Have anyone remove the attached photo highlighted in red square before? I'm thinking of remove it and the Joey mod it... is there any concern if i were to remove that plastic lense?

Please share photo if available

Thank you and sorry for my bad english

 

Blacking out the reflector for your Xenons would be an awful idea.

 

Oh sorry, my headlamp is not Xenons type. It normal year 2004 one

 

What you can black out, is all the chrome AROUND the reflector areas. It actually is a separate piece that comes off (the headlamp is effectively 3 pieces). Glass - chrome trim - reflector & lamps.

Search around for what's known as a "Joey Mod."

 

Those refractive lenses are designed to comply with FMVSS safety
requirements.
Companies spend $MM of dollars to get uniquely shaped light lenses
to comply by adding those on.
Since this is Polycarbonate when you go to buff it off it will melt & smear
& you'll end up with a mess.
Solution is to buy an older clear enclosure and Mod it to fit your current
bulb/socktes.

 

Hmmm.... Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those headlamps HIDs? The normal halogen headlamps do not look like that right?

Comparing to the HIDs I have on my 02 MCS they look exactly like the one on the picture!

And, yes, I would love to change the look of my HIDs by removing that part too. I don't want to tint it, just remove it and see how it looks.

I don't like how that part makes the headlamp look yellowish and faded when looked at an angle. And my lenses are still crystal clear!

Is it possible to fit the latest 1 gen MINI HIDs? the ones with a circular lens? (I love those!)

Cheers!
RayanMX

 

No the lights in the red square in the OP's attached picture are NOT HIDs. Those are halogen headlights. If yours look the same as in the picture, you don't have HIDs either. HIDs have a projector lens. Don't confuse HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights with "Xenon" style halogen bulbs.

 

Thanks for the response Yurind Yat, but with all due respect HIDs as you described stand for "High Intensity Discharge" but Xenons are not a different kind of lamp! Xenon is the GAS that HID lamps have in the bulb itself, there's even some other kind of HIDs called HMI (metal halide lamps). So, with that out of the way I pfoceed to clarify the following:

"If yours look the same as in the picture, you don't have HIDs either. HIDs have a projector lens"

Starting from 2005 yes, that's correct, but even 2002 models had the option when ordered with the Sports Package.

I can tell the difference between Halogens and HIDs, I know how they work and look (the electronics under the hood are different too! )

My HIDs even do the ignition "flash" and auto-leveling dance when turned on!

Oh and headlamp washers are not standard on Halogen equipped MINIs as fas as I know.

Also my MINI's documentation (invoice and paperwork) also state that it has HIDs.

I'll post some pics of my HIDs seen under the bonnet later, but in the meantime here's a couple of lousy shots:




So maybe there are Halogens with the same headlamp fixture or lens, but never seen that before.

The Halogens I've seen look like this:



So, in conclusion, here's proof of the beauty of MINI, they let the customer choose so many options to make each MINI almost unique don't you think?

Cheers!
RayanMX

 

One the first part of the 1st gen the headlights look the same at first appearance. The very early HIDs/xenons were reflector style and not projector. IMO projectors are better but not always wrong. If the projector is meant for HID is can be, lots of cars that came with HIDs in the earliest stages were reflectors, then projectors became popular. Nissans, Prius, Lincoln pickup, Some caddy SUVs, etc all had HIDs but not necessarily in projectors as one point in time.

But to the OP, I would not remove then lens you are referring too. Yes it is ugly but maybe an ebay set of lights would make for easier modifications.

 

No, they are not HIDs. BUT all of the pre-facelift Headlights had that lens instead of the standard projector we know as HIDs now. The easy way to tell if a pre-facelift car has HIDs is to look for washers and auto level.

 

I stand corrected. I guess in the Mini world, you call those "HIDs". I don't consider a reflector type headlight, even with an HID bulb, to be a true HID headlight system. You can buy aftermarket HID bulbs to throw into a halogen headlight system. That doesn't give you a true HID headlight system, IMO. Only with shooting through a projector lens, can you establish the particular light pattern, cut-off and direction of what I call a "true HID" system.

 

Exactly!!!

That's why I would love to know if it's possible to upgrade my "HID-Wannabe's" to a 2005-2006 HID headlamps!!!

Anyone know if that's possible?

