Fitting hids

[Jabozuma]

Thanks guys for sharing your experiences and advice. I will give it a go and see if it works. If all fine then no problems.

I was mainly wondering if I was supposed to get the 3M double sided pads in the kit or not, looks like nobody else did.

I however just checked their website description ( http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/55w-slim-canbus-hid-xenon-conversion-kit-all-bulb-types/ ) and it clearly says "ties and sticky pads" in product description, which I did not get.

There is also an "additional" box, which I suspect is a "controller" for H4 bulb types, not needed for H7. See photo.

That smaller black box at the top is this "additional controller" me thinks. What do you think?

[fabiamk2SE]

Some have the boxes built in and some dont

Just different kits. All do the same thing

[ang9444]

My kit looked identical to yours, same bulbs (not marked) and same black boxes on each ballast. Wouldn't worry about them, just fix it all in and test it to see if it works as it should and you've got nothing to worry about if it does. Then again if there is a problem or anything goes wrong in the future, you've got the warranty so you're sorted, they're very helpful over the phone.

[ang9444]

Regarding the sticky pads - mine came with small metal fixing plates but i didn't need them and just used 2 cable ties for each ballast, i'm a bit ocd so the sticky pads would have had me worried 24/7 about the ballast falling off so i would have used cable ties either way lol

[fabiamk2SE]

Just use some double sided tape.

Cut 2 strips the right length and use that to stick.

Personally, i prefer to use the bracket supplied and screw it to the car somewhere.

[kipperbailey]

Oli were they difficult to fit at all? And nice insight there Ang it's good to know they're good over the phone when ordering something Off the web you never know sometimes how they'll be if something does go wrong...

Edited 13 January, 2015 by kipperbailey

[fabiamk2SE]

Oli were they difficult to fit at all? And nice insight there Ang it's good to know they're good over the phone when ordering something Off the web you never know sometimes how they'll be if something does go wrong...

Not really no. Just plug n play really (:

[ang9444]

Oli were they difficult to fit at all? And nice insight there Ang it's good to know they're good over the phone when ordering something Off the web you never know sometimes how they'll be if something does go wrong...

Yeah i know what you mean, very helpful over the phone and give good advice. Also took me a while to fit as i had no clue but looking back at it now it's very easy and i shouldn't have taken as long to fit it as i did lol. Hardest part was talking the old bulb out and actually putting the hid bulb in...

[kipperbailey]

From what you say Angela I am sure my experience fitting bulbs will draw many parralels with yours!!! Thanks for the feedback though

[Mr j]

So fitted the 55w 5000k hids on the vrs today from Hids direct [emoji106] not drove in the dark as of yet but will later as for now I should have put these on 3 years ago the colour matches the Drl's perfectly Many thanks for everyone's input especially for the £5 holders to the colour choice [emoji106]

[jrw]

What is the difference between the 35w and the 55w kit?

[jonro2009]

According to some reviews the 55w kits have a higher failure rate but I can't confirm that. They are documented to give out more lumens.......4200 compared to 3600 for a 6000k kit. A standard halogen bulb will put out somewhere between 1000-1200 lumens. I'm not sure how much extra heat the 55w bulb/ballast combo produce inside the lens and original wiring...

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[fabiamk2SE]

According to some reviews the 55w kits have a higher failure rate but I can't confirm that. They are documented to give out more lumens.......4200 compared to 3600 for a 6000k kit. A standard halogen bulb will put out somewhere between 1000-1200 lumens. I'm not sure how much extra heat the 55w bulb/ballast combo produce inside the lens and original wiring...

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Hids run cooler as a whole, but the heat they produce is focused on one spot. The arc. Rather than being wide spread like a halogen

[jrw]

According to some reviews the 55w kits have a higher failure rate but I can't confirm that. They are documented to give out more lumens.......4200 compared to 3600 for a 6000k kit. A standard halogen bulb will put out somewhere between 1000-1200 lumens. I'm not sure how much extra heat the 55w bulb/ballast combo produce inside the lens and original wiring...

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

I'll just go for the 35w then cheers.

 

The car is swmbo'd ans doesn't do many miles but the lights are appalling and now my VRS with bending xenons is gone I would like something with a little more light output as my company Megane is truly awful too.

[Jabozuma]

Just installed the 55W 4300K kit. Had to cut the original metal bulb holders to pass the wire through, which I did not want to do but could not be bothered to get the e-bay ones and I only had some time today to do it. In the end even when cut they hold the bulbs perfectly well.

Had no problems with installation. Key was the hole punch I made myself to achieve neat apertures in the rubber caps. When I get some more time (and when it is warmer outside ) I will get all the electric boxes placed in better, more secure positions as at the moment only main ballasts are secured with double sided sticky tape and the rest is simply tucked away.

 

I had a drive few hours ago and I am stunned how much more light this kit produces compared to even the high output regular bulbs. I even had an impression that my lights were much more powerful than other cars' factory fitted ones . I do need to however have the lights geometry (beam pattern/heigh) checked as I was flashed by people when going through left  bends when the raised part of the beam was projecting onto the oncoming traffic lane. I simply dropped the beams a little using the in cabin adjustment and all was fine.

 

I am glad I went for the 4300K bulbs. Light is very crisp, very intense and without any blue in it, which I like.

