Which HID kit to buy?

[Jack]

although I have no complaints about the standard headlamps as they work really well.

I thought hat before getting HIDs

Postage is where they make their money btw, although most kits come from abroad.

Can't see ebay at work so can't advise on that kit, but the parts you need are:

> Burner (HID bulb)
> Cables from burner to ballast (connected to the burner)
> Ballast
> Cables from ballast to existing headlamp loom (usually connected to the ballast)
> Mounting bracket for ballasts
> Assorted fixing screws for the brackets.

Some also come with another small loom (and relay) which connects the ballasts directly to the battery, instead of pulling power from the standard headlamp loom. Most, if not all, kits are designed to be plug and play, i.e. they just plug right into your existing headlamp connectors. You may have to connect the odd earth for the ballast but thats not hard.


[edit] Be advised though, retro fitting HIDs into standard Nova headlamps is NOT legal.

[Welsh Dan]

Why confused?


The seperate battery power feed? Hmm, interesting. Might try another of their kits in the future then.

Yep. 2 Ring terminals from the relay box that went to the battery, one live, one ground. Each ballast had its own ground lead and ring terminal, and there was a plug that plugged into the OEM headlight connector so it knew when to switch on/main.

[Nova_Tek]

I thought hat before getting HIDs

Most probably same here mate but still gotta give the headlamps nuff respeck yo

According to the item its all plug and play from what I can see in the pic it has: bulbs, slim ballast, cable from bulb to ballast, cable from ballast to loom.

I can deffo see them items, the bracket and fixing screws I cant see.

[Nova_Tek]

[edit] Be advised though, retro fitting HIDs into standard Nova headlamps is NOT legal.

Really? Why?

[Welsh Dan]

Really? Why?

Because the Department of Transport put a blanket ban on them because the HID bulbs don't give the right beam pattern in all halogen headlamps.

[Nova_Tek]

I see... but doesnt the patterned headlamp glass on the Nova aid in the light pattern?

[Jack]

^ Yep, and they supposedly need three things:

1. Headlamp washers
2. Headlamp auto-levellers (note word auto, not manual such as is fitted to Mk2s)
3. Type approval of the lamp and burner as a complete unit.

There's a DOT pdf flying around out there somewhere that states the reasoning and why (if you ask me, the reasoning is a bit daft - see my pics above which pretty much blow the beam pattern argument out the water) but still, if Big Brother says we're fighting Eurasia, then we're fighting Eurasia.


[edit] Having said that, I've run HIDs with no problems for a year or so now. However, I ensured mine were levelled properly and would probably have not used them if the light pattern was all over the shop. I've never been flashed in the Celica, where as I have in the Nova (with halogens) because the headlamp aim is way off.

[Jack]

I see... but doesnt the patterned headlamp glass on the Nova aid in the light pattern?

No, because the HID burner outputs light in a different way to a halogen element (HIDs use an arc rather than a filament).

[Nova_Tek]

Ok gotcha, in which case I shall ask this question:

Anyone got pics of HID light pattern in a Nova?

[Welsh Dan]

I used them for around 9 months in mine, never got flashed or stopped.