I promised a write-up with some pictures of my Euro-light Mod, and as a man of my word, I provide said write-up:
Firstly: I could never have completed this project without the immense help of JayDub. He has been truly awesome in helping me out with wiring diagrams, instructions, words of encouragement, and even a phone-call here and there to keep me sane. So Thank You JayDub!
Second: I think if I had known how involved this project was going to be and how much time it would take, I might think twice about doing it again. Depending on where you work/how good you are with tools(or wiring diagrams and such) then this mod could result in loss of:
-Blood
-Sweat
-Tears
-Fingers
-Social Life
-Girl-Friend/Finance/Wife/Significant Other
-$3000
Now…the $3k is because I priced the Eurolights with George at Viva and he said I was looking at about 3k…so if you break anything, be ready to spend some serious money for replacement headlights, as Volvo does not sell internal parts for the headlights…to them, it's all one part number. (Oh....and in case you are wondering...replacement NA-Spec lights are around $2500...so if you break something, you might as well upgrade
For this reason, this mod is also not for the faint of heart. There were a couple of times when I realized: "If I do this wrong and break something, I just spent $3000." (Or, as some have put it: paid the stupid tax)
For this Write-up, I'm assuming you already know how to remove the front bumper, and remove the headlight assembly from the car itself. If you are having trouble with that aspect, feel free to email me.
So now that you are holding the Valeo Headlight in your Hot Little Hands, let's get to work.
You will need to take off the 4 metal spring clips that 'hold' the glass onto the plastic case. Once those are off, you get to experience the joy of separating the glass from the plastic via the use of a heat gun and a putty knife. Heat the glass a bit and insert the knife down under the adhesive. This is a slow process. VERY SLOW. BE CAREFUL: if you use too much heat the plastic case can melt, and if you get the adhesive too hot, it gets stringy and becomes that much more difficult. I will take this opportunity to say that the adhesive holding the lights together IS actually Satan. The stuff is unbelievably hard to work with. So enjoy
Figure 1
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As you start to separate the glass from the case, be sure to pull as straight out as possible. horizontal or vertical stress may crack the silver plastic bezel insert (Figure 1, red arrows) -which is almost certainly stuck to the glass via the grey Satan.
Figure 2
![]()
Once the glass is separated, go ahead and take out the amber turn light (#4 -Fig 2) and the 9006xs DRL bulb. Then take out the silver reflector for the turn signal. (#3 Fig 2) Next on your list is the DRL Fresnel lens. I have to admit to breaking this piece on both my lights. I never did figure out how to get the blasted thing out without breaking it. Luckily: I don't need the Fresnels ever again
Figure 3
![]()
Next on your list, remove the HID rotation motor. (#1 - Fig. 3) It separates from the case like a light bulb would from a housing: ¼ turn rotation and then it is loose. It will take some maneuvering to free the ball on the end of the motor shaft from the joint on the Reflector Structure. (#1 Fig 2)
Figure 4
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Figure 5
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Once the motor joint is off, the Reflector Structure now swings freely on two more ball joints at the top of the Structure. (Figs 4 & 5) They have little white clips that slot into the actual structure. Now…removing the structure is a little hair-raising.
Figure 6
![]()
First: measure the exact length of the worm gear that is connected to the Structure. (Red Arrows in Fig 6) This is the gear controlled by the white aiming hex nut on top of the back of the case. You want to get this measurement very accurate so you can return your headlights to their properly aimed position.(ei write this down and save for later) Next, use that hex key (Fig 6) to wind the worm gear out a ways. This will make the next step easier. Next, separate that same worm drive from the case in the same fashion as the HID rotation motor. Once it's loose, you can pop the white ball joint from the structure, and then you can pop the other white ball joint (down by the DRL lens) from the structure and the structure should be loose. You now have to disconnect the two wiring harnesses that that spread the power around and you will have the whole Reflector Structure separated. Congrats!
Next, you'll need to take the low-beam HID (#2 Fig 2) off of the structure. For this you'll need a Philips head and a very small torx head screw driver. Three screws each and your done. The Reflector Structure which includes the DRL reflector should now be free but should still have the 9006 holder on the DRL as well as the three metal clips for the low-beam HID and the black plastic ball joint from the rotation motor. Remove the 9006 holder (with that same small torx) and you are ready for the "down time" of this project.
You'll need to send away your reflectors to get them 'metalized;' That is to say, have the reflective coating reapplied. The reflectors are pretty much the right shape (so your in luck there) they just need to be shiny. I thought about Chrome paint….not hi-temp enough and anything that would take the heat was not shiny enough.
