Are Jewel Eye LED Headlights Worth It?
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2024
- Are Jewel Eye LED Headlights Worth It? You Tell me below.
With thousands of people seeing Instagram posts, and CZcams Videos, why is it that we never get to see output shots of these lights on the road?
Are they mounted crooked?
Are they even actually functional?
With only a handful of professionals (I'm definitely not one of them) offering services like this, I wanted to ask this question to anyone wanting to buy, or build these lights.
Should you even do it?
If you spend several hundred dollars on parts, and then spend a hundred hours on the build, how much should something like this cost?
Will it be usable, or will they only be a set of car show lights, or swapped on temporarily for The Gram?
Tell me your opinion below.
Also, here’s the Pantera project:
• You've Never Seen a PA... - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Fun fact.... Auto manufacturers spend nearly most their time and money in developing headlights. Probably the most intricate part of a vehicle.
I worked on the design of the original RLX "Jewel Eye" headlights and don't agree with one of your comments, that this design does not have a "reflector". The optical design was developed by a team of scientists and engineers at Light Prescriptions Innovators LLC (where I was Executive VP), an international optical design specialist company (I was based in the US but most of our design team on this project were based in our Madrid, Spain office) and a team at Koito of Japan (with some feedback from Honda), who are/were the Tier 1 supplier of that headlight. You claim that the Jewel Eye optics don't use a back reflector but that is not actually the case. If you look at the original video for the Jewel Eye of the RLX you can see some of the rays bouncing off the front face of the outer lens (by an optical effect known as total internal reflection), going backwards toward the rear of the "lens" where they are reflected off the rear surface of the lens towards the front of the lens where they are redirected by refraction. See czcams.com/video/lR0EWPIBbTk/video.html LPI and Koito own joint IP (both US and foreign patents as well as proprietary design software) for this optical design. I cannot comment on the later "Jewel Eye" headlights nor can I say how well the original "Jewel Eye" would work if replanted in a custom vehicle.
Recently I retired from LPI, which has mothballed its facilities in the US, Europe and Hong Kong. However, we still hold a fairly large patent portfolio some jointly with other companies. Several of our key patents were used on the Jewel Eye project, especially the ones which teach the so-called optical design approach called "Simultaneous Multiple Surfaces" or "SMS" for short.
Very interesting info, thank you for sharing!
I built my own set of jewel eyes for my EvoX and that was the issue with them. You really cant stick them all in there and not worry about alignment and space. I wanted to try and keep all 5 lighting arrays but instead removed the highbeams and used morimoto hi-lens as my highbeams instead because i didnt want to chop up the rear housings. I was able to keep the back housing untouched , leveled and still able to retain the motorized headlight leveler function.
Smart dude 👌 I’d love to see some pics of your car!
@@flyryde ill shoot you a dm of my project. For me, i like retrofits to be nice and unique but most importantly legal because my car gets enough attention already from the cops lol. Even got pulled over for no plates but it was mounted on the side from factory lol
@@flyryde Whats up brother. Been watching you for a long time. Would this work for a 2015 infiniti qx80
What's your ig! I want to seee
@@supersage789 i posted up some pics on the discord channel in the show and tell section if you havent seen it yet
Thank you so much for making this video man!!!!
I have used a 3d printer for custom housings. It is super time consuming making sure everything is just right, but once you do get it right. You can make it however you want, and it still seal everything. As long as the space permits it.
That’s dope dude. If there’s a payoff that can scale, I’m all about it 👌
Really? I need to do my research on a 3D printer
dope AF! great content as usual thanks! never looked into trying to do this my cars don't have the space for them 🤣
Didn't do jewels, but bought a spare set of headlights for my 06 civic, designed and 3D printed the back and the insert in abs plastic just so I could have DRLs and still keep factory adjustment on my bi-led projectors. It's doable, just depends on how much effort you're willing to put into this project
I was going to mention Sinister and the front core support. Then you referred to to the build. Jewels aren’t particularly my style, but for those that build them properly, they are pretty dope. Plus as long as you’re an automobile enthusiast, I don’t care what you build, we have a common hobby and that’s rad.
