fitting US headlights to 2006 spec d
 

Hello folks.

I moved to Germany with work, now have to change the lights on my car.
I've bought a pair of US headlights to go on my 2006 Hawkeye spec D (same as wrx sti to all intents and purposes.)

Is fitting just a case of unbolt, unplug, swap in the new ones? Do I need any special tools, is there anything to watch out for? Will it be a straight forward job?

Cheers

Rick

You will probably find that US headlights use a different bulb so the standard loom doesnt match up. I have just imported some US lights and they arent directly compatible.

I have ordered the corresponding connectors off here

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/Bulb-Holders/

to make up some adaptor looms. It is well covered on a lot of US JDM forums

this is turning into an absolute nightmare. The army posted me to germany, it is costing a fortune to get my car road legal, and I'm well over the time limit so I am going to get disciplinary action against me. Great.

Cheers for the info. Any pics of the adaptors you make would be much appreciated.

Rick

Well I ordered the bulb holders from the company in my previous post, I selected the cheapest postage option of 4 working days, but they came next day on a Saturday. The quality of the items is incredible so very impressed!

UK spec bulb is a H4, US spec is a 9007. Very easy to find the pinout diagrams for the two bulbs on the net. So all you have to do is crimp ends on to the wiring supplied with the new bulb holders and plug them into the existing plugs.

US style connector
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11007.jpg
Crimps from Halfords - though any decent motor or electrical factors will stock them
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11008.jpg
proper crimp tool - much better than a pair of pliers
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11012.jpg
You end up with this
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11013.jpg
plug them in and get this
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11018.jpg
Then you have fully installed US lights in a UK car
http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...u/SDC11015.jpg

Don't want to be a party pooper.

But I'm pretty sure you need E approved headlights to pass a MOT in Germany.

US Spec headlights are not E approved. I.E. you would need headlights from a rest of Europe LHD model 2006-2007 WRX or STi.

that is just what I didnt want to hear. I have forked out, bought them and fitted them (which was an annoying, fiddly job involving bleeding knuckles).

If you are right, I may just give up.

Crimp connectors? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Buy proper ones, solder them, and fit a soft nylon cover. Those crimps are foul, they get moisture in and the connection corrodes.:(

They will eventually be swapped when I find my soldering iron and get some spade connectors the right size delivered. I have lost my iron and am loathed to buy a new one :brickwall

Hopefully you will come across a nice german tester who will turn a blind eye. But, I do have to ask why you didnt just buy german lights for it?

Probably because he still needs the arm and leg they would have cost.........:(

Is there nowhere that they can be bought cheap on the continent?

I would reckon stealers would be the only place, unless he could have dropped on a set on one of the European e-bay sites.

And from stealers, I'd reckon he'd not have much change out of €1000 for a pair.

Yeah, dealers wanted 1200 Euros, over a grand in pound sterling. Moving my car here is costing a fortune! My insurance is £600 dearer, had to buy the lights. I would have needed a rear light change too to get a fog light on the correct side. Instead I have made a little junction box, run a wire accross, painted and baked a bulb red, and swapped it with one of the reversing lights (us lights on the rear).

breakers and german ebay.

http://shop.ebay.de/i.html?_trkparms...4.l1581&_pgn=2

has some for around 170 euro a pop.

I don't know if they have all the self levelling stuff the sti ones have? But yes, they are indeed cheaper than I paid, and European. If my current ones fail, I'll bloody buy those!