Let there be light...HIDs
Discussion
There has been plenty of chat on here about the pros and cons of Hid headlights but I just thought I would put a picture up to show the beam pattern. The car has just went through an Independant MOT and one headlight was out of alignment and re-aligned. Personally I think they are a massive improvement on the dull yellow effect lights that were there before. I also very briefly swapped cars with a friend and we travelled towards each other on a twisty bit of road and I was not blinded as some might suggest from the HIDs on the CERBERA certainly no worse than the current crop of Audi's that are blinding me with there lights at the moment.
Extra 300 Driver said:
How did you add self leveling and washing?
I haven't!!! but as long as it gets through an MOT thats fine, isn't it!!They cost me £30 about 2 years ago on e-bay and have made a huge difference to nightime driving far safer than before. I'm not sure self levelling and washing will make them any safer, sounds like another bit of "Elf an Safty" nonsense that will keep a few goverment employees draining me of my income tax.
Driving last night I was actually blinded sitting behind a Audi A5 with the brightest LED brake lights you could imagine, I nearly went another route to avoid sitting behind it in slow moving traffic!
natben said:
There has been plenty of chat on here about the pros and cons of Hid headlights but I just thought I would put a picture up to show the beam pattern. The car has just went through an Independant MOT and one headlight was out of alignment and re-aligned. Personally I think they are a massive improvement on the dull yellow effect lights that were there before. I also very briefly swapped cars with a friend and we travelled towards each other on a twisty bit of road and I was not blinded as some might suggest from the HIDs on the CERBERA certainly no worse than the current crop of Audi's that are blinding me with there lights at the moment.
Looks brilliant (Sorry !) but need more details - any of the packaging/guarantee sheets left to indicate which and where ??Did you fit them yourself or did a garage do it. If so, who.
( I could give them a ring. )
Gazzab said:
Are the rules that clear re auto levelling and washers?
Yes, from December 2012 they're quite clear but if you read the regs TVR owners have a 'get out of jail free card' with regards to self levelling although that could be argued. High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, washing and levelling system
To keep the test up to date with modern technology, new checks have been added in respect of High Intensity Discharge (HID) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps.
Compared with halogen headlamps, HID lamps are more efficient, have a longer service life and are much brighter; up to three times brighter in fact. The benefit of this extra brightness is that it enables drivers using HID lights to see approximately 30% further up the road ahead than for a halogen system.
The downside of this extra brightness is the potential to cause excessive dazzle to oncoming traffic. To combat this, HID headlamps often have advanced electronics that control the shape of the headlamp beam to avoid dazzle when the car climbs or descends hills and likewise when the vehicle is accelerating or braking.
Dazzle can also be caused if the lamps are dirty or aimed too high due to, for example, carrying rear seat passengers and/or heavy items in the boot. Vehicles with HID headlamps are therefore required to have a headlamp washing system (a wiper is not required) and be self levelling, which may be achieved either by the use of either headlamp or suspension levelling systems.
The presence and operation of these headlamp cleaning and levelling devices has been added to the test. Therefore, if a mandatory headlamp levelling or cleaning device is missing, inoperative or otherwise obviously defective this will be a reason for rejection.
This raises the question of whether these checks apply to vehicles fitted with after-market HID lighting kits. These kits convert conventional halogen headlamps to HID Xenon and they are widely sold and fitted to vehicles used on the road. The Department for Transport considers that after-market systems should be required to meet the same safety standards as that applied in respect of these lamps at vehicle Type Approval. Therefore, in order to pass the MOT test, vehicles fitted with after-market HID systems would also need to be fitted with headlamp cleaning and self-levelling systems otherwise this will be a reason for rejection. Some high specification estate cars are fitted with a self-levelling suspension system and this would be considered as adequate for the purpose.
It is also worthy of note that a few high performance vehicles fitted with HID headlamps that have barely any luggage space and stiff suspension do not require a self-levelling system.
HID headlamps can be easily recognised as they generally:
• take a few seconds to reach full intensity
• have a bluish tinge to the light
• have an igniter module/inverter behind the headlamp
• may also have ‘DCR’ marked on the headlamp lens.
Headlamp washing and levelling systems are mandatory for all vehicles fitted with LED headlamp systems, although these are not yet widely used
Here are the fact right off the MOT testers Rules and testing sheet.
Section 25 Headlamps
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/Transport_files/IVA...
Last revision 29/04/2012
So it is very much so in effect now. You must have a friendly MOTer George
I removed my HID's as I can't be bothered with the hassle of getting pulled over for them. The traffics seem to be clamping down in my area ,Pulling all the boy racers over, I have moved back to these bulbs and they are as good if not better than my old HID's very happy with them better than the HID's in our Bini Cooper S
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-4-2-1997-199...
Section 25 Headlamps
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/Transport_files/IVA...
Last revision 29/04/2012
So it is very much so in effect now. You must have a friendly MOTer George
I removed my HID's as I can't be bothered with the hassle of getting pulled over for them. The traffics seem to be clamping down in my area ,Pulling all the boy racers over, I have moved back to these bulbs and they are as good if not better than my old HID's very happy with them better than the HID's in our Bini Cooper S
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-CERBERA-4-2-1997-199...
G9RGE said:
Have you had any problems with the dip dim, or any flickering?
No problem with lights flickering, Just to be clear this is dipped lights, second turn on the light switch. First turn is small light (also HID) second turn is dipped which is the picture above. When they were fitted I had to snip a cable going into the lighting control box in the boot as they did flicker but snipping this cable stopped that. If you need me to check what cable it was I can and I'll post a picture up. The kit was bought about 2 years ago of e-bay for about £30inc postage from CHINA. At the time this forum was pointing everyone to £120 kit from the UK but I checked and the ones from CHINA were EXACTLY the same. They were easy enough to fit but you have to make sure they are not the BLUE ones the boy racers use (look stupid) and that they do not blind oncoming drivers, make sure they are levelled correctly. I have never had any trouble from the Police with them if I do then I can change them. Here are some details of when they were fitted under my old user name.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by natben on Sunday 3rd June 18:38
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