TL headlights with ZKW lenses
10-30-2006, 07:18 AM
#1
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TL headlights with ZKW lenses
Following is what happens when you replace your 3G TL’s low/hi beam projector fresnel lens with a clear one from an 04 BMW 330 XI. The projectors in the 3G TL are made by a Japanese company named Stanley and they are known for their awesome width and killer hi-beam output. Where as the 04 BMW 330 XI headlights/projectors/lenses are made by ZKW. The ZKW headlights are very rare and a set of projectors usually go for $350~$500.
The output pictures are from a fellow member at another site where as the videos were made by me the other night.
The pay off for spending $350+ and swapping the lenses (that is if you are able to find a set ZKW are extremely rare) is a razor sharp cut off with the cool blue hue shown in the pictures.
04-05 TL projector output with the ZKW lens
06 TL projector output with the ZKW lens
06 TL projector with the clear lens
Videos
Video at 30 feet
Flicker affect at 10 feet
Video at 150 feet
The output pictures are from a fellow member at another site where as the videos were made by me the other night.
The pay off for spending $350+ and swapping the lenses (that is if you are able to find a set ZKW are extremely rare) is a razor sharp cut off with the cool blue hue shown in the pictures.
04-05 TL projector output with the ZKW lens
06 TL projector output with the ZKW lens
06 TL projector with the clear lens
Videos
Video at 30 feet
Flicker affect at 10 feet
Video at 150 feet
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10-31-2006, 08:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Lister00169
That is bright! Any pics of the view from the front?
On the other hand i am finishing up a quad projector retrofit for myself with TL Bixenon projectors with ZKW lenses in the low beams and S2000 projectors as auxiliary low beams. Once i am done i'll post videos of the output and pictures as well .
10-31-2006, 08:39 PM
#12
Look at that color band, sooo sharp and clean 
11-01-2006, 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by AcurasGhost
Well done ... good job man!
Thanks man, i see that you are from MD. One of my cousin lives in Catonsville, I recently finished doing his some work on his headlights, look out for a Lexus GS400 with LS430 Projectors retrofitted in it and 19" BBS wheels
in that area.
11-01-2006, 02:05 PM
#18
acura-cl.com OG
i can't wait to see them all assembled. i have heard alot about the ZKW lenses, i really dont see much of a diff. from the S2000's
but they are bi-xenon!
either way, that is a sharp cutoff and sweet color band.
but they are bi-xenon!either way, that is a sharp cutoff and sweet color band.
11-01-2006, 02:08 PM
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Originally Posted by ding069
i can't wait to see them all assembled. i have heard alot about the ZKW lenses, i really dont see much of a diff. from the S2000's but they are bi-xenon!
either way, that is a sharp cutoff and sweet color band.
but they are bi-xenon!either way, that is a sharp cutoff and sweet color band.
The s2000s are sharp but these are razor sharp. If you notice in the video from 150 feet they cut off still holds its sharpness where as the s2000 cut off looses SOME intensity at that distance. Plus as you said these are bi-xenons.
11-02-2006, 08:14 AM
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Originally Posted by ua6spec
ON the ZKW lens, is it a direct swap with the TL projectors? Thanks
On stock TL projectors there a few options that people go with, first is the color mod, i wont get into details as to how you do it, in this case you make the cut of shield rest a bit closer to the reflector bowl that in return gets you more color along the cut off line, but i would not recomend it because in some cases it completely Fux the cut off line, it becomes bowed in the middle. Check out the following picture
So you can color mod your TL projectors to get more color but at the expense of cut off sharpness and may be even messing it up all together like in the above picture.
Next you can do the foreground mod, make the projectors throw some light right in front of the car. This mod can be done if you are using stock lenses.
In the case of the ZKW lenses its a direct swap, but 1 mm thick spacers are needed to align the lenses and also get razor sharp cut off, focal length of these lenses are the same as of the stock TL lenses.
In the case of TL projectors with ZKW lenses you are best off if you leave the projector in its stock form. That means no color and or foreground mod. When you do foreground mod on your stock projector you DO loose some intensity but its hardly noticeable because the Fresnel lens disperses light evenly. The loss of intensity due to the foreground mod can easily be seen when you are using the ZKW lens. With the color mod you do nothing but ruin the beam by make it bow and loosing cut of sharpness. So in conclusion, ZKW lenses work best with stock TL projectors.
