MTec HID Kit - Recommended for all Audi Drivers

h5djr said:
As far as I'm aware checking that the whole headlight unit complies with the relevant regulations is not YET part of the MOT so at the moment there would be no reason to fail a car.
Click to expand...

Just beam pattern is checked. Obviously the reason behind the need to have projector style lenses is not that much of an issue with the A3 lights (Light scatter)

h5djr said:
If you still think I'm a 'snob' then I'm a very happy one! Perhaps I'm also a 'snob' because mine is a new rather than used A3. Perhaps I'm a 'snob' because I drive an Audi and not a Ford. Perhaps I'm a 'snob' because I no longer have to work for a living. Perhaps I'm a 'snob' because I prefer to go on holiday in my Audi rather than fly with a plane load of other people - come to think about I think I enjoy be a 'snob'.
Click to expand...

Snobbery justified, I'd probably be the same myself if I'm honest! :respekt:
 
h5djr so now, we've established it wont fail MOT and police dont stop you regarding them. you come across this forum like your a snob, thats why people say it. you think buying the most expensive things will keep you out of trouble.
truth of the fact is, u payed £500+ MORE for yours, the money i saved on mine made me an extra 1k, to date. cars are liabilities screw them for all they worth.
fair enough you like to buy new, if it wasnt for ppl like you to absord the inital depreciation then people like me wouldnt get REAL good deals!!!!!
 
my car was 11 months old when i bought it, got it below 15K, price new 21k someone in 11 months took a hard beating...poor sod when i come to sell it in about 2 - 3 years (whenever im in the mood) should be worth around 8 - 9 k. and who said audis are expensive.
 
h5djr so now, we've established it wont fail MOT
Click to expand...

Yet!

you think buying the most expensive things will keep you out of trouble.
Click to expand...

I buy what I want because I want to, not because I think it will keep me out of trouble.

I'm sorry fesss_84, but if I come over as a snob then so be it, but then you come over as a lazy un-educated person with no regard for anyone but yourself who's main interest in life seems to be getting something cheaper than every else and whether it's legal or not is of no consequence.
 
That video is ridiculous

they're using a mk1 megane with non projecting headlights, nothing like any of the cars people on here will be retroffitting these kits to.

Anyway, its technically illegal however it's a grey area and im sure many people will continue to fit them until the police start cracking down or MOT regs changes.

Me included
 
Anyway, its technically illegal however it's a grey area and im sure many people will continue to fit them until the police start cracking down or MOT regs changes.
Click to expand...

It's not a 'grey' area at all - see the Department for Transport's statement earlier in the forum. As far as they are concerned they are illegal.
 
I dont agree, and there is much evidence to suggest that technically they are not illegal. Regardless, you would be very unlucky to have any action taken against you. (At present anyway)
 
I dont agree, and there is much evidence to suggest that technically they are not illegal. Regardless, you would be very unlucky to have any action taken against you. (At present anyway)
Click to expand...

I agree the chances of any action being taken against you are small at the moment, but it is the DfT that sets the vehicle law in this country and according to their statement it is their view "it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon". Perhaps when they update the MOT test this will become clearer.

Personally I have no problem with someone wanting to upgrade to xenon headlights providing they do it properly and fit approved headlight units, self-levelling and headlamp washers and do not try and get away with some 'cheap' illegal alternative.
 
Waste of time David.
The Dft also sets standards for vehicle noise, but every other A3 is being fitted with a Milltek that won't bear the correct kitemark/BSAU stamps.
The trouble is, you now get competition for MOT's, which is ludicrous.
So if MOT man A grumbles, they'll just toddle off to MOT man B.
Then they're free to dazzle and deafen to their heart's content.:applaus:
FWIW, I'm with you on this one.
Anyone gloating that they have managed to get Xenons for less than Audi isn't comparing like with like.
It's like gloating you got a Beko LCD TV for less than a Panasonic.
Duh, so what?
 
fesss_84 said:
aftermarket xenons will never get outlawed its the future of lights. MOT tests will ensure they are utilized correctly.
Click to expand...

