PDA

View Full Version : Installed some TRS Clear Lenses Today...



Element
07-25-2009, 10:36 AM
I installed some clear lenses from The Retrofit Source today into my OEM HID headlights and am pleased with the results. Not only do I get a much nicer cutoff and improved light output, I also get a nice Flicker effect due to the increase in color. These are still the stock 4300K bulbs. So not only do I get the color of higher K bulbs, but I get better light output than stock.

Here are some daytime pics of the output. I will take some better pics tonight of the cutoff.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251042.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251043.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251045.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251046.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251047.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251049.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251050.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251051.jpg

Foglights On:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251053.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251060.jpg


Some of the pictures I was standing crooked in to try and show more of the color. But you can see as you change the angle you get some nice color.

GoFast
07-25-2009, 10:38 AM
you got a link to these?

Element
07-25-2009, 10:42 AM
you got a link to these?

http://store.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=138&osCsid=3ec355a35b1536bc2245f3868de3aa36

There are some pics on there of the cutoff as well.

Element
07-25-2009, 06:53 PM
Here are some cutoff pics:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251063.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251064.jpg

I parked the car on a downward angle in the driveway to exaggerated the color:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251074.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251075.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251076.jpg

Some more head on pics, but at night:

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251069.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251078.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251079.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251081.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb66/Elementality987/Mazdaspeed3%20Retrofit/P7251096.jpg

el_Don
07-25-2009, 07:30 PM
wow, looks great!

mr_mazda329
07-25-2009, 07:52 PM
Epic win man. Good job. These have a very nice cutoff. And the flicker of my hella projectors. Did you need to reaim them and was the install hard?

Element
07-25-2009, 08:06 PM
Epic win man. Good job. These have a very nice cutoff. And the flicker of my hella projectors. Did you need to reaim them and was the install hard?

Thanks! I'm happy with the cutoff, but also the increase in light output.

Install was easy, but then again I've taken apart these headlights far too many times! All you need is some patience and work slowly to prevent damaging anything.

I needed to reaim them after the install as I had the entire projector assembly apart. Reaiming them is not that difficult and fairly straight forward.

mr_mazda329
07-25-2009, 08:11 PM
Comes with directions?

thorracing271
07-25-2009, 08:17 PM
Comes with directions?

Nah, just a piece of paper that says GOODLUCK!

(butthump) just screwin with ya :D

mr_mazda329
07-25-2009, 08:21 PM
Nah, just a piece of paper that says GOODLUCK!

(butthump) just screwin with ya :D

nice..i always like to wing-it. lol

Element
07-25-2009, 08:23 PM
Comes with directions?

For reaiming? Or the install? There were no instructions for either, but it is pretty straight forward and there are some good DIYs and How-Tos on the forum for both.

thorracing271
07-25-2009, 08:31 PM
For reaiming? Or the install? There were no instructions for either, but it is pretty straight forward and there are some good DIYs and How-Tos on the forum for both.

not even a note saying goodluck!
gosh companies really go above and beyond to help a customer these days

mr_mazda329
07-25-2009, 08:40 PM
Element..you should post a how-to. That site doesnt have any pictures really on the forum.

Element
07-25-2009, 08:50 PM
Element..you should post a how-to. That site doesnt have any pictures really on the forum.

There are plenty of how-to's on the various forums. They all have picture to guide you through the process.

lvmazdaspeed3
07-25-2009, 09:35 PM
Comes with directions?

PATHETIC directions? what is that neva heard of that(cryhard)

Yoo Shin
07-26-2009, 07:00 AM
Awesome, they actually look like HIDs now. I've been searching on the Evo lens mod but think this would be a better option, especially since the Evo lens are so hard to find.

mr_mazda329
07-26-2009, 07:34 AM
Well..i ordered these. I hope this goes well.

