HID.. Yup, Another question...

[mint]

Ok, iv been looking into HID's for the s15. Im not going to shell out just under £1400 for a set of OEM HID Headunits. Iv been told its illegal to do this tho?

Anyways.. Whats the best kit on the market at the moment for a set of good HID's? also, There is a 2 page thread on here about Retro fitting HID's but not really a solution.. Who's all done it and how hard was it?

visionbulbs.com
This site any good? If so what am i looking for?

I have mine off the car the moment anyway you see.
Cheers

-Mint

 

[craig8585]

It depends how much you want to spend. I've just bought a set off ebay for £60 for my runabout. They work fine, do the job, and look alright in the engine bay.


There are different quality kits about, some have plastic ballast boxes, and plastic bulb bases. Try and get one with metal ballast boxes and bulb bases as the bulbs tend to fit better. I would recommend a set with slimline ballast boxes too as the older style ones are huge and difficult to hide away.


4300k is OEM whiteness or if you want a slight blue tinge, then go for 6000k.


:thumbs:

 

[mint]

It depends how much you want to spend. I've just bought a set off ebay for £60 for my runabout. They work fine, do the job, and look alright in the engine bay.


There are different quality kits about, some have plastic ballast boxes, and plastic bulb bases. Try and get one with metal ballast boxes and bulb bases as the bulbs tend to fit better. I would recommend a set with slimline ballast boxes too as the older style ones are huge and difficult to hide away.


4300k is OEM whiteness or if you want a slight blue tinge, then go for 6000k.


:thumbs:

Cheers Craig, yeah id like to go for a decent set. Was wondering what people here ran on their s15's? Basically.. if the fitment of aftermarket HID's are crap and there no real benefit from OEM then i'll just splash out and got for some Raybrig bulbs or something.

 

[StarletRick]

can pick up the HID headlights second hand for a few hundred quid on yahoo mate.

brand new ones are only about 700 quid a set

 

[gunner93]

I have just retrofitted Philips 6000k on mine. No probs with RHD beam pattern, high beam flicker interruption etc. I'm smiling.

 

[craig8585]

TBH, the cheap sets work just as well as any other aftermarket sets. As far as I'm aware, they are all made in China, and probably all in the same factory too!

There is definatly a benifit for HIDs (however cheap they are) over normal bulbs. The amount of light they produce is around 3x as much as fillament bulbs, and the light is much much whiter too. Normal bulbs work by heatint a small coil of wire until it glows white hot, and HIDs create an arc of electric (similar to a mimi lightning bolt!).


Aftermarket HIDs require a 25mm hole drilling in the rear cap of the lights for 4 wires to pass thru, as the ballast boxes are too big to fit inside the headlight unit itself. As you have your headlights off the car at the moment, you could drill this hole and support the ballast box on the underside of them, therfore when you open your bonnet no-one would be any the wiser and it would look stock.


My S15 had aftermarket HIDs fitted when I bought it, but I have since done this myself and it worked great giving a much cleaner look under the bonnet.

 

[mint]

thanks again craig, I know its a bit cheeky but would you mind showing me a photo of the back of your headlight? Really curious on this and wouldnt mind getting some sorted before i have to put the car back together.

I notice APEX sell hi and lo HID kits at the mo for 14/a's etc. Was considering this idea.

Are your lights hi or lo? As from what i can understand with s15's the main light is 2 lights??? so you cant fit a hi/lo? Is this correct?

 

[Nicely]

A Vision Bulbs kit is fine. The difference between normal and HIDs is marked. The kit you want is the H1 kit. Yes, they only replace low beams.

Getting a set of OEMs off Yahoo Auction opens a whole can of worms, as you will need all the associated electrical components too.

 

[mint]

Thanks for the information Nicely.

 

[slammedmind]

mint the hi/lo h1 kit as stated is fine for the job, very easy to fit aswell. I have a friend who does the kits for 190 euro per kit, not your usual ebay crap.

 

[Miss S15]

I know of someone selling hid kits for 140

 

[sushiming]

i have a frd which sells hid headlights i can sort out a group buy is anyone is intrested??
they are good kits 6000k and come with 1yrs warrenty.....
they are already in the uk so no waiting and no more tax ontop...

 

[sushiming]

ive checked with my frd he can do 80pounds inc shipping to ur door within mainland uk

 

[mint]

If we get a group buy will he do them cheaper? ^_^

 

[sushiming]

no that is the cheaper he can do....
please let me know if anyone is intrested

 

[craig8585]

thanks again craig, I know its a bit cheeky but would you mind showing me a photo of the back of your headlight? Really curious on this and wouldnt mind getting some sorted before i have to put the car back together.

My lights look stock from the rear of them under the bonnet, so this wouldnt really help you. As I said before, it's all hidden away underneath the lights so you cant see any wiring or boxes. Havent got any useful pics to hand, sorry dude