[jpn]

So- as I mentioned in another thread, I did my headlights this weekend. Here's the guide.

Throughout this post, I will refer to Darkspeed3's thread: 2010 Mazdaspeed3 HEADLIGHT BAKE & PAINT!!! **Photos & Video!** with a "**Darkspeed3" tag

Thanks to Darkspeed3 and McGuyver_3 for providing me with some helpful info going into this lengthy project.


Step 1: remove headlights from car (**Darkspeed3)

Step 2 (optional): replace orange amber turn bulbs with stealth bulbs

Step 3: bake or heat-gun headlights to soften the seal. I tried the heat-gun method, but then rigged up my oven and went that route.

Step 4: pull apart starting from the bottom side (ie- not the side with the turn bulb). you will have to pull pretty hard and you will hear a large crack, like plastic breaking :001_unsure:. Yeah... scared the hell outta me... but it's just the sound of the parking light cover breaking lose from it's tabs that hold it. It sits a little bit inside the outer lens.

Step 5: begin to disassemble. there are 3 screws you will see that hold the first part in.

Step 6: remove the chrome plastic piece that sits in front of the projector lens. It took a while to decide exactly how to do this because the screws holding it on are not accessible without partly removing the entire moving projector lense assembly :001_unsure:. EEEK! Relax, it's actually not that bad. It's held on there in 3 places:

1- screw on the inner side (ie- towards the turn signal bulb) with a 10mm hex on it that you can use a open wrench to slowly loosen

2- a screw on the outer side that adjusts leveling that can be loosened from the exterior of the headlight on the backside using a 10mm socket. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A PICTURE SO YOU CAN GET IT SCREWED BACK IN TO THE SAME LEVEL

3- a second screw on the outer side that is actually driven by a motor (this is the Auto-Leveling functionality of the headlight). I don't have a pic, but there are two plastic tabs that you just need to squeeze and then it pops right out real easily.


Step 7: tape off the chrome that reflects the parking light (remember, there is that insert that covers this so the tape job doesn't need to be perfect)

Step 8: clean and paint the pieces. I also painted the clear piece that's actually attached to the inside of the outer lens

Step 9: start working on modifying a set of 100mm angel eye rings. I got mine for $35 off eBay. They came with a cheap, plastic cover on them with the slits to make it look like the traditional angel eye ring... This was large and gaudy, so I broke the tabs on the backside and extracted the CCFL ring

not as many pics now... sorry...
Step 10: use some black heat shrink tubing. cut a small slight in the back of it and route the wires out that way. then shrink it onto the ring...

Step 11: tape off the rest of the ring and paint the heat shrink the same color as you painted the chrome pieces...

Step 12: drill two tiny holes, just large enough to run the angel eye ring wires through, in the chrome piece (that is now painted to your liking) that fits over the projector lens. here's the best pic option. the ring is illuminated, but you can see the heat shrink on there and painted with the wires coming out inside the projector lens cover

Step 13: route wires through and use a small amount of epoxy on the underside of the heat-shrunk part of your ring to attach it to the chrome piece.


Step 14: drill two small holes in the white cap from the backside of the headlight unit and route the angel eye ring wires out that way. make sure to use some silicone or something to seal these holes air tight.

Step 15: re-assemble everything CAREFULLY

Step 16: bake the lenses back on

Step 17: mount the angel eye inverter on the headlight housing and wire to the parking lights

Step 18: re-install lights on car

Step 19: stand back and be careful not to wet yourself with happiness

I did this over 2 days. I definitely recommend doing so. I got worn out and started to lose my attention to detail around 10pm Saturday, so I decided to finish on Sunday.


Hope you find this helpful. Feel free to ask questions and hhhhhhwhatnot

 

[.Slug]

what temp do you estimate (the oven was open) you baked the lights at and for how long?

 

[jpn]

oven was set to 250. EDIT: sorry. 15 minutes

 

[krimson viper]

That ghetto rig is hilarious still! Excellent work though! Thank you!

