I've tried a search but can't find much info really.

 

Would a 50W HID kit do any damage? I assume not since the standard bulbs are 50W, but will it draw too much power on start-up?

 

I have the 35W 4300k Londoncolour kit fitted and coded to my car, but if I'm honest, I'm quite disappointed.

 

They initially appear to be quite bright, but the light doesn't actually seem to penetrate very far down the road at all, especially when faced with other light sources around.

 

They've been aligned and passed an MoT.

 

Maybe I'm just expecting too much but I thought they'd be noticeably brighter than the halogens. 

 

I assume they're not faulty as both sides wouldn't be faulty out the box surely?

For info this is the HID kit I bought:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XENON-HID-CONVERSION-KIT-H1-H3-H7-H9-H11-HB3-HB4-9006-/330379335700?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

Hmm. This seems strange as I have the same kit and they are much better than the standard bulb or even an uprated bulb.

You could try some better bulbs.?!

Or maybe the beefier ballasts...

I've had a 55w kit behind projectors In my Fabia for a couple of years, no issues and the light output is good.

The kit was even cheaper than the one in the link too!

This image is obviously subjective based on the camera but hopefully you can see what I mean.

There is a very bright area just in front of the car but the rest seems quite dim.

Compared to my old fabia with halogens the kick up on the left is rubbish

The light output does seem quite rubbish, try driving up to a wall and have a look at the pattern. Try not to crash into the wall though as you might not see it with those headlights LOL.

You dont seem to have much of a kick up to the left. Looks like your lights need alligning

I have the exact same kit in my Superb and the light output is about the same, albeit with a better spead of light and a higher kick up on the left.

 

Far, far better than the original halogens too...

I had a 50w kit on my Octavia for a while and yes they were bright but not massively brighter than the 35w London colour kit I noiw have. However the 50w kit would constantly throw errors when main beam was used regardless of what vcds coding was set. . .

Just a thought but have you checked the burners are fitted in the lights correctly as bad definition of the beam pattern would result if they werent

_{Lack of kick-up on the left might mean that the Euro light adjusters are in the flat beam position.}

 

_{It looks really crap though.  I've got a 35w HID kit and it's much better than that.  Sharp horizontal cut-off & the LH kick is actually too aggressive.}

I have posted this before somewhere but it illustrates the difference between 35w and 55 ballasts.

6k bulbs fitted to both, 55w on the left, 35w on the right (mk4 golf aftermarket projector headlights). The light is just a bit stronger - don't expect HUGE differences though.

With a projector headlight you can get the bulb in completely the wrong way and the optics will give the correct beam pattern but poor physical light output

I notice the light output is down on my OE bi-xenons on my mk3 compared to the retrofit I did on my mk2 - they are just not as good. Partly down to having 55w on my retrofit, partly down to the retrofit using better projectors which I finely tuned.

Edited 19 November, 201411 yr by xpower

_{Lack of kick-up on the left might mean that the Euro light adjusters are in the flat beam position.}

 

_{It looks really crap though.  I've got a 35w HID kit and it's much better than that.  Sharp horizontal cut-off & the LH kick is actually too aggressive.}

 

 

I double checked it was in right when I put them in, but I'll take them out again at the weekend just to be sure.

This is what it currently looks like

I can only continue to agree that it looks really crapola.  Maybe send the same photos to the supplier - possibly one of the bulbs is defective internally & giving a weird pattern.

Possible but I doubt that, most faulty HID's tend to flicker slightly. More likely that the refector bowls inside the projectors have become tarnished over time with the heat from the original bulbs.

Pictures of light output are really subjective - it depends on how the camera auto focuses :-|

These were cheap aftermarket projectors I retrofitted some years back, they look great on a wall but the light out was poor - no distance at all.

Edited 21 November, 201411 yr by xpower

This is why I will only buy a car with Xenons now. I had an A3 which had awful lights then a L&K Octavia with Xenons and never looked back!!!

 

I would recommend sell the car with non Xenons, and buy a car with Xenons.... oh like mine!

This is why I will only buy a car with Xenons now. I had an A3 which had awful lights then a L&K Octavia with Xenons and never looked back!!!

 

I would recommend sell the car with non Xenons, and buy a car with Xenons.... oh like mine!

 

It was hard enough to find a car with ESP in my budget, let alone xenons :(

I'm still inclined to think a badly made bulb.

 

I was just looking at a thread at VWWC and one of the guys was showing the difference between cheap bulbs, OEM & upgraded Phillips - big difference

 

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f97/ramees-tiguan-build-thread-155kw-dsg-87535-52.html#post1098602

Just a thought but have you checked the burners are fitted in the lights correctly as bad definition of the beam pattern would result if they werent

It was exactly this.

The n/s was not quite in the holder properly.

Fitted properly the light output is 10x better

It was exactly this.

The n/s was not quite in the holder properly.

Fitted properly the light output is 10x better

Result !

Glad you got it sorted

I was still disappointed with the output of my lights after last updating this, but only from the other side to the misaligned bulb.

After looking again, it seemed it was actually 2 separate problems originally.

 

 

The other bulb was faulty and emitting a lower output.

Now the faulty bulb has been replaced (good service from Londoncolour) and they're both sat in the holders properly, they're great.

 

I've finally got it sorted, nice and bright and focussed on the road. No need for 50W

Result!