Retrofit labs projector comparison video
 

Hi guys, thought you might like to see a comparison I made of the before/after fitting replacement projectors (fitted to my partners 2009 C30) as I had seen others mention on here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdz2Ylnvsgo

Unfortunately it was wet in the before, but I assure you this is a fairly accurate picture of the difference you see when driving.

Generally very pleased - they are obviously much brighter. My only concern is there is absolutely zero light above the cut-off, so they don't seem to light up signs etc very well.

I'm considering trying the original lenses in the new reflector units to try to get some of the diffused light above the cut-off back - has anyone else tried this?

When i was running HIDs i considered it, as the difference between above/below cutoff was a bit straining on the eyes.

Didnt bother in the end though. You can adjust these projectors fairly high because cut off pattern to oncoming traffic is very defined.

You will also lose brightness going back to the old lens which is something i didnt want to do.

Significant difference. Would you say the change is great or almost too bright on the actual road surface?

Are these the E46 projectors or just new OEM projectors?

These are the E46 projectors. The change is great, there’s no issue with the road being too bright, my only concern is that it seems too dark outside the beam - which is why I’m considering trying the Volvo lenses in the E46 reflectors.

Thanks for the reply T5R92011 - I believe it was your previous posts that provided the info which let me get started on this :)

Yeah I may try raising the beam slightly - at the moment they are only aligned compared to the originals, but they could well have been too low.

I think the slight illumination upwards would be a reasonable payoff for a slight drop in brightness - there’s certainly some to spare!

If I get round to it I will update. At the moment the girlfriend is very happy - before she wasn’t even sure if the headlight were on!

Cool. Out of curiosity, is the 'E46' just a model number or are they supposed to be for E46 BMWs?:confused-smiley-013

I get what you're trying to do about diffusing the cut-off. I had my front fog lamps on recently and felt they brightened the immediate front of the road so well that my eyes adjusted to that brightness and made the mid- and far-range of the dipped beam look less bright. Obviously in reality the strength of dipped beam didn't change at all, it was just my eyes adjusting to the brightness of the fogs, which I felt hindered rather than helped my overall visibility.

It does refer to the BMW. I believe the actual units are clones of Bosch - AL projectors - the genuine ones must have been in the BMW

What version did you go for - H7 or D2S ?
You have valid point with trying the OEM lenses. Your 2009 car have better factory lenses than mine (2005 'fresnel' lens) and you have much better chance of achiving better results. Yes, its possible and should be fairly easy as dimension of projector are identical and lenses are easy to take out and swap. I would be VERY interested in results as I am having same issues on my retro E46 as you - I wish it had a bit more of spreadout light mostly in sides as I find the RFL projectors extremely narrow. Sometimes turning in unlit forest road is impossible unless I put foglamps on (see difference on the road with and without fogs, below)

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1550226297

I learned to live with it but it certainly leave a lot field for improvement.
BTW I dont find the signs "unlit", actually sometimes the other way around - when driving I can see that my lights make signs reflect a lot more than other cars (easy to spot by colour of reflection). I have them set properly (even maybe a tiny bit lower than I could) as I drive a lot on uneven country roads.
If you feel adventureous and willing to try swapping lens - please make sure you do a comparison shots.
just to show you differences in my case, see pics below with fresnel lens and clear lens. On the wall its easy to spot all light leaks and deformity of patterns, and you can immediately know if its gonna work or not.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1550226964
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/attac...1&d=1550226964

Hi Lizard.

Thanks for all your earlier posts which contributed to my trying this.

I’ve gone for H7’s as I’m staying with halogens - as it’s my partners car I don’t want any question over legality or MOT issues.

Regarding the road signs - I’m referring to the effect where the light doesn’t spread far so while those in the distance can be seriously glowing, one close to you and therefore above the beam can be dark. We definately seem to be noticing the same issue.

This discussion is encouraging me to swap the lenses out - I will of course provide comparisons :)

Do you just bend out the tabs and move the lens on it’s own or do the metal frames separate from the reflector?

Don't be surprised if the frosted lens doesn't make much difference.

The OEM cutoff pattern is quite different to the ones on the retrofit labs.