bilinvic Retrofits

That also could be the problem. I just checked one of the F150 projectors and the cutoff moves with my finger very easily compared to other projectors. You may be on to something!

HAK

I've always preferred the scissor armature over the push/pull forward flipping style. Much more accurate and less chance for wobbles and shifting movement. It is what it is though. Love my lights regardless lol.

BTW here's an old animation I've had that may help others understand the scissor armature type vs oem f150 ....

nix150

so it sounds like its one of two things, the shroud/projector..or the OEM bulb, or both. Is there anyway to isolate this and offer a fix? Easy way is to replace everything it seems..assuming that everyone who has upgraded the 13s from OEM. I'd really like to get this fixed, and as I have some $$ in it already, I'd like to do this for as little as possible....

Thoughts??

HAK

Well, you have two options if you want to isolate possible causes:

• To test the bulb/ignitor weight issue you will need to notch a D2S bulb to fit in the D3S receptacle on the projector since it is a lighter design since the magic of the ignitor is made into the ballast itself. D3S uses the ignitor right at the bulb thus adding weight, potentially inducing unwanted vibrations and bulb movement. Even the slightest faint bulb movement with HID will result in very noticeable changes in output or what you're seeing on the road.
  
  
• Unfortunately if it's the shield, which I lean more towards, then there is little you could do without reinventing the wheel so to speak. It's more than likely that the solenoid doesn't push the rod that the shield is mounted to with enough resistance to force it to stay perfectly still against the high beam shield until you enable high beam mode (activate the solenoid). Fixing that, if even possible, would be finding a very similar solenoid that has the same exact throw length for the rod but has more resistant in it's rested position (low beam mode). It is a delicate balance however. Also another variable is you have the two posts or 'nipples' if you will on the projector bowl body that the shield moves into in its rested position. If the shield doesn't sit even on both sides exactly or is off on one side more than the other then that in itself is going to cause some of the 'wobble effect' people are seeing. You can see what I'm talking about in this thread https://www.f150forum.com/f83/2013-o...ld-mod-198278/.

If it really bothers you, and it's not a bulb/ignitor weight issue, then your other option is to swap out the projector for an EvoX. The EvoX uses the same scissor armature type design as many Hella brand projectors. That design has always seemed to hold the shield in the correct spot regardless of road surfaces or vibrations. As I mentioned earlier, the forward folding design leaves some "slop" by design. It's not a Ford F150 thing. It's just the inherent nature of that design style of bi-xenon solenoid.

It has nothing to do with the shroud.

I know that's not the news you want to read but that's pretty much your options. I've done HID for a long time so I guess I've grown accustomed to some of these aspects people determine as 'issues'. It is what it is. People also need to keep in mind that a projector is a magnification device. Any vibration, even the slightest, and you are going to notice it more. Especially when talking about light.

larryt1026

Sooo HAK you don't see it as being an issue at all and down the road..especially with durability of the HID light and such?

HAK

No it won't be any durability issue or affect longevity IMHO. My TL's I had for several years and never an issue, aside from the occasional wobble jiggle thing. It's mainly going to be an annoyance for some while others will just learn to live with it. I use my fog lights so to me it's not as noticeable plus I'm used to it. The amount of wobble we're seeing is going to be very minimal on the shield moving but the fact it's a projector magnifies the effect.

If it turns out to be a bulb issue and the retaining clip isn't holding it as tight then we could always add a shim or something to help take up some of the slop and tighten the force of the retaining clip on the bulb. I will try and look into the bulb weight tonight if I get home before dark. Adding a shim is a simple fix aside from going D2S if that is the issue. If the bulb is indeed tight and snug then we know its the shield that is moving.

nix150

x2 & larryt1026....nice explanation though by HAK..I had no idea how these things worked...and I still have no idea how to fix it, or how much it would cost. I just want the lights to be sturdy. Nothing is worse (to me) than seeing lights wobble as they are coming toward you...I don't want to be that guy! To me, it seems cheap..and these are anything but cheap..at least what I paid for them!

nix150

I really appreciate your help and comments on this! I guess for the most part, the lights are fine, and it's not a wobble so much as it is a shake when hitting large bumps etc... like I said, I can shut my door (fairly hard) and see the cutoff line shake, so I know something is shaking. Same thing if you lightly smack the light...not hard, but...you get the idea...I just really have no idea what would be moving in there.

bilinvic Retrofits

I have a few pairs of brand new F150 OEM projectors in my shop....when the bulbs are seated, they are very snug; no wiggle. I agree with HAK with the cut-off shield being the culprit. The only way to fix this is to open the heads, and if your going that far, you might as well throw some EVOX-R projectors in there, get some Osram CBI 5k bulbs and ballasts and you will outperform almost every vehicle on the road in terms of lighting.

HAK

Nix150,

No problem. If you've ever played with a bixenon projector in your hands then it's easier to understand why a shake may exist. The low beam shield is a moving part. Most bixenon projectors require at least some degree of force to move the shield either forward and back if a forward folding design or up and down if a scissor type. Forward flip style will have more tendency to move or shake just due to the design it's made. The scissor style not so much since it just swings up and down like a blade pivoting. If you had one in your hands you could probably understand what I'm talking about a little easier. Sort of difficult to describe in words lol.

Yea when I say wobble I mean shake. Mine will shake too if I close my door hard, which I have a tendency to do too much lol.