Lol my dumbass said “front clip” 😅
Core support is a bit more practical than half a car you gotta lug around 🤦♂️🤣
It can be done with a lot of work(ofc rear almost always needs to be modded)
It all depends on what setup you are trying to do,
There are something like six+ different Jewel eye configurations mounted to different Acura's,
They all have a different shape,
So find the one's closest to the headlight you are trying to build.
Awesome work
They look bad ass..
They are above my skill level..
Gotta crawl before I can walk or Run!
Haha 😄 good info.. I always wondered..
Definitely a mountain that isn’t worth climbing for 99 out of 100 people. It’s all about the time involved to do it right. Any idiot can fake it 😜
Crazy good info right there functionality first!
With decreasing equipment costs (CNC, 3D Scanners & Printers) and advancements in composites it won't be long before we start seeing resigned headlight housings.
I’ve seen them a lot on 8th gen civics and s2000ks
what do you glue the optics with? I saw that they use a black silicone but I don't know what exactly it is
I like the fact that u are 100% honest respect
A lot of people can’t handle honesty 🤦♂️🤣
Glad to have you here bro 👊
Good info thankfully I'm stuck in the 4x6 headlight Era on my cars
I want to take apart my 2019 Acura RDX headlights to paint some stuff inside. I have opened up a lot of headlights in my life with the oven but I don’t mind the heat gun method either. I need your advice. I’m so scared of ruining the electronics inside the housing when it’s heated. All the headlights I’ve done in the past, I’ve removed all the bulbs. It looks like you can’t remove bulbs like that for jewel eyes. Can you tell me exactly all the stuff I should remove before heating it up? I don’t want to ruin the LEDs inside.
To me, it is always a clear indication that the aiming of these systems in a retrofit is probably terrible every time someone posts pictures of everything about it except the output shots. 19 out of 20 times, output photos are not forthcoming despite begging to see them. Sometimes a simple glance at the finished product revealing a tilt to one side and not conforming to the geometry of the headlight is enough for me to conclude its not done right. Maybe the tilt is necessary, but it certainly doesn't appear in accordance with the angle from which it appears on the original car.
No damn way 95+% of them are level. They look cool tho 🤷♂️
@@flyrydeI rather see then look cool 💀
I would love to do this to my grandcaravan headlights 😏👌🏼 something different
You're my hero dude I have a tlx and I've been wanting to customize them for so long but have been terrified to open them up because well... if I mess up they're expensive! Because of this.... everyone wants them!
Hahaha, yup, worst case you break even if you mess up the housings 😜
@@flyryde except there is no breaking even with your own car haha
I just meant sell the parts if you damage the housings lol. But yeah, in some ways I’m dreading that feeing of actually caring about my car 😅 I’m sure I’ll eventually crack and get something I don’t want to mess up.
@@flyryde Them: aren't you afraid you'll break it?!
Us: if it dies it dies.
I am at the end stages of my jewel eye in a 2001 Camaro SS. I thankfully had a perfect situation where the angle the led module sat in the MDX was perfect to the lines of my Camaro. The “only” way my retrofit is working is I actually used the MDX headlight housing, cut the lens off and grafted the Camaro lens channel to the Acura headlight. This keeps me all the factory Acura headlight adjustments and the module mounted in its native position. It took a couple months to get the body of the Acura headlight mounted and positions corrected. It was a jewel retro done right, but you couldn’t pay me enough to do it for someone else. I went through this hell because I cannot stand how single or dual projector looks on my style
Camaro, the jewel eye will be unique on this car forever for me.
Wish I could post pics here.
Give Instagram page
Post up in discord bro:
discord.gg/fdUcry7Tvr
I’ll put some build pics up tomorrow evening after work. Got to give thanks to you man, your vids are what turned me on to ghozt modules and yunique led pods for the drl.
Thanks for sharing. Looks crazy, and crazy time consuming, but damn sure unique 👌
Hi, I was wondering for an 05 acura tl base model, I want a similar design headlight to this (you know just the squares slanted in a row). Is there an actual custom headlight option that I can just purchase and switch out or is a retrofit like this the only option? I am not looking for the crazy colors or anything like that just preferably LEDs with decent lighting. And do you know how hard the retrofit is for my specific vehicle? Thank you.
