General New HID Headlights Fitted

Adamski · Apr 15, 2005

I purchased a HID conversion kit earlier this week, arrived yesterday and fitted it. Only really a 30minute job as everything pretty much plugs straight into the existing connections. I must say that the improvement is incredible! Not only does the road in front of me light up perfectly (as if it was daylight) it has a nice blue tint to it too (as its a 8000K kit). The road markings seem to glow white, and signs stand out so much more too!

Anyway, enough babbling on.. Here are some pics. The one with 1 bulb of each shows my original bulb (supposedly an 8500K Xenon bulb) which originally did look very white, but now look yellow in comparison to the HID bulbs.

Giggz · Apr 15, 2005

looking good im thinking of getting some

James M · Apr 15, 2005

They look great, but is that a legal conversion? I thought Xenons needed washers and auto levelling to be legal?

Adamski · Apr 15, 2005

James M said:
They look great, but is that a legal conversion? I thought Xenons needed washers and auto levelling to be legal?

Yeah they're legal, they reflect the same as normal lights.. (make the same pattern on a wall etc..) Plus my headlights were aligned correctly before, so they should still be lined up correctly now.

bean · Apr 15, 2005

They look awesome, how much are they and where did you get 'em, standard cinq lights a poor,

nath

Firewarrior · Apr 15, 2005

yeh man where did u get them from?

arc · Apr 15, 2005

mate, they will fail the MOT. Dont bin ur old bulbs!

I wanted some for mine, but couldnt afford them yet - i thought i'd be the first HID cinq, doh

J333EVO · Apr 15, 2005

Yes they are an MOT failure as all HID equipped cars have to have self levelling lights and washers to stop light being reflected off dirt and blinding people, this is due to the HIGH INTENSITY of the light being DISCHARGED!

Aaron.

The Negotiator · Apr 15, 2005

As stated above, also you should have had (I expect) new switches/relays and cabling due to the higher power.

I "borrowed" this for your interest:

Have received the following guidance from The Department of Transport.........

Dear Sir,

The situation for Gas Discharge (HID High Intensity Discharge) (commonly known as Xenon) headlamps is complex.

I attach links to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 which regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However you will be well aware that new vehicles have Xenon headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the Xenon headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the aftermarket, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "Xenon is banned in the aftermarket" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require Xenon in the aftermarket to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a Xenon headlamp sold in the aftermarket should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.
2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).
3, Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.
2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.
3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Hope that helps.

***

Often extra visibility for you is blinding others, jusdt bare that in mind.

The Negotiator · Apr 15, 2005

Out of interest, how much did it cost?

dave · Apr 15, 2005

dont forget if you turn them on you should not turn them off for an hour, and when they are turned off you shouldn't turn them back on for an hour, or you will drastickly reduce lamp life

Adamski · Apr 15, 2005

The lights are pointing downwards, and when I'm driving along they do not shine into the car infront. I'll ask the mechanic when I go for the MOT whether they will pass or not.. If not, I will just take out the bulb and put the old ones in. Dipped beam and main/full beam are the same brighteness... There are relays that some how adjust the position of the bulb, and 'flip' the beam upwards.

I got this kit off eBay for £235. You need to make sure you get the "Bi-Xenon" kits though, because, otherwise you'll have a dipped beam, but no main beam. Also, they don't have a different brightness for sidelights, so when I turn the side lights on they come on the same as if it were dipped beam.

mase · Apr 15, 2005

if they pass the MOT i am def gonna have to save up for some, they looks awesome and are exactly how i want my lights to look!

Adamski · Apr 15, 2005

mase said:
if they pass the MOT i am def gonna have to save up for some, they looks awesome and are exactly how i want my lights to look!

MOT isn't till Sept, so you'll have to wait a bit

Plus that means I can enjoy them for longer

I'm gonna ask a friend to drive infront of me for a while and check that I'm not blinding other drivers.. Don't want to get pulled over or anything.

Bushboy · Apr 15, 2005

ahh noooo

your now one of those people that blind me in the rear view mirror when driving at night.

they look cool but are completly inpractical to other drivers.

Adamski · Apr 15, 2005

Not if they are aligned right... BMWs and Mercs etc with HID lights don't blind me, as long as they are put in correctly then they shouldnt blind the driver infront.

The Negotiator · Apr 15, 2005

Yep but they have auto-levelling devices, you don't do you?

Trancendental · Apr 15, 2005

I got some mad bright bulbs from max power last year once...

They melted the sockets after about 3 months use and left me with side lamps only, it was night time and I was driving home with the fog lamps on, because with jus side lamps you might as well be driving with no lights at all, and the police pulled me over and told me to turn me foggies off, I explained to them what happend they said they didn't wanna hear any of it.

I was on me way home and another driver who didn't see me came round the corner fast and lets say both our hearts stopped but it was ok.

if this happens to you, you wont enjoy it. and I also don't like those who make me drive blind either they make me furious... more furious then when i say NO MAYONAISE and I get it still

Bushboy · Apr 15, 2005

yesh the lights do look good but they are a pain in the arse for other drivers...

even if they are correctly installed, they still shine alot brighter than normal lights and so still dazle even though they aint directly in your eyes.

dave · Apr 15, 2005

i hate them posh cars lights, all the roads round here are bumpy, so this self leavelong thing must not work over bumps, i get blinded by them all the time

on a little cinq it should be ok though because they are closer to the kerb than big posh cars

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