re: poor headlights in 200's

[Steinbru@VNET.IBM.COM]

Hope this helps.  At least it's a cheap alternative while you price those
European replacements.  (Dave Head had posted about getting the reflectors
replated, check the archives.)
--Gary

('86's:5ks&5ktq+'87CGT)
--REFERENCE--------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 13:45:10 =0400 (EDT)
From: C1J1Miller@aol.com

Question for the list:  Who has replaced or upgraded their headlights on
their 200?  The US version has the integrated city lights on the inside, and
are pretty bad on low beam (although my highbeams seem pretty good to me...).
 At the Mt. Washington hillclimb, someone with a 200 parked next to mine had
recently bought new Hella units.  Comparing the old to the new in daylight
showed how much my reflector had tarnished, as his were shiny and mine
weren't.  I believe he spent around $200 per side for the new Hellas.  From
what I've heard, the Euro lights are much better, and allow aiming from
inside... but at around $800 they are pretty pricey.  I remember someone
commenting on replacing the lights with those from a BMW (3=series?).  Anyone
BTDT?  I'd love to find an inexpensive improvement...

Chris Miller, Windham NH, '91 200q with 77k miles, c1j1miller@aol.com

--REFERENCE--------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2 March 1997, 12:16:40 EST
From: Steinbru@vnet.ibm.com
Subject: 9004->9007 conversion notes

Last night I converted the headlights in my 1986 5k to the 9007 lamps.
Thanks to Ernest Wong and Mike Spiers and Al Powell for the conversion
information.  No wires are cut, and only the new bulbs are modified, I
wanted to be able to return to stock with miminal fuss.

I take freely from Al's "Brief procedure", and add a couple of notes:

1)  The lamp connectors and pin locations are identical, so the stock
    9004 connectors can be retained.
2)  Two wires must be switched: looking into the rear of the socket,
    the left lead and center lead must be switched.  On the '86 5ktq,
    yellow is originally ˆthe center, and brown is the left.  (**This
    is different from Ernest's initial post, which specified left and
    right, I think - the correction was supplied by Mike, and the
    clarification by me**)
3)  Where Al cut the wires used and bullet connectors to make the
    connections, I simply removed the rubber plug from the back of
    the connector to get at the wiring.  Pry out the 1/4" thick
    rubber plug used to weather-proof the headlight connector (don't
    tear it).  The connector contacts themselves can be withdrawn
    from the connector body by using a small pin (or an unbent
    paperclip) to slightly depress the tooth that holds them in from
    the front of the connector while pulling the wire out the back.
    Remove only the yellow and brown.  (On my 5ktq, the drivers side
    were striped, the right side were solid.)
    Pull the yellow and brown contacts out of the rubber.  Switch
    them and re-insert thru the rubber plug and slip them back into
    the connector body.  Make sure that the free end of the "tooth"
    is slightly above it's fixed end so that the contact is retained
    in the connector body (it will "snap" slightly when fully
    seated).  --this is the quickest and easiest conversion, and if
    you ever want to put 9004 lamps back in, you can simply reverse
    them to original condition.
    (Hey, do it the really REALLY easy way!!)
4)  Two grooves must be cut in the base of the 9007 lamps; a Moto-tool
    with a Dremel #194 tip is ideal, but I found that an 1/8"
    straight router bit in a power drill worked too.  Cut them at the
    same depth as the factory one; both location and groove depth are
    important.  Visual examination of the existing 9004 lamps shows
    where new grooves are needed.  (Actually, the top groove
    matched.)  For the geometrically challenged --like me, rub the
    three projections (actually just the bottom two) on the inside of
    the headlight housing with #2 pencil lead and press the bulb into
    place and wiggle it slightly.  This left clear marks on the 9007
    base (mine were light grey plastic) where the grooves need to be
    cut.  You can draw guide lines on the 9007 lamp, or freehand
    works, just go slow and keep them straight.

Adapted from Al Powell's post of 22 Mar 1996 06:41:41 CDT
on "200 Lights 9004->9007"

My thanks to the list for continued help in our quest for
better night vision!  --Gary  ('86's: 5ks&5ktq)