 

[Derrick_B]

Looks good.

 

[StitcH]

That looks awesome. I wish I had the confidence to do this.

You get :thumbup 1:

 

[DarkSpeed3]

Great job. My only worry would be the halos dying and having to pry the housing open again.... especially using a set off ebay. KUDOS!

 

[jpn]

Got a request for an explanation of how the halos are wired.

For those that don't know, the CCFL halos I ordered off eBay run off A/C so they came with the required power inverter.

The wires coming off the power inverter for DC in (1 red, 1 black) can be wired to any 12V power source you desire. I chose to wire the halos so they turn on / off with the parking lights. This is the easiest route to take, but you could wire up your own independent switch if you wanted.

The wires coming off the power inverter already had metal, pin-like connectors on them that I was able to shove into corresponding connections on the turn signal socket. Determining which wire was the flasher for when the turn signal is on and which wire was the constant, parking light wire was actually pretty easy. I just looked at the wires running to the (now LED) white parking light. There is a black wire with some color stripe on it (can't remember). This is obviously matched up with the black (ground) wire for your halos. Then the positive will be a red with (I think) a white stripe. But again, look at the white parking light to see what the positive wire should be. One of the 3 wires running to the turn bulb is the same as this one.


Hopefully this made some sense. Feel free to ask questions. I"ll do my best to respond in a timely manner

 

[drewzilla1981]

nice write-up. wanna black mine out, but im a wuss!

 

[andyx626]

where can i purchase angel eyes for the new 2010 mazda 3?

 

[StitcH]

where can i purchase angel eyes for the new 2010 mazda 3?

AFAIK, there is nothing specific out for the 2010 MZ3. But you can just do what jpn did...

a set of 100mm angel eye rings. I got mine for $35 off eBay.

 

[1clean3]

looks great man.:thumbup:

 

[jpn]

UPDATE: powering the angel eyes directly off the parking lights seems to be problematic... the parking lights are flickering....

I'm thinking the CCFL ballasts are drawing too much power away and causing this. I'm on travel for the next week, but I plan to put in relays when I get back so the ballasts aren't powered by the parking lights, but are still triggered by the parking lights.

 

[derekl]

Really nice. So is there still a bulb or light coming from the original head light part? along with the angel eyes? or is it just the angel eye circle? I also remember seeing some 2010 MZ3 with a full circle, and a partial circle infront? How is that done?

 

[jpn]

wow- sitting at the dealership right now waiting for my complimentary oil change...

the guy pulled my car in, and re-filled my washer fluid. he spilled fluid all over the place! as I was walking away from the car, I looked back and am pretty sure the passenger side angel eye is no longer working. pretty sure he spilled fluid all over the fucking ballest and caused it to short out

 

[CTt3P5]

Damn that sux and since it's not stock I am sure you have no recourse against him for the damage.

 

[BSUBigMac]

wow- sitting at the dealership right now waiting for my complimentary oil change...

the guy pulled my car in, and re-filled my washer fluid. he spilled fluid all over the place! as I was walking away from the car, I looked back and am pretty sure the passenger side angel eye is no longer working. pretty sure he spilled fluid all over the fucking ballest and caused it to short out

I'd be pissed too! I can't believe someone who's career is working on/maintaining cars can't use a fucking funnel! What a douche!!!

 

[drewzilla1981]

they won't use a funnel for windshield washer fluid. if they spill any no one cares...it'll just evaporate.

 

[BSUBigMac]

they won't use a funnel for windshield washer fluid. if they spill any no one cares...it'll just evaporate.

If they spilled enough to ruin a ballast they need to start using funnels! That's pretty bad aim if you ask me!

 

[McGuyver_3]

You did a fantastic job. I did mine a long time ago aswell unfortunatly i had to use the heat gun. I would like t know what you used to keep the heat in the oven. looks like tine foil? or is it a fire blanket of some sort? Where did you get it from if it is a fire blanket? Would be highly interested to know
thanks

McG_3