Fitting HIDs

Brennan

Brennan

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Looking to fit some HIDs to my A4, its got standard halogens. Will a HID kit with error canceller boxes work in this car?

will i need different bulb holders to allow for the wires from the hid bulbs?
 
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You would be better off changing the headlights to the lens type made for the HIDs as the standard halogen lens with HIDs will end up blinding other road users! .. Plus new MOT legislation in NI means they won't pass if there is no headlight washers or level system!
 
I want to retrofit the bi-xenon lamps at a later stage, in the mean time I'll fit H7R to my standard lamps. The R stands for reflector, there is a shield on the bulb so there is no scatter thus no blinding anyone.

So will I need bulb holders?
 
I fitted HID into my H7 halogens and have had no issues with other road users, with exception of the odd speed bump. Nothing can level the light beam properly over a speed bump surely!!
 
No need for different bulb holders.

Order HIDs for H7 or whatever your bulb is.

You need to cut a round hole in the back of the rubber bulb access cover for the cable to pass through, its 25mm diameter so draw round a coin or washer then carefully cut it out.

No extra wiring or power supply required, it plugs into the bulb holder connector.
 
HIDS are far better on the road! But still not legal to have installed without headlight washers and self level units!
 
am i missing something regarding headlight washers? what in the world difference do they make to HID's??
 
but why? Makes no sense that you have to have headlight washers to have legel HID's???

That is as strange as saying you must have chrome tailpipes to have a rear LED conversion
 
I find it strange also that you need to have Headlight washers and self-levelling system to make HIDS legal for MOT in NI.

Interesting Read From NI MOT Requirements:

"The downside of this extra brightness is the potential to cause excessive dazzle to oncoming traffic. To combat this, HID headlamps often have advanced electronics that control the shape of the headlamp beam to avoid dazzle when the car climbs or descends hills and likewise when the vehicle is accelerating or braking.

Dazzle can also be caused if the lamps are dirty or aimed too high due to, for example, carrying rear seat passengers and/or heavy items in the boot. Vehicles with HID headlamps are therefore required to have a headlamp washing system (a wiper is not required) and be self levelling, which may be achieved either by the use of either headlamp or suspension levelling systems.

The presence and operation of these headlamp cleaning and levelling devices has been added to the test. Therefore, if a mandatory headlamp
levelling or cleaning device is missing, inoperative or otherwise obviously defective this will be a reason for rejection.

This raises the question of whether these checks apply to vehicles fitted with after-market HID lighting kits. These kits convert conventional halogen headlamps to HID Xenon and they are widely sold and fitted to vehicles used on the road. The Department for Transport considers that after-market systems should be required to meet the same safety standards as that applied in respect of these lamps at vehicle Type Approval. Therefore, in order to pass the MOT test, vehicles fitted with after-market HID systems would also need to be fitted with headlamp cleaning and self-levelling systems otherwise this will be a reason for rejection."
 
Point_Audi said:
Vehicles with HID headlamps are therefore required to have a headlamp washing system (a wiper is not required)

."
Click to expand...

Lmao this makes it even more pointless.....

Oh well my next mot is January, ill get my mechanic to switch the bulbs, pass it then put them back lol. ;)
 
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Cheers for the replies lads. What type of bulb holder is on these lamps, is it a screw in holder or is the holder the lamp itself with a metal clip holding it in?

I know the illegalities of this, and that it is rather frowned upon but believe me I'm just one of thousands of HID conversions at the cruises.

So will an AC HID kit fit with error cancellor boxes fitted? I don't want bulb out warnings in the info display
 
They are the same type of bulb mounts so will just replace the existing halogens, the HID bulbs will be slightly longer but will still sit in palce just fine. As for the error cancellers so long as the kit states they are canbus ballasts they will be fine. You can swap out the bulbs back to halogen in a few mins for an mot which is what i will do. I wouldnt worry so much about legality, unless the HID bulbs are like stupidly blue its unlikely anyone will care enough to pull you over for it.
 
Yea I know what you mean Aaron, annoys me though when you see so many cheap dodgy kits on the road!

I would personally go for the 5000k bulb rather than the 6000k as the 5000k is very crisp which and more OEM looking! :icon_thumright:
 
Thanks mate I'm looking hids that will match led DRLs. I think 5000k would be ok.

Am I right in saying that the headlights can be taken out with the bumper still on the car?
 
Thats cos 5000k is OEM lol. I have 6000k and I have to say they dont look overly ggreat in daylight but at night look awesome.
Dunno about B8 headlights, but i put my kit in with bumper in on my B7. I just removed airbox for left light tho to get access cover off
 
Are you sure the OEM colour isn't 4300k? lol ... I think the 6000k are bit too blue for me personally but they do look nice at night! :icon_thumright:

Yea the B6 & B7 I removed the headlights the same way mate, dead handy couple of screws! :)
 
Av4nt said:
Lmao this makes it even more pointless.....

Oh well my next mot is January, ill get my mechanic to switch the bulbs, pass it then put them back lol. ;)
Click to expand...

Mate why do you get a mechanic to fit the hids? It's a very simple 5-10min job, I've fitted them to my cars and mates cars for the past 6years, very simple job
 
audi upgrades
I have 35W 4300 HIDs on my bike and used to have 50W 4300 HIDs main beam on my old B8 SE. I did not bother with the canbus adapters.

The main beams took a while to warm up, but once warm would go to 100% brightness quickly after a short spell on dip.

If you want to see where you are going, use 4300.
 
Sorry to bump an old thread but looking at doing this hid mod myself
And was just wondering with having to cut a hole in the bung, if that would cause misting in he headlight? (Had bad experience with this stuff in the past)

Also my two cents on the discussion on illegalities on hids,

I spoke to my mechanic about it, not your average backstreet garage by any stretch, Infact i dreaded talking to him because he's the most 'by the book' mechanic Ive ever known
And his words were that as of now it's still a technicality on the hids being illegal and he would pass my car without washers and self level,
In a nutshell he said the guidelines state those rules apply only to factory fitted xenon
Not the aftermarket things,
Sounds like garbage I know but as long as I get a pass im not too bothered :D
 
You would get away with it more if you have projectors, which the SE doesn't have. You can however fit projectors to your existing SE headlights, Trups on the site can fit them for you or supply the projector for you to fit yourself.
 
BrennanTDi said:
You would get away with it more if you have projectors, which the SE doesn't have. You can however fit projectors to your existing SE headlights, Trups on the site can fit them for you or supply the projector for you to fit yourself.
Click to expand...

How the hell.. Is it a big job mate? Did you do it if so pics?
 
I didn't do it as I changed the whole car instead lol, if you search on the site for b8 projector it should come up in threads
 
It's not a massive job but time and patience is diffenatly needed! I did mine myself supplied by Trups. Send off to him and he can do a cracking job on them! There is a guide on here by another forum member also
 
For the case of legalities, the NI MOT is different to the ENG MOT.
NI mot states the the washers and levelling MUST be fitted and working where the ENG mot states that they MAY be fitted and if so must work.
In England fit Projectors as reflectors are not designed for HID and will never give the correct beam pattern this means that it will fail MOT unless you find an mot tester who overlooks it.
 
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