Thats a bold statement, I think the Dft will begin to crack down more in the future, although it will take a long time as the wheels of bureaucracy tend to turn very slowly. I recall reading somewhere that fitting of HID's into non projector housings also causes a large heat build up. This level of heat is not generated by halogen lights so when HID's are fitted into normal housings it can become a problem to some in terms of burn marks in the lenses etc etc.

bowfer said:
Anyone gloating that they have managed to get Xenons for less than Audi isn't comparing like with like.
It's like gloating you got a Beko LCD TV for less than a Panasonic.
Duh, so what?
Click to expand...

Summed up perfectly Bowfer.
 
Does anyone know for definate if HIDs run cooler/hotter than normal bulbs? I had a feeling they ran cooler but I couldn't say I was 100% sure on that.

I could of just been basing that on the fact that the bulb wattage is lower, whether that relates to the heat they give off I'm not sure?
 
marriedblonde said:
I thought the xenons ran hotter which is why they didn't recommend you used the glass protectors.

J.
Click to expand...

Thats what i was told when i asked about glass protectors.
 
Waste of time David.
The Dft also sets standards for vehicle noise, but every other A3 is being fitted with a Milltek that won't bear the correct kitemark/BSAU stamps.
The trouble is, you now get competition for MOT's, which is ludicrous.
So if MOT man A grumbles, they'll just toddle off to MOT man B.
Then they're free to dazzle and deafen to their heart's content.:applaus:
FWIW, I'm with you on this one.
Anyone gloating that they have managed to get Xenons for less than Audi isn't comparing like with like.
It's like gloating you got a Beko LCD TV for less than a Panasonic.
Duh, so what?
Click to expand...

For once we agree on something Bowfer.

I have just emailed the DfT asking if they have any idea when checking for illegal headlamp units will become part of the MOT.

But even then, as you rightly point out, it's still down to the MOT centre doing there job properly. Perhaps we should have a system similar to Germany where anything fitted to a car must be approved for than car by the TUV, even down to wheels and tyres and all their testing is done by government testing centres and not the local garage down the road.

Just out of interest I've just bought a new Panasonic LCD TV so I must be a tv snob as well.
 
h5djr said:
But even then, as you rightly point out, it's still down to the MOT centre doing there job properly. Perhaps we should have a system similar to Germany where anything fitted to a car must be approved for than car by the TUV, even down to wheels and tyres and all their testing is done by government testing centres and not the local garage down the road.
Click to expand...

I'd go for that.
Unfortunately, government seem to think different.
They're proposing we only need MOT's every other year.
Ludicrous, IMO.
Every week, I follow some lazy driver who doesn't know their brake lights are out of action.
They'll only find out, or take an interest, when their car fails it's MOT (given that you rarely see a police car these days)
So, potentially, these people could be driving around in a dangerous motor for two years, not just the one..
 
h5djr, now your calling me un-educated.....easily said sitting behind a computer screen. want 2 get technical son, unless youve studied at oxford or cambridge, your a wannabe snob. you may live in cambridgeshire but its the institution which taught me which makes it what it is.

i hate people like you,which take a perfectly healthy debate and insult others personally. do yourself a favour hush-up and st!ck your OEM xenons up your backside, for all i care. AND i will re-iterate i payed 1/5 of the price you did. and aint no police gonna stop me.

do yourself a favour next time you get a new car, buy all the extras for it, atleast its next owner will grab a bargain lol ;

immature adults, dont you just love them looool
 
In a thread that sees Dave and Bowfer getting on (Finally kissed and made up - I knew there was some underlying frustration there chaps, glad you finally got on top of it all) I feel compelled to hop in too

Much has been said about the two things that make HID lamps legal and as I have retro fitted Xenons to my wife's car and have factory fit Xenons on my A3 I thought I'd give you my thoughts

