[JimmyDee]

I've been looking at the Bi-Xenon HID kit (plug'n'play from Hella).
There are 2 reasons why i haven't bought it...
1. The price is outrageous!
2. I rarely ever use high beam.

So... I got to thinking, why don't I just buy a ballast kit, a couple H7 HID lamps, and do a low-beam HID conversion.

Any feedback on the disadvantages to this would be appreciated.

Jimmy

 

[phantom GLI]

Most of the members here would convince against that.

My feeling that is only if my car came wth projector beam headlamps like yours has.

6 years ago European car magazine had and article where they installed an HID kit into a New Beatle that had projectors for the lowbeam and they said the benefit was much greater than stock.


Some sites selling HID kit warn against inferior kits that don't have the correct bulb positioning that may affect the aiming of the head lamp.

There is not much you can do to mess up a projector beam

So I say go for it. But it you will never have that feel of having OEM HIDs

If you go the route of the kit plot out how you are going to mount the ballasts.

 

[2004_b5.5]

http://xenondepot.com/ has conversion kit on summer sale... I converted mine using their kit and it was a plug-&-play with a small mod to the hologen bulb holder.

 

[crew217]

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

 

[JimmyDee]

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

Other than it being illegal... are there any disadvantages?

Jimmy

 

[phantom GLI]

I used to think that HID was all hype until I drove behind a Honda S2000 on night I was like wow I can turn off my headlights and drive off of his.

And the other day around evening time before sun actually went down sort of a twilight a 2003 BMW 330I coupe with HIDs blinded me and it was not even dark

So I can see the potential problem if these headlamps don't have a funtioning leveling system. Then I guess you would have to sacrafice some of the range as not to offend other drivers. Then what would be the point of having HID's if you can only see 15ft of road in front of you .

 

[2004_b5.5]

One disavantage of aftermarket kit vs. oem v8 hid is that conversion kit doesn't offer auto leveling option like the oem (with some mod effort). With aftermarket kit, leveling can only be controlled manually.

IMO, once you experience Xenon, there's no going back...

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

Other than it being illegal... are there any disadvantages?

Jimmy

 

[pacent]

I had an HID conversion on my B5.5. The stock projector housing is actually pretty good for upgrading to HIDs. I had sharp cutoffs and I had no complaints about the beam pattern. Its like of a pain to install the HID bulbs because you need to cut a metal mounting bracket. Once mine were installed, I had no problems with them whatsoever. Just make sure you disable DRLs.

 

[JimmyDee]

Its like of a pain to install the HID bulbs because you need to cut a metal mounting bracket. Just make sure you disable DRLs.

OK, I've got a Euroswitch installed, and I've already disabled my DRL's.
So far, it sounds like everyone is saying... go for it.

I'm curious as to what you had to cut a metal mounting bracket for? Was it to mount the ballasts?

Jimmy

 

[pancreas]

Only disadvantage is the other driver who is still running halogens :lol:

 

[JimmyDee]

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

Yes, it is illegal to modify your housing... I think.

However, I doubt you'd get pulled over by a cop for having HID's in a Passat.
The car is so European (and high-class) looking already, that most cops would assume they are factory headlights.
Besides, the projector makes it look like it should have an HID in it anyways... would you agree?

Jimmy

 

[2004_b5.5]

He means that you need to disasemble hologen bulb housing then and cut the metal bulb holder to fit the HID bulb. It really isn't that difficult if you know what you are doing.

Its like of a pain to install the HID bulbs because you need to cut a metal mounting bracket. Just make sure you disable DRLs.

OK, I've got a Euroswitch installed, and I've already disabled my DRL's.
So far, it sounds like everyone is saying... go for it.

I'm curious as to what you had to cut a metal mounting bracket for? Was it to mount the ballasts?

Jimmy

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

Technically, swaping with oem hids is also illegal.

 

[JimmyDee]

He means that you need to disasemble hologen bulb housing then and cut the metal bulb holder to fit the HID bulb. It really isn't that difficult if you know what you are doing.

