Headlights?

[325jones 0]

anyone had anything to do with these??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-196423706.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-196423672.htm

any info would be great im guess that my 1992 e36 would have H1 lights??

[Apex 693]

Dont do it kid, they are illegal and IMO irresponsible to retrofit.

They look so cool though and you wont be blinding yourself so go for it.. compress your springs while your at it so you can bounce the annoyingly bright light at other traffic. Hilarity.

Edited January 6, 2009 by Apex

[325jones 0]

illegal? real, dam o well .

[hybrid 1044]

hmmmm you can get away with HID if your model of car comes out with projector head lights. This is to say if your headlights have the focusing lens and proper internal right hand drive 'sidewalk flare' masking plate. If you tick these two boxes then youll be fine with HID through WOF.

The main thing a WOF engineer is looking when you have HID for is that your side walk flare is correct and the headlights are set to the correct level (not too high) and that your bean focus is level and sharp. The e36 did come out in later models with 4300k HID.

I have successfully converted my US HID e46 headlights to right hand drive sidewalk flare. Its quite easy (albeit tedious)

What they dont want is people putting these kits into non projector headlights with nil masking .. it scatters bright HID light everywhere and truly does dazzle drivers. As the side walk flare is set on the headlight glass for standard filiment bulb light and doesn't work at all for HID as they are setup for reflection and not projection.

I will be installing HID onto the e30 with converting the standard projector e30 lights to take a side walk flare and mask with pressed cut sheet metal. I will also set it back about 30mm as to focus the beam correctly. Its all just a bit of common sense.

[Apex 693]

hmmmm you can get away with HID if your model of car comes out with projector head lights. This is to say if your headlights have the focusing lens and proper internal right hand drive 'sidewalk flare' masking plate. If you tick these two boxes then youll be fine with HID through WOF.

The main thing a WOF engineer is looking when you have HID for is that your side walk flare is correct and the headlights are set to the correct level (not too high) and that your bean focus is level and sharp. The e36 did come out in later models with 4300k HID.

I have successfully converted my US HID e46 headlights to right hand drive sidewalk flare. Its quite easy (albeit tedious)

What they dont want is people putting these kits into non projector headlights with nil masking .. it scatters bright HID light everywhere and truly does dazzle drivers. As the side walk flare is set on the headlight glass for standard filiment bulb light and doesn't work at all for HID as they are setup for reflection and not projection.

I will be installing HID onto the e30 with converting the standard projector e30 lights to take a side walk flare and mask with pressed cut sheet metal. I will also set it back about 30mm as to focus the beam correctly. Its all just a bit of common sense.

Makes you wonder why Hella and the like spend sh*t loads of money and time testing and developing headlights when its so simple.. Muppets eh

[hybrid 1044]

dude .. you ever pulled one apart ? .. again not rocket science.

[Antallica 15]

The main thing a WOF engineer is looking when you have HID for is that your side walk flare is correct and the headlights are set to the correct level (not too high) and that your bean focus is level and sharp. The e36 did come out in later models with 4300k HID.

Is there any easy way to tell if I already have the right gear?

[hybrid 1044]

should look like this, noting the left hand light 'globe' projector for the low beam.

normal reflective ones look like this. (not HID compatible and the reason WOF outfits fail HID kits)

[greenday-rulz21 6]

^^ Are you serious? I thought all 36's had that, mean I can put a HID kit in there!

[Apex 693]

dude .. you ever pulled one apart ? .. again not rocket science.

Yes have pulled many apart, the structure is basic it’s the way they are designed to function properly that is tricky, a car with HID must have self levelling and headlamp washers to be legal and safe, fitting them without both is irresponsible and selfish.

I converted a car to HID once using OEM binnacles and self levelling systems, was a bit of a mission to programme the self levelling! After that I had to fit light sprayers to get them certified so I gave up and sold the parts. Would cost at least 2k to convert a car safely legally.

I have nearly ended up down a bank on a windy narrow coastal road due to an irresponsible show off wanker with these fitted, hence my frustration with people fitting them.

Is there any easy way to tell if I already have the right gear?

You would need to spend some big bucks to convert a E36 to HID legally, but lucky for you our WOF testers aren’t savvy to what’s actually legal and safe so you should be sweet, in any other country a car wouldn’t get a WOF, good old NZ eh, land of the rangi mods.

[hybrid 1044]

sure can, All an HID kit is a Xenon gas bulb that fits in the normal place of the filiment bulb and a Voltage 'balast' which converts 12volt current into high voltage (needed to charge the xenon gas in the bulb) The normal headlight cables on a spec kit fit into the balast boxes and then the balast boxes plug into the bulbs. You need to look out for qaulity Balast designs and bulbs can also vary in qaulity.

8000k while it looks cool doesnt emmit the most light, 4300 (yellow/orange) actually does .. hence why OEMs use this colour.

6000k is a good medium between light and colour (white purple)

[hybrid 1044]

Yes have pulled many apart, the structure is basic it’s the way they are designed to function properly that is tricky, a car with HID must have self levelling and headlamp washers to be legal and safe, fitting them without both is irresponsible and selfish.

I converted a car to HID once using OEM binnacles and self levelling systems, was a bit of a mission to programme the self levelling! After that I had to fit light sprayers to get them certified so I gave up and sold the parts. Would cost at least 2k to convert a car safely legally.

