Euro spec to US headlight converter?

[a4937]

Hello everyone.. I ordered some eurospec HID headlights online "that are supposed to be plug and play to US spec halogen" and noticed that they have a rectangular connector while the one in my car is of course round. Does anyone know of a site or shop that sells converters for this type of thing? I've been searching online for hours and can't find much. One site I found eurowires.net was probably what I was looking for but is down at this time.

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

thanks

[Seerlah]

I take it you have a prefacelift (2 peice headlights), seeing how your connectors are round (facelift connectors are rectangle also). And the headlights I presume you ordered are facelift one peice headlights. You might have 2 complications.

1. It will not be a direct fitment into your designated headlight housing ( but you could follow this procedure to make them a direct fit. they alsy sell prefacelift 2 peice Eurospec headlights for future referance link). Some of the pictures are missing from the first link, but what they are pics of is blue painters tape (found at home depot) around the fender as not to scratch the paint while in the process. And another pic missing is one of how to take your time. Cut off a little bit, then take your time and cut off little by little till you make a perfect (or close enough) fitment for the facelift headlights. Then paint the edge of where you cut before you install headlights (as to avoid future rusting)

2. The connectors will be different (prefacelift and facelift are different as I think this is the main pint of your inquiry. and to add to that, *the socket for the turn signals are different for US spec and Euro spec. connectors are different). You have two choices. (A)You could buy the connectors at the dealership for a nice price [roughly $100 give or take for connectors, wires, harness, terminals and grouments that you would have to put together yourself(turn signal/high+low beam for both the driver's and passenger's side)] or you can try and source them out from a facelift car. I am pretty sure the B5 S4 uses the same connectors. These guys are actually your best bet and will sell you all 4 connectors you would need for roughly $25+shipping (great deal) with as much slack/harness as possible. (B) You could follow this DIY.

or maybe I am wrong?

*what I did when I installed my Eurospec headlights was retain the turn signal socket from my OEM headlights. There are 3 guides on them, and 2 of them line up perfect with the Eurospec headlights. I dremeled off one of the guides that did not line up and have the remaining 2 giudes hold the socket in place

[a4937]

Damn.. not what I was hoping for, but thanks for the detailed response.

[SlimQuattro]

i just got a set of used ecodes and they had the wireing with the round connecters,luckily my car is a 01 so i could use my stock square harness. does your wiring have the wires for the city lights ? if so maybe we could trade harneses my round for your square

[Seerlah]

You might have 2 complications.

I am just saying this is how my Valeo Eurocode headlights were. My car is a facelift, so everything plugged right up. I think the prefecelift connectors differe from the facelift ones. One of the reasons they have prefacelift and facelift Euro spec headlights. The only thing different on my headlights were the turn signals socket plug. Instead of trying to find a place to get the correct socket, I just made my OEM ones fit into the Ecode housing.

[a4937]

I am just saying this is how my Valeo Eurocode headlights were. My car is a facelift, so everything plugged right up. I think the prefecelift connectors differe from the facelift ones. One of the reasons they have prefacelift and facelift Euro spec headlights. The only thing different on my headlights were the turn signals socket plug. Instead of trying to find a place to get the correct socket, I just made my OEM ones fit into the Ecode housing.

I suppose I'll still check them to see if they might fit.. but I still need to find the adapter as the connectors are definitely different. If I were to buy the euro connectors from that link you posted wouldn't I have to get all of the wiring for it to work? I'm not doubting you but I don't see how that could only be $25. Would euro wires even work with a US spec car?

thanks

[Seerlah]

What you would do is cut off the connectors for the low/high beams and turn signal. Then simply splice on the new connectors (he would sell you the connectors and as much slack as possible of harness;roughly 8-9") and seal them good to avoid water/moiture contact.

