jealer69

I have just bought a MY02 JDM Sti7. How can I tell if it has HID lights ?

Any help appreciated.

rizzy

should be 4 blubs in the cluster.

BedHog

It should have HID lights. My 02 JDM WRX has STi lights and they are HID.

When I turn mine on they flash brightly, then go dim and slowly brighten as they warm up (over several seconds).

Also if you look at them there is no bulb (except for main beam) just a glass 'dome' about an inch in diameter.

I'll post a pic tomorrow of mine if you still need to know.

Rob.

dr_ming

If they are proper HiD lights, then they will be slightly dim and flickery when initially switched on, only reaching full brightness after 10 secs or so. Also, the 'bulb' unit for the HiD lamp is a fairly large (relative to a normal incandescent bulb), sealed assembly.

SiDHEaD

You'll see the balast boxes behind if it has HID (they say warning high voltage on them).

jealer69

Just checked the lights and they are as you described, come on bright, fade and then warm up. One thing I did notice was that on dipped beam they are using the round light which was very bright white on the wall in front but when I put main beam on the origanal bright pattern remains and the main beam seems very dull i.e. more of a yellow above the bright white dipped lghts.

Is this normal or can the bulbs for the main beam be upgraded.

Chris L

It's quite normal to have HID dip and halogen main beam. If you wanted to change the main beam to HID, you would need to put in new ballast units and new bulbs. If you just don't like the contrast between the 'white' HIDs and 'yellow' main beams, I'd change the main beam bulbs for something like Philips Vision Plus or Osram Cool Blue bulbs.

Chris

BedHog

Yep main beam is normal halogen - HID are supposed to last the lifetime of the car but they (apparently) don't like being turned on and off too much - hence main beam which does get turned on/off more is halogen. HID consumes about 35W (half of normal) so just turn it on and forget it. HID headlights stay on when you operate main beam so they are on together - loads of light

I like the STi lights and think they look pretty good (yes I'm talking about a Bugeye!!) on my White Wagon

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

I never knew you could have HID dipped, but Halogen main beam. I take it that the 5 series BMW is HID for both, as there does not seem to be any difference between dipped and main?

Seems a shame not to have HID as main, as the BMW lights are really good

Chelspeed

Bed-Hog - The 1.5 inch glass dome is a projector lens, used instead of the more normal reflector lens behind the bulb. But this does not imply HID or not HID, you can get normal bulbs with projector lenses and you can get HID with conventional reflectors. The UK bug eye STi's for example have the same glass dome projector lens but normal bulbs.

All - You can get a DIY conversion to make the main beam HID as well. Autolamps on line do them here. For the MY02 main beam you need an 9005 / HB3 conversion kit.

Apple

Chelspeed, have you still got your bugeye STi or have you changed to a blobeye?

I swapped and am wondering about upgrading the lights to HID again (Janet will love me ringing up yet again - I ought to get shares in the place ) but the reflector lights in the JDM blobeyes are completely flat cutoff - is this standard or have I seen a "dodgy" set? My UK blobeye has reflectors but has the LHS slash cutoff as on the JDM bugeye ones. I like this arrangement for seeing roadsigns without blinding others so might have to look at just the HID bulb upgrade rather than complete new lights - what did you think to sticking just the H1 bulbs in your bugeye over standard?

Andy

Apple

Have a look around the rear of the lamp housing and there should be an orange sleeved cable - this is one of the connections from the ballast unit to the light AFAIR

When you have the lights on, depending upon the colour temperature, they are "cooler" colour than halogens and reflective strips on hi-vis jackets and road signs really jump out at you

Chelspeed

I've swopped to a WR1 so blobeye lights. But I kept the HID's from the bugeye when I part ex'd it.

I could have just fitted them to the new car (they're both 9005/H1) but of course didn't want to make it that easy. So from the first week I fitted the subaru official modded lights, morette type, which take a pair of H7 blubs.

That nice Janet sold me 4 off H7 HID's that I fitted to the morettes with the wiring loom and ballast boxes off the bug eye kits.

To be honest the morette reflectors and cut off are not quite as good as the bug eye reflectors and projector dip, this surprised me a bit as I was expecting separate round lights to be better than the shared reflectors on normal lights. Still fantastic light and loads better than conventional bulbs just not quite as good as the bug eye.

Sorry no experience of the JDM blob eye HID's or of the standard blob eye reflectors with aftermarket HID.

Apple

I've still got my STi HIDs and also the H7 kit I had in the WR Sport lights so with a bit of mixing & matching and some H1 bulbs I could knock a set together when the funds allow (unless there's a special rate for long term / bulk orders from Janet )

I presume the H1 bulbs fastened to the ballasts with spade connectors in the wiring like my H7s did so I just have to get hold of the bulbs?

It's unfortunate that the blobeye HID bulbs are D2R whereas the bugeye ones were D2S or I could have got hold of only the lamp housings but after seeing the flat cut-offs on the Type 20, I'm not so keen

Thanks for the info...

Andy

Chelspeed

The old kits used normal spade connectors. Latest spec Auotlamps kits use some other connectors.

I told Janet I wanted H7 bulbs with the old style connectors to suit my original ballasts and she just got some made up to that spec.

Apple

WRX Blues

Just had my JDM WRX03 converted back to HID - these were taken off and replaced to get through the SVA - they forgot to change back before I took car home - the vision is much better now they have been converted back.

anthscooby01

Anyone know if ballast box is part of headlamp or a separate part. Just bought some JDM STI HIDs and got them lit up but not that bright. Are they polarity sensitive?

Butty

iTrader: (2)

I can only speak of the blobeye HIDs, but they are separate ballast units and bulb holders that go on std headlight units. You can convert back to normal very easily.

Nick