Thanks!
RayanMX

 

Well the reflector is a "true HID" system it just does not have a perfect cutoff. The housing was designed for the light and pasted standards and laws and was mass produced. Now a drop-in kit I am totally against because it truly is not right but lets not forget as I mentioned there are OEM and legal cars with HIDs but in reflector housings as they were designed to work that way. I would contend though that a projector is a better output of light and much sexier to look at Hence why I did a projector/HID retro on my R56.

 

Yes, I'm against purchasing replacement headlamps not made by MINI/BMW (read so many horror stories where they don't fit as good as originals), so do you think I could easily fit original 2005-2006 projector HID from a junked mini onto my 02 MCS?

Thanks!
RayanMX

 

The MINI headlight system is only 3 bolts and one plug, So if those didn't change with 05-06 you should be able to just swap them out. I'm not sure if the bolt pattern/plugs changed for the facelift lights.

Looked all over, and haven't seen threads about someone retrofitting the new HIDs into an older MINI.

 

Thanks for your comments Agarwaen!

RayanMX

 

It may not be common practice, but reflectors can produce a cutoff. A Fresnel lens, which is what that plastic piece is in the red box in the pic, can create your light pattern. I have no problem with your opinion, I just thought I'd throw out some optics knowledge.

OP, if you haven't already figured it out, removing the plastic lens and painting the reflector will make your headlight useless. Don't do it.

 

"HID-Wannabe's" ................................. I'm glad you said it and not me. That's the way I feel about reflector type "HID's". This may be when the general motoring public started to get annoyed with those new, horribly blindingly bright "HID's" and would flash whenever one came at them. As much as my new (to me) Mini is starting to really grow on me, I sense Mini owners can be offended easily by the slightest thing.
I think where there's a will, there's a way. Unless the inner contours of the hood in that area has changed when Mini put on the projector HID's later on, I don't see why they couldn't be retrofitted. Ask "yetti96" how he did it.
Also, check out ebay to see if there are aftermarket retrofit projector HID kits for your year of Mini.

 

There are several threads on the MINI2 forum about updating to the newer projector xenons, and they all said it was a direct swap.

 

@Yurinid Yat ... I tried to sound sarcastic with that statement! LOL since HIDs projector or reflector are still technically an HID (after all it has ballast, electronics and Xenon bulb) and are much better than Helogens, but I got your point, I too prefer the projector lens over the reflector lens (more because of looks over function) and that's why I'm thinking of swapping them!

@rkw ... Thanks for the MINI2 tip, I'll check over there!!!

Thanks!!!!

 

Couple of comments:

1) When you look at the older style of HID headlights on the MINI (2002-2004) there is a little circle next to the high beam that will say "XENON" across it if you do in fact have the reflector-style HID's

2) If you are swapping from the reflector-style HID headlight to the Projector-style HID headlight, it is a direct swap. Keep in mind that you have to have had the factory HID system installed in the car already. There are auto-leveling sensors on the body that allows the leveling system to work.

I know that the latter portion of my statement will work because when I had my MINI I switched from the reflector HID's to the Projector HID's.

Not on, but the next picture will show the Projector-style working.


All installed and turned on:


-Chase

 

Wow!

Thank you Chase, thats all I needed to know and see! Nice!

And never noticed the Xenon letters on the headlamps before but you are right they clearly say Xenon below the grilled circle inside the lamp!

One more thing, where did you got your replacements and how much shoud I expect to pay?

Thanks!
Rayanmx

 

Glad to help out!

I was able to find the set that I had on ebay; I paid about 550.00 for them, which at the time was a steal, especially when I'd be paying around 800.00 each brand new from a dealership.

I'd say create a saved search on ebay that will email you whenever a set is listed. You'll just have to keep on top of the listings because they are pretty hot items.

Good luck, look-wise they are well worth it!

-Chase

 

@Yurinid Yat - Sorry bud, these are OEM equipment. No where can you legitimately state that these are "fake" HID systems.

Comparing what a Mini uses to a drop-in kit is a fallacy.

 

Sorry, bud. Nowhere did I ever state that they were "fake". Never used those words. YOU did. I clearly stated that "IMO", I don't consider those to be a true HID headlight system. Please go back and read my post more carefully. Never mind. I'll paste it here for your convenience.

It's MY opinion.