Modding squirrel finder

[wbradley]

Anyone done it on the FR-S yet?

I instaled HID kits in my FR-S and my xB as well 2 weeks ago and am unsure whether the glare is an issue. Tried looking at all angles and parking one car facing the other etc and AFIK they are OK but if there's even a bit of excessive glare I want to correct it.

I would be interested in knowing if I can reach inside the lamp enclosure and manually bend it, do I need a needle nose or bent needle nose to do it or will hands suffice? Does the enclosure need to be baked open (no way I'll do that!!).

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by wbradley

Anyone done it on the FR-S yet?

I instaled HID kits in my FR-S and my xB as well 2 weeks ago and am unsure whether the glare is an issue. Tried looking at all angles and parking one car facing the other etc and AFIK they are OK but if there's even a bit of excessive glare I want to correct it.

I would be interested in knowing if I can reach inside the lamp enclosure and manually bend it, do I need a needle nose or bent needle nose to do it or will hands suffice? Does the enclosure need to be baked open (no way I'll do that!!).

You really need open the lights and install the correct projectors. However this might help...

Originally Posted by Wes

Those are your squirrel finders reflecting light, take out the HID bulbs and stick your finger into the housing and you should find these metal plates and just push them down as much as you can til it bottoms out and it should eliminate them. If not those areas will glare at other people.

for more info...

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20728

[wbradley]

Update: Pulled out the H11 Xenon lamps and stuck my finger in the hole...

waddya know, on the bottom you can feel a thin steel piece parallel to the ground that reflects some light up. I just bent it down all the way with my finger and voila...totally dark above the cutoff!!

Now, on my xB it appears they get the squirrel catcher effect simply by a flattened area molded into the reflector itself. In other words it can't be bent down. Through microsurgery or opening the whole light assy. one could paint the bottom plate area black but that's WAY too much work/risk for a very mildly annoying issue.

[finch1750]

Need quick diy help. HID install and bending the squirrel finder down. I bent down the thin tab close to the back that is already angled sliightly down with room under it (not totally flat). It seems like its not a clean cutoff still but big glare. Did i bend the right part or should I have bent down in front of it?

[Avo1789]

Originally Posted by finch1750

Need quick diy help. HID install and bending the squirrel finder down. I bent down the thin tab close to the back that is already angled sliightly down with room under it (not totally flat). It seems like its not a clean cutoff still but big glare. Did i bend the right part or should I have bent down in front of it?

Yesterday I installed my HID kit and bent down the tabs (toward the back of the housing) and got good results... not a super clean cutoff but much better than it was before.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by Avo1789

Yesterday I installed my HID kit and bent down the tabs (toward the back of the housing) and got good results... not a super clean cutoff but much better than it was before.

Thanks. I did too. Then I went and did it much harder along with adjusting the headlight and got a pretty good cut off. Once you bend it all the way (you think) press down harder.

[retrosmiths]

Bending those might give you a crooked cutoff.

I retrofit headlights for a hobby and I have this pair with the squirrel finders blocked with epoxy gum. My test HID kits will be coming in tomorrow so wait for my pics here.

PS: I have another pair with a proper HID projector installed. The light output blows the stock away.

-Sent from outer space