HID kits for Alfa 156

[RacingTeatray]

Does anyone have experience of fitting an HID conversion kit? In particular to an Alfa 156?

Any recommendations for good quality kits would be appreciated.

Cheers!

[Kentish]

I bought a kit for my daily hack via another PH'er.

I bought the wrong kit really, there are 2 types of bulb units, D2S are regular ones and unshielded and D2R which are shielded internally.

What you need depends on the type of headlights you have, so if you have projectors in your car the D2S are fine but if you have regular headlights with normal reflectors you need the shielded D2R kit.

www.hids4u.co.uk is a good place to look at.

[RacingTeatray]

Thanks. I'm not sure what type the 156 has - shielded from the sounds of things. Will give these people a try.

Does anyone know if there is any truth in the story that you need headlamp washers before you can fit xenons or else you risk failing the MoT?

It's not a problem either way with my 156, which has headlamp washers, but I'd quite like to fit HID to my Z1 and that doesn't have headlamp washers.

[Kentish]

Current regs state that factory fit HID must have a functioning washer system, there is nothing in the regs about aftermarket fitments.

If you have a picky jobsworth MOT tester he may fail them but I don't see why.

The system I have fitted is ISO approved, TUV approved and E marked so the system itself should not be questioned but I do now realise I have non shielded bulbs and I don't have projector headlights but fortunatley the Nissan has anti dazzle sleeves built into the headlight that shield the bulb so not too much of an issue. This is probably because my car was sold with an HID option and used the same headlights. The shields probably cut out too much light with teh halogens and that's why I upgraded them to HID.

I'm also going to fit a system in my Alfa
I'll fit washers in that easily and out of sight behind the bonnet.

[jwyatt]

The other way around it is to find the bits from a scrapped 156GTA that had the Xenons option and fit them. Then it will have all the correct bits. I have a GTA without the option, and I'd consider it, wheras I'd have concerns about just bolting in a HID kit and hoping I passed MOT's/didn't blind people that often.

I thought all 156's had headlight washers?

[RacingTeatray]

Fancy seeing you here!.....I don't think 156s do all have them.

What are the chances of finding a scrapped GTA with xenons, both of which are undamaged? Or have you found one by some astounding chance?

I thought the lights on yours were ok, so maybe it's not critical on the 156, but the Z1 definitely needs help - the main beam is powerful enough but the projector beams for the dipped headlamps are weedy, even with brighter bulbs fitted.

[jwyatt]

If mine seemed good, your Z1's must be bad! The dipped beam is running OSRAMS, the main beam standard bulbs, but neither is as good as our Focus, or indeed as good as my Passat was. They are acceptable - but no more - much the same as our Civic Type R's lights were.

[RacingTeatray]

Well the lights on the Z are now a 20 year old design! I believe the projector-style units for the dipped beam won BMW a patent at the time but now they are a little underwhelming.

I think I was spoilt by my old S3, which had excellent xenons.