HID advise

[C. Will Corrado G60 2 0]

I wrote this previously on a different thread about the same topic recently on this forum, so here is it again.....

 

You don't need to have an uprated loom fitted when using HID's, but you can still run it. Here is a couple of HID threads, some showing pics of kit and light output once fitted. I think the general consensus is they work MUCH better with projector style headlamps or clear front lenses. Apparently, some guy from a company that was selling HID kits at one of the shows suggested that the reflector in front of the normal bulb in the housing should be removed when using some HID kits as it will mess the pattern up

 

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57260&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=hid

 

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=72466&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=HID&start=15

 

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60563&p=715836&hilit=hid#p715836

 

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=56676&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=hi

 

Oh yes, and you do need to make a hole in the rear bulb cap with a drill etc to let the wiring through etc. For standard Corrado headlights bulb-type is H4, H7s are only for Inpro / projector-type installs.

 

If people don't like the angel eye look, and yes it would be expensive, could they not use the glass lens of the angel-eyes on a standard corrado headlight (and fit HID kit if wanted) or just uprated loom / bulbs ? Yes, technically one of the req's for having HID's is self levelling but most MOT testers will pass vehicles with retro-fitted HID kits, they would have to be very picky not to tbh.

 

Thanks for all the info, there's a lot of mixed opinions which is probable down to crappy products and incorrect set-up. I'm going to try create definitive guide.

 

Thanks

 

Chris

[Neil VR6 0]

Here's a pic of mine on dipped:

 

 

It's not a great pic but it gives you an idea

 

EDIT - It passed its MOT fine too

[Mystic Rado 0]

Neil, just interested, did the bulbs in your kit have a cap fitted over the end or were they open ended, if that makes sense.

[Neil VR6 0]

The garage fitted them so I didn't get a good look. Can you tell by looking through the lens?

[Mystic Rado 0]

Na, cos the headlight reflector itself has a shield built into it. That's what I asked, cos the ones I used had a shield most of the way round the bulb but also a big end cap - they didn't work too well, possibly because there were two caps blocking out more of the light than was needed. Anyway, I'm quite happy with an uprated loom and rally bulbs, but it's kind of interesting, erm, sort of :-)

[flusted 0]

My car failed mot with my hids because the light was to blue ( this was with 6000k). i think the reason for this is that the actual projector glass dome has a blue tinge to it in the sonar lights, they arent that blue when on and are very easy to see with.

Think mot tester was being anal.

The reason ive gone for an uprated loom for my hids is that if i have the hids on, turn ignition off to say put petrol in but leave lights switched on, when i turn ignition back on, the hids dont come on.

I have to turn the lights completely off, then back on again for them to come back on.

 

The advert for the uprated loom on ebay says it should cure this problem.

 

Im unsure what brand mine were but i made sure they were uk based and they were about £60 delivered

[Neil VR6 0]

Mine are 6000s too although the light isn't blue at all (as you can see). The guys said you can go for 8000s and upwards but the light goes purple and there's no need.

 

Mine were about £160 for the kit

[_leon_ 0]

neil sorry if i missed this - did you post a brand name of the hids installed in your car?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

x2

[corozin 0]

This is the first time I've seen this thread. By sheer co-incidence I'm due to pick up a HID upgrade kit from the post office later today. Kit supplied from eBay shop (eBay shop = OMG_SO_COOL_CAR) in China but the delivery is pukka as I got a reference from a friend who also bought a kit from them.

 

I've seen the kit installed on a car & it definately works. If you want to avoid the blue tinge I'm told that you should opt for the 4300k kits instead as they work just the same, but with a pure white light. You don't get more power with the 6000k bulbs as the number refers to the colour temperature - not the power.

 

I should have them installed by the end of the weekend (weather permitting). As someone who often has to cover Dorset's country roads at night this is one upgrade I'm very happy to be fitting.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Good info, keep us posted on the results!!

[vwdeviant 0]

We're watching you John... very interested in how this comes out!

[corozin 0]

I'll have to try and do some "before" and "after" photos or something :D

[coullstar 0]

Do a guide to help others in the future.

[alackofspeed2 0]

I'll have to try and do some "before" and "after" photos or something :D

 

HID in one, standard in the other.... the contrast is amusing.

 

Whilst I've got HIDs in my car (I'm the chap Corozin mentioned), I'm aware of this:

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

 

I've got 4300K bulbs in mine, as they're a very natural white and hopefully will never catch the attention of the feds.

 

The HID kits are the only true solution I've seen to the Corrado's diabolical dipped headlights, arguably make the car safer, and having been followed by a friend in his C with HIDs fitted, if set correctly they do not dazzle.