I’ll have mine finished up hopefully in a month. I’ll post them up in the discord! Aligned properly and everything. 2010 sti!
Dope! Hope it goes well for you!
I just a hold of a pair of headlights from a wrecked tlx that were replaced because of broken shell tabs, worth 1,200. I'm going to retrofit them into a set of 08 tsx, I know for sure they are going to fit.
Are you in the discord server? I’d love for you to share your progress
Fits in RC350? Better performance than stock headlight housing with led bulbs?
just a quick question,do you take outside work. i wanted to know if you would be willing take a set of headlights and paint the inside black and reseal?
I know a guy thats in the car group I am in has an Acura RSX....Has these Jewel Eye headlights on them haha...Now after seeing this video I wonder how badly aimed those are on his RSX now...lol....Good to know this kind of stuff!!
Great content and presentation let down by out of focus and/or flashing the the products in and out of camera shot . Absolutely professional and I hope you'll take this as well meant for you and your future presentations . Thankyou for sharing your knowledge . Kev .
I love the look of them!
I honestly do too 🤤
@@flyryde I'm working on a 2020 rdx jewel in my integra
This guy is the goat 🐐 with headlights
The builders i mentioned are the heros. I just like to make videos and put the knowledge out there 🙏
I installed Lightworkz G5-R projectors in my 99 4runner, I got pretty lucky on install being that the housings had the perfect sized holes for the projector ring. Aiming was/is a whole nother animal.
I essentially pull into a parking lot, find the lowest car there that I can park behind. I aim the tips or crown of the projected light pattern at the very edge of their top of their trunk. Doing this over the years has saved me getting revenge high beamed for no reason. Good luck aiming these 😂
1990 and 1997 accord. Looked Hella dope too.
I'm looking for a jewel headlight to install on my 8th gen honda civics any recommendations on builders
I like the hair style an gel. It reminds me on year 1997 and Peter Andre. :)
I built my set of jewel eyes into my 2010 speed3 headlight. Had to basically remake the rear housing from fiberglass. And then aiming them wasn’t too bad one that was done. The difficult part was creating the custom shroud.
I’ve had so many people ask me to do it on their cars and I told them how much it would cost in just labor alone trying to get them aimed properly while remaining adjustable and they quickly realized it wasn’t for them.
Dang! I have the exact same setup and idea. (Mazdaspeed3 2010 with jewel eye headlights) Do you have any pictures?
I have a 18 ilx and just want the lights to change colors how do I do that
Saw your vid recommended to me a few days ago thx to yt but didn’t click on it. But eventually curiosity got to me as I didn’t actually know what jewel eye headlights were. Now I know, and now I have learned something! Thx FR!
Yay! Glad to have you! Any questions that come to mind?
@@flyryde Just one: Are they actually brighter than just getting led bulbs to replace the stock halogens like what I did to my 06 escape hybrid?
Great question. In my experience, purpose built LED projectors outperform housings designed for one thing (halogen bulbs) where you stuff in a bright ass bulb.
Having said that, it all depends on what you’re comparing it to. Run of the mill halogen projector housing with Xyz brand LED bulbs, yeah I’m gonna say OEM LED projector wins.
Monster output LED bulb known to perform well in some specifically awesome projector lens combo, might be a toss up. Super dope HID system paired with HID performance projector, beats everything, and probably takes a fraction of the effort to retrofit as Jewel Eyes.
But will rando internet people think you’re as cool as bootleg Jewel Eye Instagram hero? No, you will lose that battle.
@@flyryde thx for the insight! While my current swap job I performed may not be the brightest or the coolest looking, they are for one waaaaay brighter than the stock halogens I had previously.
@@AsianDrag0n hey dude I shot over a message on FB, I have something for you 👍
really been looking into getting jewel eyes for my 2007 TL Type-S
Идеально, как будто создано для этого авто.
Definitely 3D printing in the mix of the technology needed to research & plan n build the meanest set of jewel eyes
I have a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, is there an aftermarket headlight option
I had my cat face silverado lights made out of the mdx units.
I ❤ those headlight jewels !
Your work it’s amazing!!
Hey who can do that to my 2011 Honda civic ? I’m interested 😊
Anyone know about any kinda aftermarket led headlights for 2004 buick regal?