Height adjustment
I've adjusted the lights on the wife's car to pitch down slightly more than normal to take into account the extra brightness, obviously when you realise that Xenons are merely brighter, whiter bulbs its clear the effects on your beam pattern are minimal, the adjustments were just to ensure they still met with the original headlamp height (Which was always a little high)

result - little glare to others, none more than standard ones and as for over 90% of the time she travels alone or with me there is no impact to extra loads, obviously when we do carry very heavy loads we use the rather neat and VERY clever manual headlamp adjustor that's just to the right of the headlamp switch to knock them down a notch or two

As we don't glare other roadusers, so obviously not all retro fitters are "I'm alright Jack" - a very sweeping statement Dave!


A3 - sits there every morning, levels itself to my downward sloping driveway and never resets, As the clever folk at Audi call them self levelling I unfortunately do not have any luxuries along the lines of a manual adjustment switch so I have to turn the lights off on the road and back on again to get them set right, way clever eh! Audi don't seem to think this is a problem but then obviously its me being a moron.


Headlamp washers
Wife's car - once or twice a week clean them with a cloth, as I do the indicators and rear lights, takes only a couple of seconds and makes things safe. I think the law states that your lights and numbeplates need to be clean to be roadlegal don't they?

A3 - headlamp washers somehow miss the indicators and rear lights for some obviously obscure design fault so I have to repeat the above excercise to remain road legal (Unlike 90% of the daring people I see everyday on the A1 who clearly think their "HID equipped with headlamp washers" cars effectively clean themselves when they wash the headlamps)



Oh, BTW the headlamp washers on the A3 are particularly pathetic, if you use them, then go out with a cloth, you'll see it actually removed feck all dirt



Also, looking into other "uprated" halogen bulbs, if you read into this deeper you'll see the legality of them are also suspect, however clearly this doesnt bother Dave as you regularly used them on your previous Audi's :)



Personally I didn't have any snobbery when it came to standard or retro fit, I used standard when it was available and retro fit when the option was not offered by the main dealer, the difference is minimal when installed correctly and sensibly so please be aware of this when making comments


for reference I have 2 LG LCD's and a Sony, are they worse than Panasonics?

:)
 
immature adults, dont you just love them looool
Click to expand...

I take it you are describing yourself in this statement.

If you read my post I never said you were un-educated. I said you were ACTING as though you were.

Anyway I, for one, have had enough of you juvenile atitude.

I hope the moderators take some action.
 
bacardi - it seems from you post thats you take the problems of aftermarket xenons seriously but a lot of people don't, but the fact still remains, in the eyes of the Department of Transport any xenon lights not fitted into headlamps designed, tested and approved for use with a xenon light source and not complete with self-levelling and headlamp washers are illegal.

You comment about the ones on you A3 setting themselves incorrectly because you switch them on whilst you are parked on a slop. According to the Audi Master Technician I spoke to when I needed my xenons set for driving on the continent, I think you will find that the action of lowering the lights and raising them again is only a start-up test and to indicate to the driver that the system is working correctly. As soon as you drive away they constantly level themselves as you drive. It was also interesting that when my xenons were set for driving on the left hand side of the road, a warning came up in my DIS every time I turned on the ignition to warn me accordingly.
 
fesss_84 said:
h5djr, now your calling me un-educated.....easily said sitting behind a computer screen. want 2 get technical son, unless youve studied at oxford or cambridge, your a wannabe snob. you may live in cambridgeshire but its the institution which taught me which makes it what it is.

i hate people like you,which take a perfectly healthy debate and insult others personally. do yourself a favour hush-up and st!ck your OEM xenons up your backside, for all i care. AND i will re-iterate i payed 1/5 of the price you did. and aint no police gonna stop me.

do yourself a favour next time you get a new car, buy all the extras for it, atleast its next owner will grab a bargain lol ;

immature adults, dont you just love them looool
Click to expand...

