My review of DEPO E-Codes, read if you want to save money!

[Yaktizzle417]

OK, So..

A lot of Audizine members use eBay test pipes and FMIC's right? Well why not headlights? I mean really, who doesn't want their car to look like a HondaBMWAudiRicer? Just kidding. If you look on eBay every week or so like me for cool stuff, then you'll probably find a set of these:


DEPO "Eurocode" headlights. I don't believe these are actual Eurocodes, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they are 50+w headlights. The DEPO's are 35w. Now here's the main point of the thread...

Why spend $500 on REAL e-code housings, with no bulbs or anything, when you could buy DEPO's like these for $450ish with a VVME HID kit? ($350 without the HID's) They don't have angel eyes, or any gay shit.. and you really can't tell the difference.

So after asking myself that question, I went and bought these. I've heard some pretty biased reviews.. Either people love them or hate them. I for one, coming from an E36 BMW, have heard nothing but great things about DEPO's.

I ordered a set of VVME HID's at the same time. I paid for 3 day shipping, but they were overnighted from Germany anyway. Packaging was great, my headlights were in a cocoon of bubble wrap and Styrofoam. My VVME's actually took the full 3 days to get here, and came as usual.

The box had my headlights, wiring harness, and turn signal holders. My only complaint is that the signals aren't OEM, they're a different bulb and tab set up. So we just cut a tab off of my OEM ones from my old headlights, for a temporary fix until I can get some PepBoys bulbs.

It took us about 45min to install the HID's and the headlights. The main problem was getting my passenger side out, due to a completely molested tab and having to take out the stock airbox to get leverage.

The fitment is OEM. They seal wonderfully. My only complaint on fitment is where I mounted my HID's, but thats a different story. I really don't see how people don't like them.

The projectors seem to be a bit better than stock! Maybe it's the fact that these aren't pitted to absolute hell yet, but WOW. I leveled my headlights and went out for a drive.. Saw a deer about 100ft to the right of my car, slammed the brakes, and it ran across right where I would've been. The entire road is lit, and so is about 100ft on each side to the sides. I live in a quiet part of town, with a lot of animals on my favorite curvies, so having good headlights is a must. The cut off line is absolute tittsssss!

Ratings: (cliffnotes for the lazy)

Fitment- 10/10
Light output- 10/10
Worth the cash- DEFINITELY.

Now I just need to find LED's for my DRL's, and my install will be complete.

Definitely pick a set of these up if you're on a budget but want OEM looking headlights without gay ass angel eyes and etc.

Pics:

[SFexBOY]

looks good. one thing though...I'd adjust your bumper to fill the gap between the bottom of headlight & bumper. Just a matter of rotating the knobs on top of the bumper shocks.

[sh00rik]

Can we get some pics of the light output?

Currently I have one (brand new) S4 headlight, and one e-code. It's almost as bad as not having them at all. TOTALLY different cutoffs and whatnot.

[Yaktizzle417]

I'm uploading them right meow.

There are a lot of broken tabs, I'm fixing them when I do my FMIC.

[Jared71482]

All OE and aftermarket (weather Valeo or Depo) HALOGEN lights for our cars use 55 watt H7 bulbs...

All OE HID/Xenon lights run at 35 watts.

The overall difference between the DOT (US OEM) and Ecode lights (besides the clear corner) is the beam pattern of the low beam. The US lights have a "stepped" cutoff... while ecode lights have a slope in the cutoff. The depo lights use a slightly different projector inside (versus Valeo lights), but it gets the job done pretty well.

[Yaktizzle417]

Yeah I noticed the cutoff isn't sharp at all, it's like... got hills on it and stuff. Its weird. I'll get a pic of it.

Thanks for the correction!

[im sofa king]

What was the name of the seller on Ebay for those headlights?

[minira]

i want to see the cut off also...hills? you mean like a step? what projectors do they use? ecodes have a step, but much higher than the usdm versions because they drive on the right side, it illuminates the right side much more.

[Silverstreak98]

I'm pretty sure he means the step, the main difference in the Depo headlights is the projector unit.

It is not quite as good as the OEM Valeo projectors, but still very good.

[speedydragon]

do ecodes use the bayonnete style bulbs instead of the us spec wedge style?

[Rosati]

Why would you spend 350 on "quality knockoffs" or 450 w/ hid when VVME hid's are only $60 when you can just buy the real thing for a little bit more....? ........