So, this thread caught my eye.
Here is my plan:
I have currently, 55 watt ballasts for HID retro-fit lights on my wife's KIA Sedona van, daughters Accord and quite a few other vehicles. (Motorcycle, my dad's S500, neighbors F250 Pickup etc.) They work great, and the 55 watt ballasts with 6000 kelvin bulbs put out an amazing amount of light, it makes the stock 35 watt HID's look timid side by side.
So, I have bought a 55 watt kit for the S2R bulbs the 2001 S8 uses here in the States.
I'm wondering if I wire these up, the auto level feature should work, as they are the same form factor, and should mount just like replacing a bulb, the light and level part will not know the difference. The stock ballasts will be removed, and the new ones placed there if possible, if not, I'm going to leave them there, but not have them hooked up. If I get the error effect, adding a set of capacitors will solve the draw issue when they are first turned on right? (I have a brand new battery in this car.)
Also going to add 35 watt HID fog lamps. (The smaller housing of the fog lamp makes using the 55 watt system suspect to melting the fog lamp...)
This will prove to be some serious light from the 2001 S8 indeed.
(At least that's my goal.) The cut off and pattern on these lights is very tight, so I don't expect to have any issues with other traffic, and I have found that with my other vehicles, that using high beams is nearly not needed, they just flat out put so much light down the road, but it has to be controled, or you do get flashed. (My wife's Sedona is adjusted for just her as a driver, but if you load the van, it raise the light, and other drivers don't appreciate that she can clearly see the other side of the planet... )
Anyone done this before?
I might have to take some before and after photos of what sort/quality of light we are dealing with. (On my FZ1, the 55 watt high/low setup is AMAZING. Absolutely amazing, and nobody flashes me, as the light pattern is cut off/controlled excellent, and the amount of light is just jaw dropping.)
I've read that the 55 watt HID setup puts out something like 5000 times the light of a standard 55 watt halogen bulb. (The 35 watt HID is about 3000 times more light.)
So, any thoughts, or tips? If my dash goes banana's, I'll get some capacitors.