Chico you may want to change your signature to say " RRP Color matched headlights with ZKW lens swap"
. Because right now its giving the impression as if you had your TL projectors replaced by the ZKWs. Oh by the way, the headlights are done, i'll be taking pictures later.
11-02-2006, 10:04 AM
#22
acura-cl.com OG
i color modded my projectors and love the result. personally, i'd rather have more coloration to oncoming traffic than the flicker effect. everyone has different opinions. here is my colorband from approx 250ft
it looks like the ZKW's have a much sharper peripheral cutoff than any other projector i have seen. i have never seen a cutoff stay so clean and long on the sides. The Tl's lenses really fall off in that aspect.
it looks like the ZKW's have a much sharper peripheral cutoff than any other projector i have seen. i have never seen a cutoff stay so clean and long on the sides. The Tl's lenses really fall off in that aspect.
11-02-2006, 12:05 PM
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Ding You are having the same problem as well, see how your cut off is bowed in the middle. The TL/ZKW combo is weird because the cut off actually gets sharper as you go further away from the car and look at it. At close distance you may not notice the difference between stock and the TL/ZKW but at long distances it blows the S2Ks out of the water.
I took some pictures last night before installing the projectors back in the headlights, dont mind the blurry pictures I forgot to set the camera appropriately. Check out the color reflection on my car.
http://maxupload.com/img/76E419D6.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/B0476C0F.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/AD3DC592.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/B0007B9C.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/089FF7E6.jpg
I took some pictures last night before installing the projectors back in the headlights, dont mind the blurry pictures I forgot to set the camera appropriately. Check out the color reflection on my car.
http://maxupload.com/img/76E419D6.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/B0476C0F.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/AD3DC592.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/B0007B9C.jpg
http://maxupload.com/img/089FF7E6.jpg
11-02-2006, 02:22 PM
#25
JnC: Thanks for the info. I was thinking of swapping my OEM projector with the ZKW. If that is a direct swap and I would definately going to do it. I really like the sharp cut off similar to the TSX, S2000 or the Lexus LS430. As for color mod, it doesnt bothers me. I just like the sharp cut off.
Thanks!
Thanks!
11-02-2006, 04:10 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by ua6spec
JnC: Thanks for the info. I was thinking of swapping my OEM projector with the ZKW. If that is a direct swap and I would definately going to do it. I really like the sharp cut off similar to the TSX, S2000 or the Lexus LS430. As for color mod, it doesnt bothers me. I just like the sharp cut off.
Thanks!
Thanks!
11-02-2006, 07:49 PM
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The difference between ECE and DOT is just the cut off step
ECE is ______________/'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
DOT is ______________|'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Almost all the European cars come with projectors that ECE cut off pattern where as most of the japanese ones have DOT cut off pattern. Acura switched to ECE cut off patten in their 06+ models i.e TSX and TL. Personally i like the DOT set up.
ZKWs have ECE sheild, that shouldnt be of any concern to you because you are only interested in the lenses and not the shield.
The color matched lights for Chico came out so good that i am aching to do another color match with the 07 Kinetic blue, anyone up for it?
Also the ZKW units use to go for $150~200 when people didnt know about this mod, since then their price has gone through the roof. I know chico paid well over $350 for his units.
ECE is ______________/'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
DOT is ______________|'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Almost all the European cars come with projectors that ECE cut off pattern where as most of the japanese ones have DOT cut off pattern. Acura switched to ECE cut off patten in their 06+ models i.e TSX and TL. Personally i like the DOT set up.
ZKWs have ECE sheild, that shouldnt be of any concern to you because you are only interested in the lenses and not the shield.
The color matched lights for Chico came out so good that i am aching to do another color match with the 07 Kinetic blue, anyone up for it?
Also the ZKW units use to go for $150~200 when people didnt know about this mod, since then their price has gone through the roof. I know chico paid well over $350 for his units.
11-06-2006, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by superfloofay
anyone?
JnC