Hid kits

[renault12ts]

'FAKE NEWS' ? I also thought the fact he was referring to LEDs as odd. However due to the topic of this post & the fact I said his car had a HID kit I clarified that indeed his car passed the MOT. In no shape or form did I mention him installing LEDs...

Also I neither own or distribute HID kits hence have no need nor intention to falsly claim they pass MOT tests.

Let me clarify, "he has an aftermarket HID kit on his SLK and it passes the MOT with no problems at all" and looks brilliant.

Better than Xenons though?

 

[clk320x]

Better than Xenons though?

My car has MB fitted Xenons and I clarify that mine do look slighly better but as an aftermarket alternative his kit seems okay.

 

[Lit91]

Cousin fitted HIDs to his SLK, looked mint. Just as good as Xenons. Brilliant light output and perfect colour temperature.

I'll ask him to forward you link to the place he bought it I'm sure they'll make a set for the ML. He payed less than £100

Ermm...HIDs are xenons. The same thing by different names.

I think what is meant here, is that the aftermarket HID installation on the SLK looks as well as factory fitted xenon

 

[renault12ts]

I think what is meant here, is that the aftermarket HID installation on the SLK looks as well as factory fitted xenon

Well wouldn't it be better to say the after market HID kit was as good as the factory fitted HIDs? Rather than confuse the situation by implying they are different forms of lamp?

 

[Lit91]

Well wouldn't it be better to say the after market HID kit was as good as the factory fitted HIDs? Rather than confuse the situation by implying they are different forms of lamp?

Possibly wasn't 100% clear, but I have understood the content of the message.

Just don't understand the need to be so pedantic, the terminology will be different across the board. The market itself is confusing the end user by labelling aftermarket Xenon systems as 'High Intensity Discharge' systems, which Xenons are...

 

[renault12ts]

Possibly wasn't 100% clear, but I have understood the content of the message.

Just don't understand the need to be so pedantic, the terminology will be different across the board. The market itself is confusing the end user by labelling aftermarket Xenon systems as 'High Intensity Discharge' systems, which Xenons are...

I didn't think I was was being a pedant, just trying to point out that they are one and the same and the message was ...incorrect/confused. If an aftermarket "HID kit" does not not use a 35 watt lamp with an igniter then it is neither HID nor Xenon (except it may have a little Xenon in an H7).

To be clear, my car has bi-Xenons...they are HID.

 

[Lit91]

I didn't think I was was being a pedant, just trying to point out that they are one and the same and the message was ...incorrect/confused. If an aftermarket "HID kit" does not not use a 35 watt lamp with an igniter then it is neither HID nor Xenon (except it may have a little Xenon in an H7).

To be clear, my car has bi-Xenons...they are HID.

I understand what you mean, all clarified and clear now.

On another subject, I don't think that we'd be able to tell the difference if an aftermarket Xenon system was fitted instead of factory Xenon in the same bi-Xenon headlamp.

 

[clk320x]

I think what is meant here, is that the aftermarket HID installation on the SLK looks as well as factory fitted xenon

Precisely!

 

[Yugguy]

I like cheese.

 

[renault12ts]

Precisely!

There you go again...it's anything but precise. Please tell me you understand that Xenons and HIDs are the same thing.

 

[Lit91]

I like cheese.

Me too, what cheese do you like?

 

[kid-jensen]

I'm in the process of changing to LEDs for the dip-beam.

Using the type which have copper braids for heatsinking, and about 2500 lumens brightness (this is just the sellers figure and clutched from thin air) I would say they were about the same brightness overall as the standard halogens, with slightly worse (less sharp) beam cut-off.

That was a good first go, but not bright enough. I've now ordered some LEDs that are supposedly 10000 lumens (Halogens are about 1000 -1500 lm).

I converted my old Audi Allroad to HIDs with huge improvement to light output and very little reduction in the sharpness of the beam pattern. The big snag was the high-voltages generated in the switching inverters would give bad interference on weak radio stations, so ruined the fitment for me.

The switching inverter boxes may have improved in that respect since, but they would need to be MUCH smaller to be able to cram them in the ML's headlight housing.

The HID conversion passed the MOT ok. Don't know about the LED concversion yet.

I bought CANBUS-Error-Free LED versions for the ML, so no problem with "Bulb-Out" warning lights...

I'm still convinced that properly designed LED conversions are the way to go...

 

[190]

I don't suppose they will put out anything like 10,000 lumens but if the trend continues and we end up with with after market lamps that really do have 10 times the lumen output of a normal dipped beam we would need legislation fast to ban them at the MOT inspection.

All the talk about what is legal or not legal is irrelevant without a mechanism to police the problem. The MOT needs a tougher more detailed test on headlights to make sure they are safe for other road users.

 

[Bigdrew]

if I fitted a hid kit which size of bulb would I need to get
the standard h7 are 55w so would I need to get the same
wattage of buld or a smaller wattage like a 35w and would
these two sizes be ok with the plastic lenses

 

[clk320x]

There you go again...it's anything but precise. Please tell me you understand that Xenons and HIDs are the same thing.

I meant that his AFTERMARKET HID/Xenon kit is almost equivalent to the OEM XENON/HID equipped on my car

 

[ToeKnee]

Me too, what cheese do you like?

Red Leicester is good, in my opinion

 

[clk320x]

Red Leicester is good, in my opinion

Mozzarella

 

[Lit91]

if I fitted a hid kit which size of bulb would I need to get
the standard h7 are 55w so would I need to get the same
wattage of buld or a smaller wattage like a 35w and would
these two sizes be ok with the plastic lenses

35w

 

[kid-jensen]

190,
The brightness of my "2500 lumen" LEDs are no greater than the standard H7 Halogens, so obviously the Chinese lumen has been devalued.

All I'm looking for is more brightness than the useless Halogens, so I've ordered the 10000 lumen upgrade.

Allowing for the devaluation of the lumen, I might end up with what I want..

Not holding my breath though...

I'm taking advice from many hours Googling that says the Fan-cooled LEDs are no less reliable than any other method of cooling, so Ive gone against my Engineering gut-feel and buy some.

We'll see.

 

[Yugguy]

Wednesleydale for cheese.

35w for the hid bulbs, 55w too bright IMO.