HID lamps

[Jack]

Righto, considering buying some HID bulbs for the celica. As in, a proper conversion to HID lamps - ballasts etc - rather than the HID-look halogen bulbs which I currently have in it (std celica headlights are rubbish so I'm looking to improve them lol).

Whats the crack with retrofitting HID bulbs into headlamp units designed for halogens? I used to think you needed auto levellers and headlamp washers (both of which the celica has), which wikipedia confirms here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp#HID_light_sources_.28Xenon_and_Bi-Xenon.29):

European vehicles equipped with HID headlamps are required by ECE regulation 48 also to be equipped with headlamp lens cleaning systems and automatic beam levelling control

...although I'm sure I've read on here thats not true. Also saw this:

Installing HID bulbs in headlamps designed to take filament bulbs results in improperly-focused beam patterns and excessive glare, and is therefore illegal in almost all countries.

I know wikipedia is about as useful as a bacon sandwich at a bar mitzvah when it comes to accurate information, but its the best source I could find.

So is it illegal in the UK to fit HID bulbs into halogen lamps? I don't want to spend a couple hundred buying some decent bulbs only to then fail an MOT or get told off by plod. I've seen a lot of cars that have had HID lamps retrofitted, and give no excessive glare...

[Stuart]

Ive been looking into HID's too as the vx headlights are about as powerfull as sidelights.

Its not illegal to retrofit them, if they were OEM hids then they HAVE to have self levelers, washers, some cases the rotating sheild for the H4 style bulbs, projection lenses etc.

As a retro fit they only have to pass the mot.

also while researching HID suppliers the "genuine bosch" ones you see are NOT genuine.... well ok they are genuine fakes lol. Bosch dont make HIDs AT ALL, its all done by a company called bosch-hk, where copyright laws kinda vanish lol. I think aslong as you pay above ?50 for them then you are onto a winner.

Note if you are replacing H4 bulbs its a bit mroe expensive and a bit of a bitch. IMHO its not worth making the high beam HID as its less than likely to be better than a normal dipped beam thats been converted (bi xenons are far from cheap)

[Jack]

Hm, my high beams aren't too bad, 6500k PIAA bulbs in there at the mo. Would be a single filament 9005 or 6 bulb I need.

The low beam lamps have caps over the bulbs as well, so I'm hoping that will counter most of the glare problems that some people seem to talk about. I usually drive with the lights levelled slightly downwards anyway.

The kit I'm after costs north of ?150, and I've seen a few pics of it in use and looks quite good...

[Welsh Dan]

Having just had a quick read on these, are the H4 ones with the level adjustment for Hi-beam any good generally?

[Stuart]

which ones are you looking at jack?

[Jack]

A chap on CCUK has some, leftovers from a group buy I believe. Originally they were ?180 per pair but he's willing to drop the price a little to shift them on.

He's got a website and I think has also sold a few sets on ebay too in the past... I'll have a dig about later and see if I can find some pics/info/links to the kits he's selling.

What bulbs does the vx use Stu?

[Stuart]

H1's

there is this palce http://www.hids4u.co.uk/ that do the expensive ones... but lots of people I know are running 5-6K "bosch" units and they are more than happy with them for uber cheap. So ill be going down that route. just need to find an ebay trader that dosent make me want to puke lol

[tom_beverley]

Isn't there the guy on MIG doing 'propper' HID H4 Hi/Lo kits for about ?110? Are they any good?

[Ash]

^ yea, ?120 for H4 Bi-Xenon HID kit, that is what I'm having - could put them in sisters corsa to show the differance, if you wanted...

[Jack]

Dual Xenon or Xenon and filament?

H4 is no good my my application, unless I get them for the novar, but it'd be interesting to see what the light colours are like. I quite fancy some 8000k dipped as I like teh blue, but thinking they may be too dark... so may consider 6000k.

[Ash]

most standard ones are between 6k and 8k. After that the light's no strong enough (10k+ is for show use) I heard 5k is nice, bright light

[Jack]

8000k left, 6000k midlle and right (http://www.mechasportstuning.co.uk/images/hid/DSC00335.JPG)

6000k vs halogen (http://www.mechasportstuning.co.uk/images/hid/DSC00337.JPG)

Thats pics from the guy I was considering buying from. They're glaring a bit due to the angle of the pic apparently, people who've seen them in the flesh say they don't glare much.

[Stuart]

OEM is about 4300K, 6K is about the limit of useable light, anything above that is merely for ghey looks and gets beyond blue at 12K.

note it also cains your eyes at night to use too bluey light (and you run the risk of being pulled for it too)

[Jack]

I'm used to blue though, had 7500k on the nova and Celica... thats why its a toss up between 6 and 8, as I'm used to the colour of 8 lol

[Stuart]

fit 12's lol be a proper chav

[Jack]

Nah, for proper chav I'd put tights over the headlamp and paint the bulbs blue with dulux paint lol

[Jack]

Ok, been offered a kit of either 8000k or 6000k low beam bulbs and etcs for ?100.

Can't decide which to get... the 6000k would give "brighter", whiter light - whilst the 8000k would be a touch darker, it would still retain the distinctive blue tint that I'm used to (my current halogens are 7500k PIAA bulbs)...

...plus I'm thinking I could always try the 8000k set and if I don't get on with it, source some 6000k bulbs (only) to fit instead...

[Stuart]

get the 6k's, dislike them and give me the bulbs (FOC) and you upgrade to 8K.

meaning I can try OEM 4.3K types lol

[peester]

^ yea, ?120 for H4 Bi-Xenon HID kit, that is what I'm having - could put them in sisters corsa to show the differance, if you wanted...

please.

[Ash]

I'll get pics when they arrive, in the mean time: clicky (http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/items-sale/328731-xenon-hid-kits-only-%A399-99-%A3119-99-h4-bi-xenon.html)