Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[miggy]

I am looking at maybe fitting a set of Xenon headlights on the GLS Omega, is it a case of just getting the headlamps or do i need other equipment, there is a set for sale and they come with the looms and connection but it does not mention anything else, surley other items would be needed.

[TheBoy]

I am looking at maybe fitting a set of Xenon headlights on the GLS Omega, is it a case of just getting the headlamps or do i need other equipment, there is a set for sale and they come with the looms and connection but it does not mention anything else, surley other items would be needed.

To do properly (and legally), you need an automatic levelling system and a headlight washing system.

[JezInBrum]

More practicle to fit an aftermarket kit, less messing overall.
I found this company using a google search.
http://www.hids4u.co.uk/store/home.php There others out there so shop about

[TheBoy]

More practicle to fit an aftermarket kit, less messing overall.
I found this company using a google search.
http://www.hids4u.co.uk/store/home.php There others out there so shop about

Be aware aftermarket kits are not legal to use on UK roads....

[mkaminski100]

And you might have a problem on MOT.

[JezInBrum]

Sorry to drag this subject up again. I just had a lightbulb moment. Regarding the legality, I am sure I saw That Edd China bloke fit an after markey set onto a Lexus on that bring a wreck back to life & flog it for a fortune show fronted my Mike Brewer. Or have they put in legislation since that would have been made?

[JueV6]

I believe xenons are ok but HIDs are still illegal Jezz

[Marks DTM Calib]

Read the post we have in the FAQ section regarding HID's

To put it in a nut shell, there is no specific legislation which makes it illegal to fit a HID conversion as long as the bulbs are marked with the correct regulatory approvals.

There are specific rules that cover the fiting of HID's in new cars for type approval.

And no, as long as the beam pattern is correct, they will not fail an MOT as there is not specific criteria to check this either.

[Entwood]

Please also remember WHY the headlamp washers are fitted ....  and I don't just mean for legal reasons ...

HID lights are DIFFERENT .. and they are badly affected by even small amounts of crap on the lenses, far more than normal halogen lights are.

The deterioration in "cast" light is subtle and can easily not be noticed until it is really poor.

I'd hate to think someone had a serious accident simply 'cos they fitted HID's to "look good" and were driving with restricted vision due to simply dirty lenses.

Just my opinion .. thats all  

[Marks DTM Calib]

Please also remember WHY the headlamp washers are fitted ....  and I don't just mean for legal reasons ...

HID lights are DIFFERENT .. and they are badly affected by even small amounts of crap on the lenses, far more than normal halogen lights are.

The deterioration in "cast" light is subtle and can easily not be noticed until it is really poor.

I'd hate to think someone had a serious accident simply 'cos they fitted HID's to "look good" and were driving with restricted vision due to simply dirty lenses.

Just my opinion .. thats all  

I disagree....HID light is exactly that....light i.e. photons its just generated using a discharge method rather than a incandescent filament.

Its not affected differently at all because photons are photons!

The only thing you might be able to state is that because there is 3 times the light output that any dirt will drop the light by a set percentage so the light drop off will be more noticeable but, you have to loose a lot to get down to the levels of a standard halogen lamp!

The importnat thing is maintaining the correct adjustment for the headlight but, this is trus of those with auto leveling anyway

[Entwood]

Please also remember WHY the headlamp washers are fitted ....  and I don't just mean for legal reasons ...

HID lights are DIFFERENT .. and they are badly affected by even small amounts of crap on the lenses, far more than normal halogen lights are.

The deterioration in "cast" light is subtle and can easily not be noticed until it is really poor.

I'd hate to think someone had a serious accident simply 'cos they fitted HID's to "look good" and were driving with restricted vision due to simply dirty lenses.

Just my opinion .. thats all  

I disagree....HID light is exactly that....light i.e. photons its just generated using a discharge method rather than a incandescent filament.

Its not affected differently at all because photons are photons!

