HIDs

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anderswhk

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Considering getting HIDs or xenon lights on my A3. But i see alot of dumbasses on the road blinding everyone, with lights that arent adjustet properly. I just dont want to be that guy.

Usually the "xenon kits" come from 4000 to 10.000 in power. What is too much? And what is the "H" for in the description of the kits (H4/H7 etc).
 
anderswhk said:
Considering getting HIDs or xenon lights on my A3. But i see alot of dumbasses on the road blinding everyone, with lights that arent adjustet properly. I just dont want to be that guy.

Usually the "xenon kits" come from 4000 to 10.000 in power. What is too much? And what is the "H" for in the description of the kits (H4/H7 etc).
Click to expand...

Hi ya mate the rating of colour is measured in kelvin's eg 6000k so on and the H4 H7 is the bulb fitment. if you have standard lights you will need a conversion kit to suit the bulb size if you have a xenon head light it will be d2s. ive got 6k but many people get lower due to the lights strength through fog etc. google it theres a few threads on here that will help.
 
O google Kelvin range and you will get the idea more than 6K you will have trouble.
 
Older A3 headlamps were just standard lamps... newer ones are projector style ( you can see a sort of glass ball inside ) the people that go around dazzling everyone are those that have fitted HID kits into the older standard lamps.... HIDS should only be fitted into Projector headlamps which you will have as you say yours are Facelift.... 6000k gives an ice white colour with a very slight tint of blue any higher is pants any lower gives a little more yellow which as mentioned is good for Fog etc
 
anderswhk said:
I have the facelifted A3 lights, as its a 2002 model. I was told they are different from older A3s, not sure how tho.
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The facelift has the signal light included in the unit so its one piece. depending on your headlights they will either be halogen or xenon's.
ive got xenon so the ballast and bulbs are there just a case of a bulb change for different kelvins. the best thing is to go and take out the bulb and read what it is to determine what you need, either new bulbs as the xenon only last a few years or a hid kit to which ever bulb you have. H bulbs you will need a kit of ebay and a d2s bulb is already xenon.

Lets us know how you get on .
 
Thanks for that info. So will a simple bulb change be enough for the 6000k? Or will i need to get one where a box needs to be mounted behind each headlight?
 
anderswhk said:
Thanks for that info. So will a simple bulb change be enough for the 6000k? Or will i need to get one where a box needs to be mounted behind each headlight?
Click to expand...

It does depend on what you have mate, if your bulbs a H bulb its halogen and will need a kit like the post above and if you already have the upgraded lights new bulbs will be fine. pop out a bulb and let us know what it is and we can help. if when you switch your lights on it seems to get brighter within a few seconds then its a xenon if its on and bright with no change halogen. like i said pop the main beam out if its h7 then its a conversion kit you need. but check its not a dual hi low some have fogs in the headlight.
 
Okay so what i got from reading that, is that since my lights do not have washers, and they dont adjust automaticly, its soon goona be illegal to put in?
 
it already is illegal, however mine went straight through the MOT without any problems. If they are aligned properly and have a proper beam pattern 6000k's shouldn't be a problem.
 
My 306 went through its mot ok with a 6k conversion kit. had self leveling but no washers.

Just keep the standard bulbs in the glovebox if it fails swap em over for the re-test
 
You need a kit, the metal boxes that come in the kit are called the ballast which converts the voltage from the battery upto something stupid like 40000 volts to create the arc that the HID bulb needs. The spade connectors that connect to your current bulb connect into the wires on the HID kit and it draws the electric from the battery that way. Hope this enlightens you a bit. Don't bother doing your main beam in HID just your low beam and you will be loving using your lights once fitted
 
How many "Catless" people pass the MOT .....i think they would be pretty by the book for failing Hids with lenses IMO

But a roadside stop from VOSA is a different kettle of fish....:angrymod: unfortunatley.....
 
Jeez this subject is doing my head in.... it keeps cropping up.... what is that nidirect website link all about ??? never heard of them

goto the VOSA website VOSA Corporate Website

click on publications Publications

click on manuals & guides Publications

click on vehicle testing manuals and guides Vehicle testing manuals and guides

click on MOT testing manuals and guides MOT testing manuals and guides

click on the bttm link Inspection Manual for Classes 3, 4, 5 and 7 Vehicles ( Browse ) m4i00000001


this is the official document on the proper government website read section 1.7 and there are some very specific words

MOT testing manuals and guides


Vehicles equipped with High Intensity Discharge (HID) or LED dipped beam headlamps MAY be fitted with headlamp washers and a suspension or headlamp self levelling system. WHERE such systems are fitted, they must work; however, it is accepted that it may not be possible to readily determine the functioning of self levelling systems. In such cases, the benefit of the doubt must be given. Headlamp washers may work in conjunction with the windscreen washers (when the dipped beam headlamps are switched on) or by a separate switch


this means if self levelers and washers are fitted then they MUST work but if there not fitted then thats fine....... it's like if you've got some old MK 2 escort and you fit after-market front and rear fog lights then they must work

can any admins sticky this ??? it's getting silly with people adding links to doctored files and dodgy sites
 
Calm down Marky,,, just telling the guy the POSSIBLE implications,,,if noted i did say,, not sure when it is in force.... Im not a Police officer ...or a VOSA Agent ...or an MOT Inspector
just an ASN member.....;)
 
Just to make my point of false links.... this one posted earlier , and i'm not having a did at the poster as there's loads of these around ..... look at the address of the link http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/customer-information-notice-cars-2010.pdf it says 2010 pdf and then the link goes to an aledged 2012 document ????? oh and if you read it , if you have a ferrari with no boot and hard suspension then you dont need levelers lol
 
sorry .... rant over :) i'm none of the above either i build fighter jets :rock: ..... but it just takes a little research and a few clicks and it just keeps cropping up on all the different models on this forum
 
Regardless of what the MOT says, its illegal to use HID's on the UK roads without European type approval. The MOT test is NOT legislation, and does NOT ensure your vehicle is legal to use on the road, its simply a safety test which hopefully ensures cars meet a minimum standard.

There is NO provision in the Road Vehicle construction and use regulations to permit HID's to be used on UK roads. Manufacturers get away with it, because they aquire whole vehicle EU type approval, which then overrides the construction and use regulations.

The DFT released a statement a few years ago on retrofitting HID's which basically says, retrofitting halogen headlamps (regardless of type) is illegal. You can retrofit your CAR with HID's however you need to meet the requirements of the original EU type approval issued, which in the case of an A3, means you need proper S3 headlamps, automatic headlamp levelling and headlamp washers.

The DfT document is here:

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-information-sheets/aftermarket-hid-headlamps.pdf

Now sure, nail them in and you'll happily pass MOT's for all time, but have a serious incident which results in the car being properly analysed by the police, and those lights could be enough to see you in jail. Thats the difference between passing MOT's, and having a road legal car.
 
Decided it's just not worth the risk of getting a fine and being sent to inspection. Specially as i live in a part of town with alot of police. Actually kind of wondering why the facelifeted A3 doesnt have washers. I have ordered a set of MTEC superwhites instead, and some Phillips xtreme vision for the high beam. I was told the MTEC superwhite bulps will get me the closests to real xenon as possible, but arent every good in the dark.
 
If your from Denmark then surely the laws are different and everyone having a rant about the HID's being illegal here doesn't make any difference to you. Unless of course, wherever you are from has the same laws...
 
All got a bit mental for me ;) but as other's have said there could be a good chance of being told off !
 
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