I initially thought I might be able to get this done locally…I mean c'mon, this is SoCal…center of the know universe….right? Wrong! California has actually essentially banned the chemicals needed to accomplish this…I was given one quote….a thousand dollars 'or so.' Umm…..no. So do what everyone else who has done this mod has done: Send it to Vacu-Coat in Michigan. (www.vacucoat.com) They are wonderful, they know what needs to be done, and they will charge you about $100 for the coating and then the return shipping. Just don't argue and do it.
While you are waiting for your lenses, hop on the 'interweb' and spend a bit more money. I went with the SharpHID 9006 4300K 55W DDM Race kit for $140 (Merry Christmas to me). They were backordered and took a bit longer than expected, but John Sharp is a great communicator, so no worries there…he even answers emails on Sunday Morning: Awesome!) Next, buy yourself some Loctite 39916 Urethane Sealant from online. I tried a number of the big box stores as well as some smaller shops… nothing… save yourself the time and trouble and have it delivered to your door for $15. While your at it, get yourself some blue heat-shrink butt splices. (You'll need these later.)
Next…while you are still waiting for your reflectors to come back, clean as much of the old grey Satan adhesive from the troughs of the plastic case. Enjoy….so much fun…I've met bears that were easier to deal with….think mother-in-law-with-weapon.
Finally. If you like the orange reflectors, or they are legally required in your state, leave them alone. I chose to do the bondo job for the euro-look as outlined other places on other forums.
Ok…so the day arrives when your reflectors have returned!!! Yeah…time to get cracking!
Figure 7
![]()
First, you've got some wiring to do. If you look at the main wiring harness connector, (Fig 7) the one that comes out of the back of the headlight assembly, you should be able to see a numbers indicating a pin-out. Time to do some cutting. Cut wires 1, 4, and 6. They should be red, black and yellow but the colors are not important and they may be different on your car…no idea why that is….so don't take my word for this on the colors, use the pin-out. Next, take the 1 and 6 wires from the headlight side, splice them together and then splice them to the number 1 wire on the car side of things. Next take the number 6 wire from the car side of things and splice it together with the number 4 wire on the car side of things….then splice them both to the number 4 wire on the headlight side of things…make sense? Use those nice heat-shrink butt splices to keep it all weatherproof. What you are essentially doing (and JayDub was the one who explained all this to me…thx so much man) is using the eurolight high-beam wiring, which is still in the car (and can handle the current), and setting it up to power the DRL connector. Then you are grounding out the DRL circuit, which eliminates any DRL codes in the cockpit…at least for my '05 it does.
This all assumes that you use your HID as a DRL…which is what I do…if you have other preferences regarding all that stuff, you are welcome to your opinions regarding all "that." I'm just saying this is what I do, and I get no codes, and I didn't have to do any VIDAS or anything…it just works…so if that sounds like something you want to do, great. If you want to do it differently, well…congrats…don't do this mod this way.
![]()
That's my two bits on that, on to other things.
Ok…so your wiring outside the headlight is done…time to move onto the light itself.
Your SharpHIDs have arrived and you are ready to put them into the lamp and put everything back together. So…re-assmble everything the same way you took it apart up to the point where you would put your silver plastic bezel and glass back on. Leave those off and lets look at what to do with that pretty new reflector. Well…first things first: you're going to need to make a hole. Specifically, in the round DRL bulb access cover. (#2 Fig 3) And you're going to need a hole that is just big enough for the HID connectors to fit through. I used a "Christmas Tree Hole Cutter" and a set of calipers and I think I got it about right at roughtly 1" in diameter. This new hole will accommodate the rubber seal that comes with the HID bulb and connector so it can run wires out to the HID Ballast and Igniter that you will need to stow in the engine bay somewhere (more on that later). Plug the bulb into the 9006 space in the reflector and then plug the bulb wiring into the DRL connector…which is now wired for your hi-beams. Close up the back of the case. Now seal the gasket with some Silicone RTV sealant. The RTV has the heat range and the chemical resistance to make it perfect for this job. (A little tip: lick your finger and then smooth the silicone out once you have it applied: makes the job look great…don't lick the same finger twice: you'll regret it)
At this point, I would recommend a test run. Plug everything in, get a buddy/co-worker/significant other if they still love you - to hold the lights just in the engine bay. Be careful to keep wiring away from the serpentine belt. Fire up the car and check the functionality. Thanks to JayDub, mine was a success on the first try! Now…unplug the lights and return to shop bench. Re-install the silver plastic bezel, and then lay a nice bead of Satan (grey urethane adhesive) into the channel on the plastic case. Next, position your glass and stick it into place. Put on the 4 metal retaining clips and the set the light on its "back" (be careful of that new HID wiring out the back). Let the urethane set up for at least 24 hours before installing the lights. It was cold when I did mine (in the low 50's at night) so I gave mine 3 days to set up a little more.
