The ZKW Burnt Bowls Thread

[Rovert]

I need my light output back.... I need something that I can do in an hour for each side. I've taken my lights out many times in a row so I have that. I have no taken the projectors out of the housing though. I only have taken the bowl out in a fitting puzzle it is to take out. Then put a replacement back in.

[nike001]

I need my light output back.... I need something that I can do in an hour for each side. I've taken my lights out many times in a row so I have that. I have no taken the projectors out of the housing though. I only have taken the bowl out in a fitting puzzle it is to take out. Then put a replacement back in.

I'm retrofitting FX-R's currently. I *NOW* have M3 AL lights, that I plan on getting rid of after this project is completed..since I don't need 2 sets of headlights. Let me know if you want them.

SIDE NOTE: Does anyone have any spare ZKW parts? I need the auto-leveling motor and the projector mount/high beam bowl thing for the drivers side.

[Mtnman]

I need my light output back.... I need something that I can do in an hour for each side. I've taken my lights out many times in a row so I have that. I have no taken the projectors out of the housing though. I only have taken the bowl out in a fitting puzzle it is to take out. Then put a replacement back in.

Get Depos. Thats what I did two years ago. take out old, pop in new.

[Rovert]

I'd rather retro with excellent light output. I don't want to lose my clear ZKW lens :D

Are FX-R retro's light years better than M3 AL output? Are your ALs using ZKW lens or the sand blasted (fresnel) AL lens?

[az3579]

David,
Depos don't compare to AL's. The way the light is thrown is not good. I've seen them firsthand and was appalled. They are a huge jump above halogens, though, and would take the Depo's over burned ZKWs anyday.

The line of greatness from least to best:
Halogens < Depo's < AL's < FX-R's.

It's all about the way the light is projected. Ask Ian; we couldn't get his girlfriend's car with Depo's aligned perfectly no matter what we tried. The lights were always somehow misadjusted and as a result they were always either too high or too low, not to mention the lack of side to side adjustment (kept turning the knobs with no effect). Output was fine though.



Do you have any of these issues, David? Perhaps she just has a bad set?



Trevor,
I have the ZKW lens. We swapped it when we swapped the projectors. Pure awesome!



For less than $200 (in my case, less than $150); you can have very well functioning lights you won't have to touch again. Pure win in my book.


Sent from my iPhone 4S from Tapatalk

[nike001]

I'd rather retro with excellent light output. I don't want to lose my clear ZKW lens :D

Are FX-R retro's light years better than M3 AL output? Are your ALs using ZKW lens or the sand blasted (fresnel) AL lens?

They're quite a bit better.. from what I've seen. My AL's are currently wearing my old ZKW lenses, so there is an awesome blue cutoff.

Here are my FX-R's with CBI bulbs (top) vs my AL's with normal phillips bulbs:


But even still, the AL's w/ ZKW lenses are no slouch. Here is a cell picture I took a couple weeks ago:

[Mtnman]

David,
Depos don't compare to AL's. The way the light is thrown is not good. I've seen them firsthand and was appalled. They are a huge jump above halogens, though, and would take the Depo's over burned ZKWs anyday.

The line of greatness from least to best:
Halogens < Depo's < AL's < FX-R's.

It's all about the way the light is projected. Ask Ian; we couldn't get his girlfriend's car with Depo's aligned perfectly no matter what we tried. The lights were always somehow misadjusted and as a result they were always either too high or too low, not to mention the lack of side to side adjustment (kept turning the knobs with no effect). Output was fine though.



Do you have any of these issues, David? Perhaps she just has a bad set?



Trevor,
I have the ZKW lens. We swapped it when we swapped the projectors. Pure awesome!



For less than $200 (in my case, less than $150); you can have very well functioning lights you won't have to touch again. Pure win in my book.


Sent from my iPhone 4S from Tapatalk

I did not know side adjustment was an option. Ill have to look at it. (feel free to show me how) Up and down adjustment is fine and i am happy with it. Id like to bring the passenger one in a little more towards the drivers side, but all in all, waaaay better than the burnt bowls. Ive had some other issues here and there (like my new lense covers dont seem to fit quite right, but i also didnt buy the new seals with them, so...) but at the time, and for the $, it was good. If someone needs a cheap and easy way to replace a burnt bowl, then I would recommend. If someone has a lot of technical experience and some time, then a retro fit would be better (i assume). This was not available when i did it. I would most likely have retro fit mine if i could do it again, but I have the time and the $ has also come way down on the DIY.

[cakM3]

@ nike

Glad to hear that you got everything sorted out on the FX-R retrofit. I just wish you had made a good detailed DIY for these. I would most likely have tried this retrofit with my spare set of ZKW headlight assemblies since I have a set of FX-R projectors here....

and.....where did you get the CBI bulbs from?

[nike001]

@ nike

Glad to hear that you got everything sorted out on the FX-R retrofit. I just wish you had made a good detailed DIY for these. I would most likely have tried this retrofit with my spare set of ZKW headlight assemblies since I have a set of FX-R projectors here....

and.....where did you get the CBI bulbs from?

Actually, I didn't get the retro sorted out Those shots were just a projector laying on a flat spot of my engine bay with a bulb & ignitor hooked up to it. I'll (hopefully) finish it up this weekend (assuming I dont need a new headlight bracket)

I can try to make a DIY with what I have left. Terra and I mainly just followed other peoples DIY's.

I got my CBI's from a group buy on HIDPlanet.com for something like $190 shipped. IIRC, the group buy ended today. I'll inform you on the next group buy I become aware of.

[Rovert]

What's a CBI? speak engrish!! :P