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    LED headlight install

    This is another easy modification, which will improve greatly upon the already-decent Mirage headlights. They will also last a LOT longer than the stock lamps, and will very likely outlast the car itself. For the price of a couple pair of Silverstar Halogens (That burn out pretty fast) you could have these. These LED lamps are very bright, like HID's, but they do not require the extra wiring for ballasts. They are very much "Plug and Play". But there are a couple of tricks I'd like to point out, so someone else doing the mod won't run into the same issues (and sore fingers) that I did.

    First, we need to buy some LED headlamps. Our cars use "9003" bulbs, which by lucky coincidence, will also fit the very common "H4" bulbs used by motorcycles. I bought these from Procycle - http://www.procycle.us/bikepages/dr650.html#electrical You will need two of them. These are NOT the same as some of the cheaper units offered on Ebay - you get what you pay for. These lamps are 3800 lumen, fan cooled, and they are made to be used in "Dual Sport" motorcycles, which tend to be dropped and knocked around more often than your average Harley, so in our case the lights will survive anything the car will - and a few things that the car would not.

    So, order your bulbs. Procycle is fast, so you'll have them in a few days. Don't know why this pic keeps coming up sideways. I've rotated it with a few different image editors.



    First, lets get the old headlight out. All of the work to install the LEDs can be done without removing the headlight housings.





    Pull the rubber boot off with the tabs, exposing the stock bulb:



    Push the clip forward, and swing it away. Remove the bulb.




    Might as well hang on to these



    Here is our LED unit. Note the silver mounting ring. This comes off. You push down on the ring (Toward the heat-sink) and twist to remove it. You will need to remove it to put it in the housing.



    Here is the ring.



    Install it in the housing just like the bulb you took out. It can be put in backwards! The plastic tube should protrude outwards as shown here.



    Put the rubber boot back on. Make sure it is pushed down in the center, and all around the outside. Here is where you learn from my mistakes: Lube that rubber (*snerk*) with WD40 or some kind of light oil, around the hole (giggity) before inserting the LED or it will be very hard to get it to turn and seat. The pigtail will go toward the bottom when it's installed. Push the lamp forward, and twist it.



    And you're halfway done! They plug in to the stock headlight connector. Tape the fan driver box down to something so it doesn't swing around and hit anything.



    Same process for the other side. A little less room due to the fusebox, but still plenty of clearance.



    Looks a little different in the housings.


    Does a great job of lighting up the backroads in this area, which are rife with deer and other critters that are out to damage my new car. Pictures on my phone do not do these lamps justice. They light the entire road up, to the sides, in front of the car, and far down the road. They are considerably brighter than the stock lamps. Even on low beam they light up the road great.



    Enjoy your new headamps!

    -Mark (Still trying for that forum sticker)
    Last edited by Tinker1980; 03-13-2015 at 06:34 PM.

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    Uber Mirage alex16's Avatar
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    Nice! I can tell a difference with my ge nighthawk platnums, my headlights are so bright I can barely tell my hid fog lights are on, but when it's foggy the green/yellow dog lights sure do make everything glow! Get any front pictures before/after?
    2014 ES F5MBD aka 5MT. I am a full time Uber driver, if you want to drive for uber DO not sign up without my referral code for a bonus .

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 44.8 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by alex16 View Post
    Get any front pictures before/after?
    I have this pic, with one LED and one halogen. Easy to see the difference.



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    Thanks for sharing this - I am a little concerned at removing the backplate though as this helps locate the bulb and (using the pressure of the clip) stop it wobbling about. Didn't it fit in the housing?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage 3 CVT 1.2 automatic: 47.9 mpg (US) ... 20.4 km/L ... 4.9 L/100 km ... 57.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Teasmade View Post
    Thanks for sharing this - I am a little concerned at removing the backplate though as this helps locate the bulb and (using the pressure of the clip) stop it wobbling about. Didn't it fit in the housing?
    The backplate - are you talking about the ring with the three tabs?

    The reason you remove that is so you can get the clip to hold the LED in. The clip won't fit over the back of the heat sink attached to the LED. The LED fits in the housing as if it were a stock bulb. You just have to put the ring in first and then put the LED into the ring.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tinker1980 View Post
    The backplate - are you talking about the ring with the three tabs?

    The reason you remove that is so you can get the clip to hold the LED in. The clip won't fit over the back of the heat sink attached to the LED. The LED fits in the housing as if it were a stock bulb. You just have to put the ring in first and then put the LED into the ring.
    Ah! Sorry, I missed the bit of your post where you mentioned that - apologies!

    So you put the tab ring on, then clip in the led bit. Got it!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage 3 CVT 1.2 automatic: 47.9 mpg (US) ... 20.4 km/L ... 4.9 L/100 km ... 57.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Teasmade View Post
    Ah! Sorry, I missed the bit of your post where you mentioned that - apologies!

    So you put the tab ring on, then clip in the led bit. Got it!
    You put the ring in, clip it down like the normal bulb, put the rubber boot on and seat it all the way down and in the center, oil the rubber with a light oil, and push-and-twist the LED into the socket in the metal ring.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teasmade View Post
    Thanks for sharing this - I am a little concerned at removing the backplate though as this helps locate the bulb and (using the pressure of the clip) stop it wobbling about. Didn't it fit in the housing?
    It looks like the "backplate" is used. It is installed by itself using the clip to hold it as the regular bulb. The new LED is then inserted and twist locked in place. (I assume the separation is necessary to fit the stock rubber boot in place as it won't fit over the heatsink?)...
    Will weld for beer.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 45.3 mpg (US) ... 19.3 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Do these do low+high?

    Can't see how this would be cheaper than HID when its $64 ea.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ares View Post
    Do these do low+high?

    Can't see how this would be cheaper than HID when its $64 ea.
    They do low and high beam.

    They may not be much cheaper than HID's, but they are FAR easier to install, and more durable. You don't need projectors, or to modify your housings.

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