AllLostThings
07-26-2009, 07:53 AM
Looks great! I'll have to order some for sure.

icspots
07-26-2009, 01:28 PM
I also installed these yesterday, and while I was at it did a couple of modifications to the projector. I cut off the tab on the front of the shield and painted the shield black to get rid of the glare above the cutoff (I'm pretty sure Element did this too). My results look a lot like Element's but hopefully I'll have some output shots after it gets dark tonight.

I highly recommend this lens swap to anyone.

mr_mazda329
07-27-2009, 05:16 PM
Yea. Mine shipped out today

Element
07-27-2009, 05:22 PM
yay.mine shipped out today

TRS has some very quick service.

icspots
07-27-2009, 06:01 PM
TRS has some very quick service.

+1, had mine in two days.

mr_mazda329
07-27-2009, 06:28 PM
Expected delivery for ground is going to be on the 31st (Friday). Just in time for this weekend.

Nokkers3
07-29-2009, 10:54 PM
Damn those look nice! I'm guessing you have to open up the headlight assembly to install these?

mr_mazda329
07-30-2009, 02:27 AM
Damn those look nice! I'm guessing you have to open up the headlight assembly to install these?

yessir. gotta bake them.-

walti
07-30-2009, 11:31 AM
so you gonna do mine too? :D

mr_mazda329
07-30-2009, 02:04 PM
so you gonna do mine too? :D

We will see how it goes. "LVmazdaspeed" is supposed to help me next week

Nokkers3
07-30-2009, 02:45 PM
I'm scared to bake mine ><

mr_mazda329
07-30-2009, 02:55 PM
I'm scared to bake mine ><

I have no fears in that...its just putting the lenses on...

dkswim
07-30-2009, 11:32 PM
was going to come in here and see if anyone knew of this. stuff was going to look into it myself. looking to retrofit one of my other cars and stumbled across the cleer lenses.

mr_mazda329
07-31-2009, 10:20 PM
Are these projectors cast or screwed?

Element
08-01-2009, 12:28 AM
Are these projectors cast or screwed?

Screwed together. Check the DIYs and they have all the info you need.

mr_mazda329
08-01-2009, 03:41 AM
Screwed together. Check the DIYs and they have all the info you need.

yea..i found some great ones on M3F. Now to gather the supplies like goo-gone and washers. BTW..did you reuse the sealant or apply more to put the housing back together. And did you dremel the little housing cut-off?


http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8710/img2490.jpg
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4559/img2504.jpg

Element
08-01-2009, 10:41 AM
yea..i found some great ones on M3F. Now to gather the supplies like goo-gone and washers. BTW..did you reuse the sealant or apply more to put the housing back together. And did you dremel the little housing cut-off?


http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8710/img2490.jpg
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4559/img2504.jpg

I reused the old sealant and so far no leaks. I've washed the car numerous times with a pressure washer and been through some crazy rain storms and they are still dry inside.

I did not dremel the inside, however I did paint the shield black.

Monkey_3
08-01-2009, 02:06 PM
It will be fine to use the old sealant. I switched the lens on mine too but with EVO8 lenses.

Did you do any washer mods?

mr_mazda329
08-01-2009, 02:42 PM
I did not dremel the inside, however I did paint the shield black.

What is the point of painting the shield black? Just for lens color when the lights are off? I dont want it to absorb any output.



It will be fine to use the old sealant. I switched the lens on mine too but with EVO8 lenses.

Did you do any washer mods?


I'm going to do the washer mod just for a little bit of flicker.

dkswim
08-01-2009, 04:28 PM
painting the inside blask is to cutdown on glare. some people will paint the opposite side of the shield any color for that flash of color when light are out. ive seen some red.

mr_mazda329
08-02-2009, 12:20 AM
I finished. Use no washers for flicker. But theres a little bit from the lens spacer. Pics to follow. Reaimed already too. Very nice cutoff


Edit for pics:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3367.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3385.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3386.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3387.jpg

icspots
08-02-2009, 09:00 PM
^^ You'll get rid of even more glare if you cut that tab off of the shield.

mr_mazda329
08-03-2009, 12:32 AM
^^ You'll get rid of even more glare if you cut that tab off of the shield.