I 3d printed an extension for my housing out of petg, was a ton of work.
If it’s a show car that’s not driven at night, go for it. If it’s a functional driver, it pays to have something a little less fancy. Function has to trump form when it comes to something like this for safety reasons.
Agree 100% and honestly, having a cool looking, non functional set of lights for a car is waaaay too Try Hard for my taste or advice.
I'm looking for someone in the west coast area who can put projectors in my 2021 freightliner cascadia?
Who does those lights for Acura TL 05 to 08
Can there’s light fit 08 cu2 Honda Accord
Does it work w 3rd gen tl? I see them alot
If you buy the engineering sheet were its essentially just a giant sheet with sqaures you can measure the beam of the light and figure out how you have it mounted. Either its looking into the sky or its looking at the road. Its a lot easier once you got it
I’m gonna say nobody building lights is using engineering sheets, but it sounds like a smart thing to do, usually never acted on.
Will those work on a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?
So say if I want to put them in a 8th gen si head light would it have that same problem
Is the housing more than 16” long in the main portion of the light? Like, 16” of usable space not counting narrow little sections of the light?
Funny how the eclipse was actually done right. Kept the ballast to adjust
Do you have any recommendations on a led projector for 3rd gen rams?
I don’t but retroshop is who to search. Jeremy is a beast 👹
Does the Cadillac Escalade have those jewel like head lights
I have a question how can I get some custom headlights for my obs chevy show truck
Have you joined the discord group? There’s a few guys in there that’d be able to help. discord.gg/fdUcry7Tvr
Hi .I like the videos. Would it fit a 2021 nissan altima?.
Is the housing more than 16” long in the main portion of the light? Like, 16” of usable space not counting narrow little sections of the light?
Damn! The cap 🧢 is real in this lighting industry.
Hey good video, I tried it several times and it's a lot of work and very very hard to line up.
If im not mistaken, the RDX and thr ILX are the only two that have the reflector high beams, the TLX, MDX and RLX have projector low and high beams
Look amazing but you talked me out of it. Maybe I’ll just look into dual projectors. Got a single low beam already
Totally agree.. this jewel eye is NOT for all car retrofit...
What about 99-04 mustangs will they fit ?
Can you upgrade the leds themselves in a 2015+ gtr headlight low beam? I feel like they can be brighter (depending on the heat sink) and I feel like the led cri could be better. Interesting experiment
No. I’d never bother with it. Can you? Sure you can do anything for it. Is there a market for it? Nope. Guess how many times I’ve heard someone complain about the output from their 2015+ headlights in the last 7 years that I’ve had my hands on them? Goose egg 🥚
I got a question probably stupid but here it goes. Those gtr lights would they fit in a 2002 yukon headlights. I think it would look badass.
Honestly this only makes me want to do it more 😂 and I’d find out my headlights are too narrow top to bottom, because they’re already so long I have a comfortable quad 3inch projector lens setup
Lmao that’s so crazy dude. Those have to be 8x as bright as any car on the road. I’d love to hear more about it in IG DMs 👍
@@flyryde totally! But they will definitely disappoint… 😂
Hello, I would like to put on my Acura tsx 2007 those MDX headlights that would cost me that project
The one you show at the beginning look like it was out of an ILX or RDX because after two reflector highbeam housing.
Honestly the person who ever designed these lights are an evil scientist. Lol
Ah yes the jobs I always turn down😭
Smart man 👌
Would you do it for a freightliner cascadia 2021 :) looks like alot of room in the housing
Or maybe just put projectors
Are these similar to Alpharex Nova? This is where a big ass 3d printer would help
I’d like to see one done for a b6 Audi if possible not much light option for em cuz I don’t think anyone really took time to make after market lights
I've seen a jewel eye retrofit on a 2nd generation Acura MDX.
The best looking jewel retrofit of the TLX was on the S2000. I was just at slammed enuff in Destin, Fl and there were 2 s2k’s with the jewels and they fit pretty good, they were aimed great. No insane overlaps, it doesn’t look like that cross eyed girl from middle school that was into Inuyasha and her hair would at times smell like burnt popcorn and Bengay
pretty specific reference there buddy
@@merricc5218 I had a flashback
98-02 Town Car. Those lights are 2 feet wide, no joke.
