HID headlights
Author
Discussion

eddo

Original Poster:

167 posts

247 months

Thursday 13th July 2006
quotequote all
Just had the dip headlight conversion done at Racing Green. Totaly brilliant, they even make the 100 watt main beam halogens look dim!! £458 including vat and fitting, ok not cheap but worth every penny i rekon.
Ed

vetteheadracer

8,273 posts

275 months

Friday 14th July 2006
quotequote all
I have a set of HID lights on my C5 Z06, but the aftermarket fixed ones, make seeing at night so much easier.

GO55 USA

206 posts

240 months

Sunday 16th July 2006
quotequote all
Sounds great, ill be looking into this more !

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Tuesday 29th August 2006
quotequote all
There are, I believe certain legal requirments that affect MOT for cars fitted with the new Xenon HID lamps.
They may require to be self-levelling, and must have lamp washers in place,so before your next MOT, replace the originals for the test.

eddo

Original Poster:

167 posts

247 months

Tuesday 29th August 2006
quotequote all
I have just sent an email to Racing Green , asking them to clarify the legality of the HID lights that they fitted to my car. I hope that they are legal, if not they will be coming out.
Ed

ERIKTHEVETKING

434 posts

237 months

Tuesday 29th August 2006
quotequote all
mmmm my C6 Z06 has HID lighting but no lamp washers as a U.S. import. Will this affect my MOT in 3 years time???

I notice Godzilla's Euro Vette does have lamp washers .... scratchchin

Eric

888usa

2,215 posts

262 months

Tuesday 29th August 2006
quotequote all
You may have too swap them over when the time comes I'm not sure what the law is with HID after you have had an SVA they may not even know! The only other thing take it to someone who can take them out then Just put them back in after the MOT!

ERIKTHEVETKING

434 posts

237 months

Tuesday 29th August 2006
quotequote all
I hope not, what a pain in the ass that would be every year rolleyes I'll get on to the guys that sold it to me and see what they say ...

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
I am having an US import C6, paddle shift auto with xenon lamps but devoid of washers.
Since SVA is a reflection of not only build issues but also current UK legistlation,it will be interesting to see what happens if the Xenon hid lamps are retained for the SVA test.
The fact that all euro-vettes come with headlamp washers must be significant, and not a measure of the generosity ot otherwise of GM(Europe).
There have been other threads relating to this issue within this forum.
This is a question to vetteheadracer:
When you stated that you had afermarket fixed lights, were you relating to either of the two C5r copies that are available stateside from a number of sources.
This being the case, can you give me your overall impresions relating to quality, fix, and light intensity.
Regards.

vetteheadracer

8,273 posts

275 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
owenemyr said:

This is a question to vetteheadracer:
When you stated that you had afermarket fixed lights, were you relating to either of the two C5r copies that are available stateside from a number of sources.
This being the case, can you give me your overall impresions relating to quality, fix, and light intensity.
Regards.


I got my conversion kit from the HID Factory in the USA and the light conversion is brilliant and can be applied to either a standard set of C5 lights or the fixed C5R style lights.

From memory you need the 9005 and 9006 sets.......www.xenonfactory.com

There are a number of places in the UK that do the kits too so if you know what your bulbs are you could try them as most of the kits are European made i.e. Hella or Phillips.

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
My question wasent really about the hid bulb kits (bulb and ballast etc), but whether your C5 Z06 was kitted with the fixed focused beam non pop-up headlights as used on the C5 racers.?
My one gripe with my Z06 was the pop-up headlights (I dont like them on my BMW 840 either), you cant flash anyone (no pun intended) to overtake unless they are elevated

yellowshark454

578 posts

263 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
owenemyr said:
I am having an US import C6, paddle shift auto with xenon lamps but devoid of washers.
Since SVA is a reflection of not only build issues but also current UK legistlation,it will be interesting to see what happens if the Xenon hid lamps are retained for the SVA test.
The fact that all euro-vettes come with headlamp washers must be significant, and not a measure of the generosity ot otherwise of GM(Europe).
There have been other threads relating to this issue within this forum.
This is a question to vetteheadracer:
When you stated that you had afermarket fixed lights, were you relating to either of the two C5r copies that are available stateside from a number of sources.
This being the case, can you give me your overall impresions relating to quality, fix, and light intensity.
Regards.

yellowshark454

578 posts

263 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
owenemyr said:
I am having an US import C6, paddle shift auto with xenon lamps but devoid of washers.
Since SVA is a reflection of not only build issues but also current UK legistlation,it will be interesting to see what happens if the Xenon hid lamps are retained for the SVA test.
The fact that all euro-vettes come with headlamp washers must be significant, and not a measure of the generosity ot otherwise of GM(Europe)..


