Fitting aftermarket HIDs
 

Today I was mostly fitting some after-market HIDs that I bought because I gave bum advice. (Don't feel guilty Darren! :p) Turns out that they would not fit the dipped beam on the projekt but would replace the Fogs. So here goes. This process is also the same for any after market HID.

To make this easy just remove the bumper and trims below the headlights.

2 bolts in the lower outer grills here:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/226.jpg

This is the kit I am using and the pair of LED sidelights next to them I got here. I already have a pair of these on the S8 along with after market HID dipped beams.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/223.jpg

Remember to ease out the inner wing liners or the bumper will not come away. Once it's off you have unfettered acces and a great mounting point for the ballasts.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/245.jpg

As you can see I have cable tied mine in place with 4 butch ties. The kit comes with mounting brackets but as I used this method on the S8 and have had no issues, I have done it again. When I get the HIDs for the dipped beam I will mount alongside or maybe piggyback.

The rear cover of the cluster neads a hole cut in the bottom for the wiring.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/227.jpg

Once done you can see the difference with the side lights

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/230.jpg

The fogs:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c7...%20ABZ/243.jpg

A couple of tips.

A. The ballasts need a lot of voltage and only one would fire if the engine was not running. Took me a while to realise this. The fogs would splutter and then only one would light on the battery alone.

B. Fitting the bulbs was fiddly and in the end I removed both clusters. The first came off to repair and had gone back on before I started the HID. The bulbs have a plastic moulding and are thicker than the metal ones that they replaced, so a little bit of judicial bending was required to get the locking spring back in.

but remember folks...aftermarket HID is for show use only. I'm fed up of being blinded by dodgy HID's bolted onto a large selection of chav'd up wonders around my area. To be legal HID's need headlamp washers and auto levelling, of course, no one on here would ever consider running HID's pointing at pluto.

They are needed in the PF D2 though.. those lights sucked.

Another method of fitting the ballasts is to take the headlights out and you can reach down to the same brace Mike used above and cable tie them on (that's how I did it).

mike can you have front fogs on with dipped beam on the pf ? sometimes i drive with dipped beam and hid fogs as it give very good light on dark roads without blinding oncoming traffic

Yes you can Darren, my PF fog lamps are able to be turned on at the same time as the headlamp dip or main.

HTH

I'd agree that the standard lighting needs upgrading, previously on other vehicles, I've fitted the likes of H4 130/90w's, which have considerably improved visibility, especially on the 'bike, but am in a bit of a quandry with my S8, as they're wierdo modern fittings and I so far haven't found any suitable replacements at sensible money....... any suggestions?

Also..... Mike, I like the sidelights you have fitted, are they the 15 led ones?

regards,

Richard.

Yes they are; and they don't cause bulb faults on the DIS.

Brilliant - literally

Thanks again Mike...

Technically, legally and morally correct! But then the best things in life are either illigal, immoral or fattening.

A well set up aftermarket HID does more good than harm. I can see far better at night with them.
Washers only work when used and you have to stop and get out of the car to see if thay have been effective. Self leveling only works when you are 'not level' for more than a few seconds. So the bump/pothole will momentarily blind the oncoming driver no matter how good the self leveling system. Of course if you fill the back of your car with lead from the church roof and put the three well built thugs who helped you remove it in the back you should (morally) adjust your headlights before making your getaway! :D

which is the best kind of correct :D

Hi Mike, I fitted a pair of the LED sidelights, they really do make a difference to the front end aesthetics, they stand out more than my dip, fog or main beams which now look decidedly yellow when lit up......

Damn it, I'm just going to have to convert the dip beams to HID, I've seen a 55w (rather than the 35w) 6000k kit with 'digital' ballasts from HID's4You... any comments?

Thanks...

Those would do nicely. You can get cheaper from e-bay, but the warranty is probably not so good.

Thanks for that Mike, What temperature are your bulbs, 5000 or 6000 Kelvin?

I'm debating the virtues of both, the 8000K's are definitely too 'blue' for my liking, and only apparently transmit about 50% of the (visible) light of the 5000K temperature bulbs

I have a set of 5400 on the daily driver and 6000 on the projekt. I'm happy with both as they are a nice white light with no blueish tinge.

