HID headlamps- going back to originals
Discussion
One of my cars has an HID conversion and I am aware that for the next MOT I will have to have them removed.
Car purchases second hand with conversion already done.
Is this an easy task (unplug, unbolt and then re-install the old ones) ? Or does this require expert electrical / mechanical knowledge. I know the car has two electrical boxes behind the headlamps that are something to do with the HID. Any advice welcome please, many thanks.
Car purchases second hand with conversion already done.
Is this an easy task (unplug, unbolt and then re-install the old ones) ? Or does this require expert electrical / mechanical knowledge. I know the car has two electrical boxes behind the headlamps that are something to do with the HID. Any advice welcome please, many thanks.
The boxes behind the headlights are the igniters / ballasts. They'll be hardwired to the bulb holders. Most are H7 so are an exact swap for the regular original incandescent bulbs. Their removal should be simple.
What car are they fitted to?
Some cars needed coding to allow the HID's to work, removing them without reversing the coding is likely to cause issues.
It also depends if the kit is a CANBUS-friendly one or not.
Are they fitted behind a projector headlight lens, or regular reflector bowls? If they are projectors then chances are you'll be fine for the MOT as they'll likely look OEM. Not many MOT examiners will be paying much attention to the lack of headlight washers and the manual height adjuster on the dash, as they long as they get up to temperature quickly, aren't overly blue and correctly adjusted.
What car are they fitted to?
Some cars needed coding to allow the HID's to work, removing them without reversing the coding is likely to cause issues.
It also depends if the kit is a CANBUS-friendly one or not.
Are they fitted behind a projector headlight lens, or regular reflector bowls? If they are projectors then chances are you'll be fine for the MOT as they'll likely look OEM. Not many MOT examiners will be paying much attention to the lack of headlight washers and the manual height adjuster on the dash, as they long as they get up to temperature quickly, aren't overly blue and correctly adjusted.
Edited by silver1011 on Saturday 12th May 19:58
silver1011 said:
The boxes behind the headlights are the igniters / ballasts. They'll be hardwired to the bulb holders. Most are H7 so are an exact swap for the regular original incandescent bulbs. Their removal should be simple.
What car are they fitted to?
Some cars needed coding to allow the HID's to work, removing them without reversing the coding is likely to cause issues.
It also depends if the kit is a CANBUS-friendly one or not.
Are they fitted behind a projector headlight lens, or regular reflector bowls? If they are projectors then chances are you'll be fine for the MOT as they'll likely look OEM. Not many MOT examiners will be paying much attention to the lack of headlight washers and the manual height adjuster on the dash, as they long as they get up to temperature quickly, aren't overly blue and correctly adjusted.
Thanks Silver, it’s an 03 Focus RS. I think the headlight bowls look standard and not the projector ones which look like little glass balls. Just had an MOT this week and apparently the tester mentioned that for next year they will need to be gone. When I bought the car the seller gave me another pair of physical headlamps which from memory look the same as the ones on the car now. Any idea how I can find out if canbus friendly or not?What car are they fitted to?
Some cars needed coding to allow the HID's to work, removing them without reversing the coding is likely to cause issues.
It also depends if the kit is a CANBUS-friendly one or not.
Are they fitted behind a projector headlight lens, or regular reflector bowls? If they are projectors then chances are you'll be fine for the MOT as they'll likely look OEM. Not many MOT examiners will be paying much attention to the lack of headlight washers and the manual height adjuster on the dash, as they long as they get up to temperature quickly, aren't overly blue and correctly adjusted.
Edited by silver1011 on Saturday 12th May 19:58
Thanks again mate, much appreciated
Nice car!
You're right, they're regular reflector headlights, which will make a non-standard HID kit stand out.
Being an older car it's unlikely it'll have an overly complicated CANBUS. I reckon you'll be fine to simply take them out.
Take the cap off the back of the headlight to get a look at the bulb holder, as long as you don't see any modifications to the headlight around the bulb holder you'll be fine!
Here's a typical HID kit.