Bl**dy h&ll, not only do we have to have glass showing now to spoil the lines, we gotta have washers too

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
Further information.
EU legistlation (which the UK slavishly follows),states that all new vehicles when fitted with HID lighting, MUST! MUST! MUST! HAVE BOTH A SELF LEVELLING SYSTEM AND LENS WASH.
The position of aftermarket fitting is a grey area, but it is highly probable that the situation is that you can buy them, but it would be ilegal to use, and an MOT failure unless the above criteria are met.See: www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php
Life is a bugger, is it not.

franv8

2,212 posts

260 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
Let's face it - you're fairly unlikely to get failed at the MOT, unless by a zealous tester.

However, the aftermarket kits that replace your standard bulbs are very iffy, and not type approved for installation.

The problem with xenons is they are so good - in terms of light output (about 2.5 times as bright as filament bulbs) - so to stop the increased effects of dazzling oncoming motorists, they dynamically self level (e.g. when the car accelerates), and you have washers so the lenses are kept clean so the dirt doesn't scatter the light.

As for pop-ups and flashing the lights - the MX5 lights pop up in no time at all, and flash, with the usual pull of the indicator stalk - shame the Vette ones don't!

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Wednesday 30th August 2006
quotequote all
Just to add further to the confusion and that aftermarket kits are a grey area.
Look up this web site:
www.h-i-d.co.uk/index.shtml
This company is adamant that the legistlation only applies to new cars, and claim legal support for that statement.Whatever the truth, its a mess, but you may get away with it during an MOT.
One thing however is certain, my new C6 from the states will have a potential SVA problem since it will come with the xenon lights but no lens wash, buggered again!

GO55 usa

206 posts

240 months

Thursday 31st August 2006
quotequote all
ERIKTHEVETKING said:
mmmm my C6 Z06 has HID lighting but no lamp washers as a U.S. import. Will this affect my MOT in 3 years time???

I notice Godzilla's Euro Vette does have lamp washers .... scratchchin

Eric



No problem for MOT at all,All so the US spec cars have no kick to the right so you have an advantage ! they have a flat beam pattern.

owenemyr

287 posts

282 months

Thursday 31st August 2006
quotequote all
The issue is not whether you have a flat beam/left dip, rather the issue is one of scatter when wet/dirty lens that you cannot wash clean, and only an issue with hid lamps.
All US C6 corvettes imported new or otherwise have their xenon hid lamps changed to halogens by the various SVA fixers.Should the owner decide to convert back to the original xenons, then legally they are for "off road" use.The GM factory in Belgium convert all cars to the required European standards.
All the SVA fixers that I have enquired including such reputable companies as Teslayn engineering are adamant about this point: hid lamps without lens wash are ilegal and a MOT fail, whether the car is new or an aftermarket fix.
For corvettes, self levelling is not an issue because of the car's height.

Black Magic

237 posts

269 months

Friday 1st September 2006
quotequote all
owenemyr said:
My one gripe with my Z06 was the pop-up headlights (I dont like them on my BMW 840 either), you cant flash anyone (no pun intended) to overtake unless they are elevated


Maybe it's a conversion of some sort, but my 2000 C5 'vert flashes the front fogs when the headlamps are down, lights off. When they are up, only the main beam works as you would expect (no fogs show)

GO55 USA

206 posts

240 months

Friday 1st September 2006
quotequote all
owenemyr said:
The issue is not whether you have a flat beam/left dip, rather the issue is one of scatter when wet/dirty lens that you cannot wash clean, and only an issue with hid lamps.
All US C6 corvettes imported new or otherwise have their xenon hid lamps changed to halogens by the various SVA fixers.Should the owner decide to convert back to the original xenons, then legally they are for "off road" use.The GM factory in Belgium convert all cars to the required European standards.
All the SVA fixers that I have enquired including such reputable companies as Teslayn engineering are adamant about this point: hid lamps without lens wash are ilegal and a MOT fail, whether the car is new or an aftermarket fix.
For corvettes, self levelling is not an issue because of the car's height.






I can see your point, but without a wiper on the lamp the water sits on it anyway doesn,t it !!!!