okay, hope you guys we're holding your breath all the way from the weekend. Finally got some time to take some pictures and do some writing
As mentioned before, the angel eye cover on the headlight assembly does not fit over these bulbs. Here's why:
First off, picture below is the assembly of these (10W) lights. As you can see, there is an extra enclosure behind the bulb that houses what I'm assuming is circuitry.
When we line up the cup that covers the angel eye bulb next to the bulb and this enclosure, we can see that it is too short to accommodate the two of them in the same space.
The back of the bulb heat sink is bored out to a diameter where the circuit module could fit inside, but it's still too long to fit inside the cup. Also, the idea of stuffing the circuits and wires in there makes me really nervous; the lights get quite warm quickly, and stuffing all of that inside can cause heat buildup as well as damage the circuits and pretty thin wires.
The cylinder enclosure is also too long to fit sideways inside the cup (even at its widest point, the open end).
Possible Workarounds:
At this point, I have put together some ideas of how to overcome this issue. However, I have not tested any of these, and need to put up this disclaimer language: I cannot be held responsible for what you decide to do to your car
The only way I see to replace the cover on the AE area would be to relocate the circuit module to sit outside of the cup, and cut a notch for the wire to pass through to the outside. This cut would have to extend past the lip, since the gasket sits sub-flush with the rest of the body of the headlight housing. (see red box+cross hatching region indicating cutout)
The wires here do offer some flexibility here; if you're really short on length, it might be OK to open up the connector and extend it with another piece. (Not sure how advisable this is; anyone with more wiring experience care to speak on this?)
It's important to note that the cylinder enclosure is
not sealed. The hole where the wires pass through are large, and would easily let in dust/moisture. Thus, I can't say I am 100% confident about this "workaround".
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So, all in all, a pretty big hurdle to overcome. IMHO, it's very risky driving around without the cover on, especially if you live in a very dusty/humid/rainy environment. (kindof a no-brainer) Running with the ugly stock halogens would be safer.
I've talked to HPB, and I have some 6W bulbs on their way; they do not have this extra appendage hooked up to the bulb and should fit the cover on without any issue. I will see if I can get some comparison (10W vs 6W) photos up when they arrive.
Let me know if there are any questions about my explanations; it's always a bit hard to interpret things when the physical objects aren't in your hands
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Update 2/9/2012
HPB has informed me that they are currently in the redesign phase on the LED controller so it can fit inside the housing. I look forward to seeing and trying out the new versions
