Every single fabia I've seen with a HID conversion kit has been blindingly bright.

The worst was from literally miles behind (only knew after it had gone past) and the others are either just plain too bright or usually scatter all over the road.

It's particularly dangerous going down country lanes as the other drives all get blinded and it's quite likely to cause a crash.

If I hit a person with HIDs in their fabia due to being blinded on a country lane, I'd certainly go all the way to court with it as IMHO it's just the same as blinding a person with the lights not flattened when on the continent, only brighter.

Stop whinging...theres a flipside to every story...on the other side the HID's are clearer and provide improved night vision. If the lights have been fitted incorrectly then I tend to agree with you, but HID's arent as bright as driving round with Fogs and High beam on, which people do, would you also take them to court?

Me and chrisw_vrs both have hid's. We can drive towards each other, behind each other etc and have no issues with vision. We don't get flashed, nor do cars randomly ditch into the side of the road as we pass. I don't have issues with other cars with hid's unless they are out of alignment, which can normally be noticed by just one light being blinding, poorly adjusted lights cause me more of a issue.

Matt

I'd be interested to see pics of the rear of the headlights with HIDs fitted. With the plastic cover in place.

I have a set that I had fitted to my A-Class but they seem very close to the plastic cover when I trial fit them. I know the cover will need drilling.

I'd be interested to see pics of the rear of the headlights with HIDs fitted. With the plastic cover in place.

I have a set that I had fitted to my A-Class but they seem very close to the plastic cover when I trial fit them. I know the cover will need drilling.

For mine on my first fabia i drilled a hole either side around 30mm iirc

I bought my 8000k kit second hand and have never had any problems from the police. I had my beams adjusted though and thats all i needed. They now sit perfect and work brilliantly

I wouldn't pay a fortune for a kit though considering i can get them new for a set price off someone i know so next time i need a kit i'll buy new rather than second hand like my current and last kit

On mine i have never had anyone flash me or even adjust their interior mirror as i was dazzling them. I've been behind plenty of police cars including traffic ones and they don't bother. I even have mine set to the normal level on the adjuster. Mine seem to be ok on the road, but they do scatter alot of light to the left, which isn't a problem as it lights up the trees and stuff

My mate has 6k or 8k and he has been pulled over a few times, so i'm guessing mine been 4.6k look more like standard.

This shows what the rough colours are at what temperatures etc..

Factory fitted HID's are 4.6k as far as i am aware. (but uprated bulbs can be bought)

Mines are 8000k been behind cops drove past them etc and had no issues with them. But I do get people flash me and I get people pulling in for me to overtake them. But I had that with my factory fitted ones in my 182, and my 6000k ones in my two Fiesta ST's

But I drive with my adjuster at 0 cos I can't see if it's any lower than that and I do most of my driving at night on the motorways

I'd be interested to see pics of the rear of the headlights with HIDs fitted. With the plastic cover in place.

I have a set that I had fitted to my A-Class but they seem very close to the plastic cover when I trial fit them. I know the cover will need drilling.

here few pics with mine fitted and the kit.

Stop whinging...theres a flipside to every story...on the other side the HID's are clearer and provide improved night vision. If the lights have been fitted incorrectly then I tend to agree with you, but HID's arent as bright as driving round with Fogs and High beam on, which people do, would you also take them to court?

Good because you can see better, worse because everyone around you can't.

As for people leaving high beam on or fogs on, both are offences and can have you fined and IIRC prosecuted. Neither glare as much as hids in reflectors.

Good because you can see better, worse because everyone around you can't.

As for people leaving high beam on or fogs on, both are offences and can have you fined and IIRC prosecuted. Neither glare as much as hids in reflectors.

Funny a police officer was oncoming towards me yesterday and left his high beam on actually...but i managed not to career off the road into a field. The fog lights i've seen people get told off for - and rightly so if it isnt foggy. HID's provide better night vision, meaning they can see potential risks better meaning it is safter for those around, if certain people are suited to night driving they should stay in at night for the safety of everyone else.

if certain people are suited to night driving they should stay in at night for the safety of everyone else.

+1 or go to specsavers and get there eyes checked.

Matt

The cops up near us are clamping down on aftermarket HID's issuing a 14 days ticket to get them removed & a £30 fine!!! Glad i'm running 130W PIAA bulbs in both my fabia & my Touran! They are brighter than one of the other guys std Xenons on his fabia! I'm actually using the PIAA ones in both dipped and full beam! But they were £65 per pair! with a lifetime guarentee!

The cops up near us are clamping down on aftermarket HID's issuing a 14 days ticket to get them removed & a £30 fine!!! Glad i'm running 130W PIAA bulbs in both my fabia & my Touran! They are brighter than one of the other guys std Xenons on his fabia! I'm actually using the PIAA ones in both dipped and full beam! But they were £65 per pair! with a lifetime guarentee!

any pics of these bulbs? Surely they are too bright for road use?

any pics of these bulbs? Surely they are too bright for road use?

They are only as bright as standard fitmet HID bulbs and they're not illegal!

The problem comes with light scatter. Original fitment HIDs use projector headlamps. Standard Fabia headlamps are reflectors.

Glad i'm running 130W PIAA bulbs

Don't they melt the headlamp units? Plus if an officer of the law spots the 130w rating you're done for as it should be 55/60w I believe. I doubt an officer would be stupid enough to examine them after they've been on though although there have been some cases of officers giving notices to vehicles without examining what lights are in there at all.

Just to clear a few things up here.

First HID's are illigal unless you have projector lenses, headlight washers and they have to be self leveling.

Second in my current car (Pug 306) i have never had any issues and that has got frosted lenses. So i just think police ant to botherd unless they are really blue in colour.

when you fit an aftermarket kit does it set off any warning lights on the dash?

Just to clear a few things up here.

First HID's are illigal unless you have projector lenses, headlight washers and they have to be self leveling.

Second in my current car (Pug 306) i have never had any issues and that has got frosted lenses. So i just think police ant to botherd unless they are really blue in colour.

Sorry to nit pick, but I think you'll find the newer Civics have HID's in normal, but specially designed, reflectors.

And to Ryan, don't think it does, no.

+1 or go to specsavers and get there eyes checked.

Matt

Eyes are fine, got tested recently, so thanks but I'm ok.

I can understand people trying them behind projectors as you don't get the glare issue and with the correct projectors they are probably fine, however it's obvious to see there are plenty of fabia (MK I) drives who don't actually give a t*ss. Sure they might pass the alignment test, but they still glare.

There is no way a reflector designed for a H7 bulb can work with a H7 HID, because a filament bulb creates light from all along the filament, while the HID is a point light source from an arc.

The reflector won't have the light in the correct place and so won't reflect it as intended and it will scatter.

As for the police coming towards you with full beam, while they are bright they are not as bright as a HID and also full beam tend to not scatter in such a glaring fashion.

People want to run 100W mains, that's fine as they are meant to be off when another drive comes.

Dipped beam HID's on the other hand, are at least as bright and are on all the time, if they are correctly aligned in a correctly designed housing they are probably fine, but not in something (particularly a reflector) designed for another bulb.

Anyway, I'm not going to argue any more, I've made my point and I don't think me making it any more will change some peoples minds.

Edited 3 September, 201015 yr by cheezemonkhai