HID's and LED's

[ShiDevil]

Hi,

I've checked out the forum and a lot of posts on this are quite old. Has anyone changed to HID's and LED's recently and can recommend a setup? Are most going for 5000K/35W H4's? What LEDs?

Thanks in anticipation of your advice

Steve

[Session]

I just fitted the HID setup from TVR Power to my T350c and am very happy with the results. Just need to get some more blue coloured bulbs for sidelights now...

[craigcaf]

I fitted HIDs to my T350C before Christmas. I bought a visually identical kit to the Power one from Ebay (labels all the same). Was £75 so cheap but not the cheapest by far. Colour temperature was 5000K and certainly wouldn't go any higher than that. It gives a nice white light without too much blue.

I put in a fused supply directly from the battery to a relay actuated by the original headlight supply. Directly wiring it without a relay should work but I found if you put the lights on before cranking they would flash and flicker, so presumed that this was a voltage drop issue. Also just put in a new high CCA battery (096) and that cured the problem together with direct feed by a relay.

There is still an issue with switching the headlights on causing the dash illumination LEDs to dim on occasions. Checking other posts suggests this is a known problem. I'm interested to know if that happens with the Power kit as well. I have tried the inline anti-flicker capacitors, but they make no difference. I might try a ferrite clamp in case there is any high frequency noise coming back into the car loom causing the dash ECU to dim the dash lights. If that doesn't work, my planned resolution is to wire the dash LEDs to ignition positive through an appropriate voltage stabiliser and bypass the dash ECU. Worth also saying that there are no other effects on the dash ECU other than dash illumination LEDs dimming. Its an H7 kit you need for the T350.

Citroen

[Chim450]

Lurking here from the Tuscan forum. I have recently changed my dipped and full beams to HID, 5000K 35W bulbs, it makes a huge difference! Also changed the sidelights to LEDs. Total cost circa £60. EBay stuff, but quality seems good. I have not had any electrical issues at all since fitting them.

[shep1001]

Yep 5k 35w look good and provide much better lighting. No problem with the MOT regulations so long as the beam pattern is OK.


Don't go any higher in wattage as it blinds drivers or for those daft 6/7K blue colour ones, make it look like you crashed through the window of Halfrauds.

[ShiDevil]

Awesome comments any recommendations on the eBay ones? Links etc? led recommendations too appreciate your help chaps been a while since I did this to my z4

[shep1001]

ShiDevil said:

Awesome comments any recommendations on the eBay ones? Links etc? led recommendations too appreciate your help chaps been a while since I did this to my z4

Got mine from ACEPARTS off ebay I think it was. Basically all the kits are the same, the expensive ones are the same as the cheap ones just marketed different to make you think they are better. The give away is the poorly translated instructions! You will need some white sidelight bulbs too otherwise it looks awful.

[ShiDevil]

craigcaf said:

Its an H7 kit you need for the T350. Citroen

A Citroen H7 Kit? Thought people were using H4's? Also do I need a Bi Xenon? What's the H4-2 or 3 thing. Slim ballast?

I'm not technical tbh lol also side lights I presume any led side lights? Hold my hand lol

[craigcaf]

Sorry ignore the "citroen" it was the predictive text on my tablet. Damn awful invention that. H4 twin filament for Tam and H7 single filament for T350. You can also chose slim ballasts or normal ones. Either will do, just a matter of what fits easiest and what you prefer. I went for slim ballasts mounted behind and below the headlight wheelarch covers.

Rgds

C (not Citroen...)

[ShiDevil]

Looking at this:

http://www.novablue.co.uk/shop/shop.php?action=ful... - Small Ballast and 6K (it seems 6K is the standard white) Or should i be looking elsewhere for a 5K?

With these LED's:

http://www.novablue.co.uk/shop/shop.php?action=ful...

Yes I am technically impotent :P

[craigcaf]

I've had both 6000K and 5000K HID conversions in my last few cars. 6000K can be OK but defiinitely a bit blue. The last two kits I bought were 5000K and have these in my T350 and Alfa. There are some fleabay suppliers who give you the choice of discharge bulb temps with the kit.

The one you linked is a full size kit which looks identical (including labels) to one I put in my old XKR. It was OK but blew 2 ballasts over a couple of years. But this this was a few years ago and quality ought to be better now. I think you can get this identical kit cheaper on fleabay, maybe about £40?

The slim ballast kits are much smaller but also have a separate high voltage unit in the wiring.

Regarding the LED sidelighrs, I've never had much luck with these. Either too blue, too dim or stop working in a few months. Had 6 of these on the alfa (sidelights, puddle lights and no. plate lights). 18 months on only 2 of the 6 still work. I would try them again if I could be convinced the reliability was better and they were brighter.

C

[Chim450]

ShiDevil said:

Awesome comments any recommendations on the eBay ones? Links etc? led recommendations too appreciate your help chaps been a while since I did this to my z4

These are the HIDs I got. Courier delivered for free the day after I ordered. Easy to fit, slimline ballasts, nice bright white light.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xenon-HID-Conversion-KIT...

These are the LEDs. Colour matches the HIDs well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-4-LED-HID-XENON-WHITE...

[ShiDevil]

Chim450 said:

These are the HIDs I got. Courier delivered for free the day after I ordered. Easy to fit, slimline ballasts, nice bright white light.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xenon-HID-Conversion-KIT...

These are the LEDs. Colour matches the HIDs well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-4-LED-HID-XENON-WHITE...

Ordered. Thanks to you all for your help and advice

Edited by ShiDevil on Friday 15th February 12:10

[ShiDevil]

Got someone to install these for me, the HID is fine, but apparently the side lights need to be bayonet style? Wondered if this was the same for anyone else? Any thoughts?

[shep1001]

ShiDevil said:

Got someone to install these for me, the HID is fine, but apparently the side lights need to be bayonet style? Wondered if this was the same for anyone else? Any thoughts?

Yes thats correct, flee bay for about £3/pair for LED style white ones.

Shep

[gordonsalive]

Hi all, any of you guys had problems with beam patterns on these? I did this conversion when I had a chim and could not get the beam pattern anywhere near what it needed to be.

[craigcaf]

Steve - any problem with the dash LED back lights if you turn the car on and switch on the headlights?

C

[Toady1]

gordonsalive said:

Hi all, any of you guys had problems with beam patterns on these? I did this conversion when I had a chim and could not get the beam pattern anywhere near what it needed to be.

Most likely due to the chim not having projector type headlights which the T350 does iirc.

[ShiDevil]

craigcaf said:

Steve - any problem with the dash LED back lights if you turn the car on and switch on the headlights?

C

Yes lol just noticed it. Ill check dash settings tomorrow and eliminate etc. I think others had issue too :/ hopefully someone hit an answer to that as I can't drive it like this :/ the lights are stunning bright though

[EuroSag]

I used to have the dash display problems when I upgraded to HID's on my old Tamora. Really odd. I put a few capacitors inline and altered the wiring, and it still made no difference.