Upgrade SEL original halogens with better halogens?

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dheatherly said:
Bought the two items listed from Amazon. Would love to hear some tips on getting these lights installed. I've spent the better part of the evening with no luck. How did you secure the adapter? I've tried several different ways and it just keeps sliding around and won't attach to the socket. The pieces all look right - they just won't for for me. By the way, I'm replacing the low beam/fog lights in my SEL. Help!
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Yup, I have done same, but have not yet attempted. Somebody on this forum did it, so it would be nice if they chime in.
 
dheatherly said:
Bought the two items listed from Amazon. Would love to hear some tips on getting these lights installed. I've spent the better part of the evening with no luck. How did you secure the adapter? I've tried several different ways and it just keeps sliding around and won't attach to the socket. The pieces all look right - they just won't for for me. By the way, I'm replacing the low beam/fog lights in my SEL. Help!
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Oooh. I think I have it. There is a video on the Amazon site for the adapter. So, it looks like here is what you do. Take off the holder from the bulb. Careful as the sheet metal is sharp on the holder. It is a bayonet fit, so you turn it clockwise (counterclockwise from the bulb's perspective) and it comes off. Now you can see how this will work. Put the adapter on the bulb shroud side in, and turn the holder around. You can see that it puts the bulb perhaps a quarter inch back from where the stock bulb would go. Take all that off. Now hold them with your finger inside and put them in the socket in the car where they belong at the proper orientation based on the flanges. Give a slight turn to hold them in. Now press the bulb in and turn clockwise. That should lock the bulb in the original holder flange, with the holder flange now oriented in instead of out. I get how this should work. I just have to try it on the car!
 
dndrich said:
Oooh. I think I have it. There is a video on the Amazon site for the adapter. So, it looks like here is what you do. Take off the holder from the bulb. Careful as the sheet metal is sharp on the holder. It is a bayonet fit, so you turn it clockwise (counterclockwise from the bulb's perspective) and it comes off. Now you can see how this will work. Put the adapter on the bulb shroud side in, and turn the holder around. You can see that it puts the bulb perhaps a quarter inch back from where the stock bulb would go. Take all that off. Now hold them with your finger inside and put them in the socket in the car where they belong at the proper orientation based on the flanges. Give a slight turn to hold them in. Now press the bulb in and turn clockwise. That should lock the bulb in the original holder flange, with the holder flange now oriented in instead of out. I get how this should work. I just have to try it on the car!
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I tried this method - I watched the Amazon video prior. I still couldn't get it to work. When you get the chance to put your plan into motion - and I do hope it works - let me know how you did it.
 
dheatherly said:
I tried this method - I watched the Amazon video prior. I still couldn't get it to work. When you get the chance to put your plan into motion - and I do hope it works - let me know how you did it.
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OK, I will let you know. Did you push on the bulb enough to compress the rubber o ring so that the tabs could engage? It looks like that is needed. I will probably try it this weekend. How do you get the access panel open on the wheel well? I don't want to break that.
 
I didn't take the wheel well access panel off. There are two rivets on the bottom holding it in place (along with some clips). You can get to the area from above.
 
OK, I will try that first. I can see that it can be reached, and if I can get there without removing the access panels, then that is better!!
 
OK, the plot thickens. I still haven't tried it, but I see how the thing is suppose to assemble. You take off the mounting ring on the new bulb. You open up the new adapter enough to slide it over the top of the mounting ring. It has a gap in the new ring to allow you to stretch it open. It then fits on the mounting ring lined up with the flanges. You can seat it home if you see what I mean. The ring will now go back onto the bulb no problem, and will lock if needed. It looks to me then that the adapter flanges now fit in the bulb housing in the car moving the bulb to the correct position. I think this is gonna work.
 
dndrich said:
OK, the plot thickens. I still haven't tried it, but I see how the thing is suppose to assemble. You take off the mounting ring on the new bulb. You open up the new adapter enough to slide it over the top of the mounting ring. It has a gap in the new ring to allow you to stretch it open. It then fits on the mounting ring lined up with the flanges. You can seat it home if you see what I mean. The ring will now go back onto the bulb no problem, and will lock if needed. It looks to me then that the adapter flanges now fit in the bulb housing in the car moving the bulb to the correct position. I think this is gonna work.
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This is exactly what I thought - but when I insert the mounting ring into the adapter - like you mentioned it does expand - it no longer fits into the light box. That expansion moves the tabs on the adapter in a direction that (for me) no longer line up with the cutouts on the light box. If I don't expand the adapter - it fits. Expand the adapter - it doesn't fit. Your results may vary.
 
