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      06-28-2014, 01:08 PM   #1
pungo
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Angel Eye LED ring experiment without cutting open the headlights

I installed a set of LED rings as an experiment on a damaged 2007 factory Xenon headlight from a wrecked car. The lights were not cut open in any way to install the rings. The LED rings are behind the factory angel eye rings. They'd probably be a little brighter without the OEM rings, but you can't tell there are LED rings in the headlights by looking from the outside. These LEDs are white when turned off, not yellow as many I've seen so the headlight appears totally stock when off.

They're fairly bright, though not quite as bright as the new BMWs. I'm no camera expert, they're somewhat brighter in person then the camera shows. They're hard on the eyes if you stare at them. The pictures I took in the basement tuned out as just a blob of light and you couldn't make out the rings so I didn't bother posting them. If someone knows what setting to set my digital camera to for better shots, please let me know as I've never been able to shoot good light shots when it's dark out.

Overall I pretty happy with the results. I want to let them burn in for a while to test the reliability before I do the mod on the headlights in my car.


These shots are in the shade on a full sun clear sky day around high noon.

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These shots are in direct sunlight with the headlights facing south on a full sun clear sky day around high noon.

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      06-28-2014, 01:31 PM   #2
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DOPE! Really, really good looking. I'm sure the entire board will be interested in this if reliable/no CEL

Well done!
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      06-28-2014, 03:05 PM   #3
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Nicely done, really want to hear more details on this. All I can imagine is that the rings were flexible enough for you to insert them through the rear opening where the halogen bulb holder mounts?
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      06-28-2014, 03:51 PM   #4
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i wonder about the lifespan of the inner ring due to full heat from the xenon bulb...

subscribed for sure!
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      06-28-2014, 06:30 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v3.2mc
i wonder about the lifespan of the inner ring due to full heat from the xenon bulb...

subscribed for sure!
Xenons burn cooler than halogen.
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      06-28-2014, 06:33 PM   #6
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Very creative solution.
Great alternative to opening things up.

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      06-28-2014, 08:30 PM   #7
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Brilliant work. Please go into further detail on this.
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      06-28-2014, 09:05 PM   #8
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What do the LED rings look like? What size and where did you buy them? That is pretty creative to install them from the inside!
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      06-28-2014, 09:35 PM   #9
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Finally!!! More details!!!
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      06-29-2014, 02:48 AM   #10
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yay, looks great
more info pls ;-D
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      06-29-2014, 03:00 AM   #11
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Subbed as well. This would be a really great mod for any of our Zs. Looking forward to additional information.
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      06-29-2014, 09:31 AM   #12
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I believe you are, at this point, obligated to provide a DIY kit via a Group Buy ;-)
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      06-29-2014, 12:00 PM   #13
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Interested in what rings were used. I've been trying to find the right sized ones and all I can find are CCFL. I believe Mazda 3 ones would fit though. Just haven't dug into this project yet but it's on my list. In for more info.
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      06-29-2014, 10:03 PM   #14
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I want to let these burn-in for a while on the bench before I commit to modding the headlights in my car. I have them set up on a timer so they cycle on and off to exercise the hot cold cycles. I'd hate to have some of the individual LEDs fail after the install and have dead spots like I've seen on many other installs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by v3.2mc View Post
i wonder about the lifespan of the inner ring due to full heat from the xenon bulb...
I could always wire a relay that would turn the one for the Xenon off when the headlights are on, though I don't think the heat will be an issue.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bjbstewart View Post
I believe you are, at this point, obligated to provide a DIY kit via a Group Buy ;-)
I still have a little work left to complete and finalize the design. Unfortunately it's not a trivial install and did require some custom work on the internals to get the rings to fit properly. I think it could be set up as a service where the headlights are sent in for the required modifications and sent back ready to use. The good thing is that the required modifications will allow the headlights to be easily converted back to stock if needed, so no harm done.
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      06-30-2014, 07:22 AM   #15
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I said "inner" up there ^.... I meant outer.

also, i'm assuming these will run off the DRL power source...?
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      06-30-2014, 07:30 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v3.2mc View Post
I said "inner" up there ^.... I meant outer.

also, i'm assuming these will run off the DRL power source...?
Yes, I assumed you meant the outer where the Xenon light is. I don't think the heat will be an issue, but time will tell. The rings have some thermal heat sinking built into them.

Yes, the rings will be powered off the DRL power source. The stock 10w Halogen bulb uses ~.8 amps where a pair of LED rings uses ~.4 amps so it might trigger a bulb out error. Simply adding a resistor or just code the LSZ to not check the bulb would eliminate the error,

Last edited by pungo; 07-02-2014 at 05:56 PM..
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      07-01-2014, 03:27 PM   #17
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Very interested to see what comes of this...
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      08-07-2014, 10:24 AM   #18
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Any news here ?
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      08-07-2014, 11:58 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tikamak View Post
Any news here ?
From another thread, here's what I got with Cree XBD x10 bulbs I bought from China: http://www.zeleznik-klein.com/z4/fixit/drl/index.html. I'm very happy with the results, but still waiting to see what pungo comes up with.

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      08-07-2014, 12:01 PM   #20
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Great solution would love to hear more and how did you disable the stock angel eye?
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      08-07-2014, 09:05 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tikamak View Post
Any news here ?
I have let them burn-in for a few weeks now and they have held up well with no issues at all. I'm really happy with the results.

Some custom machine work was required so it's not a DIY. The internals are fragile, easily damaged and are not sold separately. Replacement parts are not sold separately, so if something gets damaged, another light would be required. No lens cutting is done, so no chance for leaks.

The work is completely reversible so the headlights could be returned back to stock. The lights look totally stock when the LEDs are not turned on, so no ugly yellow LEDs showing. The individual LEDs are so close together, they appear as a continuous ring of light, even when viewed up close.

I'm thinking about setting up a service where the lights are shipped to me, the required machine work is performed, the rings are installed, everything is put back together tested and ship back out. I'd estimate a 3 day turnaround not including the shipping time. If there's enough interest, I'll pursue offering this service. Cost estimate would be around $375 with all required parts, not including shipping. Color options would be white or amber.
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      08-08-2014, 12:51 AM   #22
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Just for information sake, Will you be willing to ship outside the US International?
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