Passat HID

[dan~]

Hello, so I want to fit HID to my car, so I can see much more at nighttime driving.

My current lights are okay on my 2002 passat, however I'd like HID.

I know these are illegal, but isn't 4300k better then standard and doesn't create a stupidly bright blue tint?

I see these kits on Ebay, I know there illegal, but is 4300k not so blue, the last thing I want to do is annoy people by blinding them :(

But i'm not too sure what else to do for brighter nighttime driving.

[Sam]

Twice you say you know they're illegal so we'll skip over that part :)

4300k is the optimum brightness. Anything less is too yellow, anything more is too blue.

Edit: The law is here http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

[snapdragon]

Yes, 4300K is what most cars which have HID from the factory have.

I have 6000k which I bought from ebay and that looks fine, just very white, but I have seen other people with bluey-purple ones and they look awful and these give off less light than 4300K which I would buy if I was buying new, but I got mine a few years ago from a man who bought the kit but never got round to fit it..

Before HID kits can be declared illegal per se, I aver that there would need to be a test prosecution in the High Court or an amendment made to an existing Act of Parliament. :biglaugh:

Fitting is fairly straightforward, there are plenty of threads on here and on http://www.passatworld.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=68

[dan~]

Right I've been reading and don't like the sound of HID anymore, the fact my car will be illegal, resulting in my insurance being void is too much to think about.

So I'm thinking now of getting the Philips Crystal Vision 4300k h7 bulb

But whats the difference between Philips Crystal Vision & Philips x-treme power?

Which is 'best'?

[corkycat]

after market hid,s ARE perfectly road legal

[dan~]

Yes they are legal, but not on my car as I don't have self levelling lights or washers for the lights.

Too much effort to do that.

Talking of effort, just looked in Haynes to see if I had to take out the light assembly to change a bulb, it says I have to take of the whole damn bumper, surely that's not true?

[snapdragon]

The regulation with respect to the relevant headlamp type approval and fitment only applies to new cars and their type approval. What's more it may be said that all HIDs are illegal in the UK anyway. It is only because they are legal in a few other EU member states that we have to allow them here.

Philips Crystal Vision bulbs (and similar) will look whiter but they only achieve this by filtering out the light at the yellower and redder end of the spectrum which is why they are dimmer but look white.

There are brighter halogen bulbs, but I have tried many of them and the difference isn't worth the expense in my opinion.
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_list.asp?cat1=39&cat2=24

[Sam]

after market hid,s ARE perfectly road legal

Can you show me where it says that please?

[dan~]

So, I went ahead any bought the Philips Crystal Vision, rather then getting a HID kit, which would of been brighter, but also alot more expensive and too time consuming.


I'd just like to mention what an absolute PIG it is to change a bloody light bulb in a 2002 passat! taking bits of and generally wish i'd eat less so I'd tiny fingers!

This is with the bulbs that came with my car
http://solent-speakers.org.uk/lights/old.jpg

Now with Philips Crystal Vision
http://solent-speakers.org.uk/lights/new.jpg

Only looks slight, but they lit up my hedge quite nicely in daylight, so can't wait to see the results tonight

[minty0_10]

what they cost you and where from, got to say the lights are crap on my passsat to

[dan~]

Driving at night is really good, I do see an improvement, only a slightish blue tint on the road, but lights up nice.

Bought them off Ebay for £30 type

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/H7-New-Philips-CrystalVision-Headlight-4300k-pair_W0QQitemZ290284461082QQihZ019QQcategoryZ72235 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Very good delivery from user, posted an order last night, got them today :beerchug:

[Tom.B]

Good afternoon all!

I changed the bulbs in my '02 as well as I thought they were rubbish!

I ended up spending around £60 as i fitted the Philips X-treme Power to low and high beams and to complete the 'look' (not a real concern but they were free) a pair of white light side lights - all sourced from PowerBulbs.

I am convinced that there is a notable difference and driving down unknown single track B roads can be done with more confidence.

Now for the confession...... my hands are as dexterous as ham joints and after quite literally hours of swearing, near success, blood and heartache I gave up! I traveled to Halfords, approached a worker who was fitting a pair of wiper blades (!) and confessed to being retarded and rubbish, slipped him a £10er and watched him for an hour as he refitted my hamfisted efforts and fitting the ones I couldn't even attempt. I was so happy to just have them done but I think he regretted it! Something I noticed though was that at the time Halfords were running an offer, BOGOF I think, on their Sper Bright bulbs and included fitting. Maybe worth a look...

[caldirun]

Driving at night is really good, I do see an improvement, only a slightish blue tint on the road, but lights up nice.

Bought them off Ebay for £30 type

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/H7-New-Philips-CrystalVision-Headlight-4300k-pair_W0QQitemZ290284461082QQihZ019QQcategoryZ72235 QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Very good delivery from user, posted an order last night, got them today :beerchug:
Mine were great as well, for 8 months, the brighter they are the quicker they burn out!!, my bog standards are back in now.

[mato]

ive had hids in the past on a e36 M3 bmw and a 34 520.
cost around £40 from china ebay.

had the 6000k im was more than pleased with both kits

never got pulled, passed mots no problem, and were exellent.

[dan~]

Tom.B it is a pig to change them, I managed to do it in a few hours, but I think next time, I'll be much quicker as it was the first time I had done them.

It's much easier to take off a plastic cover near the power steering fluid, and then a bracket which holds some electrical cables (for left side lights)

Haynes manual does say to change bulbs (for non mechanical minded people) is to take off the front bumper :O

[TornadoTDi]

HID's legally speaking are a bit of a grey area. This is my take on it.

-E-marked HID-ready 'projector' headlights are available.
-E-marked HID bulb kits + ballasts are available.

This means that both components are legal from an aftermarket EU point of view, so as long as the vehicle complies with the road traffic act you are probably OK (i.e correct colour of light and make sure the lights are aligned by a garage). I would notify your insurance company of the modification too.

The grey area part (from what I understand) is that covering the 'self-levelling' and 'headlight washer' aspect. Technically this covers only NEW cars, not retrofits, and hasn't beent tested in a UK court. Yet.

[corkycat]

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4651&stc=1&d=1231273654
heres my 10000k hid,s just trying to upload this and if it works i will get some better pics