Well..gotta crack back into one of the housings anyways. One didnt seal all the way and started to fog up when i washed the car. So I guess I'm going to cut that tap off and paint it flat.

mr_mazda329
08-03-2009, 05:52 PM
Opened them up agan. Just got done cutting little tabs off. Hopefully there will be less glare and i'm not going to reuse the orginal silicone. I scrapped most of the old stuff off and will be using clear silcone in a fat-bead.

mr_mazda329
08-04-2009, 05:34 PM
I repainted the shield with flat black and the tap is cutoff. I think the output increased and the glare went away.

Before: Glare on door above cutoff.

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3385.jpg

After: different background, but still had glare before

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3407.jpg

Not its not as prominent and my output appears to have increased. Due to flatblack paint?

oaklandopen
08-04-2009, 06:30 PM
WOW i really want to do this...subbing for future reference

Hank3
08-31-2009, 01:43 AM
Installed my TRS Lenses this weekend. Took some quick pics in the garage. Will take better ones when I go out to aim them. All pics are with OEM HIDs.

Here are some old pics of the stock cutoff for comparison:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0002-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0003.jpg

Pics of the TRS lenses w/three washers per side:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0001-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0006-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0003-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0007.jpg

mr_mazda329
08-31-2009, 02:43 AM
Nice Job Hank. Turned out great. How do you like them?

Hank3
08-31-2009, 09:04 AM
I absolutely LOVE them. Only thing is there are a couple of smudge marks on the lens on the driver's side. It's so hard to keep those lint/smudge free. But I'm hoping it's not affecting the output and beam pattern.

Nliiitend1
08-31-2009, 11:52 AM
I absolutely LOVE them. Only thing is there are a couple of smudge marks on the lens on the driver's side. It's so hard to keep those lint/smudge free. But I'm hoping it's not affecting the output and beam pattern.

Ha. It's funny you should say that...

I actually have a nice little Japanese fingerprint on my stock driver's side lens...you can only see it when the light is on, but it's there nevertheless. (lol2)

Hank3
08-31-2009, 12:09 PM
I've gone through three OEM projector lenses, and they all had smudges or marks on them. Poor quality control at the factory. But this one was ALL on me (sad2)

mr_mazda329
08-31-2009, 04:16 PM
I've gone through three OEM projector lenses, and they all had smudges or marks on them. Poor quality control at the factory. But this one was ALL on me (sad2)


you didnt clean them with the Alcohol swab before you sealed everything up. Thats what i did and no mugges or prints.

Hank3
08-31-2009, 05:40 PM
I should've done that, but I don't think it's affecting the output any. If it bothers me enough, I'll bake it open again :)

mr_mazda329
08-31-2009, 05:53 PM
I should've done that, but I don't think it's affecting the output any. If it bothers me enough, I'll bake it open again :)


it shouldn't affect output.

Hank3
08-31-2009, 06:12 PM
Thanks for the reassurance :)

Element
08-31-2009, 07:06 PM
Looking good! I wouldn't worry about the finger print either. Looks like you have nice cutoff and output as well.

oaklandopen
08-31-2009, 08:20 PM
man i really want to do this now!!!!

Hank3
09-08-2009, 01:48 AM
Went out tonight and took some more pics of the HID output with the TRS Lenses.

But first, here some other pics of the old output:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0004-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0005-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0006-1a.jpg

And the ones from tonight:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0003-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0015.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0012.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0009.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0018.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0022.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0026.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0029.jpg

Output w/fogs on:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0034.jpg

More garage pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0050.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0046.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0043.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0041.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v294/Hank3/HIDs/IMG_0038.jpg

dkswim
09-08-2009, 02:03 AM
wow looks good.

mr_mazda329
09-08-2009, 04:11 AM
mine dont flicker at the same time... onlycuz i have the lights aimed where i need it the most, but not to blind others too.

