alcazar

iTrader: (2)

STILL wouldn't want them on a classic, either pre-, facelift or crystal

Alcazar

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

MANY would disagree, but each to their own

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Sure they would Bob, just like there's people out there who will buy the new Impreza.......'cos they don't know any better.

Just out of interest, does your company carry public liability, so that SHOULD a car using illegal headlights cause an accident, it's owner can be supported?

Or will they be on their own?

ARE your kits marked, "Not for use on public roads," Bob?

Alcazar

172sport

iTrader: (6)

An unbiased view,

I have a 95wrx the beam pattern is spot on when dipped, not 100% happy with main beam because of the scatter but on the whole well worth fitting.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

My car passed a UK MOT - in my view that means the station passed the kit as being road legal. If you don't like the kits, fine don't buy one - you've stated your point, other people have done the same!

borderlinechris

iTrader: (5)

im getting my 6000k kit today hopefully!!

krisclarkuk

iTrader: (1)

Mine was left on my door yesterday so i'll be fitting mine this weekend i think. I might book a week off work though as im a hopeless car womble when it comes to fitting things, and all the wires in the kit made me

Knowing my luck, I'll prob end up with the HID fitted to the rear lights so it will be perfect if i spin the car backwards into a ditch as i'll be able to see whats coming

Lady T

Ok, its just that I was reading up on them on a few sites when I was researching mine and it had stated that 4300K are too bright for road use...but hey, just goes to show you cant believe everything on the internet...

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Read Bob5's posts: NONE of them are road legal, and it won't matter whether you have had an MoT pass with 'em on if you are in, or cause, an accident.
Fact

Alcazar

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

Fair enough - apparently the only reason they are not road legal is because "you cannot "E-Mark" a bulb that is of a different type to the bulb it is replacing (e.g. HID for Halogen)."

I also run clear rear clusters which are not "E-Marked," so you'd better take me away in handcuffs now!

tonybooth

If the Road Traffic Regulations state that a Self Levelling system must be part of a HID lighting set up someone needs to tell Nissan as my OE HID's do not have it.

Last 2 cars I had I got the kits from HIDS4U Ltd - UK's Number 1 HID Conversion Kit Specialists who really know their stuff.

T

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

RTregs state that they should be self levelling and have a cleaning system incorporated.

Also, the reflectors and lenses on halogen lights aren't made for use with HID lamps.

I'd still have them on anything EXCEPT H4

Alcazar

tonybooth

Nissan self levelling = Me + 10MM socket

T

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

Alcazar - aren't the dipped lenses for the bugeye STI made for use with HID lamps? As far as I know, they were manufactured with HID as standard for Japan - it was just the UK cars didn't get em.

Washer system for mine = me + bucket - nice one Tony!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Now that I don't know. I DO know that JDM STi's got HIDS, (Sheesh, I'm becoming a nerd), but whether the light units were THE SAME as that fitted to UK cars, except with a halogen bulb, I couldn't say.

JDM RT regs maybe don't require self-levelling etc?

Maybe THAT was why the UK cars didn't get it?

Alcazar

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Back in 2002 it's likely a special HID globe was the only source, so they may be similar, but different mounts. I am guessing tho'.

DunxC

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

I have a funny feeling the units I've got were designed for HID as the lenses for dipped beam are glass not plastic, which always seemed a bit "odd!" Mind you, mine were supplied by Newera in Japan.

The mounts for the bulbs are also made of thick metal rather than thin sheet steel or plastic like the original WRX lamps. lol - are we completely off topic now or what!?

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Yeah ! but we're having fun 'aint we ?

borderlinechris

iTrader: (5)

got mine last friday! forgot to say cheers bob5!!!! fitting them when morrettes painted.......

davedipster

The JDM HID headlights have a projector lense to focus the beam. The UK headlights are simple reflector units and so not compatable with HID lamps.

Chelspeed

> The JDM HID headlights have a projector lense to focus the beam. The UK
> headlights are simple reflector units and so not compatable with HID lamps.

I think this is a red herring. On the bug eye the UK conventional STi lights have projector lenses the same as the JDM HID's. Does this mean that an HID conversion would be OK on a bug eye STi?

I think that the reason the majority of OEM HIDs use projector lenses is that they are HID dip and conventional main. As the OEM is trying to fit these into the original footprint lenses the only way to do this is to use the smaller projector lenses for the HID. That's my theory anyway.

I'm pretty sure some BM's have HID with conventional reflectors. I'll keep an eye out and check.

My thoughts are that so long as the HID arc is in the same location as the halogen bulbs filament then a reflector lens will work just as well as a projector lens. With a single filament bulb, H1, 9005, H7 or whatever, then you can manage this, so long as you buy your HID conversions from a reputable company.

The problems with most after market conversions is that they are H4 conversions. The mechanism for moving the HID means that for whatever reason the HID arc, although OK for either dip or main, can't be at the relevant focus of the reflector for both. Light then ends up going all over the place. Add that to the lack of the metal shield around the dip beam filament in the H4 and the cut off is poor.

So I'd agree with Alcazar that, while they may be technically not 100% legal due to some loophole, HID conversions are OK for any lights but those using H4 blubs.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Mine works fine except no washers....
2002 STI Type UK

vindaloo

Alcazar's POV is essentially correct. Also, I feel the "official" position is hardening.

