Daz for your front lights ...

[CrazyMixedUpKid]

Probably preaching to the converted but thought I'd mention this ...

If like me you're not that fussed about HID - or worried that if you go HID all your other lights will pale into yellow-murky-dom then read on ...

Needed a new headlight - so did a bit of internet research and found the "Philips Blue Vision" range.

Autoexpress tested them and basically said they were the best of "blue/white" lot.

Do they have a 'distinctive blue tint'? - eerrr - nope - well not in an NSX anyway.
Are they brigher than a bog standard bulb - yes - nearly as good as the +30% ones.
Are they whiter? - oh yes.

I was most impressed by the change in sidelight colour - this is brand new standard 501 bulb vs the blue vision. Even on my low res phone camera you can see the difference in headlights ... its actually more noticeable in real life.

I've done the whole lot up front - including fogs.

Pros:
- they are much "whiter" than stock
- they are brighter than stock
- you can get H1 (head) 501 (side) and H3 (fog) ... so everything up front matches

Cons:
well ... it ain't HID !!!

If you're looking for 'stock' replacements - I'd recommend these.

[simonprelude]

Looks pretty impressive.

I have heard the Halfords super brilliance are supposed to be buy one get one free at the moment and are supposed to be 50% brighter. Not found a Halfords doing the BOGOF though yet :(

[CrazyMixedUpKid]

... from my research there is a difference between "brighter" and "whiter" (colour temperature) ... it was the "whiteness" I liked on these ... hence the Daz reference!

[mutley]

Well I agree that from your pic there is certaily a difference in "whiteness".

I have no idea what bulds are in my headlights, but even on the darkest of roads I think that they light it up well, even better than some cars I've had, so I'll stay with what I have until the day comes when they need replacing. I do have the wee blueish side lights on mine that I do notice a slight bluish tinge, but no idea what the main headlight bulbs are.


Jim

[MattS]

Aftermarket HID lights are illegal anyway and there's a good chance of failing an MOT if you fit them.

[gsuds]

Aftermarket HID lights are illegal anyway and there's a good chance of failing an MOT if you fit them.

Why's that then? :confused:

Surely as long as adjusted properly - no problem?

Does that mean all of us who've popped Dan's kit on are going to be MoT failures? Surely not...

[Senninha]

Aftermarket HID lights are illegal anyway and there's a good chance of failing an MOT if you fit them.
I may be wrong, but isn't the full story that HID's should have some form of remote beam heoght adjuster, ie a small wheel or similar inside the car??

S2 has had HID's for a couple fo years and passed 2 MOT's so I'm not sure if this is a concern or not (MOT's at Norton Way Honda).

regards

[AR]

I have them on one of my Landcruisers, and no problems there for MOT.

Cheers,

AR

[jaytip]

I was under the impression that they are only illegal if you do not have headlight washers fitted to the car.

[MattS]

You need headlamp washers if you have xenons fitted, these aren't the same as HID lights, although lots of aftermarket HID fitters/suppliers call them xenons. And bulbs filled with xenon gas are something else too!

The reason HID lights cause problems is due to the shape of the reflector and lens being made for a specific bulb shape and type. The HID replcement doesan't match the reflector and lens and this throws the beam off.

There's been loads of stuff in the car mags recently about HID light conversions (and loads of people writing in to say that they have passed the MOT too). Take a look at http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/featuresvideos/204742/xenon_test.html,

then read the letter below pasted from the Jag owner's site:

Dear Mr XXXXXX,

Please see attached our fact sheet which outlines the Department's understanding of the regulations relating to HID conversion kits.
Please note that the Department for Transport cannot provide an authoritative interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the courts.

Yours sincerely

Jillian Smith
DfT - Transport Technology and Standards

The fact Sheet;

December 2006

Aftermarket HID headlamps

In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

If you require any further information regarding the regulations covered by this fact sheet, please contact the DfT at the address below:

Transport Technology and Standards 6
Department for Transport
Zone 2/04
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street Telephone: 020 7944 2078
London Fax: 020 7944 2196
SW1P 4DR Email: TTS.enquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk

[NSXGB]

Some links for the bulbs I have found so far. Went to buy some from Halfrauds at lunch time and they wanted £19.99 each for their own brand of 50% brighter bulbs and no sign of a BOGOFF either....in Epsom.

http://www.leadinglamps.co.uk/catalog/index.php/cPath/22

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/home.php?cat=252&gclid=COuVgJPil4oCFTVYQgodXVoFnA

http://www.dashlights.co.uk/cart.php?target=category&category_id=251&gclid=COK8kZvil4oCFSi4EAodt33XhQ