Bi-Xenon headlight housing - HID kit upgrade question

[eljay]

Well, I have 2005 A4 with Bi-Xenon headlights. I bought new D1S bulbs and 3" clear lens only to find out that I already have clear lens installed (must've been done by the previous owner) and that my projector bowls are burnt and the back cover is cracked and the likely source of moisture besides the typical o-ring. I will fix the cover with some epoxy.

Now I'm trying to decide what to do about the projectors. Since I have already spent money on new lens and bulbs, I was hoping to find some replacement projectors, but I think in the end it would cost the same as a Mini H1 kit from TRS and I would still have OEM ballasts with who knows how much life left. So, I've decided to just get a TRS Mini H1 kit - probably one of their cheaper older ones as I've been happy with the 5.0 version in my other car.

The only unclear part of the retrofit for me is any modification of the headlight housing and, specifically, the back cover.

If I replace my D1S OEM setup with Morimoto H1 kit with the associated ballasts etc., what do I do about the existing D1S ballast? As far as I can see the OEM ballast is integral to the back cover. My question is whether there's another OEM cover that would fit the back of the OEM bi-xenon housing and seal it properly. From what I can see, the single xenon housings have two separate covers: one for low beam, one for high-beam.


The bi-xenons have only one back cover.


So, I would need to fabricate some back cover in its place like Matt_Devo has done here, correct?

Thanks.

[Matt Devo]

those TRS Mini-H1 projectors aren't going to fit, they're 2.5", sized for single-xenon housings; the bixenons use a 3" projector. TRS sells 3" projectors but don't think any are nearly as plug/play as the mini-H1's. And yes, you'd need to fab a cover for the ballast area like I did.

[eljay]

those TRS Mini-H1 projectors aren't going to fit, they're 2.5", sized for single-xenon housings; the bixenons use a 3" projector. TRS sells 3" projectors but don't think any are nearly as plug/play as the mini-H1's. And yes, you'd need to fab a cover for the ballast area like I did.

Thanks! I forgot that most retrofits out there are for the Depo or single-Xenon, or halogen housings. Crap, so I'm back to square one then...
So, finding and modifying B8 projectors and re-using the rest of what I already have would be my best bet? Or getting this Q5-R projector replacement kit, correct?

[Matt Devo]

Thanks! I forgot that most retrofits out there are for the Depo or single-Xenon, or halogen housings. Crap, so I'm back to square one then...
So, finding and modifying B8 projectors and re-using the rest of what I already have would be my best bet? Or getting this Q5-R projector replacement kit, correct?

I haven't looked into the options for 3" projectors since I don't have housings that need them, but that retrolab Q5-R kit looks like it would do the trick

[agentsmith988]

I have the Q5-R kit from Retrofitlab and have loved them. Just the slight mod to the interior of the headlight housing to get them to fit. I also tapped directly into the stock hi-beam wiring to trigger the solenoid vs using the wiring loom that they included.

[eljay]

@agentsmith
Thanks for the feedback on that retrofitlab kit.

It's tempting. At the same, I wonder whether I should just buy the Depo ecodes housings and buy the TRS Mini H1 kit for it.
My options (in CAD$)...
OPTION 1: keep current headlight, update projectors and bulbs:
$100 - new XB D1S bulbs (I already bought these)
$220 - Q5-R kit from Retrofitlab
----
CAD$320

OPTION 2: buy Depo housings + H1 kit, sell OEM
$300 - TRS ACME Standard H1 kit (not the Morimoto projectors)
$360 - Depo housings
------
CAD$660 minus whatever I can get for my OEM headlights with bulbs, ballasts etc.

@Matt Devo, how have your Depo housings held up over the years?
Are new Depo ecode housings a better option than keeping my tired OEM headlights?

[Matt Devo]

@agentsmith
@Matt Devo, how have your Depo housings held up over the years?
Are new Depo ecode housings a better option than keeping my tired OEM headlights?

all things being equal, I'd rather have OEM (ecode) housings, they're just better quality overall. The Depo are hard to beat if starting from scratch and you don't mind a little modding to work around some of the minor issues