Thanks again Mike, I will be ordering some quite soon....

Dipped beam first, then I'm not sure if its wise for main, are there some 'reaction' times when the headlamp flash is used, or are the modern bulbs/ ballast/ ignitors getting better?

Something I am tempted to try is a set of retro fit HIDs for main beam. They 'flash' on ignition, but then dim and warm up.

Be the first to try!

Remember, being able to flash your lights is an MOT requirement.

I have 6000K and I found them a bit blueish. I wish i had gone for 5400K. I think the factory ones are 4300K

I guess its not too crucial on the pre-facelift A/ S8's because when I fire up main beam, the dip beam remains lit.... so no momentary darkness!

Only the foglamps switch off when main is engaged....

For what its worth these are 55w 6000k HID's with those 15 LED side lights:
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...0k55wHID-1.jpg

Seconded :mad: They also MUST be mounted in projector headlights (this is the only way they direct the light correctly...otherwise every poor soul on the road gets blinded)

I have taken to doing everything in my power to blind the hell out of ****s fitting these to non projector lights, I don't care who I upset

Rant over, Nice write up :ROFL:

Seconded

Good thing most 8's have projectors then eh?

Make sure you don't blind the hell out of some S8s and Volvos though. They don't have projector looking lights but they are still OEM and legal.

Difference is the lamp housings were designed for a longer HID bulb from the outset. Also have wash and auto-level.

There's lots of stuff on the net about it.

some older mercs had hids as standard too without projectors.

Ive just purchased 2 sets for the drift car (full and high beam) 90quid for 2x 55w kits delivered, work great.

the full is projector however the high is not, but thats blinding whatever you use.

i used to have hids on 2x V reg nissan primeras, hids and projectors as standard on a 99 nissan :D

Hi Nathan,
Was that 4x 55w HID's & ballasts for £90, if so could you post where you obtained them from ?

Thanks

Richard...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

purchased 3 kits in total off this guy now.

slimline 55w kits inc bulbs, ive got 6k main beam and 10k high beam

he sent the wrong bulbs first time (h7 when i needed h1) but he sent out the new bulbs pronto.

Thanks Nathan :)

been tempted to install these on my pf but would it be better to fit HID to pf headlights or get fl headlights and install them on a pf?

would installing HID on main beam and high beam or just the main beam be recommended?

Only install HID on low beam, otherwise your ability to 'flash' your headlights will disappear due to the time it takes for them to fire! The bi-xenon headlights on later cars get around this by having a standard bulb purely for flashing, which also comes on in tandem with the xenons when running on main beam (bi-xenon effectively involves a flap that moves to raise or lower the beam, rather than switching 2 bulbs).

Better to fit the HID to the PF lights.. although the FL lights will just 'drop in', you then need to change the rest of the front end to get rid of the panel gaps, etc.

thanks

so can put HID on the two projection lights and leave the normal lens bulb for high beam and if they are adjusted correctly the law wont know any differant.
if i wanted to put fog lamps in the bottom grill of the bumper i need to replace the bumper with a fl bumper will i need to change the headlights to fl or can i keep the pf headlights?
im just trying to think ahead before i decide to do one thing and later on it causes more work.

A facelift bunper will bolt straight up but will leave a gap under the bonnet grill that extends about an inch either side under the lights.

Otherwise known as "an additional air intake!!" :D

lol. so will need a new bonnet aswel. think thats a bit much.is there anway i can fit fog fog lamps in the lower grill without causing more problems or air intakes. is it possible to change just the lower black part of the bumper?

PF was a single piece bumper so no ability to swap. To get lower grill fog lights swapping to FL bumper is easyist way and live with the gap.

is it a bad looking gap or will you only notice if you have a good look at it?

Anyone got a pic of the gap showing the FL bumper on a PF car?

Here you go...............
http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1311103680

lol thanks Mike - the Projekt car lives!! it doesnt show as much when its all black :rolleyes:
someone should look to making an aftermarket "infill piece" im sure they would sell a few, perhaps coloured the same as the bumper, or chrome
also you need one of these mike for that car -
http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1311108937

yes I do
 

Yes I do! +++