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      03-15-2021, 10:51 PM   #1
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JDM Spec Headlights

What's the difference between the JDM Spec headlights and the Euro version?

I see a lot of JDM spec headlights for sale under $500. What's the catch? Is the housing just lighter?
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      03-16-2021, 06:41 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TM9030 View Post
What's the difference between the JDM Spec headlights and the Euro version?

I see a lot of JDM spec headlights for sale under $500. What's the catch? Is the housing just lighter?
Maybe because they're for a right-hand drive car?
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      03-16-2021, 09:20 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Suprgnat View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by TM9030 View Post
What's the difference between the JDM Spec headlights and the Euro version?

I see a lot of JDM spec headlights for sale under $500. What's the catch? Is the housing just lighter?
Maybe because they're for a right-hand drive car?
Thanks for pointing that out.
I completely forgot about that.
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      03-16-2021, 12:17 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Suprgnat View Post
Maybe because they're for a right-hand drive car?
that's just a coding change away though ...
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      03-16-2021, 01:18 PM   #5
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So, stupid question, I'm really not sure with these.
Other xenon lights I've worked with had the light cutoff as a bit of hardware and that caps the light height stepping up to the left or up to the right based on LHD or RHD.

I know we have a ton of headlight control via coding with the active/adaptive lights, but I thought the cutoff line was still hardware?

Here's a pic for an example, this isn't ours but was the first reasonable example pic I came across-


.
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      03-16-2021, 03:56 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by iminhell1 View Post
that's just a coding change away though ...
Maybe, but there are separate headlight part numbers for LHD and RHD 1ers regardless of bulb type.
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      03-16-2021, 04:24 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1and1 View Post
the light cutoff as a bit of hardware and that caps the light height stepping up to the left or up to the right based on LHD or RHD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suprgnat View Post
Maybe, but there are separate headlight part numbers for LHD and RHD 1ers regardless of bulb type.

Yeah, that!
I think....
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      03-17-2021, 09:24 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1and1 View Post
So, stupid question, I'm really not sure with these.
Other xenon lights I've worked with had the light cutoff as a bit of hardware and that caps the light height stepping up to the left or up to the right based on LHD or RHD.

I know we have a ton of headlight control via coding with the active/adaptive lights, but I thought the cutoff line was still hardware?

Here's a pic for an example, this isn't ours but was the first reasonable example pic I came across-


.


The shutters are electronic on the HID lights.
So when you change from LHD to RHD the shutters actually adjust to prevent dazzling as well as the projectors moving slightly.



The reason for the separate part numbers is simply because they come precoded, since it's not something all consumers are able to do or understand. The lights are physically the same thing.
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      03-17-2021, 10:04 AM   #9
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Spiffy!
Thanks, good info
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      03-17-2021, 11:01 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iminhell1 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1and1 View Post
So, stupid question, I'm really not sure with these.
Other xenon lights I've worked with had the light cutoff as a bit of hardware and that caps the light height stepping up to the left or up to the right based on LHD or RHD.

I know we have a ton of headlight control via coding with the active/adaptive lights, but I thought the cutoff line was still hardware?

Here's a pic for an example, this isn't ours but was the first reasonable example pic I came across-


.


The shutters are electronic on the HID lights.
So when you change from LHD to RHD the shutters actually adjust to prevent dazzling as well as the projectors moving slightly.



The reason for the separate part numbers is simply because they come precoded, since it's not something all consumers are able to do or understand. The lights are physically the same thing.

Thanks for the info.
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      03-17-2021, 03:59 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iminhell1 View Post
The shutters are electronic on the HID lights.
So when you change from LHD to RHD the shutters actually adjust to prevent dazzling as well as the projectors moving slightly.



The reason for the separate part numbers is simply because they come precoded, since it's not something all consumers are able to do or understand. The lights are physically the same thing.
Supposedly there's a switch on the headlight housing that our cars don't have. I have no first-hand knowledge but had remembered an old thread: https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=574627

Highlight from Dackelone:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone View Post
I don't think the one series has a switch. I remember reading a post by some active duty soldier in the UK about it. For troops based in the UK... even for your POV(privately owned vehicle) you MUST replace the LHD headlights with RHD headlights or ship teh car out of the UK. They only give US service members a one year exemption - after that you must convert your car.
Maybe pre-LCI have the switch? There's at least one post on E90post that mentions the switch: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=440929

Might be worth looking in to.
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      03-17-2021, 04:42 PM   #12
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FWIW, my OE 2009 135 HID's do not have that switch.

I swapped my originals for a set of Valeos almost a year ago and still have the pre-LCI originals here in the house. Pulled one out and popped the back cover off. It was easy to identify the mechanism that does the cutoff, and I don't see any way to adjust it beyond what the ecu can control.

After looking at the hardware I'm honestly not sure how it's possible for the cutoff to be controlled by coding. It's a solid bit of metal and only rotates out of the way. The shaft it rides on doesn't seem to have any means of left-right travel, or of changing the step direction that I can see...

Which in no way means I have any idea what I'm talking about....
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      03-17-2021, 05:05 PM   #13
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Sounds like they might not be auto correcting after all. FML
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      03-17-2021, 05:54 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1and1 View Post
FWIW, my OE 2009 135 HID's do not have that switch.

I swapped my originals for a set of Valeos almost a year ago and still have the pre-LCI originals here in the house. Pulled one out and popped the back cover off. It was easy to identify the mechanism that does the cutoff, and I don't see any way to adjust it beyond what the ecu can control.

After looking at the hardware I'm honestly not sure how it's possible for the cutoff to be controlled by coding. It's a solid bit of metal and only rotates out of the way. The shaft it rides on doesn't seem to have any means of left-right travel, or of changing the step direction that I can see...

Which in no way means I have any idea what I'm talking about....

In the coding I'd done on my car, there was a setting which was something about how far ahead the lights where supposed to shine. I was just staring at a wall but when I changed it they (the shields) would move up ever so slightly. I did see a difference between the closest and furthest settings.

Also keep in mind that when you kick the brights on that shield moves out of the way.


The halogens or non-adaptive lights may differ. And I'd bet the halogens in the 128 have a simple knob inside to change from LHD to RHD.
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      03-20-2021, 08:10 PM   #15
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There's always this too-

https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=843765

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      03-20-2021, 09:21 PM   #16
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Quote:
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Interesting...will you be attempting to do this mod?
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      03-21-2021, 03:26 PM   #17
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Interesting...will you be attempting to do this mod?
I've been here since 2016 and eyeballing that thread...

haven't done it yet but keep thinking about it
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      03-23-2021, 05:19 PM   #18
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So the jdm headlights are a no go?
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      03-24-2021, 04:18 PM   #19
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Quote:
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So the jdm headlights are a no go?
Yup, it sounds like it's a no go.

It's a shame, the JDM spec headlights are so cheap.
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