I have nearly ended up down a bank on a windy narrow coastal road due to an irresponsible show off wanker with these fitted, hence my frustration with people fitting them.

You would need to spend some big bucks to convert a E36 to HID legally, but lucky for you our WOF testers aren’t savvy to what’s actually legal and safe so you should be sweet, in any other country a car wouldn’t get a WOF, good old NZ eh, land of the rangi mods.

Seeing as the e36 doesnt have the self leveling system ... you're fine.

We are lucky with BMW. They actually come with HID as a option. So the conversion isnt really a conversion. Its more a balast / bulb upgrade.

The euro spec OEM lights also have a switch on the back of them to change between left and right hand side walk flare. This is by law in europe as cars travel between different left and right hand drive countries.

Its not really rangi mods fella, you just need to maybe research it a little more. 2k is a bit a silly price to pay. Mine converted cost me $1200 for the whole thing for the e46. This was of corse US spec lights however I switched the masking plate to hand RHD.

[bravo 35]

They look same/similar as the ones Matt has fitted to his e30 (See Panda coloured whip thread). Maybe ask him how he plans to get through WOF for details.

[elmarco 56]

Makes you wonder why Hella and the like spend sh*t loads of money and time testing and developing headlights when its so simple.. Muppets eh

Yep - I can attest to precisely that. Hella spent literally millions and millions of dollars developing their HID systems (not to mention the others like Bosch, Osram etc).

HID is more than just a couple of quick mods to do it legally. Just because the local WoF agent doesn't pick up any irregularities doesn't mean it is right (or safe). If you use the wrong ballast, you can disable other systems (like radios) through interference. Don't laugh - I have seen it happen. Some HID systems start up at around 20kV - so you better make sure you have used the correct connectors and cabling and have everything nice and waterproof....

US specs for HID are actually different to the European (and Australia / NZ) versions. They don't require washer systems under SAE rules, and if my memory serves correctly (could be wrong on this), they allow different light intensities. This is the reason they can sell a motorcycle with HID in the US, but nowhere else in the world (motorcycles dont have washers)....

I'm with you Graham - lighting is safety critical. Don't mess with it. My 2c.

[aaronmartin 0]

My car already has factory HID for the low beams, but normal halogen for the high beams. Would it be ok to upgrade my high beams to HID as well, since scatter on high beam shouldn't bother other drivers? Or would I still fail a WOF? The high beams are reflectors, not projectors.

[hybrid 1044]

Because the HID works on a focused beam of light and you looking to use it on a relector instead, It wouldn't be an upgrade. I thought about doing the same with mine but the amount of light is about half when you run it with reflectors. (not focused) Which I prefer to be able to see what i'm doing on the open road.

The other problems are they take about 20 seconds after about six months of waer and tear to heat/light up properly. The only good reason for doing it would be for looks and well, realistcally, people dont watch high beams.

It is possible to install projector housing into the high beam cavity but you need another set of lights to pillage parts from.

pretty expensive mod for nil gain and something people aren't going to see.

[elmarco 56]

My car already has factory HID for the low beams, but normal halogen for the high beams. Would it be ok to upgrade my high beams to HID as well, since scatter on high beam shouldn't bother other drivers? Or would I still fail a WOF? The high beams are reflectors, not projectors.

Absolutely not! HID draws high power at power up (30A plus for the 12V supply to the ballast for a couple of seconds) to get the spark going - so by flicking high beam on and off too often you will overload the electrics! Not to mention, the HID burner being at the wrong focal point so you will possibly see a hell of a lot less than with halogens and HID not achieving full brightness for a few seconds (not what you want for a high beam)....

Factory bi-xenon HID systems (high and low beam combined) use a single burner with a fail safe shutter system so that when you hit the high beam a small electric actuator lifts it up as long as HB is used. It falls back into low beam position by gravity - so isn't reliant on power to be safe for other drivers.

Guess this doesn't work when upside down in a ditch, but then again this is probably the least of your worries....

[aliluya 0]

My car already has factory HID for the low beams, but normal halogen for the high beams. Would it be ok to upgrade my high beams to HID as well, since scatter on high beam shouldn't bother other drivers? Or would I still fail a WOF? The high beams are reflectors, not projectors.

I would definatly NOT recommend this, as HID are not designed to be constantly turned on and off as you would during highway driving at night time. It drastically reduces the life of the HID's.

[Apex 693]

I would definatly NOT recommend this, as HID are not designed to be constantly turned on and off as you would during highway driving at night time. It drastically reduces the life of the HID's.

There goes my dream of HID indicators and reverse lamps, would have impressed so many people

[aliluya 0]

There goes my dream of HID indicators and reverse lamps, would have impressed so many people

Actually i think it's Umnitza that sells HID reverse lights already, i was tempted to buy some buy i think it was $150USD it's a tad expensive.

[aaronmartin 0]

Cool thanks for the advice, I couldn't care less what people think of my high beams (if you see them, then you've done something stupid), I just wanted something brighter than the factory ones. Having HID low beams just shows me how bright HID lights are compared to halogen. I think I'll just shop around for some better halogen 9005 bulbs. Any suggestions?

[elmarco 56]

Cool thanks for the advice, I couldn't care less what people think of my high beams (if you see them, then you've done something stupid), I just wanted something brighter than the factory ones. Having HID low beams just shows me how bright HID lights are compared to halogen. I think I'll just shop around for some better halogen 9005 bulbs. Any suggestions?

Driving lights are your answer. Just like these