After that, pop them in the car, secure the HID ballasts, and you are off to the races with 55W HIDs as your new hi-beams. I ended up using 3M Dual Lock to secure the Ballasts and Igniters. That is the stuff that is super strong velcro....they sell it at Radio Shack (though they call it something different...like super-lok or something dumb like that) ...same stuff....does hi-temp and has great adhesive.
Summary of Costs:
SharpHID: $140
Reflector coating and shipping both ways with $3000 worth of insurance: $250
Bondo and paint for the Bezel: $50
Loctite 39916: $15
Various others: $40
Total Cost: $495
Cost of Euro Lights: $3000
3000-495=2505 dollars saved.
Tools needed:
Very Small Tox
Philips screw driver
Heat Gun
Putty Knife
Bondo supplies
Wiring crimpers and cutters etc.
Various insundry other normal hand tools.
Results: Once installation was complete, I ended up messing about with the aiming for a while. (I'll leave you to your own devices on this one However, once the lights were aimed right for both hi and low beams,...well...let me tell you...those suckers are BRIGHT! The HID Ballasts take a moment to really warm up (though once warm for the first time, 'Flash to Pass' still works great) and then you are off to a wonderful world of crazy-bright hi-beams.
I know there are some out there who will say this is just a cosmetic mod, and that these couldn't possible throw any light down the road....well...I'm here to say that, with proper aiming, these cast significantly more light that my '03 V70 T5 hi-beams (H7s)....and I know this because I had the two cars parked side by side and did a comparison.
So there you have it. If you have any questions, feel free to email or post. I hope this little tutorial can be half as helpful to someone else as JayDub has been to me on this one.
Merry Christmas Everyone...and a Happy New Year
Alan
Modified by Storax at 10:35 PM 1-6-2009
Modified by Storax at 10:44 PM 1-6-2009
Firstly: I could never have completed this project without the immense help of JayDub. He has been truly awesome in helping me out with wiring diagrams, instructions, words of encouragement, and even a phone-call here and there to keep me sane. So Thank You JayDub!
Second: I think if I had known how involved this project was going to be and how much time it would take, I might think twice about doing it again. Depending on where you work/how good you are with tools(or wiring diagrams and such) then this mod could result in loss of:
-Blood
-Sweat
-Tears
-Fingers
-Social Life
-Girl-Friend/Finance/Wife/Significant Other
-$3000
Now…the $3k is because I priced the Eurolights with George at Viva and he said I was looking at about 3k…so if you break anything, be ready to spend some serious money for replacement headlights, as Volvo does not sell internal parts for the headlights…to them, it's all one part number. (Oh....and in case you are wondering...replacement NA-Spec lights are around $2500...so if you break something, you might as well upgrade
For this reason, this mod is also not for the faint of heart. There were a couple of times when I realized: "If I do this wrong and break something, I just spent $3000." (Or, as some have put it: paid the stupid tax)
For this Write-up, I'm assuming you already know how to remove the front bumper, and remove the headlight assembly from the car itself. If you are having trouble with that aspect, feel free to email me.
So now that you are holding the Valeo Headlight in your Hot Little Hands, let's get to work.
You will need to take off the 4 metal spring clips that 'hold' the glass onto the plastic case. Once those are off, you get to experience the joy of separating the glass from the plastic via the use of a heat gun and a putty knife. Heat the glass a bit and insert the knife down under the adhesive. This is a slow process. VERY SLOW. BE CAREFUL: if you use too much heat the plastic case can melt, and if you get the adhesive too hot, it gets stringy and becomes that much more difficult. I will take this opportunity to say that the adhesive holding the lights together IS actually Satan. The stuff is unbelievably hard to work with. So enjoy
Figure 1
As you start to separate the glass from the case, be sure to pull as straight out as possible. horizontal or vertical stress may crack the silver plastic bezel insert (Figure 1, red arrows) -which is almost certainly stuck to the glass via the grey Satan.