I'm not wanting to sound like I'm taking anyones side but I think you've taken all this a bit too personally and now your starting to make yourself sound a bit of a fool. I dont think anyone has meant to cause offence, they just have different views to yourself.

Back on topic - After reading the various links, posts on here and watching the video I dont think I'm going to buy them. Too many things to potentially go wrong or be in the **** for IMO!
 
fair call, just take care while driving in the dark, you'll not be able to see the extra hidden dangers on the roads at this time of year :)
 
Well I have xenons as standard and I keep getting flashed by oncoming drivers, trip to the dealers to see what they have to say and get them checked out
 
Back on topic - After reading the various links, posts on here and watching the video I dont think I'm going to buy them. Too many things to potentially go wrong or be in the **** for IMO!
Click to expand...

I would certainly look into the greater light ouput halogen bulbs. Have a look at the Auto Express website to see which ones they thought were currently the best. They definitely make a difference to the standard bulbs and they are still 12v 55w halaogen so are perfectly legal to fit to halogen headlamps in the UK. Only halogen bulbs that are uprated to 80 or 100watts are illegal to use on the road.
 
whose this matt character, i thought u said your not taking sides???? then you try and insult. LOL HILARIOUS

As for xenons and heat, they consume 35W (mine do) and they are more efficient than halogen. i think they are about 80% efficient. now halogens dont even come close to that as MOST of the energy from halogens is transfered into heat rather than light.

besides MTec xenons are well better than any OEM *****, iv compared them to my mates. im gonna install some headlight washers now, just to keep h5djr happy. i think my manual adjustment is sufficient. as NO-ONE has flashed me yet (always maximum dip, unless im unfamiliar with the road), anyway cars with auto levelling get flashed just the same, from oncomming vehicles.

PEOPLE DONT LET THE NEGATIVE TALK ABOUT XENONS AND THE VIDEO, SCARE YOU AWAY , HID XENONS ARE AMAZING FOR NIGHT-TIME DRIVING.
 
H5DJR, are you suggesting mot centre should become govertment run organisations looool. sorry mate im for PEOPLE POWER!!!!

private sector always does better than public, no1. competition is aways good for customer, and no2, it will put alot of ppl out of work. The govertment should introducemore legislation and guidance to MOT centres, but remember, them guys are trying to make a living.

regards
 
can you explain what you mean by greater light output halogen bulbs?
Click to expand...

Yes of course. These are bulbs from the main maufacturers such as Phillips, Osram, Bosch etc than produce up to 80% more light for the same wattage bulb. They are still H7 12v 55w bulbs so are perfectly legal to fit into normal halogen headlights are they do make a major improvement to the headlights. I used the 50% more light versions in all my previous A3 before I had Bi-Xenon headlights.

Here is a link to one such product, but there are others.

http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=81
 
Ah, I've tried those, was very disappointed by how short their life was

Is there not a risk of them dazzling others too then? Seeings as Xenon's are, in effect, just brighter bulbs? I'm not sure I see the difference
 
iv tried those 5-% more light bulbs (phillips) and they dont make a noticable difference, they cost me £30. It seems as if the headlamp refector inside the audi a3's (dipped beam) Arent designed very well. i know my gf's peugeot lights improved immensly with these halogens but my audi didnt.

so i ended up purchasing aftermarket xenon kit.

regards
 
Is there not a risk of them dazzling others too then? Seeings as Xenon's are, in effect, just brighter bulbs? I'm not sure I see the difference
Click to expand...

The major problem with the aftermarket xenons is not so much that they are, in effect, just brighter bulbs but that they are brighter bulbs placed in a headlamp who's reflector and lenses were not designed for a xenon. The headlamp was designed to very tight tollerances for a halogen bulb light source. A xenon light source produces it's light in a different place to a halogen bulb and therefore needs a reflector and lense designed accordingly. The is why the actual headlamp is a totally different component as far as Audi are concerned. The Audi xenon headlight is designed, again to very tight tollerances and has be tested by an independent laboratory to show it produces an acurate and sharply cut-off beam pattern inorder to gain EU component type approval.
 
fesss_84 said:
..besides MTec xenons are well better than any OEM *****, iv compared them to my mates.
Click to expand...

