HIDS fitted

[Yugguy]

Well today I fitted a HIDS kit to my Siggie. Quite easy really, although I had to dismantle the existing bulb holders to use the metal part to secure the new hid bulbs.

Now before everyone shouts "CHAV!!!!" :cheesy: these are 35w 4300k, pure white, which is what would have been fitted if these were factory. My lenses are projectors as well, so the beam pattern is still sharply defined and there's no bleeding.

The difference in light is superb though, the light is sharper and further and whiter. I've put MTEC super white bulbs in my sides as leds give bulb errors, and these are not bright but nicely white. I have osram nightbreakers in my main so now my lighting is sorted.

Need to tell my insurers and in September find a sympathetic mot tester.

Wether they will pass all depends on how you interpret the rules, which state that self-levellers and washers should be operable, where fitted. It's the where fitted that is the part open to interpretation, some arguing that if they aren't fitted, they can't be tested so can't fail. Others saying that if not fitted they are inoperable, so would fail.

Personally I've been blinded by too many factory fitted HIDS in 4x4s to respect a law that says they are ok and mine aren't. And I've seen too many idiots in corsas and saxos with blue hids in lenses that they're not suitable for.

It'll be interesting. Worst case is I stick a pair of standard halogens back in for the test.

 

[HDi fun]

The stark reality is that you will still be breaching construction and usage rules, though I think you'll go through the MoT quite happily.

There's a tiny risk that in the event of a collision your insurer might try to find any reason to avoid meeting a claim. This, too, is open to dispute. This would be my worry point rather than the MoT itself.

It's the chavs with unsuitable light enclosures which ruin things for us responsible users of such conversion kits.

 

[Yugguy]

It's the chavs with unsuitable light enclosures which ruin things for us responsible users of such conversion kits.

Well aye, nothing says my HIDS shouldn't be there than deep blue light bleeding everywhere...

 

[HDi fun]

It's frustrating because if these berks were to stop fitting near UV coloured lamps to unsuitable headlights the law could be relaxed thus making provision for what you've done with your car.

In my opinion of beam pattern, alignment and colour rendition are sufficient for an MoT pass then you should be legally allowed to use them without even a hint of worry.

I am considering doing the same with my 528i - these too use shields and projector optics but the halogen lighting is not really up to it in my opinion. Strangely my car does have both wash and self-levelling but technically I'd still be in breach of regs.

Ridiculous situation really.

This is worth a read -

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-information-sheets/aftermarket-hid-headlamps.pdf

although I do feel it slightly self contradictory like so many parts of English law.

 

[Yugguy]

In my projectors standard halogens are pitiful, I had to stick uprated osrams in to get even decent light. To be honest I think they were really designed for hids so an argument could be made perhaps for their legality with aftermarket hids.

I did go for 4300k specifically to look oem and not to draw attention from the police.

Interestingly my clio 172 04 plate that had hids as standard from factory had self-levelling but NOT washers, yet it was deemed to be legal for uk roads.

If your beemer has projector lenses, levelling and washers and could have hids from factory then I don't see an issue in fitting aftermarket ones.

 

[HDi fun]

Nor do I - it's merely a technicality of Emarking but who's gonna bother looking in a car with all the pre-requisites in place? Good point and well made, thanks. I, too, fitted Osram Nightbreaker IIs and these are better but still woeful compared to the lighting that I had in the Peugeot with H7 lamps in complex reflector housings. I really do feel like following in your footsteps - driving the car at night can feel at bit tenuous at times.

Your Clio will have met European new vehicle regs and as such it will be deemed legal as Britain is not allowed to refuse new vehicles if they meet Euro regs elsewhere in Europe. Hence my thoughts about the law being a bit convoluted and self contradicting.

I'd do the same as you - got for 4300K black body temp - I,too, am not interested in going purple. It'll look like just about every other E39 on the road which has factory HIDs anyway.

 

[Yugguy]

Tbh mate if yours os like mine where it is easy to refit the old halogen bulbs but still leave the hid wiring in place go for it. The most problematic part was siting the ballast. I'd have put all that inside the headlamp housing itself if i could have got them out without taking off the bumper. As it is they are secureky fastened to the crossmember. In the headlamp would hide the wiring from officious mot testers

 

[HDi fun]

Dafter still is that I have consulted two experienced MoT testers and told them what I am proposing to do with my car and asked whether they'd pass it. . . .

