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 How to modify the headlight for continental usage? (currently 988 views) |
| Py |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 9:22:08pm |
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Hello all,
I finally got myself a very nice silver cappo this week-end. I drove it back home (east Belgium) from London this saturday, and enjoyed it for 200km of country roads on sunday. I'm still smiling from that first experience 
Anyway, now the temporary insurance agreement is over, the car is in the garage, and I need to make what has to be done to get it a proper belgian registration before I can enjoy it again. Amongst with the customs paperwoks and the official suzuki paperworks I'll have to get, I have to get the headlights fixed for driving on the wrong side of the road 
Searching a little bit the forum archives, I found out that one has to gently heat the headlights seal to about 75°C - not more! with a heat gun, to be able to pop them open. Is that confirmed?
Now I'm looking for informations about the actual modification that has to be done inside, once the headlight is popped open. And if pictures of the mod are available, that's even better! Also, is it true that to close the headlight back together afterwards, one just heats the seal again, and "stick" both parts together, à la clamshell?
Thanks in advance for any hint!
Py |
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| Xpress |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 9:27:37pm |
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| i'm interested on it too! |
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Reply: 1 - 66 |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 9:54:53pm |
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Me three!
I bought my Cappo some weeks ago and I have to do the conversion for right-hand-traffic too to get it registered in Germany. Nice to have found two mates who have to do the same
Anyway, in my research i got two PDF files, one from Andy and one from Ezra and i guess they won't mind if i send them to you. Just drop me a PM with your e-mail address and they'll be on the way. |
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Reply: 2 - 66 |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 10:16:19pm |
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Great! I just PM'ed you, ol@fson.
BTW, where are you located in Germany? I'm less than 30km from the border!
Py
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 10:23:54pm |
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| You should have mail I'm about 200km from the Belgium border .. my "test-drive" when buying my Cappo and driving it home was nearly 700km, 320 in England and the rest in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany |
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| Andy |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 10:51:50pm |
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Official C.O.C Contributor
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Drop me a PM if you would like to be added to the ClubCappo Member Map. More details can be found here.
We now have an official Facebook group as well as a page! See here |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Monday, October 26th, 2009, 10:53:47pm |
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| Maybe we should meet for a hands-on-workshop .. lol When i look at Xpress' pics it seems he lives somewhere in the south, near the coast? ... |
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| Xpress |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 12:36:20am |
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| i'm from spain hehehe, near Barcelona |
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Reply: 7 - 66 |
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| nc30pete |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 12:46:43am |
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| to sort it out to use abroad you have to get rid of the " kick up " part of the beam . Put a sheet of board in front of the light on dipped beam and you should see a horizontal beam line and at the end towards the left it will ( should ! ) diagonally go upwards , its the diagonal bit u need to tape off on the lamp so it doesnt dazzle oncoming traffic. Im sure even with projector lights it still has this pattern. If i get a chance to check at work i will update! |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 8:59:29am |
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From what i understood, the changes have to be made inside the headlamps. There is as piece of metal between the lamp and the lens which forms the shape of the beam.
So to alter that shape, you have to modify that piece of metal either way that it goes up the other way, or that if forms a flat beam - which i'm not sure if it is allowed. With a flat beam you would have a symmtrical light. There is the EU regulation No. 113 called "Uniform provisions concerning the approval of Motor Vehicle Headlamps emitting a symmetrical Passing Beam or a Driving Beam or both and equipped with filament Lamps" (see reply No. 11 in this thread for a link). But i don't know if it would cover the DIY conversion from a formerly asymmetrical headlamp to a symmetrical one. Probably not.
Here is a picture from one of the PDF's that shows the area that has to be modified.
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Last modified Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 2:16:56pm by ol@fson |
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| Ezra |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 2:05:32pm |
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In the Netherlands the symmetrical beam was allowed. So I did it the easy way by just flattening the slope.
But the MOT-person wasn't sure if it was legal until I pointed him to the regulations... |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 2:06:17pm |
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Was it that EU regulation that i mentioned above, that you pointed him to?
Here is the link to the regulations: TRANSLATION OF UNECE REGULATIONS IN THE AREA OF VEHICLE APPROVAL
Scroll down to No. 113 there it is available as a PDF in different languages. Maybe someone will find other useful regulations there too. |
Last modified Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 2:15:42pm by ol@fson |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 5:47:46pm |
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| I just took a closer look to that regulation - it describes how manufacturers of headlights have to proceed to get their product - the symmetrical light in this case - approved. So depending on the person who checks your car he might just say: "Yes, symmetrical light is allowed BUT they have to be approved like stated in that regulation." - Which is obviously not the case if you do the conversion by yourself. At least the German TÜV is known to be very strict when it comes to modifications of vehicles. I guess it's necessary to find an examiner who is willing to help and with who you can discuss what to do in advance. |
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| Ezra |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 8:04:00pm |
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Yeah maybe it's different in Germany..