Have you got a sister called Vicky Pollard? Sorry, couldn't resist.

fesss_84 said:
PEOPLE DONT LET THE NEGATIVE TALK ABOUT XENONS AND THE VIDEO, SCARE YOU AWAY , HID XENONS ARE AMAZING FOR NIGHT-TIME DRIVING.
Click to expand...

If your attempting to sell them, please use the 'For Sale' section or pay for an advert. Oh and if you are trying to sell them, you're not doing a very good job.
 
Dandle said:
Thats what i was told when i asked about glass protectors.
Click to expand...

The dealer never said anything like that to me and Iv'e been using the protectors for nearly a year now with no problems at all.
 
funky the junky, lol sell them, im trying to get a clear message across to people who do alot of night time driving and find the oem halogens useless. althought i think my first post in this thread has done just that.

vicky pollard???? whoever or whatever.

are you starting to cold turkey ??? your not making sense. find yourself another hit and hush-up
 
if xenon housing is specifically designed for xenon bulb, why do oncomming drivers flash my friends audi with OEM xenons standard. he thinks the auto adjusters are not effective as assumed (dont dip the beam enough).
iv recently fitted mine and been to manchester and london (night time driving), and proud to say never been flashed and if i have, iv never noticed. but i do always keep my beams Dipped (3rd setting or 2nd if im not familiar with road.) however i have noticed when put into "0 - position" they seem like main beam lights, and are awfully bright.

I'v noticed the oem rear lights on 07 ans 57 audis a3's....do they fit onto 2006 audi a3???

cheers
 
does anyone know what the difference between halogen housing and xenon housing is ????
Click to expand...

Totally different design of reflector and lenses. This is because halogen headlamps are designed to emit a defined beam pattern using a filament wire that has a structure which is tightly controlled by regulations. A (HID) gas discharge bulb produces an electrical arc which has a very different shape and dimensions to a filament wire and so the beam pattern will be incorrect.


 
bacardi - thanks for your comments about the a3 washers - i was about to retrofit them but probably wont bother now

the difference between halogen housings and xenon housings is that the xenons use a projector mechanism - this allows much sharper focusing of where the light goes, and easy adjustment of the beams up and down cos the whole projector mechanism can be easily tilted.

if you are lucky with your h7 hid bulbs you should get quite good focusing with a non-projector housing but most of the bulbs are too long causing the light spread - also the xenon projector mechanism passes light through a very small percent of the front of the housing so there is less scatter when they are dirty - the halogen housings pass the light through a much larger area of dirty glass because of the larger internal reflector

if you retrofit h7 xenons to a halogen projector you usually get a very good beam pattern but there arent any a3 projector non-xenon housings that i know of - maybe 2007 models?

the FK angel eye lights use a projector mechanism which takes an h7 bulb and re-uses the halogen adjustment motor for about £160 per pair and are a straight plug-in so a pair of these with an h7 hid kit gives you good light pattern with the manual electric adjustment - a good compromise for those wanting an aftermarket affordable solution
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

fesss_84
MTec HID Xenon Lights For Audi (H7)
Replies
7
Views
2K
fesss_84
fesss_84
ElliottB
HID kit for audi a3 (56)
Replies
12
Views
3K
c_w
C
D
HID KIt
Replies
11
Views
2K
PregnantNproud
PregnantNproud
S
  • Locked
HID Kit for 8P SB A3
Replies
42
Views
22K
Broken Byzan
Broken Byzan
J
HID lamp kit for '07 A3?
Replies
30
Views
2K
h5djr
h5djr
Top
Back