In both cases the answer was that they'd not be allowed to fail it if beam pattern/alignment/colour rendition are acceptable ! ! ! !

Total dichotomy. Not allowed to fail it despite the fact it technically contravenes the construction and usage regs and is therefore technically not road legal ! ! !!

 

[HDi fun]

Dafter still is that I have consulted two experienced MoT testers and told them what I am proposing to do with my car and asked whether they'd pass it. . . .

In both cases the answer was that they'd not be allowed to fail it if beam pattern/alignment/colour rendition are acceptable ! ! ! !

Total dichotomy. Not allowed to fail it despite the fact it technically contravenes the construction and usage regs and is therefore technically not road legal ! ! !!

 

[Yugguy]

Well I've just done a first proper night drive on unlit roads and the difference is quite noticeable. The beam reaches a few yards further but the light is much fuller and brighter. The pattern still cuts off properly. The mtec side light bulbs are a good white shade too.

I'm very pleased with this, well worth it.

 

[HDi fun]

I know - I've driven loads of cars with 'em and they are genearlly always better. Then again, the very best of halogen installations can rival a poor Hid setup.

Problem with HID is that the colour rendition (to the huam brain) is poor due to the nature of the light which is an approximate visual impression of white. It is actually composed of discontinuous line spectra rather than being continuous such as sunlight, candle light, incandescent light etc.

But with my car HIDs would definitely be an improvement

 

[Yugguy]

I didn't know that. I had the idea that colour temp was to do with how much the gas was excited. From wjat I've read tho higher temps actually give less light, lower lumens.

 

[HDi fun]

I didn't know that. I had the idea that colour temp was to do with how much the gas was excited. From wjat I've read tho higher temps actually give less light, lower lumens.

Exactly you are totally correct - higher colour temperature pushes the spectrum into ultraviolet which is useless to humans as we cannot see the stuff.

The problem is that mankind's seeing ability is based upon natural light. Whether it's white, blue or yellow in appearance doesn't matter too much because it is a continuous spectrum of light.

The 'White' from gas discharge lights (not just vehicular HiDs) is comprised of discontinuous line spectra, all to do with the excitation and the electrons in the gas atoms. So a line of red, line of green and line of blue monochromiatic light will approximate white to our visual perception. This is fine when illuminating white objects.

But coloured objects that perfectly absorb all three pure red, green and blue components will look effectively black.

This is why I see HiDs as something of a compromise in some circumstances. but yes, in my situation, with the comparatively poor incandesecent lighting in my car HiD would be a definite improvement.

Visual perception is a funny thing. Increased brightness and contrast will generally give an impression of better vision. But visual acuity is down to what the brain perceives . . . . . .

Who supplied your HiDs? I am looking at Autobulbsdirect system for my car, which is £148. Any thoughts?

 

[Yugguy]

Ebay special mine:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251119996224

From what I can tell they are all made in china anyway.

They are generic kits tho so don't come with specific bulb holders. I investigated and the bulb holders listed for mine are basically just the metal part of the existing ones so I split those down, removed the power connection and the metal holder and used that.

You can actually get a lot cheaper kits but then it seems to be a gamble as to wether both ballasts will work, plus with the pricier kits you get decent metal-based bulbs.

I paid a little more for terminator canbus ballasts as I don't have access to tech 2 to tell my car xenons are present.

Basically the existing halogens run at 55w, so when the car sees 35w ballasts it thinks a bulb has gone unless the ballasts are clever enough to fool the car.

I also got these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400380858824
Ignore the car make, they're all standard. Not bright but a similar white to the hids so make the front look more oem

 

[Yugguy]

It's also possible to make up a kit via seperate components.
I.e. these ballasts:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280836325290

and then either some d2s holders and H7 bulbs or some specific d2s bulbs

D2s holders that take H7s do give you more freedom as there's a lot of options to buy H7 bulbs.

 

[HDi fun]

I don't have H7 - I have 9006/HB4 where the base of the lamp is all part of the holder. The main beams are 9005/HB3. Strangely the mains are fabulous

 

[HDi fun]

I've fitted HiDs too now. Simple job - about twenty minutes. 35watt 5000K HB4/9006 projector fitment.

Well worth it in my opinion, light coverage much better than the incandescent filament lamps despite the fact I had Osram Nightbreakers installed.

HB4/9006 is a pretty lousy lamp design in my opinion. Why only 51 watts for a start?