HID's in a MK1 (yes i have searched) - page 1 - Upgrades (non engine related ) - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• HID's in a MK1 (yes i have searched) by camboscams on 05 Aug, 2009 21:16
• So after reading the thread http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=18221.0, and with my Square sealed beams, i gather from this information that i need to get a set of E-Code headlights that will except the HID units and not defuse the light and blind other drivers. With that said, do i really need the "E-code" set up and is anyone else running them without them.
  
  I found on ebay a set of H4 conversion headlights with bulbs (that i wouldnt need) that are very cheap, which i am a little leary about. Is this what i would need to make this set up work?
  
   http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CLEAR-SEALED-BEAM-HEAD-LIGHTS-7X6-IN-PAIR-H4-CONVERSION_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem5d259de861QQitemZ400063064161QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
  
  If i do need the e codes, and where in the world would i find them?
  
  Any information and recomendations would be great!
  
  Thanks, Cambo
  
   
  
  
• #1 by mystery3 on 05 Aug, 2009 22:57
• Those would probably work fine though I wonder about the quality. They look plastic.
  
  I'm running these
  http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=744
  and like them very much. The people at rallylights.com have been very helpful and would probably be good people to talk to about your setup.
  
  Another excellent resource:
  http://danielsternlighting.com/
  
  
• #2 by camboscams on 06 Aug, 2009 06:12
• Thanks for the link, how much would they be if i didnt get them with bulbs, all their prices have bulbs included.
  
  Also, what bulb size do those units take? H4's?
• #3 by 8v-of-fury on 06 Aug, 2009 06:43
• i've always liked the look of proper HID kits. It's funny driving in Toronto, you see all the ricers, and tuners bobbing around on their cut springs with CRAPPY HID installations... bright light ALL over the place, people constantly flashing the lights at them, It makes me laugh. lol
  
  I read the Daniel Stern's article you posted there Mystery, Good read. I learned a lot of stuff i didn't know at all before, I dunno if HID's are for me though... Prob be fine with some good Halogens
• #4 by Op-Ivy on 06 Aug, 2009 21:51
• Those lights actually wouldn't work. They are H4 type but that is just the bulb specification.
  
  It says on the listing:
  "Plug and play installation. DOT/SAE compliant"
  
  which would mean they would scatter the light produced by HID's.
  
  Every DOT headlight scatters light. The problem arises with HID's because they are so much brighter, apparently 3 times brighter, that they can blind oncoming traffic.
• #5 by mystery3 on 06 Aug, 2009 22:28
• I'm just running the regular h4 setup no hid's. I think both of the resources I posted above would be good people to call or email to figure out the right way to go with an hid setup or otherwise.
• #6 by macka on 12 Aug, 2009 08:05
• I'm going with Daniel Stern's advice and first upgrade the harness, then buy the right lights for the round conversion.
• #7 by Turbinepowered on 12 Aug, 2009 18:46
• Quote from: Op-Ivy on 06 Aug, 2009 21:51

  Those lights actually wouldn't work. They are H4 type but that is just the bulb specification.
  
  It says on the listing:
  "Plug and play installation. DOT/SAE compliant"
  
  which would mean they would scatter the light produced by HID's.
  
  Every DOT headlight scatters light. The problem arises with HID's because they are so much brighter, apparently 3 times brighter, that they can blind oncoming traffic.
  

  
  They also produce their light in different places than filament bulbs, which means not only is the bright light scattered, it's scattered in places that the reflectors were not meant to scatter light to!
• #8 by catlin_cava on 16 Aug, 2009 09:13
• quick test, pull up to a wall at night and if you have a "cut line" on low beam where you see light on the bottom but there appears to be a line cut in the light, you can run HIDs with out blinding other people. And YES that those work. lol
• #9 by Rabbit TD on 20 Aug, 2009 19:17
• It will be interesting to see what you come up with and how it works out for you.  I was at Autozone a few years ago and looked at the headlights and thought about getting these replacement ones from either GE or Sylvania I forget which one but they claimed like 4 times the light of the regular halogens. It seems to me they were called Silver Streaks or someting like that, I damn near bought them but looked it up on the internet and saw they were only rated to last for some ridiculously low amount of time like 70 hours which was right on their website and all the consumer reviews said the same thing, "they just don't last long enough".  If there is something out there that would last I'd like to get them too.
• #10 by Pat Dolan on 08 Sep, 2009 10:10
• Forget "drop in conversions".  They are not only highly illegal, they don't work (CAN NOT - very different geometry).
  
  You can actually buy completely legal US DOT compliant HID projectors in 4x6 recatngular housings.  Got to fly now, but can look up a link for you tonight.
• #11 by camboscams on 08 Sep, 2009 12:18
• Quote

  link for you tonight

  
  Thanks look foward to seeing it
  
• #12 by Pat Dolan on 09 Sep, 2009 08:42
• This is the old Canadian site:  http://spitzkraft.com/detail.php?item=13&numlow=1
  
  I would hold off for a couple of days unitl I can find out why I don't get the US site address (I think now lower prices - this is the old page on this link).
• #13 by clbanman on 09 Sep, 2009 09:30
• If you can find someone who sells J.W. Speaker products, they have ECE housings available.   
  
  http://www.jwspeaker.com/catalog/forward_lighting/model_942_943.htm
  
  http://www.jwspeaker.com/catalog/forward_lighting/model_940_941.htm
• #14 by Pat Dolan on 10 Sep, 2009 09:09
• Quote from: clbanman on 09 Sep, 2009 09:30

  If you can find someone who sells J.W. Speaker products, they have ECE housings available.   
  
  http://www.jwspeaker.com/catalog/forward_lighting/model_942_943.htm
  
  http://www.jwspeaker.com/catalog/forward_lighting/model_940_941.htm
  

  
  I think you are missing the point:
  
  Putting HIDs into an H4 housing is not only illegal, it will result in the poorest quality lighting you will ever see.  All you will succeed in doing is blinding people in the oncoming lane.