 

I am happy with what I got and all it is left to do is see how durable this kit is

[wrightcnc2009]

Just installed the 55W 4300K kit. Had to cut the original metal bulb holders to pass the wire through, which I did not want to do but could not be bothered to get the e-bay ones and I only had some time today to do it. In the end even when cut they hold the bulbs perfectly well.

Had no problems with installation. Key was the hole punch I made myself to achieve neat apertures in the rubber caps. When I get some more time (and when it is warmer outside ) I will get all the electric boxes placed in better, more secure positions as at the moment only main ballasts are secured with double sided sticky tape and the rest is simply tucked away.

 

I had a drive few hours ago and I am stunned how much more light this kit produces compared to even the high output regular bulbs. I even had an impression that my lights were much more powerful than other cars' factory fitted ones . I do need to however have the lights geometry (beam pattern/heigh) checked as I was flashed by people when going through left  bends when the raised part of the beam was projecting onto the oncoming traffic lane. I simply dropped the beams a little using the in cabin adjustment and all was fine.

 

I am glad I went for the 4300K bulbs. Light is very crisp, very intense and without any blue in it, which I like.

 

I am happy with what I got and all it is left to do is see how durable this kit is

They are good aren't they!!! Especially after the standard bulb's being so poor.

I'm well happy with my 55w 4300k as well, wished I'd done them sooner!

Shame you had to cut the bulb clips, did you watch the video I linked in post #125? If not here it is again

they don't look like they go but a little persuasion and they do flex enough to get the connector through.

[fabiamk2SE]

Shame you had to cut the bulb clips, did you watch the video I linked in post #125? If not here it is again

they don't look like they go but a little persuasion and they do flex enough to get the connector through.

Yup. They do. I havent cut mine. Had my kit in n out a few times too (i take it out when i take the car for a service.

I've explained it plenty of times on here that cutting isnt required, but nobody else seems to manage it somehow.

[wrightcnc2009]

Yup. They do. I havent cut mine. Had my kit in n out a few times too (i take it out when i take the car for a service.

I've explained it plenty of times on here that cutting isnt required, but nobody else seems to manage it somehow.

But Sir, I did!!

[fabiamk2SE]

But Sir, I did!!

Apart from you, of course! Haha

[Jabozuma]

I did watch the vid but I was in a bit of a hurry, coukd not find it on my phone while I was doing it and I took a short cut . Having had some time to think about it now all I needed to do is to use Dremel to widen the opening a little bit to make the largest plug fit through easier. No matter now, all is working fine:) I just need to get the lights set up properly. Anybody knows how much it costs?

[ang9444]

What's wrong with the setup of the lights atm? Is it the angle the light comes out of? Cos mine are on level 0 but still point towards the ground quite a bit but level 0 is the lowest... :/

[Prykey]

When I changed my bulbs for Osram Night breaker Unlimited I just asked at a local MOT place to check the beams and as per most Monte Carlo's they were set low from the factory but still within the legal limit, 

 

He just raised them up a bit so that they were still within the legal limit for the price of a drink! :beer:

 

I've not been tempted to do the HID conversion yet purely for the reason that in London and its suburbs a headlamp flash is really useful and even HID Direct haven't really answered the question as to whether it works or if it will cause the ballasts or bulbs to fail prematurely.

 

Happy to hear that most of those who have made the change are more than happy with the results though   

Edited 18 January, 2015 by Prykey

[thomasaspin]

so 55W wont mess up my lens holders I.E melt them? as I'm going to fit 55W into my vrs, can anyone recommend a nice K from hids direct as i want just a slight blue tinge but nothing overly chavy as i dont wanna stereotype my VRS being a young driver and all

[Jabozuma]

What's wrong with the setup of the lights atm? Is it the angle the light comes out of? Cos mine are on level 0 but still point towards the ground quite a bit but level 0 is the lowest... :/

 

If you park your car in front of a wall or a garage door you will see that the beams have a certain shape. Left half of the beam projects higher than the right, This is to avoid dazzling the oncoming traffic but to light the side of the road well at the same time. When you are taking a left bend that raised part of the beam is projecting directly onto the oncoming traffic and if set too high it dazzles. At "0" my lights dazzle, lower a smidgen and are OK but do not throw as far as I would like and there lies my problem.

 

@Prykey - I think I will go and pay a local MOT station a visit, just get it checked on a proper test rig. As for the full beam flash projector lamps as I have them in my vRS use H7 bulbs and a motorised shutter produce a full beam. The shutter is normally lowered and when you want full beam it is raised. Bulbs are on all the time. H4 (I think they have separate dipped and full beam filaments) might be a problem but I don't really know how it works with H4 HID conversion kit.

 

@thomasaspin - the bulb temperature is a very subjective thing. Best is to come to a meet and compare a few or buy two sets of bulbs of different temps with a view on returning the pair you do not fancy. I went for 4300K as this is the OEM Xenon color and gives the largest amount of lumens.

[fabiamk2SE]

What's wrong with the setup of the lights atm? Is it the angle the light comes out of? Cos mine are on level 0 but still point towards the ground quite a bit but level 0 is the lowest... :/

Montes often come like that it seems

Get then turned up and aligned by an MOT Station to the maximum legal level.

Theres 2 Allen screws on the headlamp which adjust it up n down