Hank..they look great. I am definately thinking about buying some TSX projectors down the road till i am bored with these.


here's a new one of mine. 5000k from DDMtuning

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Photoshoots/100_3518.jpg

Hank3
09-08-2009, 08:47 AM
mr_mazda: I'm running the stock HIDs @ 4300K. I used this aiming guide (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html) to get my lights to the proper height, but modified it to where that was at setting one and a higher setting was zero for backroads at night. Looks like you have a good amount of color band in yours too.

dizzin9
09-08-2009, 05:23 PM
looks awesome. what how-to did u guys follow?

Hank3
09-08-2009, 05:57 PM
There's a great "How-To" on another forum. PM me and I'll link you to it.

dizzin9
09-11-2009, 04:38 PM
quick question... (to all of u)

i'm about to bake the headlights. i remove that plastic bracket and the high beam bulb. is that it? should i remove something else like the ballast and the low beam bulb? thanks.

Element
09-11-2009, 04:41 PM
quick question... (to all of u)

i'm about to bake the headlights. i remove that plastic bracket and the high beam bulb. is that it? should i remove something else like the ballast and the low beam bulb? thanks.

I removed everything including all bulbs and ballasts. However I did not bake them, I used a heat gun.

dizzin9
09-11-2009, 04:43 PM
^

cool i have a heat gun. i see a screw in the low beam, just unscrew that and pull it out?

Element
09-11-2009, 06:00 PM
^

cool i have a heat gun. i see a screw in the low beam, just unscrew that and pull it out?

Factory HIDs or not? Everything just popped out with the OEM HIDs so I don't know what screw you are referring to.

dizzin9
09-11-2009, 06:15 PM
Factory HIDs or not? Everything just popped out with the OEM HIDs so I don't know what screw you are referring to.

nvm, i figured the ballast part out. is that it coz i want to bake it now lol

also should i take this part that i'm pointing to?

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep11-1.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep11-2.jpg

Element
09-11-2009, 07:56 PM
That you can leave on. You wouldn't be able to take it apart without opening the headlight anyways. Looks like you are ready to go.

If you are doing the heat gun method it takes a little longer.

Hank3
09-11-2009, 09:35 PM
Let us know how it goes - and post if you have any further questions. We can walk you through it, but Element has been doing a superb job thus far :)

dizzin9
09-11-2009, 10:16 PM
thanks. well i took a looong break but i'm ready to go again. few concerns putting these back together:

- i put 6 washers on each headlight. when i put the assembly (the projector assembly) back, how far should i go? i was messing with the other light and now i can't compare how tight should i put it in

- i didn't push that white pin (for the adjuster) back. when i bypassed that and just pulled out the projector assembly, the pin is attached to it. am i fcked?

- i purchased the led strips from TRS. should i glue it first before resealing everything or bake everything and before i close the headlight shut, then i glue that in (will be using some generic super glue)?

- since u guys know more about me regarding to this, how should i wire up the led strips? to the turn signals or fogs even... but how?

Element
09-11-2009, 10:23 PM
thanks. well i took a looong break but i'm ready to go again. few concerns putting these back together:

- i put 6 washers on each headlight. when i put the assembly (the projector assembly) back, how far should i go? i was messing with the other light and now i can't compare how tight should i put it in

- i didn't push that white pin (for the adjuster) back. when i bypassed that and just pulled out the projector assembly, the pin is attached to it. am i fcked?

- i purchased the led strips from TRS. should i glue it first before resealing everything or bake everything and before i close the headlight shut, then i glue that in (will be using some generic super glue)?

- since u guys know more about me regarding to this, how should i wire up the led strips? to the turn signals or fogs even... but how?