Notice the silver base around the bottom of the bulb, this is likely to be identical to the bases of the original bulbs, they are what hold the bulbs in the back of the headlight, meaning that once you've removed the kit a pair of standard bulbs should fit straight in...
Notice the silver base around the bottom of the bulb, this is likely to be identical to the bases of the original bulbs, they are what hold the bulbs in the back of the headlight, meaning that once you've removed the kit a pair of standard bulbs should fit straight in...
Edited by silver1011 on Saturday 12th May 20:17
Edited by silver1011 on Saturday 12th May 20:18
silver1011 said:
Nice car!
You're right, they're regular reflector headlights, which will make a non-standard HID kit stand out.
Being an older car it's unlikely it'll have an overly complicated CANBUS. I reckon you'll be fine to simply take them out.
Take the cap off the back of the headlight to get a look at the bulb holder, as long as you don't see any modifications to the headlight around the bulb holder you'll be fine!
Thank you! I will take a look under the cap. Without wishing to ask a stupid question is it just the bulb that has been replaced then with the extra igniter box added? So in theory I can take out the bulb, bypass the “box” and connect wires straight back to the original bulbs? Is that correct ? You're right, they're regular reflector headlights, which will make a non-standard HID kit stand out.
Being an older car it's unlikely it'll have an overly complicated CANBUS. I reckon you'll be fine to simply take them out.
Take the cap off the back of the headlight to get a look at the bulb holder, as long as you don't see any modifications to the headlight around the bulb holder you'll be fine!
Cheers !
Yes, the HID kit is basically an extension to the cars original wiring loom.
On a car without the kit fitted, to replace a bulb you would have to first unclip an electrical connector from the back of the bulb holder. This then allows access to the bulb itself, which is rotated in the headlight cluster and pulls off.
The HID kit plugs into the end of the cars original electrical connector and the HID bulbs fit into the back of the headlight, just like the original bulb.
So, to remove the HID kit you'll need to unclip it from the cars original electrical connector, then reattach the connector to the back of a pair of standard replacement bulbs.
On a car without the kit fitted, to replace a bulb you would have to first unclip an electrical connector from the back of the bulb holder. This then allows access to the bulb itself, which is rotated in the headlight cluster and pulls off.
The HID kit plugs into the end of the cars original electrical connector and the HID bulbs fit into the back of the headlight, just like the original bulb.
So, to remove the HID kit you'll need to unclip it from the cars original electrical connector, then reattach the connector to the back of a pair of standard replacement bulbs.
silver1011 said:
Yes, the HID kit is basically an extension to the cars original wiring loom.
On a car without the kit fitted, to replace a bulb you would have to first unclip an electrical connector from the back of the bulb holder. This then allows access to the bulb itself, which is rotated in the headlight cluster and pulls off.
The HID kit plugs into the end of the cars original electrical connector and the HID bulbs fit into the back of the headlight, just like the original bulb.
So, to remove the HID kit you'll need to unclip it from the cars original electrical connector, then reattach the connector to the back of a pair of standard replacement bulbs.
Awesome, thanks so much, doesn’t sound too hard (famous last words)On a car without the kit fitted, to replace a bulb you would have to first unclip an electrical connector from the back of the bulb holder. This then allows access to the bulb itself, which is rotated in the headlight cluster and pulls off.
The HID kit plugs into the end of the cars original electrical connector and the HID bulbs fit into the back of the headlight, just like the original bulb.
So, to remove the HID kit you'll need to unclip it from the cars original electrical connector, then reattach the connector to the back of a pair of standard replacement bulbs.
Just got to find out how to get the cat reinstalled in the exhaust now ..... fun and games ..... haha
There is a good chance the bulb cover has been drilled to accomodate the rubber grommet with 4 wires poking through it if the ballasts are mounted external to the headlight.
When putting right my old car I snipped the 4 wires, pulled them through and filled the 4 small holes with silicone, with a small bead round the circumfrence of the grommet for good measure.
When putting right my old car I snipped the 4 wires, pulled them through and filled the 4 small holes with silicone, with a small bead round the circumfrence of the grommet for good measure.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff