has anyone fitted one?? r they worth the money?

found a couple on ebay....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=23009&item=7987391564&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=23009&item=7987222177&rd=1

If they were legal, they'd be well worth 150 quid as that about covers the cost of two xenon lamps.

However, they're not legal. For HID lamps to be legal they must be fitted with self-levelling mechanisms, and high-pressure automatic headlamp washers.

Otherwise it's MOT failure time.

You'll have to pay duty on them when they come into the country (~20%) + international shipping. I paid

why do you need high-pressure automatic headlamp washers??

Because Xennons generate more heat than normal lamps. If a film of dirt builds up on your (plastic) headlamp covers, the heat could melt the covers or start a fire :eek:

In my experience halogen bulbs heat up the lense FAR more than the Xenons

The reason I was given for having the washers was to keep the lenses clean, as any dirt on the lens can cause deflection of the beam, and the possibility of dazzling other drivers ( if they dont have front fogs on that is bad.) This is why in a Xenon equiped car you cant adjust the beam level manually (on dashboard) as in Halogen cars. If Xenons make more heat than Halogens then we are closer to perpetual motion.

Because Xennons generate more heat than normal lamps. If a film of dirt builds up on your (plastic) headlamp covers, the heat could melt the covers or start a fire :eek:

Xenons generate considerably LESS heat than halogen lamps because they have no hot filament to produce the light. Gas discharge lamp units work in a similar way to the fluorescent tubes in your kitchen, creating light by passing a very high voltage (albeit at low current) through a gas which, when excited, ejects energy as photons. Hold a fluorescent tube which has been running for a couple of hours and it might feel mildly warm. DON'T do the same with a filament bulb after a couple of hours unless you fancy a trip to A&E.

The reasoning behind the washers is that because Xenon beams are more focussed and concentrated, and the whiter light is more susceptible to diffraction by dirt and crap on the polycarbonate lenses as a result. The headlight washers are there (in theory) to minimise dirt build up and the resulting dazzling of other drivers.

why do you need high-pressure automatic headlamp washers??

Its required by law, because of the extra light that they generate... if theres dirt on the lense, it can disperse the light and dazzle a driver alot easier than normal halogen.. hence the auto-levvelers as well..

personally i think all cars should have autolevvelers as it really really really pi$$es me off when theres a car behind whose headlights are set too high.. .

IIRC it is only a requirement for BRAND NEW cars to have auto levellers and washers. I thought there was no legal requirement to have them on aftermarket kits... :confused:

For some reason my Skoda dealer insists on re-adjusting the xenons down to a level where you cannot see anything though... So when they replace the battery box to fix the clip they snapped off, they can (yet again) adjust the lights to the correct height, both sides, and level. The lights should be correctly set, too high is bad for others on the road, too low is bad for everyone as you cannot see a bl*dy thing.

As for the heat thing - 35W for Xenons, versus say 55W for halogen

IIRC it is only a requirement for BRAND NEW cars to have auto levellers and washers. I thought there was no legal requirement to have them on aftermarket kits... :confused:

that is indeed true, aftermarket hid doesn not require levellers or washers

I have a 7000K kit fitted.

I would prefer a 5000K kit, but still - a MAHOOSIVE improvement over normal filament bulbs.

Best mod ever - and only takes 30mins to fit.

PS: I drive with leveller on position 1 so as not to upset people

y would u have prefered the 5000k? 7000k too bright?

7000K too blue.

5000K i had fitted to my Integra - much whiter light.

5000K anyday.