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So I finally have built up enough confidence that I am going to attempt the good ol retrofit on some Depos using E55's.
Being a broke student, it's going to be two part deal, I plan to buy and install the Depo's now and do the actual retro in a month or two when I have the money.
My question is, I have a set of H7 HID's on my car already, is it necessary to buy the Depos with HID's, or can I save a couple bucks and plug in my existing ones in the Depos?
My other question is, does anyone suggest a vendor to go through for the Depos?
I'm a little nervous about this part since I've read so many stories of people getting knockoffs! Thanks in advance for the help👍
Last edited by Lowflyer; Dec 14, 2014 at 03:05 PM.
you won't be able to reuse your HID bulbs which are D2S bulbs which have been
Frankeinsteined with H7 bases. this is why they fit into the OE headlight now.
If you tried to install them into the Depo projector you'll find they will fit as
Depo uses H7. But once you retrofit the E55 you'll need D2S bulbs, not H7s
I don't think there are Depo knock offs. They're either projector compliant
aftermarket headlights or not. If they're advertised as Depo headlights, they
probably are. Just be sure you buy from a reliable vendor. You can also write
them and ask for Depo verification if you want.
There are other projector headlights for the E320 which do not use H7. Some
also eschew the E320 H6W bayonet bulb and instead go with W5W wedge bulb
for the city light (above the H7 high beam bulb).
Ahhhh....I see, makes sense, thanks for the reply Raymond!
My retro mission will be a bit earlier then previously intended, I got a little impatient and ordered my Hella "E55" projectors at the same time as my Depo's today. I'm sure you'll hear from me frustrated and confused with my retro questions in the short future...lol!
Just to make sure, you did E55 projectors as they are almost a straight "Drop In", right Raymond?
I originally was going to have a third party build em for me, but after getting the cost quotes from multiple shops, I had the motivation to try myself real quick! I'm definetly trying to keep it easy as possible, any suggestions/advice from those who have journeyed the retro route, would be highly appreciated.
when i started my retrofit with the E55, i let it sit on the project bench for
several weeks because the thought of tackling something of this magnitude
scared the bejeezus out of me.
once i got started and took careful disassembly notes and studied the parts in
my hand, it was relatively painless.
once you remove the Depo projector, you're left with this large recess in the
headlight assembly. with E55 in hand, you maneuver it into the hole and you
use your brain to think how best to secure it, yet allow for a smidgeon of
adjustability should you #$% up.
take the time to perform trial fitment as well as beam alignment before you
sew everything back up.
avoid touching the silver reflector as fingerprints have a way of showing up
and it's the oil which attracts dust...catch the light, etc and if you're OCD,
it may **** you off after everything has been assembled and you see it.
cotton gloves and rubber gloves is what i wore. also kept can of air to
spritz off the dust when I could.
there's a huge thread on this forum by benz. great collective info there
from my old notes, I simply put a dab of high temp silicone on each of the
shroud's plastic fingers which encircles the E55 projector lens perfectly.
hasn't popped off in 5 yrs. i didn't want to use anything more permanent
in case I needed to perform future mods or repairs.
While you have them apart you can also paint the cut off shield, I painted mine orange becasue it was the only color I had but it still looks kinda cool IMHO
Does the self level function properly with the depo upgrade to prevent a flashlight effect with the beam? Is it worth it to get bi Xenon projectors? Also should I buy the DEPO HID kit if I am retrofitting OEM Ballast and Igniter?
Last edited by Tall Giraffe; Dec 30, 2014 at 04:43 PM.
Self leveling does not work with depos they dont have the self leveling motors in the light housings. I just aimed mine slightly lower than normal and have not had any issues.
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