944 headlight light improvement / bulb power

[rallycross]

have searched and found no info

anyone had any luck improving 944 lighting?

My lovely old 944 Turbo SE's head lights seem dim after been driving modern cars, any suggestions on bulb / light upgrade for 1991 944?

[ihatesissycars]

HID conversions work but is questionably legal otherwise its different bulbs. I quite litterally last night tried some "super bright load-o-bollox" bulbs from halfrauds which made little difference.

Getting the headlight aims bang on and ensuring the lens and everything is in tip top condition is your best bet and then living with it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Porsche-911-928-968-944-924-...

The above is for a 968 so I'm not sure if they'll work with a 944 but is the cheapest HID conversion kit I've seen OOPSIE must read the text! Its for 944's too!

Edited by ihatesissycars on Wednesday 12th September 17:35

[Pickled Piper]

A HID kit is the only way to go. Anything else is a waste of time and money in comparison.

email aceparts on here. I'm sure he will tell you everything you need to know.

pp

[Tam Lin]

Pickled Piper said:

A HID kit is the only way to go. Anything else is a waste of time and money in comparison.

pp

depends..on how much you want to stay legal. HID, according to The Law, requires automatic self levelling, not something easily implementable on a 944.

The other only way to go would be decent relayed cables to the uprated bulbs. Rennbay do a kit for around 150 USD, as I'm sure do others. That's what I'm fitting, as driving around on the continent last year at night was just not funny.

[ACEparts_com]

HID's can be legally fitted to cars without self levelling - this is only a requirement when supplied new. The laws for retro fitting are different.

£150 for a relay kit? You mad?

[rallycross]

thanks for this info' acepartsman could you pm me what you can offer?

regards

craig

[Tam Lin]

ACEparts_com said:

HID's can be legally fitted to cars without self levelling - this is only a requirement when supplied new. The laws for retro fitting are different.

£150 for a relay kit? You mad?

1)OK I'm probably wrong, but:

"Aftermarket HID headlamps - In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.


If you require any further information regarding the regulations covered by this fact sheet, please contact the DfT at the address below:

Transport Technology and Standards 6
Department for Transport
Zone 2/04
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street Telephone: [phone]
London Fax: [phone]
SW1P 4DR Email: [e-mail]"

2) Didn't know the GB Pound had sunk to parity with the US Dollar

[simkin911]

Interesting.... my '92 944 S2 has a Xenon "upgrade" - makes a massive difference over the standard "dimness" which blighted my previous two 944's. Car passed it's MOT today and the lights required some form of adjustment at the garage but no other problems mentioned. Technically, they might be illegal (I don't know for sure) but I do know I can see/drive better at night with them and logically (I hope anyway!) that offers some advantage to me and other road users or pedestrians.

[ACEparts_com]

Tam Lin said:

2) Didn't know the GB Pound had sunk to parity with the US Dollar

£75 + £15 p&p + £5 duty + VAT = £112 - apologies

If we all followed that letter of the law then half the 993's would be written off by now

[Gaity]

Tam Lin said:

ACEparts_com said:

HID's can be legally fitted to cars without self levelling - this is only a requirement when supplied new. The laws for retro fitting are different.

£150 for a relay kit? You mad?

1)OK I'm probably wrong, but:

"Aftermarket HID headlamps - In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.


If you require any further information regarding the regulations covered by this fact sheet, please contact the DfT at the address below:

Transport Technology and Standards 6
Department for Transport
Zone 2/04
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street Telephone: [phone]
London Fax: [phone]
SW1P 4DR Email: [e-mail]"

2) Didn't know the GB Pound had sunk to parity with the US Dollar

Well, one more law I'm happy to break in the interests of safety and pleasure

Al, I'm ready for my 2nd set - moved the first ones onto high beam for the Le Mans trip, interesting beam pattern but a million times better than stock, can't go back. Need to bring dip back up to the mark again. What's the PH deal at the moment?
Trev (wind farmer!)