The only thing you might be able to state is that because there is 3 times the light output that any dirt will drop the light by a set percentage so the light drop off will be more noticeable but, you have to loose a lot to get down to the levels of a standard halogen lamp!

The importnat thing is maintaining the correct adjustment for the headlight but, this is trus of those with auto leveling anyway

AFAIK HID light is from a much narrower spectrum (wavelength), and so is far more prone to "scatter" than halogen light which is from a broader spectrum. As HID lights are more "directed" by the HID lens rather than the headlamp "glass", dirt on the "glass" causes far greater "scatter" and loss of illumination on the road.

Now I'm no expert on this in any way, I'm only repeating what I was told some years back - it's probably all rubbish .. but does make some sense to me   :-/ :-/ :-/ and is, supposedly, the reason the "Construction and Use" regs insist on washers for HID lights.  :question :question

[Marks DTM Calib]

HID light is actually a wider spectrum of light than incandescent.

And both the Halogen and HID use ball lense type focus setups.

So yes, its all rubbish  

Dirt does not tend to cause scatter nearly as much as water does (no surprise) it generally just attenuates the output.

[tmx]

our local plod have cracked down on these HID kits they are fining all the boy racers £80 and making them have one of them defect notices!

and so they should! you can spot hid kits miles away as they are to bright and dont level properly so blind everyone! causing accidents

also HID lights use some serious current and judging by the guage of cable on my mv6s they could potentially kill

[Marks DTM Calib]

our local plod have cracked down on these HID kits they are fining all the boy racers £80 and making them have one of them defect notices!

and so they should! you can spot hid kits miles away as they are to bright and dont level properly so blind everyone! causing accidents

also HID lights use some serious current and judging by the guage of cable on my mv6s they could potentially kill

If they are bulbs with the correct approvals then what they are doing wont stand up in court.........

They also use less power (about 35W) but are high voltage so the cable you can see is all insulation with small conductors

[tmx]

they have this operation called BLACKOUT or summat was in the paper they only just got ANPR  [smiley=rolleyes.gif]

but yep theyre doing it like there doing boy racers for excessive noise they had a write up on it in the local rag about non standard hids cause accidents and dazzle motorists

[Marks DTM Calib]

they have this operation called BLACKOUT or summat was in the paper they only just got ANPR  [smiley=rolleyes.gif]

but yep theyre doing it like there doing boy racers for excessive noise they had a write up on it in the local rag about non standard hids cause accidents and dazzle motorists

As said, if they have quality bulbs with the correct approvals then they are perfectly legal  

As I have said, any poorly adjusted HID, even if factory fitted, will dazzle a motorist the same as a halogen one will.

[TheBoy]

Please also remember WHY the headlamp washers are fitted ....  and I don't just mean for legal reasons ...

HID lights are DIFFERENT .. and they are badly affected by even small amounts of crap on the lenses, far more than normal halogen lights are.

The deterioration in "cast" light is subtle and can easily not be noticed until it is really poor.

I'd hate to think someone had a serious accident simply 'cos they fitted HID's to "look good" and were driving with restricted vision due to simply dirty lenses.

Just my opinion .. thats all  

I disagree....HID light is exactly that....light i.e. photons its just generated using a discharge method rather than a incandescent filament.

Its not affected differently at all because photons are photons!

The only thing you might be able to state is that because there is 3 times the light output that any dirt will drop the light by a set percentage so the light drop off will be more noticeable but, you have to loose a lot to get down to the levels of a standard halogen lamp!

The importnat thing is maintaining the correct adjustment for the headlight but, this is trus of those with auto leveling anyway

Sorry Mark, I disagree.  HIDs are adversely affected in my experience.  Having owned both halogen and HID Omegas, my experience confirms this.  Same applies to others where I've driven both types - beemers, LRs, mercs, veccys...

The washing system is there for a reason

Also, your legalities thread implies that any retrofit has to be to same standard as if fitted new....


