Possible to buy Headlight assembly with HID Projector?

[invictive]

Alright, so I just got my first car, a 2004 Mazda3 Sport, and I just found this forum and have been pouring through all the information.

My understanding is that the 2005? model year comes with HID headlights as an option. Is it possible to buy the headlight assembly with the HID projector and install it in my 2004 car? Also will the stock assembly work with a XTEC or Philips HID kit?

I couldn't find reference to anyone trying this, so I'm not really sure if it would be possible, or worth the money.

Also, living in the GTA should I be speaking to Devin about Angel Eyes and LED Tailights? Or is there another product or seller you would recommend.

So far this forum looks like a great place, but I've got lots of reading to do.

Thanks a lot,

-Kai

[Skarbro]

First of all, welcome to the board...

Don't worry about getting the OEM HID's with new OEM headlight assemblies. The headlight assemblies you already have are exactly the same as the ones with the HID option. All you need are the HID components. That said, there is a very good GB going on right now on quality aftermarket HIDs:

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19115

You may be able to jump on this. Looks like a couple spots left.

[WeatherB]

It's actually the 2007s which have the HID options...

Like Skarbro said, you don't need to change the headlight assembly to get HIDs as the projectors themselves are the same. Just purchase one of those rebased kits and you'll be fine (such as the one in the link above).

[MajesticBlueNTO]

the HID and Halogen projectors in 04/05 are NOT the same. i'm guessing this applies for 06 and 07 as well. the HID headlight assemblies also comes with the leveling motor.

there was a technical diagram showing a cutaway of each with different lengths of the projectors...a member by the name of cebo0650 did a lot of research on this back in 05.

it so happens that the halogen projectors can accept HIDs and produce minimal glare.

[RedRaptor]

Not even close to being the same. The HID assemblies have a very sharp cut off, better light pattern and is a different beast all together. Simply putting an aftermarket HID kit into your halogen projects DOES NOT make them the same as OEM HIDs.

[MattC]

Yeah turning regular Halogen bulbs into HID's make them annoyingly bright, and look like your driving with highbeams on constantly.

if you have ever seen any older civics that look like their driving with their high beams on, thats what it looks like.

[Fuman]

mods lock? there are plenty of threads about this.

[Skarbro]

Ah I see. I always thought they were the same based on info I've read before. I guess I read wrong. My bad.

[WeatherB]

Hmm... That's interesting. I should look for those technical cut-aways.

From the outside, the 2007 OEM HID and 2007 Halogens look exactly the same.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Hmm... That's interesting. I should look for those technical cut-aways.

From the outside, the 2007 OEM HID and 2007 Halogens look exactly the same.

just because they look the same from the outside, does not mean they are. (do you know for sure whether the 07 Halogen and HID assemblies are the same? same part number? not antagonizing, just curious)

yes, both use projector technology, however, the internals of the projectors are different due to many factors...the length of the bulbs, different focal lengths, different ellipsoidal reflector, etc.

one distinct difference of HIDs in the halogen projector vs. HIDs in an HID projector in the 3 was the appearance of "blobs" at the top of the cutoff (halogen projector) vs. a sharp, stepped cutoff with no bleeding above the cutoff line (HID projector). line a car of each example a few feet from a wall and you'll see.

as for the cutaway, here it is (click for bigger image)http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/7/20414333442.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6090602)

you can see that the ellipsoidal reflector in the projector housing differs in length (Top: Halogen, Bottom: HID).

[Xenon]

Just out of personal experience... I want to comment on a few points:

- Part numbers for the housings changed each year, It was a difference of one letter. I recall this because I had a nice discussion with Joe (Flipspeed) and we looked up the history of the housing part numbers.

- 2007 was the first year that HID headlights were an option on Canadian mazda3's. The US Models got them earlier in 2005 (I think).

- The biggest change with respect to the halogen housings was from 2004 to 2005. This is when they went from a frosted lens to a clear one. I know this because I've seen and adjusted a lot of mazda3 headlights at meets (ask the AA people, they know what I'm talking about) and I have seen the different housing parts. Originally the lenses were frosted so that the transition of light from within the beam to out of the beam would be easier on oncoming traffic (eg. when your car bounces and lowbeams raise high enough to shine itno oncoming traffic). They removed the frosted lenses because the frosting on the lens restricted the light output.

Here are the list of noticable changes from year to year:
2004 - Original housing spec, North American DOT-style cut off made for NA-spec cars.
2005 - Frosted lens gets replaced with clear lenses
2006 - Cut off shield gets sharpened, creating a more distinctive cut-off
2007 - "bunny ears" greatly reduced or removed with addition of a different shield, but with same sharpness as 2006.

According to some of the people I've talked to from M3F and HID Planet, the Mazda3 HID housings have gone through 2 changes. One was in 2005 when they replaced the frosted lens with the clear one and the other was in 2007, when they changed the shield of the housing for a clearer cut off. Just a note the shields on the halogen housings are NOT the same as the HID housings.

I personally have a 2004 Mazda3 with 2007 headlight housings with Xtex's HID conversion kit instealled. There is a HUGE difference between the 2004 and 2007. The beam's cut off is much sharper and distinctive, and the "bunny ear" light leakage is gone.

[Cardinal Fang]

Great post Xenon.

[Gizzmo_jr]

The bottom of my 2007 headlights have the 3 hole triangle mount for the stock HID ballast. And the extra hole plugged where the leveling system would go.