installation instructions for diy retrofit kit for the 05

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR DIY RETROFIT KIT FOR THE 05-06 RSX
Tools Required:
TSX projectors (clear lens)
#2 Philips Head Scewdriver
Large flat blade screwdriver
Dremel or other rotary tool
Rotary reinforced/metal cutoff wheels
Rotary sanding drums
Brand new utility blade
Pliers, needle nose
Rubber band
Compressed or canned air
Cotton terry cloth, soft and clean
2 Cotton terry towels, soft and clean
Sharpie Marker
Popsicle stick or similar tool
Kit Contents:
2x Alignment Tool/Mounts
2x waist shrouds
2x shrouds
6x pieces of wire
12x self tappping screws
12x lock washers
20x washers (some may not be used)
2x 35w D2S HID bulbs
2x D2S bulb adapters
2x 35w DIGITAL HID ballasts
2x H1 wiring pigtails
1x JB Qwik Weld
Optional:
Goo Gone
Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol
Optional: (based on availability)
TSX projectors (clear lens)
Safety:
Use a well ventilated are when cutting headlamp plastics. Always wear eye protection,
preferably googles, and a respirator/dust mask. The plastics used to mold lamp
reflectors contain large proportions of glass fiber and minerals which are very harmful to
your lungs if cutting dust is inhaled.
NEVER:
Never use any alcohol or other solvents on any part of the lamps unless otherwise
instructed.
For proper alignment, park the vehicle facing a wall, gargage door, etc. on a flat
suface and mark the following with masking tape, painter’s tape, etc. It is crucial to
have accurate reference marks for alignment purposess. You will not be able to move
the care during this time.
You will need to mark the following:
Center of each beam, the point where the flare of the cutoff begins
The “level” of the beam pattern going across
Remove the headlamps from the car following previously available instructions.
Remove the two screws on the back of the housings, remove all bulbs and sockets.
Place headlamps in a 200°-220°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Use a baking pan with a soft
clean terry towel and the lamp lens placed face down.
The headlamp will be warm, mildly hot to touch when removed from the oven. If using
bare hands just be careful not to touch metal pieces. Place the lamp lens down on a
soft clean terry towel.
Starting at the inside (smaller) corner of the lamp, insert a large flat head screwdriver
blade into the seam and gently twist to push the halves apart making the gap larger.
Move along and do the same every ½”-1” every once and a while going back to the
corner and starting over to make the gap larger and larger. You may want to place a
piece of masking or duct tape over the end of the screwdriver as the sealant can
become messy and stick to an otherwise good screwdriver.
Finally you should have enough gap formed to be able and use your fingers to get a
grip and pull the halves apart by hand. Go slowly, and watch the tabs ahead as you
will have to free them as you move along or it will hinder progress. Also watch the
sealant as it will create strings, use the screwdriver to break these as you go, you do not
want to ruin the lamps because a string of sealant gets on the chrome.
Now you have the two separated halves, place the lens half in a safe place, free of
dust.
Remove the two Philips screws under each reflector and gently pry up the tab up top
just behind the bezel, slide the bezel out.
Next pry off the rubber boot around the rear of the high beam bulb receptacle.
With philips screwdriver or a 5/16” socket, bring the reflector assembly down (out) about
halfway.
Starting on the high beam side, release the tabs on the fixed point. This can be a little
tricky, especially this side since it is behind the high beam reflector, there are two tabs
to release on each point. You may find pulling on the reflector assembly from the
bottom with gentle force will help keep the tabs in once you release them until you
both done and can slide it off the point. Once the assembly is slid off both points,
unscrew the rest of the adjustment screw from the rear.
Note: Although these points are attached to ball joints, trying to simply pull them off can
result in damage to the housings, it is recommended to take your time and do as
described.
With the refelctors free, flip them over and bend out the tabs holding in the bulb caps.
Use the screwdriver to bend them out and the pliers to pull them straight. Slide the bulb
cap out and discard. Remove the screw and wire clip that used to hold the bulbs in
and discard.
Flip the reflectors over and test fit a mount with the writing side out. To align the mount
properly follows these checkpoints:
1) the upper right side slips into and butts up against a ridge protruding from the rear of
the reflector
2) the center lines on the mounts will align with the center ridge in the reflector at both
the top and bottom
3) the mount needs to sit as level in the reflector as possible, check depth at top and
bottom for best fit
Once in place, mark the outline along the reflector with a sharpie marker.
Mix up some JB-Qwik weld using equal parts. JB Qwik will cure in just a few hours,
hardens in just minutes, using regular JB weld will require 24 hrs. With a popsicle stick or
similar tool, mix the JB Qwik into a consistent gray color and apply a bead just below
the sharpie line in the refelctor. You should make the depth at least 1/8”-1/4” Insert the
mount again, checking for these checkpoints:
1) the upper right side slips into and butts up against a ridge protruding from the rear of
the reflector
2) the center lines on the mounts will align with the center ridge in the reflector at both
the top and bottom
3) the mount needs to sit as level in the reflector as possible, check depth at top and
bottom for best fit
Let it sure 15-20 mins. Just to be on the safe
side.
After curing, mix up a little more JB qwik and apply sparingly in the corner created
where the mount meets the reflector. Let this cure
.
Next, flip the reflectors over and mark a sharie line for a cutting guide, this needs to
allow enough room for the rear of the projector to fit through. Use the dremel tool and
cutoff wheel to cut through this, having friend with a vaccum cleaner nozzle hovering
above the cutoff wheel to catch the dust is a great help.