Figure 2
Once the glass is separated, go ahead and take out the amber turn light (#4 -Fig 2) and the 9006xs DRL bulb. Then take out the silver reflector for the turn signal. (#3 Fig 2) Next on your list is the DRL Fresnel lens. I have to admit to breaking this piece on both my lights. I never did figure out how to get the blasted thing out without breaking it. Luckily: I don't need the Fresnels ever again
Figure 3
Next on your list, remove the HID rotation motor. (#1 - Fig. 3) It separates from the case like a light bulb would from a housing: ¼ turn rotation and then it is loose. It will take some maneuvering to free the ball on the end of the motor shaft from the joint on the Reflector Structure. (#1 Fig 2)
Figure 4
Figure 5
Once the motor joint is off, the Reflector Structure now swings freely on two more ball joints at the top of the Structure. (Figs 4 & 5) They have little white clips that slot into the actual structure. Now…removing the structure is a little hair-raising.
Figure 6
First: measure the exact length of the worm gear that is connected to the Structure. (Red Arrows in Fig 6) This is the gear controlled by the white aiming hex nut on top of the back of the case. You want to get this measurement very accurate so you can return your headlights to their properly aimed position.(ei write this down and save for later) Next, use that hex key (Fig 6) to wind the worm gear out a ways. This will make the next step easier. Next, separate that same worm drive from the case in the same fashion as the HID rotation motor. Once it's loose, you can pop the white ball joint from the structure, and then you can pop the other white ball joint (down by the DRL lens) from the structure and the structure should be loose. You now have to disconnect the two wiring harnesses that that spread the power around and you will have the whole Reflector Structure separated. Congrats!
Next, you'll need to take the low-beam HID (#2 Fig 2) off of the structure. For this you'll need a Philips head and a very small torx head screw driver. Three screws each and your done. The Reflector Structure which includes the DRL reflector should now be free but should still have the 9006 holder on the DRL as well as the three metal clips for the low-beam HID and the black plastic ball joint from the rotation motor. Remove the 9006 holder (with that same small torx) and you are ready for the "down time" of this project.
You'll need to send away your reflectors to get them 'metalized;' That is to say, have the reflective coating reapplied. The reflectors are pretty much the right shape (so your in luck there) they just need to be shiny. I thought about Chrome paint….not hi-temp enough and anything that would take the heat was not shiny enough.
I initially thought I might be able to get this done locally…I mean c'mon, this is SoCal…center of the know universe….right? Wrong! California has actually essentially banned the chemicals needed to accomplish this…I was given one quote….a thousand dollars 'or so.' Umm…..no. So do what everyone else who has done this mod has done: Send it to Vacu-Coat in Michigan. (www.vacucoat.com) They are wonderful, they know what needs to be done, and they will charge you about $100 for the coating and then the return shipping. Just don't argue and do it.
While you are waiting for your lenses, hop on the 'interweb' and spend a bit more money. I went with the SharpHID 9006 4300K 55W DDM Race kit for $140 (Merry Christmas to me). They were backordered and took a bit longer than expected, but John Sharp is a great communicator, so no worries there…he even answers emails on Sunday Morning: Awesome!) Next, buy yourself some Loctite 39916 Urethane Sealant from online. I tried a number of the big box stores as well as some smaller shops… nothing… save yourself the time and trouble and have it delivered to your door for $15. While your at it, get yourself some blue heat-shrink butt splices. (You'll need these later.)
Next…while you are still waiting for your reflectors to come back, clean as much of the old grey Satan adhesive from the troughs of the plastic case. Enjoy….so much fun…I've met bears that were easier to deal with….think mother-in-law-with-weapon.
Finally. If you like the orange reflectors, or they are legally required in your state, leave them alone. I chose to do the bondo job for the euro-look as outlined other places on other forums.
Ok…so the day arrives when your reflectors have returned!!! Yeah…time to get cracking!
Figure 7
First, you've got some wiring to do. If you look at the main wiring harness connector, (Fig 7) the one that comes out of the back of the headlight assembly, you should be able to see a numbers indicating a pin-out. Time to do some cutting. Cut wires 1, 4, and 6. They should be red, black and yellow but the colors are not important and they may be different on your car…no idea why that is….so don't take my word for this on the colors, use the pin-out. Next, take the 1 and 6 wires from the headlight side, splice them together and then splice them to the number 1 wire on the car side of things. Next take the number 6 wire from the car side of things and splice it together with the number 4 wire on the car side of things….then splice them both to the number 4 wire on the headlight side of things…make sense? Use those nice heat-shrink butt splices to keep it all weatherproof. What you are essentially doing (and JayDub was the one who explained all this to me…thx so much man) is using the eurolight high-beam wiring, which is still in the car (and can handle the current), and setting it up to power the DRL connector. Then you are grounding out the DRL circuit, which eliminates any DRL codes in the cockpit…at least for my '05 it does.
