HID lights are they as good as I'm told

[keen 6]

i have been told that this is the best way to improve lights can someone please explain the talk used in selling these and what are the pitfalls. what is meant by colour temperature the bulb size or fitting e.g H7. and the 6000 10000 12000. I see them for sale on trade me new at around $140 here in NZ could someone tell me if they would be an improvement on my e30 which lights do they fit onto, dip or high beam.

[Lucan 196]

You can fit them to both headlights, not sure if they're legal or not though!

I think you need the correct projector type lenses?

Although i had a cowboy trying to sell them tell me he could "turn them down, so they wont cause trouble"

Somebody else want to add on, or correct me?

[antil33t 90]

The best/cheapest legal way would be to goto repco and buy some Narva Plus50's.

They're on special atm.

[keen 6]

I have fitted one of those and can not see any differance between that and the oem part.

[greenday-rulz21 6]

Retrofit HID kits into standard headlights is illegal full stop. It is however better (for you and the public) if they have factory projectors to actually focus the beam. HID into straight reflectors does not focus the beam therefore scatters it and thats why they're illegal.

[Yuen 16]

Hi mate do a search as the costs and benefits have been discussed many times before in a few other threads. To clarify your other question - H1, H3, H7 etc are the bulb type, and colour temperature is measured in kelvins hence the 6000k, 12000k etc. Factory HIDs are 4300k and this is what you should aim to get but don't just buy bulbs and stick them in your current lights - for the reason why check the older threads.

[keen 6]

Thank you for that info will try to find the information you have recommended in the "search section" the items on Trade Me the seller claims is legal is he not being truthful?.And how does one go about getting projectors for a e30?

[vyking56 0]

You have to take what many sellers 'claim' on Trademe with a grain of salt. Some garages might not even notice such a modification at WOF time, whereas I'd expect a VTNZ station to definately fail the lights when testing for correct alignment and light throw.

The basic inner workings of a Halogen/Reflector head light is very different to a HID/Projector head light, so as mentioned above, a HID/Reflector combination will essentially be throwing light everywhere and it wont be focused and projected as it would be in a factory OEM head light. Dangerous and Illegal. Plus the heat properties and electrical draw of a HID is very different to a Halogen bulb.

[keen 6]

I take it that the glass when using a HID should be just that and it should not have any deflection properties is that right? Is it that the bulb in a retro fit is not sitting in the same position or am I still on the wrong track and the hid bulb has a different light emission causing this scatter that is being talked about?And back to my first need is it a waist of time fitting HID's or worth the effort and expense?

[hybrid 1043]

* If you want white/blue cast light instead of orange

* modern looking twinkle etc

yeah they are worth it. If you see no benefit in the above, flag it they are expensive to do properly.

What vehicle you talking putting it into?

[keen 6]

into an e30

[Guest Ari Gold]

into an e30

Apexcone in the states sells kits for the ellipsoid headlights

[greenday-rulz21 6]

It seems I was in the exact same position as you when I was first looking at whiter lights.

I looked into HID's, specifically the kits on trade me, but they are soo cheap. One of my mates installed a set on his e36 323 coupe. It actually made me laugh. When he turned the car on and it was idling, if he turned the lights on only the left HID would come on. He had to rev it like hell to to get the other one to ignite. That alone pretty much put me off.

But then I realized it was illegal. The light from the HID isn't focused therefore sprays the light everywhere, ie, in other drivers faces who are coming towards you. Blinding them etc etc. You can fail warrants. And then you still don't get the full effect of the HID bulbs as it doesn't focus the beam.

I ended up getting a full set of 5000k white bulbs from Repco. Best thing i've ever done to the car to be honest. Here is a picture so you can get an idea of the colour.

Now Josh (Hybrid) ^^ Has retrofitted HID's properly into his E46 headlights. But I'm sure if you spoke to him he would tell you it cost quite a bit.

[keen 6]

It's not the colour so much that I was looking at but the clearer vision at night that I was trying to achieve. Your car does appear to have that over my e30 ones. And and after reading the piece on BP's BMW e30 318is site where he said the his conversion was way and advanced over normal lighting.

[kiwi535 538]

It's not the colour so much that I was looking at but the clearer vision at night that I was trying to achieve. Your car does appear to have that over my e30 ones. And and after reading the piece on BP's BMW e30 318is site where he said the his conversion was way and advanced over normal lighting.

the light output of proper HID lamps is way more than traditional halogen lamps,even though the power required once running is only 35W.It is that output though that causes all the grief and why retro fit ones are largely illegal unless you are fitting a factory kit....