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Thread ID: 109499	2010-05-11 02:37:00	Please explain Xenon HID headlights...	wratterus (105)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
883791	2010-05-11 02:37:00	Wanting to get some for my 2000 SP20, either 6000k or 8000k. Mainly for the white/blue look, not worried about getting extra light, although that's obviously a bonus. There's plenty of HID kits on trademe, but I'm not entirely sure of the legality of the average kit, (they need some beam leveling control I think?) and price changes from $60 up to $300 depending on the kit. There is a full beam, dip, fog and running (park) light, all separate bulbs....anyone know exactly what I should be looking for? :thanks	wratterus (105)
883792	2010-05-11 04:07:00	There's plenty of HID kits on trademe, but I'm not entirely sure of the legality of the average kit, That's easy From WOF Manual "Note 8 A high-intensity discharge (HID or Xenon HID) conversion kit consists of an HID bulb with a high voltage power output or ‘ballast’ which its into the original headlamp unit in place of the original bulb with no change to the headlamp lens, relector or housing. It is illegal to it an HID conversion kit to a vehicle as it brings the headlamp out of standards compliance by producing poor beam patterns and light that is far too bright to be safe. The bulbs can also produce light that is noticeably blue and not the required substantially white or amber colour. Vehicle and headlamp manufacturers do not permit this modiication, and these kits cannot be LVV certiied. It is permitted to replace a complete halogen headlamp unit with a complete HID headlamp unit." The bluer the light the less useful it is for you regardless of "pose value" and the more pain in the donkey for everyone else.	PaulD (232)
883793	2010-05-11 04:48:00	Excellent, that explains it perfectly. Thanks! *throws idea in mental trash bin*	wratterus (105)
883794	2010-05-11 04:50:00	And Norton is the best anti-virus by magazine test. Good HID's are great, poor ones are trash. Goverment opinions are usually selected to option B, but the error of their ways does not change legalities. Regulations on technicalities (like the one that says a man is in control of his his wife) continue to validate the proposal that the law is a ass. If Lucas lights of any kind meet the legal requirements, must all lights be pathetic and short lived?	R2x1 (4628)
883795	2010-05-11 04:55:00	Excellent, that explains it perfectly. Thanks! *throws idea in mental trash bin* Not sure if it'll help Wrat, but I posted a thread on replacement bulbs a while back, as I found the OEM bulbs on my SP20 to be distinctly average (I enquired about HID's early on too, but it's a geometry issue with the original housing shape or something) - I ended up getting Arctic Blue bulbs from Narva, and they're the business - not as blue as HID's, but probably 50% more light than stock. You can get bluer ones than the Arctics, but they're illegal for on-road use IIRC. Hopefully AlexB will see this thread; he's the Erayd of jap cars. :nerd: :thumbs:	nofam (9009)
883796	2010-05-11 05:00:00	Good HID's are great, poor ones are trash. Since the filament positions of halogens and HIDs are different all conversions fit your trash category. www.danielsternlighting.com	PaulD (232)
883797	2010-05-11 05:01:00	Choice, thanks Nofam. Now you do mention it, I vaguely remember you posting a thread about it. Might make a quick detour to repco on the way home. Did you replace the bulbs in the spots too?	wratterus (105)
883798	2010-05-11 05:04:00	I ended up getting Arctic Blue bulbs from Narva, and they're the business - not as blue as HID's, but probably 50% more light than stock. You can get bluer ones than the Arctics, but they're illegal for on-road use IIRC. You can get +50 and +80 bulbs without the blue tinge. They work better with your night vision if you are actually interested in seeing rather than being seen.	PaulD (232)
883799	2010-05-11 06:07:00	You can get +50 and +80 bulbs without the blue tinge . They work better with your night vision if you are actually interested in seeing rather than being seen . My actual real-world experience with them is that they're not blue at all . . . . well, they have a very slight blue tint to oncoming vehicles, but the light colour when driving is actually just whiter than the stock bulbs, which were quite yellow . And no, I didn't do the spotties Wrat - the bulbs are about $100 a go (a pair), so they'll be done when they blow!! :D	nofam (9009)
883800	2010-05-11 10:14:00	HID's are great, unfortunaly as above, not legal to fit with out the whole lends as they project light a bit diffrent so you blind every poor bugger coming the other way. The downside is they are helishly expensive when they go wrong, IE factory invertor for my car 2500, bulbs 300+, don't think any SP20's ever came out with them factory. They are ment to last the life of the car though. The trademe ones, my old flatmate brought one for his bike, think it lasted 6 months or so until the invertor packed a sad, was over 100 bucks too. You can't usually use them as a highbeam/low beam situation either, as they take a few seconds to warm up when you turn them on. My car uses plane old halogen for highbeam. You can get white LED replacement park lights that look pretty cool, ive got some off deal extreme in the past. //none of that matters with wof stuffs anyway.	Alex B (15479)
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