OK, I'm sure if I look at the halogen H7 and the HID H7 lamp, I can figure out what needs to be cut / modified.

Do you have to remove the headlight housing to cut this metal bulb holder?

Jimmy

 

[pacent]

He means that you need to disasemble hologen bulb housing then and cut the metal bulb holder to fit the HID bulb. It really isn't that difficult if you know what you are doing.

OK, I'm sure if I look at the halogen H7 and the HID H7 lamp, I can figure out what needs to be cut / modified.

Do you have to remove the headlight housing to cut this metal bulb holder?

Jimmy

Nope, just remove the rubber weatherseal, and you should see a metal clip that holds your bulb into the bracket. You will need to modify that metal bracket to accept the HID bulb.

 

[dxiao]

I think you have a B5, not B5.5, since you said you are using the H7 for low beams. Anyway, projectors are much better off with the HID because the way they project the light onto the road. I wouldn't convert the your B5 low beam to HID because the beam pattern will really suck. Also, you can't just put in any HID into your head lights even they fit, you will need to make sure using the same H7 HID base becase the position of the bulbs themselves.

Anyway, it's really up to you to go with or without the HID conversion, if I were you, I would just save up the money to buy a used OEM lights from the group members here. That's what I did, and I am really happy with the result.

Good luck :thumbup:

 

[JimmyDee]

I think you have a B5, not B5.5, since you said you are using the H7 for low beams. Anyway, projectors are much better off with the HID because the way they project the light onto the road. I wouldn't convert the your B5 low beam to HID because the beam pattern will really suck. Also, you can't just put in any HID into your head lights even they fit, you will need to make sure using the same H7 HID base becase the position of the bulbs themselves.

Anyway, it's really up to you to go with or without the HID conversion, if I were you, I would just save up the money to buy a used OEM lights from the group members here. That's what I did, and I am really happy with the result.

Good luck :thumbup:

Uuhhhmmm... no.
I have a B5.5, which has a built in projector for low beam, and uses the H7 bulb for both for high beam and low beam.

Jimmy

 

[pdxa4]

B5.5 has H7 for low beam...

I think you have a B5, not B5.5, since you said you are using the H7 for low beams. Anyway, projectors are much better off with the HID because the way they project the light onto the road. I wouldn't convert the your B5 low beam to HID because the beam pattern will really suck. Also, you can't just put in any HID into your head lights even they fit, you will need to make sure using the same H7 HID base becase the position of the bulbs themselves.

Anyway, it's really up to you to go with or without the HID conversion, if I were you, I would just save up the money to buy a used OEM lights from the group members here. That's what I did, and I am really happy with the result.

Good luck :thumbup:

 

[JimmyDee]

So... getting back to my original question:
Is there any DISadvantage to me swapping out my projector halogens and putting in HID's?

Seems to me that the projector housing, by design, is suited perfectly for an HID install. I guess the only thing I will be missing is the auto-levelling (which is where the legal issue comes into play).

Aside from that, are there any other issues?

Jimmy

 

[D.Passat00]

He means that you need to disasemble hologen bulb housing then and cut the metal bulb holder to fit the HID bulb. It really isn't that difficult if you know what you are doing.

Its like of a pain to install the HID bulbs because you need to cut a metal mounting bracket. Just make sure you disable DRLs.

OK, I've got a Euroswitch installed, and I've already disabled my DRL's.
So far, it sounds like everyone is saying... go for it.

I'm curious as to what you had to cut a metal mounting bracket for? Was it to mount the ballasts?

Jimmy

isn't it illegal to convert your housings to HIDs now?

Dave

Technically, swaping with oem hids is also illegal.

i'm pretty sure the Hella Bi-Xenons are E-code, which, AFAIK, are legal in Canada.

 

[JimmyDee]

i'm pretty sure the Hella Bi-Xenons are E-code, which, AFAIK, are legal in Canada.

Nope... they're illegal here in Canada, unless you've got self-leveling.

Jimmy