HiD?

[Stagsongas]

There is no need to replace my headlamp units as they are pristine with excellent silvering, but I've been looking at options to improve poor dipped beam lighting. I think I covered most options right through from standard wattage 'super bulbs' with their power supply relayed, to 100w slighly naughty blue rockets with similar relays and ceramic connectors (100W bulbs melt the plastic connectors).

The last option I considered today was a UK made HiD conversion for my H4's. Not cheap, but I'm avoiding any toytown, car boot sale online chinese puzzles on offer for a pittance, as you only get what you pay for.

Has anyone else gone HiD? Do you have any comments to make, other than you really should have self-leveling headlights and headlamp washers to legally use HiD in UK?

Regards

Steve

[stagwingnut]

Can't comment on legal requirements , but I recently fitted a hid bulb kit purchased from koy23 on this forum ! Night vision now is superb compared to standard ! Really pleased with them , next I will upgrade the main beams cos hid give a white light and the standard is yellow as u know !!! Regards Graham

[Stagsongas]

Thanks Graham.

Looks like this is going the right way.

Sounds like you are too!

Yellow is revered when it's paint on a Stag, but when it's a pool of light on a dark night I think it isn't so good

Regards

Steve

[stagwingnut]

Yes Steve , you may want to contact koy23 , he does a good kit with soldered bullet connectors to fit straight in to the headlamp loom !! Cheers Graham

[wilf]

My understanding is, (confirmed by my local MOT station), that they will fail any vehicle with an aftermarket HID conversion that does not incorporate headlight washers and auto-levelling.

I had to convert a previous car back to halogens because of this.

[Stagsongas]

One of the pitfalls then Wilf.

Still, if I can actually see where I'm going without having to constantly resort to Main Beams (unfriendly driving to say the least) then it would be worth slipping the H4 bulbs back in once a year. It would be wise not to make any irrreversible connections in that case.

Regards

Steve

[wilf]

I don't see how you can just "slip the H4 bulbs" back in?

If you are going the proper HID route, c/w ballasts and HV inverters, you can't just put a halogen bulb back in, it won't work/won't fit/would blow instantly.

I wonder if the terminology is inexact here? Are we talking about the full-on discharge lamp systems commonly referred to by car manufacturers as "Xenons" or just the uprated so-called "Xenon" bulbs which are still a H4 fitting?

[73stagman]

I don't understand the issue from the beginning... my Halogen dipped lights are fine?

I bought and fitted cheap Chinese lights. Threw away the dip beam bulbs and fitted super white bulbs (55w / 45w ? possibly nothing more than 55w anyway) they have a blue tinted glass but the light spread is fine and is very white. I had to change the outer bulbs as well as they were yellow by comparison.
No hassle with MOT rules and no need to break the rules once I have an MOT certificate (Don't forget if you have an accident and your car has illegal lights HID with out the legal add ons etc... your insurance could well be voided ).... just saying....

[richardthestag]

i am with 73stagman on this
never had a problem with my standard setup

[73stagman]

To add to that I have no relays and no extra fuses.... The only wiring mod is that I also wired up the extra "in light" side light which was in the "cheapo Chinese" outer light unit.
I have the two outer lights on dip and all four on main beam. The original and the "extra" side lights all come on together.

[David Lloyd]

I presume these are the same things... I have seen a lot of objections, many justified..

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/miscellaneous/2011-02/xenons/

I would like to improve mine certainly, what's the best option?

[Seaking]

I have fitted the Kit that's wards sell after a small change to the loom supplied I now have 4 x dipped or 4 x mains well pleased passes mot with out any problems.
Before the loom was modified I had 4 x dipped and 4x main + 4 x dipped on at the same time

Cheers Glenn

[Paul Goldsmith]

I have fitted the Kit that's wards sell after a small change to the loom supplied I now have 4 x dipped or 4 x mains well pleased passes mot with out any problems.
Before the loom was modified I had 4 x dipped and 4x main + 4 x dipped on at the same time

Cheers Glenn

That's the kit I used and have done the same modification.

I'm soon going for first MOT since fitting the Wards kit, assume I'll need them to align all 4 headlights prior - what did you do regarding this ?

Cheers

[DJT]

That's the kit I used and have done the same modification.

I'm soon going for first MOT since fitting the Wards kit, assume I'll need them to align all 4 headlights prior - what did you do regarding this ?

Cheers

Same here. My friendly MOT tester set them up for me.

[Paul Goldsmith]

Great, thanks !