jamesmasters

Hi Guys

I'm really hoping someone on here can help me, as I'm having a bit of a nightmare with my 2002 S2000.

I'm moving from the UK to Europe and so need to swap out the headlights for a LHD version. I've bought a set of headlamp units (just the glass and plastic moulded back) from the 2004 facelift model, as I had read they would fit a pre-facelift car. However, in my naivety I didn't realise I had Xenon lights and the facelift was halogen, and so I apparently need a variety of new ignitors, cables, covers etc as my ones obviously won't swap over - these add up to about 2000 euros!

So I had 3 questions:
1. What exactly differentiates a RHD from LHD set of lights? I can't figure out if the units I have bought are generic and it is about the bulb installation or if the glass section determines the spread of light the Front right part number is 33101-S2A-E11 if that helps.
2. Does anyone know if it is possible to just make an adjustment to my existing lights
3. Does anyone know any european breakers that could find me the LHD lights for a pre-facelift model

Thanks in advance

James

BenRNBP

Don't forget the US also drive on the right - much bigger market for breakers yards.

I was wondering if you could "crack" the whole unit and put the facelift front on the pre-facelift rear ( so the black bit you bolt your ballast to stays and the new lenses are screwed to the front. This would depend on the lens fixing screws being in the same place and the height adjuster servos slotting in the same way.

jamesmasters

I did think about the US market, but I'm not certain that it's the same as European from a compliance point of view, and I'd quite like to avoid having another set of headlights that don't work!
It might be possible to mix and match the two units I have, but well beyond my capability - and in terms of the actual back end components, they are quite different i.e no height adjusters on the old ones and I think the bulb locations are different.

At least my rear lights are compliant, which is something

Ratchet

The difference between a LHD and a RHD headlight is the HID shields which sit behind the lens. I have just converted my RHD headlights to LHD cut-off by changing the shields. You need to open up the headlights to do this. It's a slow process, but not very hard.

I am not aware that they were any S2000s with stock halogen headlights, AFAIK they're all running HIDs.

I could post pictures of the whole process if you're interested. Let me know.

Ratchet

You're lucky to have a pre-facelift model, because the center fog is compliant. I'm not compliant with RHD facelift taillights, as the fog light sits on the opposite side...

jamesmasters

Yes absolutely! I has VERY relieved to find that I was ok with the rear lights and they went through inspection without an issue. Presumably you are going to have to cut new holes for pre-facelift rear lights are you?

It would be fantastic if you could share your pictures for headlight the conversion that you did. I'm in contact with a great guy in Germany who has been very helpfukl and is going to try and make the adjustments on my existig lights, but having some examples to follow would be hugely helpful - are you able to PM them to me?

I'm totally lost on the differences of HID, Halogen and Xenon - as is obvious! Just going by what I've been told

Thanks for your help

Ratchet

I will post the pictures as soon as I'm home.

As for me, I was going to open up the taillights and swap fog/reverse lights between them... but it seems they are not nearly as easy to open up as the headlights. So, I'm going to put an ugly square central fog under the rear bumper. I'll just put it there for the MOT and take it off afterwards.

Just FYI: HID = Xenon. The S2K has halogen high-beams, Xenon/HID low-beams.

marc1599

As Ratchet said, converting RHD lamps to LHD is not so hard, the difference is only the shields. I managed that in two half days including removing front bumper and reinstalling everything.

If you have luck, buy some broken LHD Xenon lights and extract those shields from there. Else you can try to modify them yourself and hope that the resulting light distribution will comply to regulations, so Euro-MOT testing device accepts that.

Pics I made in 2010:


That's where the shield sits


Original RHD light (before)


Shields taken out


Prepare to refine many times until you get good result. Reintalling the shield into the headlight will take the most time.


After modification


Final result

marc1599

Ouch, we were posting at the same time. Looking forward to see your pics and if your solution was different. Back then in 2010, I found no how-to and had to figure out everything myself, so I'm sure it's suboptimal.

marc1599

US lights have non-euro-conforming light distribution (it's symmetrical), no chance there.