XENON High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting kits

[Broadmarsh]

As well as investigating the fitting of replacement bulbs in my A3 2.0 litre Tdi, I am also looking into the feasability of fitting a Xenon HID after market kit. I have had contact with EuroLights, concerning their G2 RealHID - Conversion Kits. They sell the complete H7 kit for $359 (£193) including UPS delivery service (10 to 14 Days).

Has anyone any experience with fitting of these kits (instructions seem straightforward on the web site) and the using of them. If you have any other manufacturer's HID (other than the Audi) fitted, I would like to hear your comments. Are Xenon HID kits that much better in real life than the bulb replacement?

Regards

Peter

 

[Broadmarsh]

ajmackie..Thanks for the information. The more I read, the more uncertain as to which make I should go for! After hours of reading, I was inclined to go for the ProXenon kit found at http://www.proxenon.com/index.php However, after looking at the Hella kit I am now unsure.

Does the Hella kit

a. Come with complete english instructions?
b. Is it Plug and Play as they say, or do you have to modify any of the wiring?
c. How long are the wires? I have seen somewhere that the wiring on some (Philips)is a bit on the short side, about 12"! The ProXenons appear to have wire lengths of about 20".
d. Easy transferrable to another vehicle?

You say, "If I put only full beam on the light just goes!" Are you saying you have them on the main beam? I always understood that they were fitted primarily to the dipped beam, but if you wanted to have Xenons on main then you needed another kit? This is for cars with separate main and dip and not H4.

Regards

Peter

 

[ajmackie]

i didn't explain that point well!

i'll draw a pic to show you what i mean.

the H7 adapter is this, as mentioned on www.oemhid.com
adapter

and this is the kit which i bought (see what i mean by you don't need instructions, just a multimeter to test which is +ve and which is -ve for the input to the ballast. The crimps are there just to connect the ballast input to the original connector. Some people cut it off, but then you have to reattach it if you take them out. Also if I get pulled by police all i need to do is take off dust cap. remove hid bulb with slide on adapter, put in h7 bulb, pull crimps from original connector and push onto the bulb and then i'm free to go!

xenon/hid kit

Thing about HIDs is it's not just the extra light, it is how far the light reaches down the road (well far!) and the silver stars aren't going to do that, but are easier cheaper and legal to put in your car!

 

[thewizkid]

Broadmarsh, dont bother.

That is unless you can get hold of a pair of projector lens for the headlamp cowels.

Having just got back from a 2000 mile drive across France, the verdict is that standardd non-xenon light housings cannot project xenon light any better then standard halogen. The car looked the mutts nuts, but the light was simply not emitted far enough down the road. Embarising when you pull up next to a car with OEM xenons, and their light output goes twice as far as yours!

Another tip would be not to bother with anything over 6000k as light out puit dramatically decreases the higher up the kelvin scale you go.

Got some more pics, will upload when I get chance.

 

[Broadmarsh]

thewizkid

Are you saying dont bother with the aftermarket Xenons or with the Silver Star bulbs?

Can you not adjust the height of the beam (hence the aftermarket xenons) from inside the car......using the small adjuster wheel next to the lighting switch?

Yes! I understand the the temperature difference! It appears the OEM Xenons on the majority of the cars (Mercs and BMW at least) use 4100k.....giving white not blue light!

Peter

 

[thewizkid]

Peter,

I have a Ultinnon based retrofit kit, it uses Philips/Hella(same) ballasts, with H7 rebased Philips Ultinon 6000k bulbs, this is probably the best/most desirable kit available. The philips bulbs are considered to be the best, along with Osram. As you can see I have tryed no to skimp on cost in search of a good light output. But, you simply cannot compare it to an OEM setup.

By all means try the silverstars I know then to be very good as far as halogens go.

If I were you Id keep my eye on ebay, new a3 projector style headlamps sometimes appear for around £35. Fit these to a retrofit kit and your there!

BTW, if you adament about a retrofit kit you can have my Ultinon kit as I'm changing car very soon.

 

[ajmackie]

Hmmm. Mine seem fine, I retro fitted halogen projectors onto my car from the old style A4 headlights. Are you saying that A3s don't come with projector lenses unless you have xenons, ie they're just reflectors?

 

[Broadmarsh]

thewizkid. Thanks for the information I am not adament...as far as I am concerned the jury is still out. That is why the I am talking it to death....mainly to convince myself one way or another. I just wanted more light whilst on dip. As I stated before, I am trying the Silver Star bulbs first.

As a matter of interest did you know that Philips and Hella do not make kits...see the following link for HELLAs take on the subject.

http://www.hella-press.de/search_detail.php?text_id=189&language=e&newdir=eng

This also makes interesting reading

http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/hl-hid-kits.htm


It is also possible but not probable that under heavy load conditions, that the cars electrical loom can be damaged using many kits that are on the market. Because of this possibility, if I did fit a kit, I would use one that has relays that intecept the signal and powers the lights with its ballasts etc directly from the battery. I have sourced one already...the place where I am getting the bulbs from.

 

[ajmackie]

thewizkid, i think i may know one of the reasons why you don't think your kit is as bright as the other standard oem hid cars.

a normal philips D2S 4100K bulb is 3200 lumens
your philip ultinon D2S bulb is 5800K and 2400 lumens.

So the oem xenon car's bulbs (and mine) are nearly 35% brighter than yours. You can't have a sweet as **** looking colour and as bright as oem xenons!!

 

[Broadmarsh]

thewizkid

So are you are saying that the fitting of a HID kit is a waste of time because the A3 lights are reflectors and not projectors, and therefore do not improve much on the visibility of a standard Halogen light?

Were you happy with your kit until you parked next to an OEM A3 in France?

You say the Philips 6000k Ultinons emit more white light than 50% of many factory fit OEM 4100 - 4300K bulbs. How much more white light? I was given to understand that the majority of the world used either Philips or Osram and that there was practically no difference between them. What I am aware of is that the higher up the light temperature scale you go, the more brightness you lose! Given that this is true, then one would purchase the Philips 4100K Ultinons and get the best possible light output.

However, if I understand correctly, your experience is that the reflective style of the new A3s headlights is the problem by not projecting the light down the road! Surely is it not possible with your kit to get some of this distance back by adjusting them from inside the car with the small wheel adjuster next to the lighting switch?

 

[thewizkid]

YES THATS RIGHT, Broadmarsh, you understand correctly.

The knob doesnt make them swivel high enough, even if it did, then you would have a serious problem with "GLARE", whcih would [censored] off other roadusers.

This was my best, and first experience with HID retrofits,
(NOTE PROJECTOR STYLE HALOGENS, STILL NOT AS GOOD AS OEM XENON PROJECTORS)

http://forum.bmwcarmagazine.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16267&SearchTerms=xenon%2CAND%2Cretrofit


aswell as being easier, than my 2004 Z4, and my 2004 A3 which requires a bit of fun with a dremel.

Goodluck, what ever you decide.