Switching to a sanding drum (or even using the same cutoff wheel) cut three areas out
directly in back of the smaller holes in the mounts, this is to gain access to them later
after the projectors are installed.
After this take a self-tapping screw and pre-cut each of the four outer most larger holes
to ease installation of the projectors later.
Now it is time to dress the projectors so that they will sit correctly and not create
interferences inside the lamps.
1) On the inside of the lens frame, cut off the two nubs and the ridge on each side of
the lens.
2) remove the wire bulb clip and cut the protruding pieces off the clip retainer. (see
image, removed for clarity)
3) Cut off the last 1”-1 ½” of the ridge along the top rear of the projector bowls.
(depending on who flat the mounts are installed this may not be necessary)
Next, for those performing the “color mod” insert the D2S bulb into the projector so that
it will stand up on end easily, or have a friend hold the projector for you. Now place a
washer over each of the four holes as shown. Gently place the lens half back over
top, add four lock washers, and feed four of the self-tapping screws through the lock
washers, holes, and
washers.
Now it is time to install the projector. This will take a little patience and having the help
of a friend will come in very useful. You will want the reflector assembly to sit facing up
on a work surface, held in place by any means allowing you both hands to work with.
Place one washer on over the top right hole, and two washers over each bottom hole.
Holding the projector from the rear half (preferably the friend’s job) screw the selftapping screws already resting in the projector mounting holes through the washers and
holes in the mounts. Screw them down just enough to keep the projector reasonably in
place, not flopping around.
Once both sides are completed, place the reflector assemblies back into the rear of
the housings, hook up the D2S plugs to the bulbs, reinstall the metal frame underneath
the lamps, and reinstall the rear halves of the lamps to the car. Connect the ballast to
the bulbs and power on the vehicle, start the engine and turn on the lights. Back off
each screw 1-2 turns and rotate each projector so that they correspond to your
references. As you screw them in to secure them the projectors may move as well, so it
will be a bit trial and error, but this method assures perfect aim. The step up in the
projector pattern will be 1-2” (depends on distance and angle from backdrop) off from
the halogen beam flare, this is normal for the difference in optics.
Should you have moved the vehicle in this time, you will still be able to aim the
projectors level with one another as reference.
Be sure the projectors are secured before completing the aiming procedure.
Remove the housings from the vehilce once again and place a small bead of JB Qwik
on the corner between screws and lens frame for added security. Remove the metal
bracket underneath the lamps.
After curing, remove the assemblies from the rear of the housings again. Remove the
lens retaining clip and remove the lens from the projector. With the rotary cutoff wheel,
cut off the clip flush with the rest of the ring and piece on the lens frame that used to
hold it in place. After this is done clean the projectors out very well with compressed air.
Clean the lenses off with isopropyl alcohol or soap and water and blow off any dust
with compressed air. Place a thin bead of JB Qwik right around the lip of the projector
so that it will be underneath the side of the lens retainer. Replace the lens and replace
the retainer as firmly as
possible.
Place the waist shroud and secure it with a lock washer and self tapping screw in each
hole.
Replace the bezel over the refelctor assembly, click in the tab on the top and replace
the two screws.
Attaching the shrouds is done by looping craft wire and twisting it off in back. Some
shrouds may have an extra tab that will needs to be cutoff with a rotary cutoff wheel .
Each wire is looped through the three holes in the underside of the shrouds and then
each end of the wires are slipped through the corresponding holes in the mounts.
Twist each pair ends in the rear of the assmeblies until the shrouds are pulled in close to
sitting on the bezels. Then take turns tightening up each one twist slowly so they pull it in
the last few millimeters evenly. Pay attention to alignment, twisting and checking
alignment, twisting and checking alignment….. until secure. When fully secured the
shrouds wil not be able to move when pushed by
hand.
Straighten out the fixed points in the headlamps. Make them as pefectly even to each
other and perpendicular to the rear as possible so the bezel and reflector assembly
installs as easy as
possible.
Check alignment of the fixed points with the bezel/reflector assmebly before trying to
seat assembly. Seat it halfway onto each point and them start turning the adjustment
screw to thread it through the plastic nut and pull the top in some. Then fully seat the
assembly on the points and pull in the top about ½ way.
Using a clean soft cotton terry cloth and compressed air clean off any fingerprints and
dust before placing the front lens back on the rear of the housing. After the lens is
resting in place, place the lamp back in the oven for 200°-220°F for 10 minutes.
Remove the lamp and place it lens side down on a cotton terry towel. Squeeze the two
halves together by hand first. Then replace the two screws on the outside edge. Then
using clamps or vice grips, start squeezing the halves together starting at the outside
edge and working to the pointed end.
Let the lamps cool 1-2 hours before replacing all the bulbs and sockets. Take the stock
low beam bulb cover and flip the middle inside out as shown below. With a very sharp
utility blade cut right above the four tabs molded in the center of the rubber cover (see
below).
Next insert the D2S plugs into the middle of the covers as shown below. When it is first
shoved through it will be easy for the plug to fall out later if the rubber is not flipped
around to hold tighter against the plug. With a flat blade screwdriver, from the inside of
the cover, push the cut edge of the cover outward in one spot, and continue moving
around the plug until it is completely facing outwards.
Fold back the outer lip of the rubber boot an twist lock the D2S bulb plug onto the D2S
bulb and then seat the outer lip of the rubber cover.
Replace all the bulbs and sockets. Replace the metal bracket underneath the lamps.
Install the lamps back onto the car and connect the ballasts to the bulb plugs. Install
the bumper and enjoy your new retrofitted lamps.