which ones are best

to fit faclift headlights

there illegal in 2012 mots but im still running mine lol. i got 6k which is blue tint and 5k are perfect white. i went with slimline 35w and are fine with me.

HIDS4U.co.uk are fantastic. I've been using mine now for about 9months and they haven't missed a beat in all that time. Excellent quality imo.

Oh and I just use the 35w ones so that I don't have to run a wire from the battery to the ballasts. They simply just plug in. Easy as pie.

Compared to Laura's they look VERY similar too (if not identical) and hers are the 55w!!

I will just add that HID's will not be illegal, but they will fail the MoT if you havn't got auto levelling system on it.

And, I think, to comply with the new MoT regulaton, if you getpulled by the Police and have HID's without auto levelling, it will be a fixed penalty of £60, AND in the future 3 points if they think it's endorcable.

I will just check up on this.

ok thanks ash. what about jet washers and projector headlights rather than reflective to.

I'm still selling mine if ur interested looey

I'm not 100% sure on the washers yet Milo. We have a MoT seminar on the 7th Febuary where all the new items will be discussed. I'll be sure to ask about HID's and what they must have, and then I'll let you all know.

thanks again ash =]

No problem

Folks,

The after market HID's are not EU type approved and if not fitted to your car when its original manufactured they are not road legal.

As it stands in Scotland its a non endorcable ticket for unauthorised lamps.

If your fitting them you really need to have the full headlight changed, have jet washers etc.

The standard head lights are not designed to reflect the light properly there for don't give a proper spread of light across the road and direct the light in all the wrong ways causing dazzel to other road users...

Yeah they look good, but a good set of Philips (make sure they DONT say suitable for OFFROAD use only as they are illegal also) are actually going to be better as that's what the headlights are designed to use and what Ford would have spent a few bob on designing.

J.


Here's the Department of transport Fact Sheet on them :

Fact sheet:

Aftermarket HID headlamps
December 2006

In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.

this facts of the law is getting boring now i have read it about 50 times and i still dont care, i can see where im going and never get flashed because i didnt buy a cheap kit from ebay they do reflect properly!

should make a new patented hid kit like the hids for you ones as i have no problems with them when they are dirty and never get flashed...
like dan says its all to do with the 30 quid ones that are made in another country...

just a quick question... do all hids kits for standard cars from factory have water jets and auto level?? pretty sure the seat leon dont....

Milo, I'm sure they would have. Dan's going to hate this bit BUT I'm sure the law say's that HID's MUST have auto level and washer jets fitted from standard if they have HID's.

i know it Ash, im not saying its not true, but every post that remotely mention HID's is referred to them as illegal and its getting boring