1) I marked my screws so I know where to put them back to for alignment purposes. Not sure how far back it should go to be honest. Sorry. I would suggest just adjusting it until it is snug, but not hitting the chrome clips.

2) You should be able to still clip everything back together.

3) I would wire up your LED strips as DRLs. However that is all up to you. How do you want them to look?

Element
09-11-2009, 10:23 PM
Let us know how it goes - and post if you have any further questions. We can walk you through it, but Element has been doing a superb job thus far :)

Thanks, but you probably know just as much as me lol. (drinks)

dizzin9
09-11-2009, 10:28 PM
3) I would wire up your LED strips as DRLs. However that is all up to you. How do you want them to look?

hey thanks for the help btw.

well, i want them to be exactly like the turn signals - lighting up and blinking with it. is that harder than just lighting up with anything? how exactly do i wire that?

Hank3
09-12-2009, 10:00 AM
What did you wind up doing? As far as how much you should turn the aiming screws, there's really no way of saying if you didn't mark them. The best way to get them back to stock would be to mount the lights back on and then aiming them properly. Use the pic below and this aiming guide (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html) here for reference (use the DOT VOR specs and you don't have to lower the headlight mark any since our headlights are lower than 34.5" from the ground). I would try to avoid aiming them with the automatic leveler since it's a little more fragile - the white plastic one with round wheel.

http://i32.tinypic.com/2du9xep.jpg

Element
09-12-2009, 02:55 PM
hey thanks for the help btw.

well, i want them to be exactly like the turn signals - lighting up and blinking with it. is that harder than just lighting up with anything? how exactly do i wire that?

Do you want them on ALL the time and blink? or just on at NIGHT and blink?

dizzin9
09-13-2009, 12:01 AM
Do you want them on ALL the time and blink? or just on at NIGHT and blink?

that one. if that seems hard then just on with the parking lights then.


overall, i'm not really satisfied with the result *my fault*. the cutoff is similar to this one: CLICK (http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e307/tee349/4.jpg). however, mine is a bit "blurry" at the center. it has some sort of glare but it is colored. some concerns:

- the beams won't adjust using the switch inside the car
- the cutoff is not as crisp as everyone else. some areas are not smooth.
- the driver side seems to get more light than the passenger side. although not by much.

i'll take some pics once i find my camera. everything is back in place now and my fingers hurt lol

mr_mazda329
09-13-2009, 12:40 AM
overall, i'm not really satisfied with the result *my fault*.
- the cutoff is not as crisp as everyone else. some areas are not smooth.



did you black out the cutoff shield?

dizzin9
09-13-2009, 12:46 AM
nope. does it absolutely help? coz i don't wanna bake it all over again to find out it didn't work.

mr_mazda329
09-13-2009, 12:54 AM
It it worked for me:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Headlights/100_3407.jpg

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee297/mr_mazda329/MS3%20Photoshoots/100_3515.jpg

Although that is 6ft away. Still Good. I think the combination of not blackin it out and using too many washers is why your cutoff is suffering

Element
09-13-2009, 11:07 AM
that one. if that seems hard then just on with the parking lights then.

Just tap into your parking/signal lights.

Hank3
09-13-2009, 06:30 PM
some concerns:

- the beams won't adjust using the switch inside the car


The clip/plug for the automatic leveler is hard to snap and click. At least for my headlights they are, so make sure those are snapped in properly. I always have to use gorilla strength to hear the snap.

I also agree that going w/six washers per side is causing your cutoff to be less crisp. I went with three and I'm satisfied - of course zero washers would be the crispest. But I think a few of us came to the conclusion that three and TRS Lenses is the best compromise of color and cutoff crispness. By chance did you use the TRS spacers? If you did, that may be the cause for your funny/blurry cutoff.

dizzin9
09-14-2009, 02:14 AM
no, i did not use the spacers. i even reduced the washers to 3 per headlight, well 5 including the ones on the bracket that holds the lens, when i opened them for the second time. i followed the how-to but the OP's results are better than mine so i was wondering why.

