Are Jewel Eye LED Headlights Worth It? 

Fun fact.... Auto manufacturers spend nearly most their time and money in developing headlights. Probably the most intricate part of a vehicle.

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.

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 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lR0EWPIBbTk.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.

dope AF! great content as usual thanks! never looked into trying to do this my cars don't have the space for them 🤣

They look bad ass.. They are above my skill level.. Gotta crawl before I can walk or Run! Haha 😄 good info.. I always wondered..

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.

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.

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.

I like the fact that u are 100% honest respect

Thank you so much for making this video man!!!!

Good info thankfully I'm stuck in the 4x6 headlight Era on my cars

I’ve seen them a lot on 8th gen civics and s2000ks

Crazy good info right there functionality first!

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 .

Awesome work

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

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!

I’ll have mine finished up hopefully in a month. I’ll post them up in the discord! Aligned properly and everything. 2010 sti!

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.

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!

I love the look of them!

really been looking into getting jewel eyes for my 2007 TL Type-S

I would love to do this to my grandcaravan headlights 😏👌🏼 something different

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!!

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.

With decreasing equipment costs (CNC, 3D Scanners & Printers) and advancements in composites it won't be long before we start seeing resigned headlight housings.

1990 and 1997 accord. Looked Hella dope too.

Definitely 3D printing in the mix of the technology needed to research & plan n build the meanest set of jewel eyes

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.

I 3d printed an extension for my housing out of petg, was a ton of work.

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.

what do you glue the optics with? I saw that they use a black silicone but I don't know what exactly it is

Fits in RC350? Better performance than stock headlight housing with led bulbs?

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 like the hair style an gel. It reminds me on year 1997 and Peter Andre. :)

This guy is the goat 🐐 with headlights

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 😂

I have a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, is there an aftermarket headlight option

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 ❤ those headlight jewels ! Your work it’s amazing!! Hey who can do that to my 2011 Honda civic ? I’m interested 😊

I'm looking for a jewel headlight to install on my 8th gen honda civics any recommendations on builders

I have a 18 ilx and just want the lights to change colors how do I do that

Hey good video, I tried it several times and it's a lot of work and very very hard to line up.

I had my cat face silverado lights made out of the mdx units.

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.

Can there’s light fit 08 cu2 Honda Accord

Anyone know about any kinda aftermarket led headlights for 2004 buick regal?

Does the Cadillac Escalade have those jewel like head lights

Who does those lights for Acura TL 05 to 08

Hi .I like the videos. Would it fit a 2021 nissan altima?.

The one you show at the beginning look like it was out of an ILX or RDX because after two reflector highbeam housing.

Will those work on a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe?

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

Does it work w 3rd gen tl? I see them alot

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.

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.

What about 99-04 mustangs will they fit ?

Good know about this I was thinking about it but now I won't...

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 looking for someone in the west coast area who can put projectors in my 2021 freightliner cascadia?

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

Look amazing but you talked me out of it. Maybe I’ll just look into dual projectors. Got a single low beam already

Hello, I would like to put on my Acura tsx 2007 those MDX headlights that would cost me that project

Are these similar to Alpharex Nova? This is where a big ass 3d printer would help

You can do a altezza lights like that

Wheres the lnk to that Pantera project?

Do you have any recommendations on a led projector for 3rd gen rams?

I saw them on Instagram retro fitted in a z32

So say if I want to put them in a 8th gen si head light would it have that same problem

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 have a question how can I get some custom headlights for my obs chevy show truck

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.

How Can I Obtain this ?

Ah yes the jobs I always turn down😭

Seen them in a s14 kouki housing. Owner refused to show me a cutoff photo lol.

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

So what your saying is my hikari headlights are what I should keep and just put some rgb behind it lol

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

Totally agree.. this jewel eye is NOT for all car retrofit...

Funny how the eclipse was actually done right. Kept the ballast to adjust

I know 2 guys that retrofit their honda Accord jmd 2008 as well as a 2006 camry

Damn! The cap 🧢 is real in this lighting industry.

Does the other installer(jay at sinister) you talk about in the video have any social media accounts?

Honestly the person who ever designed these lights are an evil scientist. Lol

Can Something like this be done on a 2015 transit connect?

I've seen jeweled eye on USDM 2015 Honda Odyssey. That should be aimed correctly done right?

2012 accord coupe to acura mdx headlights 2017

The Acura ilx has them stock

I'm just going to start 3d scanning the back of it then print new pieces

Booked 📖

How about 2013 lexus gs350 f sport headlight

I bet you can fit them really good in 4gen Ram

Seen a 96 honda accord with them

98-02 Town Car. Those lights are 2 feet wide, no joke.

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

I seen it done on 94accord wagan

3:52 - I heard that the RLX's jewels are the best performing of the bunch.

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’

Lol. Touching reflective surfaces inside lights without gloves= damaged surfaces from finger oils. Always wear gloves. Built many retrofits.