I've ordered these, but haven't tried installing yet.
Based on the amazon description, it sounds like this adapter is replacing one that's on car already, and accommodates the wider LED "bulb". I wonder, have you removed the old adapter? Is it possibly still on the back of the headlight housing?
 
NRH said:
I've ordered these, but haven't tried installing yet.
Based on the amazon description, it sounds like this adapter is replacing one that's on car already, and accommodates the wider LED "bulb". I wonder, have you removed the old adapter? Is it possibly still on the back of the headlight housing?
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No, the adapter from the amazon link earlier in this thread replicates the shape of the adapter/wiring harness that the bulb plugs into and that combo of the wiring harness/bulb twists into the light box housing on the car. The LED bulb does not plug into the wiring harness adapter the same way - it has a pigtail cord that plugs into the wiring harness. The problem I am having is fitting the new adapter into the light box while at the same time securing the LED. Hopefully we'll get it figured out (better yet - the OP with a successful fit can chime in).
 
Sure, but the issue here is that the bulb requires an adapter to fit in the Kona. So, the issue is the adapter. I will know more this weekend when I give it a try. Thanks for the better pdf though.
 
OK, I did it just now. It works. Not that easy.

First, I think it is easier if you open the access panel from the wheel well. Just turn the wheel opposite to give access to the panel. Pop out the push pin by pulling the upper part of the pin back, and then the pin just pops out. The access panel can then be pushed out from inside the engine compartment. Note that it is riveted to the bottom of the access port, so don't wreck it. Just push it open hinged there. It gives plenty of room, and much easier to see.

Open the light housing by opening its access port bayonet style. Twist counterclockwise to release the bulb and socket assembly bayonet style. Remove the bulb from the socket. That leaves you kind of a large socket with the attachment housing still attached. No need to take that off. Plug in the new bulb from its pigtail. Negative goes up. Test it to make sure it lights. If not, reverse the plug.

Take your assembled new H7 adapter and plastic adapter which have been assembled per the instructions. Yes, the new plastic piece stretches over to fit. Put it on a finger, and working from both the engine compartment and the access hole to see it, illuminate with a flashlight, and attempt to get the thing to fit into the light housing. The larger flange goes down. I agree that the fit is tricky, and on the driver side in my car (left) I had to sand the tabs of the adapter a bit. Just be patient. You kinda have to get the lower flange in tipped forward a bit first to get the others to fit. What ever you do, don't drop the assembly into the lamp housing. Don't ask me how I know. But if you are stupid enough to do that, and can't fetch it out, open up the bulb housing for the turn signal more forward, and that gives access to that section of the housing. You'll see the damn part sitting there. Knock it back and fetch it.

Once the adapter is in, first feed the bulky plug inboard of the lamp holder inside the housing, or you won't be able to get the cover back on. The bulky thing does fit in there just fine. Now bayonet your new bulb into place, with the pigtail cord pointed down to orient the bulb elements at 3 and 9. Test. Put on cover and don't forget to close the wheel well access port. You're done.

Not night yet here, so I don't know if they will be better, but I will report back. Success so far.
 
Confirmed hero. I will have a go at it tonight - I'll take your advice on the wheel well cover - I just saw the rivets and got spooked. Thanks for the detailed description. Onward!
 
All makes sense. Thanks. I'll install when my wife returns with the car.

In case anyone else is trying to figure out how the adapter fits to the H7 LED kit, I made a short video.


If I can get a phone in there I'll try to make a video of the fitment to the car as well.
 
Thanks to both of you! Does the entire LED and fan fit inside the light housing allowing the bayonet cap to fit back in place?
Is that the parts list back at post #9? Interested to see the nighttime results.
Thx!​
 
KiwiME said:
Thanks to both of you! Does the entire LED and fan fit inside the light housing allowing the bayonet cap to fit back in place?
Is that the parts list back at post #9? Interested to see the nighttime results.
Thx!​
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Yep, the whole thing fits inside the housing with the waterproof cover then back on. You just gotta put the bulky old connector with the new light plugged in to it in first before placing the new bulb, or you can’t get it past the new bulb to fit the cover back on. It threads in there on the inboard side with plenty of room there.
 
NRH said:
All makes sense. Thanks. I'll install when my wife returns with the car.

In case anyone else is trying to figure out how the adapter fits to the H7 LED kit, I made a short video.


If I can get a phone in there I'll try to make a video of the fitment to the car as well.
Click to expand...

That is it exactly. Perfect video.
 
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