@hank
what clip are you talking about? is it inside the headlights?

mr_mazda329
09-14-2009, 02:44 AM
Well.. i used my TRS spacers on mine and 5 total washer on mine. 2 for the metal ring and 1 for each of the three mounting points of the reflector housing. My results are quite crisp and has good color too.

Hank3
09-14-2009, 08:38 AM
Since the headlight parts are not quite up to standard to the luxury brands (i.e. Acura, Lexus, BMW, etc.), I have found that our projector bowls, lenses, and other internal are inconsistent. Me and another member have opened and toyed with different headlights parts from other OEM Mazda3/Mazdaspeed3 HID units and have found them to inferior. But they're still decent for theis price range. Some members that have gone with the TRS lenses have had different results using the same configuration of spacers and washers. So you really have to find the right combination of them to meet your preference.

The clip/plug I'm speaking of is not inside the headlights - it's orange and provides the power to move the automatic leveler. It can be a bugger for it to properly snap/click into its male or female counterpart - sorry I can't remember which.

dizzin9
09-14-2009, 11:27 PM
ok i finally got some pics and i've playing around with the adjustments. it is so cool when you see the purple/blue/blue green colors on the street signs and the purple when you're behind somebody on a red light. anyway, here are the pics:


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-1.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-2.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-3.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-4.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-5.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-6.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h255/jatkins6969/Mazda/sep14-7.jpg

as you can see, there's a ton of glare in the pics but it's actually not that bad and i've been driving the car a lot the past few nights and not one has flashed me yet. thanks again to you guys for giving tips and advice. i'm now satisfied with the output but i will still tweak it from time to time.

as for the led strips, i ditched it lol. it looks rather cheap and cheesy.

Hank3
09-14-2009, 11:40 PM
Glad you got it to your liking. Now enjoy those colors :)

black_ninja23
09-15-2009, 07:55 PM
Is this only good for the GT's? Or can this be done on the Sport model? I have aftermarket HIDs, will that even matter at all? And lastly, that vendor seems to be selling Premium and Value lens, has anyone ordered the "value" lenses and notice any major scratches or blemishes?

Thanks.

Hank3
09-16-2009, 08:37 AM
These will work perfectly fine on Sport model halogens. There are many other members that have installed these into their Mazda3 halogens (which are the same as the MS3 Sport projector units). Not sure about the differences between the value and premium lenses as I don't recall that option when I ordered mine. I would e-mail Matt @ TRS and inquire about that. He's really prompt at returning the e-mails. Let us know what you find out. Also, there's a how-to on the other forum for these and you can see pics of them installed on the halogen units. PM me and I'll link you to it :)

mr_mazda329
09-16-2009, 09:27 AM
Is this only good for the GT's? Or can this be done on the Sport model? I have aftermarket HIDs, will that even matter at all? And lastly, that vendor seems to be selling Premium and Value lens, has anyone ordered the "value" lenses and notice any major scratches or blemishes?

Thanks.


Look at my pics. I am sport with aftermarket HIDs.

bluelion
10-18-2009, 10:09 PM
Is this only good for the GT's? Or can this be done on the Sport model? I have aftermarket HIDs, will that even matter at all? And lastly, that vendor seems to be selling Premium and Value lens, has anyone ordered the "value" lenses and notice any major scratches or blemishes?

Thanks.

i too noticed the "value" option....hell, it's $40 cheaper.....and they say they guarantee that it won't affect light output. they're probably barely scratched or something. i'm lookin into these cause i should be getting my hid's back from ddm... (warranty issue)

mr_mazda329
10-18-2009, 11:23 PM
i too noticed the "value" option....hell, it's $40 cheaper.....and they say they guarantee that it won't affect light output. they're probably barely scratched or something. i'm lookin into these cause i should be getting my hid's back from ddm... (warranty issue)



lemme know how those go for you.