Here in the Netherlands you just have to have a symmetrical beam or asymmetrical providing that the slope goes up the good way.
It doesn't matter what kind of lights they are, as long as it's by the rules.
But to be clear, normally cars here are NEVER symmetrical, only oldtimers maybe.. But it doesn't matter in my opinion. A straight beam is fine and if you have the asymmetrical beam it just goes up a little to the side of the road.
And to be honest, how can the TUV guy see that the lights are modified? You could say they were always like this. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 8:46:45pm |
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Oh, they are smart, there are signs on the lamp that tells them what kind of light it should be, and the regulation 113 is from 2005, some years after the Cappo was first registered I know from one Cappo owner that went to TÜV .. they told him, OK, the lights are alright BUT we can't see how it was done, as it's supposed to have asymmetrical lights for LHD. Soooo .. TÜV failed due to illegal modifications of the lighting system ...  Anyway, another examiner checked it OK a few days later ...
But i think i will try the trick with the symmetrical light too ..
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| Py |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 9:32:47pm |
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2 more informations on that topic:
1) I went to Aachen a few months ago to see a Cappuccino that was on sale there. I did not buy it in the end, but I chatted a little bit with the guy, and he had done the headlights mod himself.
He told me you could use a spare part from a specific BMW to make the transformation. And that part was available IIRC for something like 20¤. I just e-mailed him to try and get more details about this option, we will see if I get an answer...
2) I was by the official suzuki dealer today, as I have to get some paperwoks from suzuki to be able to register the car in Belgium. The guy I met was very friendly and used to have a cappuccino himself. He was not 100% positive, but seemed to reckon there existed an official Suzuki kit to convert headlights for continental usage. He told me he would investigate this matter for me with a guy he knew at Suzuki headquarters, which was "the" suzuki person to ask for cappuccino-related matters in Belgium. We'll see what comes out...
Py
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 10:19:23pm |
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| That are interesting news! Looking forward to hear more What official paperwork do you need from Suzuki? Is it the CoC? |
Last modified Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 10:42:05pm by ol@fson |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 10:53:34pm |
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| Yes, certificate of conformity indeed. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, 11:12:09pm |
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| How much will you have to pay for it? |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, 7:04:43am |
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| I was told around 100¤, to be confirmed. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, 9:10:33am |
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| Yes that's what i've been told too. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, 11:53:37am |
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| Something that Ezra mentioned that one has to take care of is to make sure to seal the case really good when glueing the two parts together, as there might get humidity inside which gets them fogged. I'm planning to use a silicone sealant like Dow Corning 732. |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, 2:04:09pm |
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| I was told earlier today by Dany from Cappuccino Sport that an official headlights mod kit from Suzuki never existed in the first place... |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, 2:25:28pm |
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| I have heard that the few Cappos that were officially imported to Germany in the 90s were all modified by one company. Unfortunately i don't know which company that was. I was just told that they don't do it anymore. So that would match with the no-conversion-kit theory |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Friday, October 30th, 2009, 8:49:59am |
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| Any news on the magical BMW-parts-transformation mod? |
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Reply: 24 - 66 |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Friday, October 30th, 2009, 10:06:29am |
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Unfortunately, nothing yet.
But I've come up with an idea about an alternative way to do the mod. I'm in the process of testing it. It will take a few days however, as I need to build a test fixture to properly verify the accuracy of my mod. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Friday, October 30th, 2009, 10:36:04am |
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| Sounds interesting Pictures of the experimental setup? |
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Reply: 26 - 66 |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Saturday, October 31st, 2009, 8:27:28pm |
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No pictures yet, but some news from the headlights mod battle...
I got no return from the "BMW parts mod" guy, nor from the guy from the local suzuki garage. Oh well...
I told I came up with an alternative way to perform the mod. Let's explain a little bit more.
All the methods I read about involve popping the clamshell-like headlight open, to perform the mod. I still have to see one such modified headlight which does still look good and "stock" afterwards. The seal always looks ugly after the mod. Well, maybe it can be done to look good, but if I can avoid messing with this stuff, I'll.