[KipVR 1]

You can buy self levelling kits from ARZ, if anyone is interested. :shrug:

 

I've just got a levelling switch from VW (£36) that allows me to adjust them from in the car, bought some E36 headlight motors from ebay (same as VR6 ones apparently, time will tell when they get delivered) and I'll have to make a loom up to connect them together.

 

Still undecided as to go HID or not. Corozin, hurry up lad!

[C. Will Corrado G60 2 0]

I'll have to try and do some "before" and "after" photos or something :D

 

Fantastic someone has beaten me to it, I'm very interested to see how this comes out. Having chatted to a few of my friends, they say it's not worth buy cheap stuff as the bulbs can go and then your stuck having to buy new blubs which are expensive.

[vwdeviant 0]

I should have them installed by the end of the weekend (weather permitting). As someone who often has to cover Dorset's country roads at night this is one upgrade I'm very happy to be fitting.

 

 

 

AND JOHN? :wave:

[corozin 0]

Ok I have to admit I got sidetracked last weekend and didn't get the kit fitted. I'm also away for the next couple of weekends and I'm not doing it by torchlight either so it will be a couple of weeks until I fit it. I also want to diagnose an issue with my Trimsport loom (I'm on the stock loom right now).

 

However I can report that the kit I mentioned above appears to be excellent. It comes in a branded box, well packaged, with shaped cutouts in the foam for the componants. There's a good pack of instructions with wiring diagrams and a step-by-step fitting guide, and the wiring/componants appear to be decent quality.

 

I'm sorry if this lets anyone down to wait for another couple of weeks. What I would say to anyone wondering "should I buy" is frankly to go ahead and buy one. I got mine for a bid of only £2.50 (£32.50 delivered) - at that kind of money it's not a decision that should be affected by the cost.

 

I'll get my coat...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Thread resurrection time!

 

What's the latest on HID kits? I know a few folk have reported less than satisfactory results but was that purely down to the Corrado's refracted lenses, or was it down to some HID kits just being cheap and schitt?

 

Also, what's the latest on uprated bulbs?

 

I was running Phillips 100W rally bulbs which appear to have 'gone off' in the few years I've used them. Suspecting my alt was on it's way out, I fitted a 120A one and no change. They are now no brighter than normal bulbs.

 

Time has come to sort some decent lights. What are folk recommending? :D

[KipVR 1]

I've been wondering about using HID's...

 

KEV, when you change the bulbs or whatever in your car, check out the wiring inside your headlight. The chances are the wires will be shot. I ran rally bulbs for about 3 years, then when I changed my the glass I noticed the wiring was shagged from the heat build up. I'm prettey sure tis is why the mounting tabs break so easily too.

[Mystic Rado 0]

I kind of lost interest in it - just running uprated high wattage halogens and an uprated loom, which works fine for me. I did a load of digging and the conclusion I came to was that the best solution would be proper, decent OEM quality, bi-xenon projectors retro-fitted into standard Corrado headlight housings - basically you'd need to bond the projectors into the stock reflectors, which looks eminently doable.

 

The problem with that is the standard fluted glass lenses, which aren't designed to work with projectors. The obvious solution would be to fit clear lenses from In-Pro or similar instead of the stock glass or maybe even retrofit the projectors into one of those to start off with - simpler maybe as they use projectors to start with. But as far as I can see, those housings are all early-rado compatible, so aren't going to look right on my car.

 

As far as kits go, the one I had - a hids4u.co.uk one fwiw - was okay in my Mk2 GTi, decent cut-off - but awful in the 'rado, maybe because the shield in the headlight or maybe the one on the bulb needed removing. Might have another go in the spring...

[VR6Joni 0]

I'm sick of getting dazzled by HID's, and its always new cars with factory fitted HID's too, I'm sure the self levelling is a load of bollox.

Which I why I've held off for so long as they pi$$ me off and didn't want to be part of the dazzeler crew.

But I gonna do a U-turn, if every other car can dazzle me, fook em, its time for revenge.

 

So I'm also interested in any recommendations also.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Cheers guys. So no new news to excite me with on bulbs then :D

 

Kip, my headlights are practically brand new and the wiring is fine. I did my own 4 Relay / 4 Fuse loom a few years ago, so that side of things is pukka too.

 

Both my headlights were taken out with stones not long ago and due to my laziness in replacing the lenses, the reflectors "went off" and had to get new units. So that's a lesson to anyone with broken lenses. Change them ASAP!

 

I was hoping you'd reply Mystic Rado as I know you put a lot of work and research into this a few years ago. Due to my fussiness, I think I will take what you've said as gospel and skip the HIDs for now :D I don't want really want to go down the projector route.

 

I think maybe I'll try some new bulbs and see if that helps!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

As a follow up to this, I took my 100w bulbs out and stuck some Halfords Extreme brilliance in and I'm impressed! A brighter, whiter light from half the ampage!

 

They're BOGOF at the moment too, so 40 quid to do all 4 bulbs!