Best and most affordable Xenon HID Kit

Big Nasty

Hey guys,

Looking for a decent quality HID Kit, maybe 6/8K at as good a price as possible. Prices on ebay go up as high as €600! Found a set for £38 that look the part but I don't have any experience with these so I'm only guessing! Also it doesn't state what strength they are and I don't want the blue look you get from the 10/12K ones.

What do you think of these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/HID-Xenon-Light-Bulbs-Conversion-Kit-H1-H3-H4-H7-H8-H11_W0QQitemZ270454144452QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item3ef852bdc4

Midnight_EG

That's honestly one of the single most organised and professional ebay sellers I've ever seen.

Coupled with that they give a 1 year warranty, so buy them and tell us how you get on, and if not satisfied send em back

BArra

theres a reason why they re 38 quid, they are more than likely utter tosh

proper xenons cost quite...a bit more

you get what you pay for springs to mind

Gumbo

BArra wrote: »

theres a reason why they re 38 quid, they are more than likely utter tosh

proper xenons cost quite...a bit more

you get what you pay for springs to mind

they are proper xenons, just not OEM xenon which requires new headlights and ballasts and wireing and about 2k of your money to have them from the factory etc etc

what car are they for OP?

the best ones at the moment are the canbus/Digital ones with the slimline ballasts, makes tidy fitting much easier.

also i would stick with 6000k, i dont like the look of the 8000k as they are too blue for my liking. i fitted a set of 6000k a few weeks ago and they were pure white, looks great on the IS220d they went into.

JHMEG

This comes up regularly so use the search.

6000k is very distinctly blue.

Big Nasty

kceire wrote: »

they are proper xenons, just not OEM xenon which requires new headlights and ballasts and wireing and about 2k of your money to have them from the factory etc etc

what car are they for OP?

the best ones at the moment are the canbus/Digital ones with the slimline ballasts, makes tidy fitting much easier.

also i would stick with 6000k, i dont like the look of the 8000k as they are too blue for my liking. i fitted a set of 6000k a few weeks ago and they were pure white, looks great on the IS220d they went into.

Thanks kceire!

They're for a '79 Trans Am - the lights that are currently fitted are like candles! So in your opinion I should go for these then?
http://my.frooition.com/080612/hid-conversion-kits-35w/h43-hilo-beam-hid-kits/ultra-h43-hilo-beam-35w-hid-kits-p-260.html?osCsid=c1aasnosugpvdf5d74o523ji1naroctc

Gumbo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Thanks kceire!

They're for a '79 Trans Am - the lights that are currently fitted are like candles! So in your opinion I should go for these then?
http://my.frooition.com/080612/hid-conversion-kits-35w/h43-hilo-beam-hid-kits/ultra-h43-hilo-beam-35w-hid-kits-p-260.html?osCsid=c1aasnosugpvdf5d74o523ji1naroctc

look likes a good kit but it all depends on what the headlights they are going into are like?

ie. are the standard reflector type halogen headlights? if so the the light will be badlt scattered around and will not align proper;y, xenon conversions only really suit cars that have projector style headlights imo

_Kaiser_

Looks interesting.. would they work in a 2006 Passat?

I'm not quite sure what's meant by this ballast installation though? Replace the bulb (ok.. done that before - awkwardly tight in the Passat but manageable), plug the bulb into the ballast (er.. as opposed to the original bulb holder I presume?) and the ballast plugs into the factory OEM harness (umm.. lost me now!) :P

It says on that ebay link that no rewiring, cutting or mods needed so how easy IS it for a newbie? Might be worth a shot.

confuzed

me interested too. Can I use that on 06mondeo.

Berty

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Looks interesting.. would they work in a 2006 Passat?

I'm not quite sure what's meant by this ballast installation though? Replace the bulb (ok.. done that before - awkwardly tight in the Passat but manageable), plug the bulb into the ballast (er.. as opposed to the original bulb holder I presume?) and the ballast plugs into the factory OEM harness (umm.. lost me now!) :P

It says on that ebay link that no rewiring, cutting or mods needed so how easy IS it for a newbie? Might be worth a shot.

It can be done but it does involve wiring up ballasts to the existing connection and then onto the battery terminals. P*ss easy to be honest and ANY noob can do it. It can take a Noob around 40 minutes or so. I had a 2005(old shape) Passat and know it would be easy enough.

The only hard part is finding someplace in the engine bay to actually mount the damn ballast.

Big Nasty

To summarise:

It's a piece of piss
Get Slim Balasts
They will fit any car
6K is the best to get
Spend +/-€50, don't scrimp on a cheapo set
They look a lot better in projector lamps but will work in standard

That about right?

--Kaiser--

4300K are actually the best to get, they are the closest to pure white, so give out the brightest beam without causing glare for other drivers.

Anything past 5000K, (6000 is passable) and it actually produces less usable light, more glare for other drivers and, if you're driving long journeys at night, will actually tend to make your eyes sore

Berty

MCMLXXV wrote: »

To summarise:


They look a lot better in projector lamps but will work in standard

That about right?

Its more about performance and courtesy to other drivers than style. The rear projected lamps will spill this light and glare oncoming traffic and not provide any better visibilty.

They will work better in a projector unit.

They will look better in a projector unit and imho opinion look cheap in a standard set up because I know they are aftermarket and do not suit the car - unless its an avant laguna or a Volvo(which have special HID bulbs to suit)

--Kaiser--

Berty wrote: »

The rear projected lamps will spill this light and glare oncoming traffic and not provide any better visibilty.