But how to mod the inside without opening the headlight at all? Well, already heard about one of these "boat in a bottle"? Example: http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/b/br/brisa/191217_boat_in_a_bottle.jpg
That's exactly how I'm performing the mod: thru the bulb opening on the back. Obviously, it is quite small, and as such one has to be very careful, and you have to be patient. It definitely requires some proper craftsmanship... Also, sawing into the existing piece of metal is not possible this way. So I work by adding a custom-formed piece of metal to change (reverse) the shape of the light guide. One can either go for symmetrical (flat) output beam, or one can reverse the pattern formed, to get the exact reverse pattern from the stock light. I went for the latter.
I've spent several hours today preparing for and testing if this way of doing could work. The answer is yes: I already have one of my headlights modified, in a non-permanent manner, to assess the correct shape and position of the modified beam. Basically I am able to get the exact reverse pattern than described in the service manual.
Next step will be to make the mod permanent. I've sourced a special glue which is heat (-40/+200°C) and vibration resistant, but I need to see how it does actually perform before starting to mess with it inside the headlight.
Once I'm done (it'll probably be several days from now) and most importantly if I succeed, I'll post some pictures, specifically pictures of the beams before/after.
Py
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 4:24:20pm |
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| Sounds like a hard job! Did you cut a piece of metal with the new shape to glue it on the 'old shape' in the lamps? |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 4:26:32pm |
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| Basically, yeah. I'm now in the "glue testing" phase... |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 4:33:22pm |
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Something like this?:
Just a thought: How about not glueing it but drilling two holes in the piece of metal as in the existing shape, threading the holes in the exisiting shape and then use two screws? so it would be a reversible mod ..
Reversible or even with the option of having symmetrical light by using another shape ...
... or even better .. apply a batman logo on it! 
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Last modified Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:02:20pm by ol@fson |
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Reply: 30 - 66 |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:05:08pm |
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Yes, something like that. I might go and grab a picture of the thing later today.
I also thought of using screws, and have not ruled that out completely.
Apart from the awkwardness implied in drilling inside there, and then to thread the holes, remember that the added shape has to go all the way down to the lens. Eg, the added piece of metal has to have the shape of half a "U". Which makes it harder to properly align just using 2 screws. But not impossible...
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:09:27pm |
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| By the way, is it hard to get the headlights out? Do you have to remove the front bumper? |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:13:03pm |
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| No, bumper stays in place, but you have to get the plastic lining stuff inside the wheel arches loose for at least the front half. There are 2 hidden bolts down there. |
Last modified Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:17:33pm by Py |
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| Py |
Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 5:32:45pm
 Attachment: img_3170.jpg - 14.73 KB (310 views) |
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Here it is. Sorry for the bad quality. The hole is about 20 mm in diameter
Also remember that my add-in part is not properly aligned on that one. I just put it back inside for the picture's sake. |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 10:05:43pm |
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| Hey, that looks good! What material did you use? Aluminium? How thick is it? |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Sunday, November 1st, 2009, 10:55:41pm |
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It is 0,3mm thick steel.
Maybe I'm somewhat over-engineering here, but I might get some aluminium (seems to be what the underlying part of the reflector is made of), or stainless steel, to ensure as much durability as possible.
I had a deeper look at the drilling + taping + screwing way of fixing the thing, and after all it might not be _that_ hard to achieve. In parallel with my glue experiments, I'll see if I can actually get a 2.05mm drill in there (to tap the hole for a M2.5 screw). It would be more elegant (and possibly durable) than the glue solution.
Oh well, we'll see
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Reply: 36 - 66 |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Monday, November 2nd, 2009, 8:59:29pm |
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Just a small update: I ordered the tools I lacked to give a go to the "screws" method. Also some 0,5mm aluminium and 0,5 stainless steel are on their way. Hopefully I can go further with that mod next week-end.
Btw, if I can find an elegant and efficient way to do the mod, do you think it could be a good idea to offer this as a service for a reasonable fee? Just thought of that today. What do you think? Would you be interested? |
Last modified Monday, November 2nd, 2009, 9:00:24pm by Py |
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| ol@fson |
| Posted on: Monday, November 2nd, 2009, 10:40:49pm |
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| Well i think it could be a good idea to offer the conversion as a service. Depending on how the results are and what the reasonable fee would be like of course |
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| Py |
| Posted on: Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009, 7:05:26am |
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| Thanks for the feedback, ol@fson. As of yet, there is obviously nothing done. We'll see once I get my headlights properly modified... |
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Cappuccino Owners Club › General Discussion Boards › Cappuccino In General › How to modify the headlight for continental usage? (Moderators: )
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