However, if fitted well, and not set so high/right to be selfishly idiotish, who will ever know?  But defo worth fitting washers as well

[TheBoy]

they have this operation called BLACKOUT or summat was in the paper they only just got ANPR  [smiley=rolleyes.gif]

but yep theyre doing it like there doing boy racers for excessive noise they had a write up on it in the local rag about non standard hids cause accidents and dazzle motorists

As said, if they have quality bulbs with the correct approvals then they are perfectly legal  

As I have said, any poorly adjusted HID, even if factory fitted, will dazzle a motorist the same as a halogen one will.

absolutely, only moreso.  It is a very intense light.  There is a idiot who comes the other way to me between brackly and buckingham with one hid set high and straight...

[TheBoy]

they have this operation called BLACKOUT or summat was in the paper they only just got ANPR  [smiley=rolleyes.gif]

but yep theyre doing it like there doing boy racers for excessive noise they had a write up on it in the local rag about non standard hids cause accidents and dazzle motorists

As said, if they have quality bulbs with the correct approvals then they are perfectly legal  

As I have said, any poorly adjusted HID, even if factory fitted, will dazzle a motorist the same as a halogen one will.

Reading your other thread, and other links, the lenses have to be approved for HID use.  Whilst I'm sure the lenses are the same, will it still carry that approval?

[tmx]

when i installed hids on  my v6 vectra i done it properly by getting a satin red CDX bumperwith h/l washers and CDX headlights with all the xenon units etc

this was road legal as they were in the eyes of the law standard and the car could of left the factory like that!!!!

[MutantCav]

I have a part stripped Omega Elite Estate outside with Xenons...doesnt have washer jets not checked for the self levellers yet...I'm wondering if they were retro fitted without the extra gubbins...

[TheBoy]

when i installed hids on  my v6 vectra i done it properly by getting a satin red CDX bumperwith h/l washers and CDX headlights with all the xenon units etc

this was road legal as they were in the eyes of the law standard and the car could of left the factory like that!!!!

Needs some kind of auto levelling - not sure if veccys have these...

[VXL V6]

Yep, very last Vectra B CDX and GSi's had factory HID's

[tmx]

yes it does have the auto leveling its the same as my mv6 front and rear but the scrappy never had a rear sensor so i fitted it without a rear sensor works ok!

[TheBoy]

Yep, very last Vectra B CDX and GSi's had factory HID's

Yeah, I know they came with HIDs, but was thinking os suspension levelling if retrofitting hids

[tunnie]

Please also remember WHY the headlamp washers are fitted ....  and I don't just mean for legal reasons ...

HID lights are DIFFERENT .. and they are badly affected by even small amounts of crap on the lenses, far more than normal halogen lights are.

The deterioration in "cast" light is subtle and can easily not be noticed until it is really poor.

I'd hate to think someone had a serious accident simply 'cos they fitted HID's to "look good" and were driving with restricted vision due to simply dirty lenses.

Just my opinion .. thats all  

I disagree....HID light is exactly that....light i.e. photons its just generated using a discharge method rather than a incandescent filament.

Its not affected differently at all because photons are photons!

The only thing you might be able to state is that because there is 3 times the light output that any dirt will drop the light by a set percentage so the light drop off will be more noticeable but, you have to loose a lot to get down to the levels of a standard halogen lamp!

The importnat thing is maintaining the correct adjustment for the headlight but, this is trus of those with auto leveling anyway

Sorry Mark, I disagree.  HIDs are adversely affected in my experience.  Having owned both halogen and HID Omegas, my experience confirms this.  Same applies to others where I've driven both types - beemers, LRs, mercs, veccys...

The washing system is there for a reason

Also, your legalities thread implies that any retrofit has to be to same standard as if fitted new....


However, if fitted well, and not set so high/right to be selfishly idiotish, who will ever know?  But defo worth fitting washers as well

I have had several cars with HID's

I noticed a huge improvment in light, when driving at night, when the lights were washed....

Soon as the lights where washed there was a huge improvement in light output, HID's seam to affected much more by dirt than Halogens.