Though if they enforced the current lighting regs properly, maybe anyone with early crystal indicators or side repeaters would be replacing them. (As not e-marking).

I feel a part of the solution is to allow vehicles to be certified as modded. In much the same way as in Germany. You get an amendment/addition to the V5 if the mod passes the test.

Personally, I think if you've got a modern bug/blob/hawk with "modern" front lights (especially projectors), then there's little likelihood of bother as the lights match the age of the car. The perception of someone observing the car isn't likely to be negative.

Classics are another matter. I can't help but wonder if part of the problem is bad quality control of HID capsules rebased to H4 format. Add the variety of headlight units they'll be plonked into and potentially and there's great scope for it all going wrong.

J.

darms

iTrader: (5)

Rather than £100 on a HID kit for a classic, I opted to retrofit some oem projectors.

Total cost of the conversion £70 + your time

mattyboy82

Just thought id mention that the 6000k series is actually brighter than the 8000k! i spoke to a bloke who is 1 of the main dealers for ULTRA and if u want your lights to look similar to that of the RENAULT CLIO SPORT or RANGE ROVER etc then the 6000k with set of projector lamps will do the job! my last car being a 55plate Fiesta st i bought a set of Ultra 8000k virtual day light kit fitted it the standard head lamps and was well impressed but then wheni bought sum angel lights for it which happened to have built in projectors well basically they transformed the HIDS! the projectors give the HIDS that sparkle effect and crytal look but if u dont have the projectors then ul just get a brite light! they do a set of Projector lamps for the bug eye on essex racing quite cheap and there HID kitts are quite good quality 2!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Exactly.

This is a common mistake. The numbers are COLOUR temperature, so 4300K is closest to actual daylight and gives out the most Lumens, (a measure of light intensity), while 6000K is next brightest, then 8000K etc.

Also, as the colour temperature rises, so does the blue effect: 4300K are bright white, 6000K are blue-ish, 8000K are blue, 10,000K are dark blue and 12,000K when available, are purple.

As I've stated elsewhere.......if you want to SEE, fit 4300K, (except on a classic ), if you want to be SEEN, go for 6000, 8000 etc

Alcazar

mattyboy82

Spot on there m8! to get the HID look as u would on a clio 172 sport or new BMW or Range rover then go for the 6000k Hids with a set of projector lamps! as without projectors u dont get a true Discharge effect!

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

I personally implore you not to and stick with 4300K!
It's range rovers and BMW's that I tend to find blinding when they pass me, whereas other cars with whiter light don't - and drivers of range rovers and BMW's tend to be annoying enough without blinding you too! (sorry for tarring everyone with the same brush there but it's just personal experience!)

imf1

iTrader: (2)

My 6000k's from Bob5 on my 04 blob are a massive improvement and seem very "white" in my opinion.

Light travels in straight lines here on earth so surely only the intensity changes
Mine needed no adjustment, just need to be sure the bulb seats correctly.
Never been flashed at all, apart from angry people who think I shouldn't overtake em.
Very worthwhile mod unless you only drive in daylight of course

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Errrrr, yest it does travel in straight lines, but that has nothing to do with it's intensity.

Think of a filament lamp, if you will. The filament glows when you get it hot enough, as a current flows through it. Yes?

First it glows dull red, then orange, then yellow, finally white. If you were to measure the temperature of the filament at each colour, you'd find that it rises as it goes from red>orange>yellow>white.

Now in an HID lamp, there is no filament. There is a gas, (Xenon), under low pressure, with an electrode at each end, separated by a gap.

A high voltage is applied across the gap, of the order of 25,000V. This makes the electricity try to jump the gap, and as it does so, it "excites" the atoms of Xenon.

The Xenon atoms don't like the extra energy they were given, it forces one of their electrons to jump into a higher energy shell, which makes them unstable, so they want to lose that energy, the energy that they were given as electricity. When the electron falls back to it's lower energy shell, it must lose the energy, and it so happens that this is given out as light. Hence, the term, "discharge."

Meanwhile, the pressure of the Xenon gas, the width of the gap and the voltage all combine to give the colour, which is expressed as a temperature.

4300K is the whitest: fact. This contains almost all of the natural spectrum of natural daylight, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet, as well as a very little infra-red and some more ultra-violet.

So ALL coloured objects find SOME light to reflect, as from the sun, and appear their natural colours.

If, however, we shift the colour temperature upwards, we move it towards the violet end of the spectrum. They eye sees this as a lack of reds, oranges etc, and a preponderance of blues, so the light is blue-ish. The higher the colour temperature, the further you've shifted towards the blue/violet.

Our eyes respond better to reds than to blues, indeed, red is used as "danger" partly for that reason, and partly because it's the least (refracted), deflected by rain, fog etc, so is seen by the human eye over the longest distance.

As the colour temperature rises, the amount of VISIBLE light falls, hence the light intensity is highest at 4300K, where the full spectrum is produced, and lowest at 12000K where not much red, orange or yellow are produced, but LOTS of ultra-violet, which is, of course invisible to humans.

HTH, Alcazar