Not true, I have a set in my non-projector headlamps and the difference in visibility is huge, no-one so far has 'flashed' me in annoyance at my lights and I was driving against one of my friends and he said he didn't get any glare off them. As long as the lights are aimed correctly it should be fine.

JHMEG

MCMLXXV wrote: »

6K is the best to get

No, 4300k is whiter. I wouldn't say 6k will look good in your particular car either.

MCMLXXV wrote: »

They look a lot better in projector lamps but will work in standard

No, projector lamps have a higher success rate, regular reflector lamps are hit and miss.

Lamps that don't have a bulb shield are generally a disaster.

Gumbo

JHMEG wrote: »

No, 4300k is whiter. I wouldn't say 6k will look good in your particular car either.


No, projector lamps have a higher success rate, regular reflector lamps are hit and miss.

Lamps that don't have a bulb shield are generally a disaster.

in your opinion , i put 6000k into a lexus IS220d and they were pure white,but i got them from www.hidirl.com . i guess it depends on the manufacturer of the kit etc. i had OEM 4300 in my BMW and they were white with a hint of yellow.

here is a pic of an OEM bulb on a BMW 530d and they are noticeably white with a hint of blue.

JHMEG

kceire wrote: »

in your opinion ,

No, not really. Look at a colour temp chart. 6000 kelvin is quite blue.


(He's exaggerating I know, but he's making a point)

kceire wrote: »

i guess it depends on the manufacturer of the kit etc.

You're right, but it shouldn't. 6k is 6k. But kits seem to be frequently labelled incorrectly. I bought a set claiming to be 4.3k and they look about 6k to me.

Gumbo

JHMEG wrote: »

You're right, but it shouldn't. 6k is 6k. But kits seem to be frequently labelled incorrectly. I bought a set claiming to be 4.3k and they look about 6k to me.

yeah i agree there, i understand that the K measure should be uniform throughout the world, but when it comes to HID kits made in china, or anywhere else for that matter, they differ

thats why i like buying irish, at least you can try brfore you buy as such, as in they will show you what their lights are like.

Big Nasty

These are the lamps they will be going in to - will they work ok?

JHMEG

I wouldn't think so. They don't look to have shields in front of the bulbs?

JHMEG

Very good article here:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24982453

fryup

do you really need a conversion kit??

will the bulbs on they're own not do??

Big Nasty

JHMEG wrote: »

I wouldn't think so. They don't look to have shields in front of the bulbs?

There are no shields, just the bulbs. There are four lights on the front of the car, two dips on the outside and two heads inside. I was going to install them in the dips!

JHMEG

Problem with that is the HID bulb will be exposed to oncoming traffic. Leading to lots of people flashing at you and so on.

Big Nasty

JHMEG wrote: »

Problem with that is the HID bulb will be exposed to oncoming traffic. Leading to lots of people flashing at you and so on.

Even though they will be permanently in the dip position?

Gumbo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Even though they will be permanently in the dip position?

yeah, it makes no difference, its because of the reflector construction and the lack of bulb shield that causes the light from the bulb to be scattered.

i would stick in a good set of decent bulbs like the orsam cool white or similar depending on your taste etc

Big Nasty

Got a set of High Power bulbs from Halfords for this in the end. 2 for 1 on bulbs at the moment so only €20 for the pair. They are not just blue bulbs that you see advertised on ebay as 'conversion kits'. In fact they are pure white 'Extreme Brilliance'. Happy out!

Gumbo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Got a set of High Power bulbs from Halfords for this in the end. 2 for 1 on bulbs at the moment so only €20 for the pair. They are not just blue bulbs that you see advertised on ebay as 'conversion kits'. In fact they are pure white 'Extreme Brilliance'. Happy out!

any pics of them?
before and after would be great for comparision....

Big Nasty

Didn't get 'before and after' pics but they have gone from yellow to white if that explains it properly.

While Halfords have the 2 for 1 sale it is well worth it for €20 but if I had to pay the full whack, i.e. €40 I would go all out for the full conversion kit.

B11gt00e

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Got a set of High Power bulbs from Halfords for this in the end. 2 for 1 on bulbs at the moment so only €20 for the pair. They are not just blue bulbs that you see advertised on ebay as 'conversion kits'. In fact they are pure white 'Extreme Brilliance'. Happy out!

Hey '75... sounds good. Was driving my brother's old car at the weekend and the lights are extremely week as you described on your first post here... I remember putting some high powered bulbs into an older car a few years back, and having starter motor problems a few times after that... never did ascertain whether the two are related, but like to revamp the lighting on a few of the family cars with winter coming up and was wondering if you had the specifications for any such higher powered light bulbs that don't need any conversion kits etc.

Would very much appreciate your feedback,

Regards

Bigtoe.

Big Nasty

They don't suck any more juice dude: 55W.

For the record some of the HID kits are only 35W: will use less power but by all accounts only seem to be effective on newer vehicles with projector lamps.

Gumbo

MCMLXXV wrote: »

They don't suck any more juice dude: 55W.

For the record some of the HID kits are only 35W: will use less power but by all accounts only seem to be effective on newer vehicles with projector lamps.

there are 55w hid conversion kits now available, which seem to overcome the OBC bulb out warnings that plague many cars such as BMW, Merc and Audi as the kit drains 55w for the lights instead of the 35w and as such thinking thers a bulb out.

but again as you mention, still only acceptable in projector style headlamps.