LHD OE Xenon Retro-fit...

[animal]

OEM are 4300k to be precise - generally.

Don't do it Benny - either that or you have got your colour temperature wrong? 10000k will be purple and virtually useless as headlights. I'd go with 6000k max and even they look quite blue and, dare i say it, - chavvy. Remember, the blue tinge is actually created from the diffraction of the light through the lens on projector headlights. OE 4300k Xenon bulbs are actually still pretty yellow in terms of colour temperature.

The other problem with cheap HID kits is that a lot of the time the ballasts are very 'noisy' which causes, at best, interference with the radio, and potentially worse in the car's electrical systems.

People are getting their terminology a bit confused here. HID is the name of the technology - High Intensity Discharge. A high voltage arc is produced with in the bulb and this produces light. Xenon is the gas within the bulb and is a more colloquial term for the technology. HID/Xenon lights are commonly combined with projector lenses (as in the MkV Golf) but not exclusively as some seem to believe.

Benny appears to have ordered an after market 'HID retro-fit kit' which are neither legal (not E type approved for road use in the UK) nor do they offer good value for money.

I think it very important to distinguish between the two as HID and Xenon are interchangeable terms - its the aftermarket HID Kits that are bad/illegal/rip-off, not factory fitted OE HIDs aka Xenons.

Unfortunately, and despite JPC's beef, you're still much more likely to get pulled for a dodgy plate and an HID kit unless it's really badly adjusted or you're really trying your luck with a dubious colour choice. I had a boy racer up my tail in a frankly ruin Zetec-S Fiesta coming out of Bracknell the other night. His lights we so bad I had to dip my rear view mirror.

[animal]

I feel your pain animal, wish I had xenons too   

found these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Mk5-Golf-Bi-Xenon-Zenon-R32-GTI-Headlights-Headlamps_W0QQitemZ290295104770QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item290295104770&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A4%7C65%3A16%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

If I hadn't just booked in for a blueflame TBE, then I would be the highest bidder   

You missed an absolute lemon there vwrascal, thank your lucky stars. They almost look like Xenon/HID look-a-like headlights for halogen bulbs with an after market kit zip tied to the back. OE lights are 4300k not 6000k too.

[bennylenny88]

oh its 7500k :) btw these are quality ones made by enon :)

[JPC]

mate, theres no such thing as quality HID kits that are 7500k. the light out put will be seriously compromised to get that colour. i dont know why people think 7500k would look good. they use salts and alsorts to get it the colour to that.

philips and osram are pretty much the only people that make good quality High intensity discharge bulbs. and they only make them at an efficient temperature. 4300-4500k but on paper, 4300k

[animal]

oh its 7500k :) btw these are quality ones made by enon :)

Have you already bought them? At that colour you'd be drawing a lot of attention from the old bill and performance-wise you'll be better off with a decent set of Halogen bulbs. Colour temperature has an adverse effect on the amount visible-usable light emitted, it drops off as you increase the temperature. OE 4300k is considered to be optimum for brightness, while 6000k is widely regarded as the best compromise between colour and performance. However, 6000k looks blue, so I'd be concerned with 7500k looking very blue and not giving out a very good light. They might also fail an MoT on colour alone, let alone beam pattern.

I'm with JPC, I've never seen a decent quality kit. Cheap HID bulbs go-off over time and in some cases I've seen with really cheap eBay kits, can become duller than cheap Halfords halogen bulbs. Even the kits sold by the likes of HIDS4U still cause all sorts of interference with radio reception and I personally know someone who had a dud kit arrive from them too, the only positive thing being that they are UK(Southampton) based and it was easy to resolve. They are still illegal though and HIDS4U have recently revised their small print to cover themselves, despite attempting to claim that the kits are E marked, even though it only technically applies to the ballast. Not in the least misleading then...

[MickMc]

Every forum i'm on theres always a few 'HID Police' , but the law is a grey area when it comes to them. Auto level and headlight washers are for FACTORY FITTED items and people saying they should only be used with projector units , what about honda , renault , merc ect. many of their vehicles have reflector units , even the newer mazdas glare worse that a set of chinese HIDs .  Fair enough they may dazzle if there not aligned but that can be fixed , halogen bulbs glare if the headlamp itself is dirty , what about range rovers and other 4x4s they blind you when there behind you ?. I know england has some different rules to us up here but we rarely hear of people being fined for HIDs and if you do its probably because the officer is on a power trip. Also for the price of OEM xenons (new or second hand),a set of <£100 HIDs (4.3k or 6k) with a good feedback and £10 for an alignment is a much better choice hence why many people buy them 

[JPC]

1. the cars you mentioned coming out of the factory with HIDs and reflector housing. they have a reflector housing designed to give a clear cut off for the HID bulbs, and hence pass the stringent rules for beam patterns in the EU.

2. No amount of alignment for a HID kit in a halogen reflector housing will stop the glare. In my experience they will always bleed light over the halogen cut off. you can of course lower the beam pattern until the glare isnt too bad, but then the light is shining two foot off the bumper, and hence, useless.

3. halogen light isnt affected too much by dirty on a headlight because of the low intensity of the light emitted.

sorry to be a grumpy bar steward but i think HID kits are dam near ridiculous. I get pulled over and sent to court for a number plate that can easily be read via ANPR. But people with HID kits, which are pretty much guaranteed to blind every motorist they past are allowed to go free? i think the police should wise up to this obvious danger on the roads.

[MickMc]

All IMO off course , ones that have been aligned are ok , like i say there are manufacturers which stupidly blinding OEM xenons. Fair enough i understand what your saying , up here you either get a warning or a fine never heard of anyone going to court for a number plate. But personally i'd rather have the police out doing better things e.g. stopping unisured drivers , no tax , no MOT ect not getting their numbers up by pulling someone for a number plate or HIDs

[JPC]

i know it might not happen a lot,

but how much of on a problem are HIDs when you think you could blind an oncoming driver on a dark country lane..enough for them to miss the apex on an oncoming corner? because it took a split second longer for their eyes to re-adjust?

It isnt that dramatic when you think about it. is it? or unrealistic?

just thought id run that by you. ive been blinded by a HID kit the other night and i sh*t myself because i couldnt see anything for a split second. this was on an unlit road. it was only because i was on a straight road it ended up ok.

Now would you think its a real issue for the police to pursue?

What happens to me when im sat in a wall with my golf smashed up, whilse the guy with the HID kit is speeding off in the other direction??

Im going to get accused of drink driving or something stupid. insurance wont listen to me, no proof no nothing!

sorry to prattle on, but it really isnt a blahsay small issue as you are making out

[MickMc]

I understand what your saying however i find that HIDs that have been aligned are no problem , bright yes but not blinding , i have also been been blinding by OEM xenons - Mazdas and range rovers both of which are supposidly 6k but IMO are not far off 8k in projector housings but are both far worse than an aftermarket kit.

What about using full beams on a dark country lanes ? these blind me even more so than xenons

I personally dont think it is a real issue for the police they should be doing their job - catching the baddies so to speak  , like i keep saying england must look at the law different to scotland . Also up here its all the rage to go about with sidelights and fog lights on  had someone tonite behind me up an unlit backroad with sidelights on , now IMO thats more dangerous

I'm no saying its a small issue , however no matter what people say , people will still buy them put them on and no get them alligned , i could go on and say about people driving with fog lites on all day and nite or people with dodgily spaced / fonted plates but it wont stop them will it. People will still space the plates illegally t#just to look cool or get all their windows tinted in limo black - all the police can do is fine them / give them a notice to get it replaced/removed , it wont stop anyone getting HIDs for the forseeable future