View Article

With the growing popularity and falling prices on the "STi Projector" headlight housings, many people choose to buy the JDM headlights. Many of those people, fail to realize the significant differences between the headlight beam patterns that their new RHD headlights project. The cut off point of the RHD projector is exactly where you would want to have most of the light intensity while driving a LHD car in a country that drives on the left side of the road. That could not possibly blind the upcoming traffic, but also put you at high risk of accident at night.

Although the STi projector beams is "adjustable", you cannot adjust its' pattern. All you can adjust is general up and down and left to right. I played a lot with those settings and was not able to get adequate lighting where I wanted. That is why I decided to do the unthinkable and modify my STi headlights.

First of all, I would like to mention, that the following mod is not easy and you can potentially damage or completely ruin your headlight. Please proceed at your own risk.

***

Here is the STi headlight assembly. Take your time and get to know the assembly better. All the nuts and bolts and clips. The better you know it, the less of a chance you can screw it up.



Turn the headlight over and find one or two tiny phillips screws that are located right by the edge of the headlight and secure the lens in its' position.



After you take them/it out, it is time to cook the headlight. What we want to do is to warm it up enough to soften the goo that holds the lens. I used a regular oven at 450F and kept the light there for 3-4 min.

Warning: You WILL melt your headlight if you are not careful. Temperature, oven size, heating elements positioning vary, so figure out a safe way to heat the headlight up. You can also use heat gun or any other way to heat it up.



After the headlight is nice and warm, you need to open it up. Once again, this is not easy and extremely dangerous so figure out your own way of doing it. I used a small flat head screw driver and slowly pried it open while pulling on it. Remember, there are few plastic tabs/clips that you need to push to help the lens come out.



This is the lens with the mask insert still in place.



This is the back piece with the projector lens in place.



If you have the HID version of the headlight and use the aftermarket ballast and bulb, you can remove the OEM igniter from the headlight.



...

Now you need to remove the projector assembly from the back piece. Use an 8mm socket to unscrew the adjuster shaft from the projector.



Flip the back piece of the headlight and remove the big phillips/10mm head screw and unsnap the projector assembly from the back piece. Remember to remove the ground strap of the igniter from the projector housing.



Pull the assembly out and be careful not to loose the plastic clip that you have just unsnapped.



Disassemble the assembly by removing the small phillips head screws.



Look at the projector and the projector beam plate. You need to get it out of there.



Once it is out, you need to trim the top of it to be flat. I used a file and gently evened it out.



Here is a pic of two projector plates. The one on the right is modified. The one on the left is still RHD type. After you trim it, use a black marker and paint over any shiny part of the plate you created to avoid any kind of internal reflection.



After that, re-assemble everything. Before putting the lens back on, heat the back piece up again to soften the glue. Also, remember to wipe the projector "eye ball" and the lens clean of any finger prints and dust.

***

What you have done is evened out the projected beam pattern. Now, your lowest part of the beam will be higher. In order not to blind the upcoming traffic, I suggest you lower the beam down a little bit using the adjustment screws.

Also remember, that your headlights are not legal in most if not all states in RHD or modified form.

 To Discussion this article, please go HERE