[s-cars] HID headlight install finished...sort of

[Michael Bess]

Well the bargain GP HID conversion is now in my '95 S6 with the Euro
headlight (H1) set-up.  Some comments for those of you still waiting to do
this.  

 

1.	I followed Lino Valadas' basic procedure (ballast external,
stabilizer epoxied to the inside of the headlamp cover).
2.	I needed to cut off the +12V connector to put on one that mated with
the existing H1 headlight connector.  No big deal, but realize that the ones
that are supplied are larger than the H1 bulb connector itself.  
3.	I needed to pick up a ground inside the headlamp shell since the
existing H1 set-up has a crimped wire ground connector on the bulb socket
which leads to the receptacle for the plug on the wiring harness.  An 18
gauge tap splice allows for this to be done painlessly (available at Home
Depot, as is the +12V connector; these are Buchanan insulated male and
female connectors).
4.	The H1 HID conversion capsule is pretty tall and required me to pull
the driver's side headlight assembly out to get the HID capsule in.  The
passenger side had enough room behind it to not require removing the
assembly.
5.	The driver's side ballast mounts "neatly" with the double sided tape
to the windshield washer reservoir.  The passenger side was problematic for
me.  I simply used a cable tie through the hole in the cross member near the
air intake and hood release to hold it in place next to the headlamp
assembly.  Any other ideas?
6.	The wiring and stabilizer fit inside the assembly nicely and the
system fired up perfectly.

 

Now, the rub.  When I pulled the headlight assembly out I noticed that the
plastic bevel gear connected to the "left-right"  adjuster  (as opposed to
the "up-down" adjuster) was non-existent and the shaft going into the
assembly was flopping around.    That in turn allows the reflector to float
around.  This problem was also noted on the passenger side assembly also.
The questions:  a.  any BTDT on this problem, b.  how big a problem is this,
c.  can the bevel gear be found somewhere (or pulled off a scrap headlight
assembly and re-installed).  No need to blind oncoming drivers due to badly
aimed headlights.  I suppose I could do a seat of the pants aim and
tape/glue the adjusting shaft in place to hold things together.    

 

lMike  Bess