I've seen jeweled eye on USDM 2015 Honda Odyssey. That should be aimed correctly done right?
Is the housing more than 16” long in the main portion of the light? Like, 16” of usable space not counting narrow little sections of the light?
@@flyryde I'll send a pic on ya Instagram technically both Honda even though it's Acura... it came off of a MDX. Can you make me one 😜😉
I saw them on Instagram retro fitted in a z32
Can Something like this be done on a 2015 transit connect?
I have no clue to be honest
@@flyryde i want to get projectors for it but this transit connect doesn't come with projector. I see some custom made for the regular transit in Europe .
You can do a altezza lights like that
So what your saying is my hikari headlights are what I should keep and just put some rgb behind it lol
Good know about this I was thinking about it but now I won't...
I’ve searched your catalog and I haven’t seen you do any 4x6 head lights. I want to spice mine up and don’t know where to start
i think this is where a 3d printer can come in
maybe dissasembe and stack 2 over 2 for different lights idk just a dream
Low beams are 3 row and high beams are 2 row,
Everything is possible i would just be an insane amount of work.
Tire kickers, hehe reminds me of the movie Kill Bill when Bill’s brother was getting yelled at by the strip joint owner telling him to take off that ‘shit kicker hat’
Does the other installer(jay at sinister) you talk about in the video have any social media accounts?
www.sinisterretrowerkz.com/shop.html#/
How Can I Obtain this ?
Booked 📖
Looking forward to it brother! Stoked that you’re documenting everything to help out other DC2 guys 👊
Seen them in a s14 kouki housing. Owner refused to show me a cutoff photo lol.
My buddy Luke built some badass S14 lights like these. No way he’s gonna do it again. Dudes a perfectionist. That’s a great way to lose a couple hundred hours of otherwise profitable time.
You can bet there is only 1 reason why you won't see the output.
Some dude was arguing with me about 4-sided COB bulbs giving him absolute lighting perfection. I said, "Show me the output 25' from a wall." He sent me a photo of himself backed up against a wall facing the car, about 25' away, showing that the entire headlamp is filled with light - fully optimised.
Wheres the lnk to that Pantera project?
I'm just going to start 3d scanning the back of it then print new pieces
I know 2 guys that retrofit their honda Accord jmd 2008 as well as a 2006 camry
I saw a jewel retrofits on an 04 pontiac grand prix. I can't find it anywhere. I've always wanted to try it to my 04 pontiac grand prix. The jewel are way to big
3:52 - I heard that the RLX's jewels are the best performing of the bunch.
There is no performance difference until the new generation came out like the small one the new TLX
@@storm4710 Source?
@@contagiousingenuityagency5273 having tested both side by side(in the shop) RLX had better high beams,
Maybe on a very dark road the differences between 3 high power led vs 8 low power led's will show some improvements,
RLX jewels uses less power,
Have not have the chance to drive any Acura because they are not sold here.
@@storm4710 Do you happen to have lux measurements of your tests?
@@contagiousingenuityagency5273 If i remember correctly they were about the same,
But i can't remember the number,
I will check if i still have the measurements in my notes.
Lol. Touching reflective surfaces inside lights without gloves= damaged surfaces from finger oils.
Always wear gloves. Built many retrofits.
I bet you can fit them really good in 4gen Ram
Big ass housing or something?
@@flyryde yea man I would love to see them done. Probably get 2 rows. LOL
How about 2013 lexus gs350 f sport headlight
Is the housing more than 16” long in the main portion of the light? Like, 16” of usable space not counting narrow little sections of the light?
@@flyryde yeah
What the supra mk4 headlight?
I honestly can’t stand how elitist some of these purist groups are. Like old dudes who just want to restore everything to OEM form only. God forbid someone modify the sacred “98” mkiv Supra headlights, let alone put Jewel Eyes in there.
Great way to piss off a bunch of judgmental cool guys lol.
@@flyryde hahaha. I have spare to messed around 🤣 i was thinking about the jewel of the 2020 in housing of 1993/2002 hahah
I’m sure someone will do it eventually.
The Acura ilx has them stock
I seen it done on 94accord wagan