SOMETHING I HAVE NOTICED IN MY EF LENSES
After fitting my HIDs i noticed that one side was a bit brighter than the other.So after a bit of thinking i grabbed my old set of reflectors(same as new ones) and took out the shroud piece that hold the globe and i noticed that the shroud(looking from the top is rotated about 10 degrees to one side.I assumed that on the other shroud it would be rotated in the opposite direction,But it isnt they are the same.Y would this be done.The reflectors shouls all have opposite angles to each other,so why isnt the shrouds opposite?Anyway im goin to remove one shroud from its base and rotate it in the other direction and see what happens.

Both reflectors on both sides in a RHD vehicle look like the pic bellow.
The bit under the red line is for us to see signs etc.

A parabolic reflector, like a camera lens, turns every thing upside down and reversed.
As the second pic shows we need to direct the light only to the upper part of a parabolic reflector so it shines on the road.

It is a bit difficult in the beginning to imagine and realise how light is reflected in the reflector and where it ends up, but after a while all starts working fine.

 

 

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Is that why sign's are so bloody bright for me?? s**t i must have so much light shining down where it shouldnt

That's the problem I have the stray light is hitting the lower section of the headlight reflector and beaming up ... although this is only happening on my passenger side light though ... the driver's light I have wound down further than the passenger light.

Thanks for those pics Mavs, has given me new ideas for making a sheild.. Give me a bit to think and ill explain it

Ok bugger explaining i just tryed this one taped together atm, wen i find the correct design i will solder the can in place

Looks bloody good hey but it is daytime. Looks like theres a more solid beam pattern

 

 

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Even looking at the headlight from the front it dont look so drowned out in brightness like in my sig for eg

I think im impressed with my models that i have made

Ok i tested it tonight before soldered the cylinder's together. looked quite dark compared to before i might have had to much covered at the nose cone end.. Oh well thats tomorrows job aswell as pick up my new tyres from X werk Amcap and get em fitted so i can stop driving round with stockies on the rear and T16 on the window... looks a little to suss

Heh, your shields are sponsored by cougar, mine are sponsored by coke zero
At certain angles I can see the black and red reflections off the can through the lens - looks kinda cool

On an unrelated note, I noticed yesterday while driving home that my passenger side would intermittantly flash a fair big brighter for a second. I thought at first maybe that side wasn't on at all but after driving up behind another car I could see that both were infact on. Any idea what would cause this Mavs ? It didn't seem to be associated with bumps in the road suggesting loose wiring. Hopefully it isn't the ballast on the way out...

Things you should NEVER use:

Never use, Super Glue on any part/s that is going to be near the bulb or anywhere in the headlight assy that may get warm.

Never use Silicone base products.

Never use any painted items.

Never use oils.

Never use anything that may give fumes when heated.
It will damage the bulb, the chrome on the reflector and inside of your lens.

Since the bulb and it’s shield get quite hot, it is better to either use a pop rivet or a very small metal screw to secure your new shield than solder.

Remove all paint from your new designed shield. Same goes with tapes etc. even if it is for a few seconds of testing.

The opening of the hole in the shield is a bit too small. Also you need to make provisions for the beam pattern that needs to be emitted to the sides and the bit needed to see signs etc.

Refer to the pics of the Lexus and Volvo shields and you will see that none of them are straight.

Look at the reflector from the front. REMEMBER that everything is reversed and upside down.
Then compare each portion of the reflector to the portion of the shields edge and see if it needs more or less opening.
Make several shields with a small difference made to the edge of the opening and try it out.
You have the pic of your Halogen beam pattern and also the pic I posted of how a HID beam pattern from a Standard reflector should be.
Every time you do an alteration to the edge of the shield, compare the pic with the correct beam patterns.

That is why I told you to remove the lens.

Change the bulb (left to right).
If problem is still in the same side then the problem could be your ballast.
If the problem is moved to the other side with the change of bulb then it is your bulb or could be it's wiring.

Alright how about braze welding the can together?

So i need to make the gap bigger first then look at the nose cone end of the sheild (top shield) to adjust the sides of the beam pattern right?

In this pic you put lines throught the bottom of the shield what did you mean my that?

 

 

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That portion needs to be trimmed as you go. Make it bigger. But not too big cut.
Cut it by 0.5mm each time.

Remember the angel HID bulb emit light?
You should allow all the light out. See pic.

Then you need to compare the upper edge of the cougar shield with the reflectors inside.
See how light from say Upper Left corner of the cougar shield corresponds with the reflectors chromed mirror and how that portion of the light is emitted on the wall/road.
Then you do the middle part and the Right side and so on.

 

 

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Anyone else have their HIDs 'die' when you turn on the highbeams (but not 'flash' them). They (the lowbeam HIDs) wouldn't come back on til I turned them off then on again.

Was quite disconcerting fanging around Mt. Ainsley (at 11pm last night with nothing but my parkers!)

Yeh i done it the other night,had my HIDs on then i put high beam on for a bit,then when i turned the hig beam off the drivers side HID went out.
So i dont use high beam anymore......like i need it hehehe