I just sold my OEM headlights maybe a month ago and this is the route I suggested for the individual I sold them to. He already knew about the cutting of the fender to make them fit, but not about the connectors being different. That is when I searched to try and find the easiest alternative which ended up being A&P selling all 4 connectors off an 01 A4 for about $25+shipping. I would not imagine the volt amerage for the circuit of the prefacelift headlights to be different from the facelift headlights, so it is simply a matter of matching up the proper wires and splicing.

*this is from the DIY for making it fit into the designated spot for the headlights flush

the new harness comes pre labeled, but the audi wires dont and they arent color matched so i used my volt meter to figure this out
audi wire colors are
-brown=ground
-yellow with black stripe=regular driving beam
-white with black stripe=high beams
-white with yellow stripe was for the stock fog lights. if you bought aftermarket fogs like me this would be where the + wire would be connected
-the orange wire on the left is for the city lights, i wanted to utalize this function so i tapped in to the corner blinker and used that wire. the wire that needs to be used is the smallest of the three.

Edit: The US and Eurospec headlights use the same connector for the low/high beam. It is only the turn signal that is different (but might be the same for the S4, not too sure), but this is pertaining to the facelift ones. They sell prefacelift Eurospec headlights which are the 2-peice ones which I am pretty sure use the same connectors (Us spec and Euro spec). The thing is, you are doing an upgrade from prefacelift to facelift and not just simply putting in headlights you think look nicer.

[a4937]

So I take it you don't know of an adapter that would allow me to just plug the connector from the car into one side of the adapter then plug the other end into the new headlights? I appreciate all the advice, I just feel like the stuff required like splicing wires and grinding down the fenders is out of my league.

I'm gonna go pop out the ones in my car now and see what kind of fit these new ones are.. just in case.

I'll let you know.

[a4937]

Edit: The US and Eurospec headlights use the same connector for the low/high beam. It is only the turn signal that is different (but might be the same for the S4, not too sure), but this is pertaining to the facelift ones. They sell prefacelift Eurospec headlights which are the 2-peice ones which I am pretty sure use the same connectors (Us spec and Euro spec). The thing is, you are doing an upgrade from prefacelift to facelift and not just simply putting in headlights you think look nicer.

Yeah, I didn't realize all that when I bought them. I knew there was a facelift in 98 and in 99 but I didn't realize that the one piece headlight was part of it. If I had known I wouldn't be in this predicament. I haven't gotten a reply back from the seller to see if he'll take a return so if you know anybody who wants to convert some factory halogen lights facelift of course to HID I'll probably be attempting to sell these soon.

[Seerlah]

Very top of the page is an option for the Classified Section.

But really, it may sound harder than it actually is. And I am pretty sure you don't have to remove the bumper either. I think he just did that for precaution of not messing it up during the process and more working space. It is the fenders that will need cutting and the bumper stays untouched. But if you feel you are not up to the task, it is understandable.

[jlien08]

The bumper does not have to be removed to do any of this. All you need is a dremel tool with a bunch of cut-off discs, a soldering iron, solder, heat shrink tubing, and some clear coat spray, or something to cover up the bare metal you just cut open on the fenders. Oh, and blue painters tape works really well to protect your bumper and fender from getting scratched up while you are doing all of this. It really is a simple task. I had worried about cutting up my fenders, but if you just go little by little, and keep re-fitting the lights to make sure you get it just right, it will turn out great! Just be patient, and take your time. Take a weekend if you want. Since it's your first time, you probably only need most of one day to get it all perfect. Have at it!

[a4937]

Well, you were right.. they definitely don't fit as is and the fender would need quite a bit taken off of it, but damn would they look sick.

[a4937]

The seller I got the headlights from said he'll let me return them in exchange for some 96-98 PRE FACELIFT models. Going to end up spending a boatload on shipping but that's the best alternative I can find. Now do you know if the connectors were the same for the US spec as well as the Euro before the facelift?

thanks again for all the help

[jlien08]

I have no idea about that. If you're not willing to cut the fenders and use the one-piecers, I do think the two-piece pre-facelift projectors look pretty sweet as an OEM+ kinda look. Good luck with 'em!