This all assumes that you use your HID as a DRL…which is what I do…if you have other preferences regarding all that stuff, you are welcome to your opinions regarding all "that." I'm just saying this is what I do, and I get no codes, and I didn't have to do any VIDAS or anything…it just works…so if that sounds like something you want to do, great. If you want to do it differently, well…congrats…don't do this mod this way.
Ok…so your wiring outside the headlight is done…time to move onto the light itself.
Your SharpHIDs have arrived and you are ready to put them into the lamp and put everything back together. So…re-assmble everything the same way you took it apart up to the point where you would put your silver plastic bezel and glass back on. Leave those off and lets look at what to do with that pretty new reflector. Well…first things first: you're going to need to make a hole. Specifically, in the round DRL bulb access cover. (#2 Fig 3) And you're going to need a hole that is just big enough for the HID connectors to fit through. I used a "Christmas Tree Hole Cutter" and a set of calipers and I think I got it about right at roughtly 1" in diameter. This new hole will accommodate the rubber seal that comes with the HID bulb and connector so it can run wires out to the HID Ballast and Igniter that you will need to stow in the engine bay somewhere (more on that later). Plug the bulb into the 9006 space in the reflector and then plug the bulb wiring into the DRL connector…which is now wired for your hi-beams. Close up the back of the case. Now seal the gasket with some Silicone RTV sealant. The RTV has the heat range and the chemical resistance to make it perfect for this job. (A little tip: lick your finger and then smooth the silicone out once you have it applied: makes the job look great…don't lick the same finger twice: you'll regret it)
At this point, I would recommend a test run. Plug everything in, get a buddy/co-worker/significant other if they still love you - to hold the lights just in the engine bay. Be careful to keep wiring away from the serpentine belt. Fire up the car and check the functionality. Thanks to JayDub, mine was a success on the first try! Now…unplug the lights and return to shop bench. Re-install the silver plastic bezel, and then lay a nice bead of Satan (grey urethane adhesive) into the channel on the plastic case. Next, position your glass and stick it into place. Put on the 4 metal retaining clips and the set the light on its "back" (be careful of that new HID wiring out the back). Let the urethane set up for at least 24 hours before installing the lights. It was cold when I did mine (in the low 50's at night) so I gave mine 3 days to set up a little more.
After that, pop them in the car, secure the HID ballasts, and you are off to the races with 55W HIDs as your new hi-beams. I ended up using 3M Dual Lock to secure the Ballasts and Igniters. That is the stuff that is super strong velcro....they sell it at Radio Shack (though they call it something different...like super-lok or something dumb like that) ...same stuff....does hi-temp and has great adhesive.
Summary of Costs:
SharpHID: $140
Reflector coating and shipping both ways with $3000 worth of insurance: $250
Bondo and paint for the Bezel: $50
Loctite 39916: $15
Various others: $40
Total Cost: $495
Cost of Euro Lights: $3000
3000-495=2505 dollars saved.
Tools needed:
Very Small Tox
Philips screw driver
Heat Gun
Putty Knife
Bondo supplies
Wiring crimpers and cutters etc.
Various insundry other normal hand tools.
Results: Once installation was complete, I ended up messing about with the aiming for a while. (I'll leave you to your own devices on this one
However, once the lights were aimed right for both hi and low beams,...well...let me tell you...those suckers are BRIGHT! The HID Ballasts take a moment to really warm up (though once warm for the first time, 'Flash to Pass' still works great) and then you are off to a wonderful world of crazy-bright hi-beams.I know there are some out there who will say this is just a cosmetic mod, and that these couldn't possible throw any light down the road....well...I'm here to say that, with proper aiming, these cast significantly more light that my '03 V70 T5 hi-beams (H7s)....and I know this because I had the two cars parked side by side and did a comparison.
So there you have it. If you have any questions, feel free to email or post. I hope this little tutorial can be half as helpful to someone else as JayDub has been to me on this one.
Merry Christmas Everyone...and a Happy New Year
Alan
Modified by Storax at 10:35 PM 1-6-2009
Modified by Storax at 10:44 PM 1-6-2009
