8 screws under the front lip... I just have to remove the grill, the 2 screws for the bumper behind the grill and whatever side light I need to remove.
 

AO928

Active member
Joined
Jun 23, 2011
Location
Michigan
TDI
2011 JSW DSG
I think it amounts to 6 of one - half a dozen of another. I found it very easy to remove the bumper and re-install.

And sorry if I don't have the exact lights the OP was asking about. They look similar to me. Not sure the differences (i guess shutters are the big difference, but I don't know what those do) but even if my lights are inferior, they are still better than the OE lights which look awful IMHO.
 

ToeBall

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2010
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2010 VW Jetta Wagon TDI
I think it amounts to 6 of one - half a dozen of another. I found it very easy to remove the bumper and re-install.

And sorry if I don't have the exact lights the OP was asking about. They look similar to me. Not sure the differences (i guess shutters are the big difference, but I don't know what those do) but even if my lights are inferior, they are still better than the OE lights which look awful IMHO.
I think it's more an issue of reflector quality and beam control. You won't find anything in the aftermarket that will outperform the OEM's in either of those categories. I don't know about better looking either. Those headlights just look too busy and don't flow as well with the rest of the car. Besides, I think the OEM HID's look pretty good, personally.

 

Chris.D.TDI

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Location
Shrewsbury, MA
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SEL with Lighting Package
ToeBall,

Can you PM me where you found the OEM lights, and about how much if you don't mind? I've seen them in a few spots but from what I can tell they are housings only. I have the stock halogens..

Thanks!
 

houston88

Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Location
Wylie, TX
TDI
2011 Golf 4DR TDI
Since a few weeks after I bought my 2011 Golf TDI, I've been thinking of getting some aftermarket headlights, since mine just came with the halogens. The MK4s and 5s have some really neat ones out there. Not a huge fan of the Spyder one's, but the plug and done is appealing. The OEM ones are great, but seems to be too much of a pain to retrofit. These OEM-like ones mentioned earlier look sweet, but no DRL... Oh well... figure in a year or so there will be more options. Check out these one off custom projectors I came across on a korean website, they look SICK! I'm partial to the BMW "Angel Eye" effect.


I think the Angel Eye/Halo effect would look sweet on a VW!
 

wutbürger

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Location
St. Louis, MO
TDI
2011 CW Golf 4dr 6mt
Since a few weeks after I bought my 2011 Golf TDI, I've been thinking of getting some aftermarket headlights, since mine just came with the halogens. The MK4s and 5s have some really neat ones out there. Not a huge fan of the Spyder one's, but the plug and done is appealing. The OEM ones are great, but seems to be too much of a pain to retrofit. These OEM-like ones mentioned earlier look sweet, but no DRL... Oh well... figure in a year or so there will be more options. Check out these one off custom projectors I came across on a korean website, they look SICK! I'm partial to the BMW "Angel Eye" effect.


I think the Angel Eye/Halo effect would look sweet on a VW!
It's unreal to me how much better executed those Korean examples are compared to even the stock HID's with LED's as seen on the 2012+. I have no idea how good they work, what type of beam they throw, etc. but from an asthetic standpoint I would buy those in a heartbeat before I would 2012+ OEM or replicas
 
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