H4 HID coversion kit

[blackchim]

Is this a worth while conversion, any you guys fitted these to convert the 'yellow' halogens?

Looking at the kits, which vary in price massively - is there a quality issue here? - its looks fairly simple with the wiring done directly behind the lights?

Thanks.

[scotty_d]

Fitted 6k HID'S to mine massive improvment over the candle's in jam jar set up as standard IIRC mine were £100 off e-bay that was 3 years ago and have been good i have the same in my daily driver volvo and much better than a filiment bulb IMHO.

[blackchim]

Thanks Scotty, they look great.

Were they easy to fit & do you do this through the round access panel in the wheel arch?

[scotty_d]

blackchim said:

Thanks Scotty, they look great.

Were they easy to fit & do you do this through the round access panel in the wheel arch?

Yeah straight forward i had to run a power wire on to the battery due to the location of the chims battery, the wires in the kit are only long enough for normal cars with the battery in the engine bay. It takes a bit longer to fit over the standard car due the the wheel arch access.

Make sure you get a hi/low h4 kit

[Chris71]

Hi guys,

Are the HID conversions okay for the MOT? And has anybody noticed any heat issues with these (or uprated filament bulbs for that matter)?

Looking at doing something like this myself.

Chris

[darkcat]

currently HID's are not illegal as such as long as you have a MOT guy in a good mood. HOWEVER the Gov't are changing the rules on aftermarket HID's in the next couple of years, making them an mot fail. the reason being that they can be SO bright, that if the reflector and glass arent specifically designed for them, (and they should have washers too) they can be very dazzling, especially if your headlights are coared in road crud.
I fitted a set on my 406 coupe before i sold it, they where really great, however my MOT guy did comment on them (despite passing it)

(dont quote me on what ive just said but im 99% sure im mostly correct, ish :-) )

[scotty_d]

Chris71 said:

Hi guys,

Are the HID conversions okay for the MOT? And has anybody noticed any heat issues with these (or uprated filament bulbs for that matter)?

Looking at doing something like this myself.

Chris

I have been fine for both my cars MOT's if it pass's the beam test they are fine. But they have been saying for years about banning them and i find most new factory fitted cars ones brighter than the after market ones i use. If you go for 6k ones you should be fine.

Heat issues none that i have came across. I drove from Portsmouth to Glasgow through the night in the worst rain i have ever been in my TVR and found them very good.

I think the law states that they must have self leveling head lamps to make them legal, but if they pass the beam test i think most MOT testers should be ok with them, plus TVR's are very low any way and dont annoy people its 4x4's with very bright ones i find bad.


Found this on a police fourm.

EU directive that factory fit xenons must come with auto-levelers and high pressure washers, only applies to new cars made by the manufacturer.


As far as i'm aware, The additional requirements for headlamp washers was only for new vehicle's.

For xenon headlamps to function effectively they should be fitted with auto levelling because the intensity of the bulb when misaligned can cause huge proplems to other motorists.

As it stands you could face a £30 fine for headlamps which cause dazzle due to misalignment.

Check with the manufacturer of the HID's. They will tell you if there is anything additional required for them to be road legal. Some HID's are strictly for show use, often imported.

Edited by scotty_d on Sunday 21st November 16:29

[spend]

They are cooler than normal bulbs? Some of the wiring may need upgrading to kick start the HIDS (just a new supply & relay to switch in the RHS is sufficient). There are various versions of H4 HIDS, I took the easy way out & upgraded to twin lamps (designed for HID's) so avoiding those dilemmas.

Don't think anyone has had any problem at all at the MOT stations, as long as the beam alignment is OK.

I would make sure your reflectors are in good condition anyway - being a split unit they get cacked up frequently & then prone to severe deterioration. I guess the LUPO (is it the right VW?) conversion is about as easy as replacing the originals but likely more durable.

[blitzracing]

Can someone clear this up for me then? H.I.D is high intensity discharge (?), so its some sort of arc or plasma light, with some UV thrown in, that needs a high voltage to ignite the lamp, so you have a big invertor pack somewhere to raise 12 volts to the required voltage? The "HID" lamps you see on Ebay just appear to be normal filament Halogens that run a bit hotter so the light is brighter and again I think you get a bit of UV thrown in at these temperatures, but the two are not the same?? What are we really talking about here?

[Barreti]

The HIDs I have fitted in the Griff have a ballast for each bulb.
Its not a big thing though, about 3" x 2" (in old money)

[EggsBenedict]

HiDs need a ballast pack that usually comes with the kit. Some are larger than others. I don't know about the legality: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadla... as this site is from 2006 and things may have moved on since then.

I changed mine for a set of Osram Nightbreaker, chosen purely because they won a test in Classic Car Mag when my nearside dipped beam went out...

http://www.osram.com/osram_com/Consumer/Automotive...