HID Headlights for AU2 XR8

v8snerlo · 25-06-2006, 08:46 AM

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone has put the HID headlights into their AU XR. I decided to go and have a play on LS1.com and their is a guy there that has put them on his VY Calais for about $250 and took him all of about half an hour to complete. Anyone done it and if so how do they go.
Leon

LUXO_8 · 25-06-2006, 08:56 AM

unforutnatley, hid works very woeful if you dont have projector headlights.... which the au xr's dont have...

Orbit · 25-06-2006, 01:04 PM

Bottom line. The reflector is not ADR approved for HID so it is ILLEGAL!
end of discussion.
BUT here are some other points.
1. Most HID emmit ALOT of UV radiation though their envolopes, which will damage your reflector within 150hours of use. (a few of the more expensive brands now have a Q or QI envolope to absorb this preventing he problem)
2. The amount of glare emmited from a HID in a Halogen spec reflector or lense is plain dangerous, and the improvement in your own lighting is not excuse to cause everyone else discomfort.
3. if you use them in your HIGH beams only then you can probably do ok, as you won't cause glare to others. if you do alot of night driving you'd want to have deep pockets...as continually replacing your reflectors could get expesive.
4. Why do yo want them? if it is to be "cool".... then i'm disgusted by your poor intestinal fortitude. If you genuniely want better light there are cheaper and more legal alternatives for both low and high beam.

PM me if you'd like more info.

blackers10 · 25-06-2006, 01:27 PM

ok orbit what is a legal LOW BEAM upgrade ?
as far as im aware the AUs have one of the best low beam lightings around..

which is still BELOW HID's level...

Orbit · 25-06-2006, 02:18 PM

only legal low beam upgrade is "performance bulbs"or DOKs projector's.
the AU"s have one of the best reflector based low beam pattens, if they are focued properly with clean and polished lenses, and good bulbs then you will have pretty well no reason to use HID. Further the light produced by using HID is not focused properly resulting in a beam pattern that is infact worse then the halogen one (it only "looks" better as the light is a whiter colour, to which your eyes are more sensitive, but you'll be able to see less) Mechan1k mucked around with it in a aftermarket refelctor and HID but never was satisfied and it took an exorbaniant amount of time to get the pattern half way decent.

Other then that you could go and design and/or get approved a HID based reflector/projector based assembally. but you'd be out of pocket change for awhile.

galaxy xr8 · 25-06-2006, 06:48 PM

I've been looking into the vision plus 3500k from philips, are these any good for an AU XR8???.

**Mechan1k** · 26-06-2006, 09:15 AM

I found the Narva Plus 50 globes to be better than the Phillips ... I still run the Phillips BlueVision globe ... i run a Vision Plus and it wasn't quite as good as the BlueVision. But the Narva Plus 50 is better again.

But i am running projectors in my AU as well ... and this does make a difference again.
The Narva Plus 50 globe isn't too dear ... test one next to a few others ... if you could be bothered ... and see how it goes.

v8snerlo · 26-06-2006, 08:29 PM

Thanks for the relpies guys. I was just looking to get some more performance out of the low beams. I have tried a new bulb tha supposedly was brighter and white than the standard bulb but looking at them side by side was a joke. I couldn't tell the difference at all. I was looking at getting a whiter (not poofy blue) light as well as getting a brighter beam for safety. I always make sure my lights in all of my cars has the lights adjusted accordingly so there is no problems there. I just don't want to screw the reflectors. I was also just curious if anyone had done it because I think HID xenon lights are absolutely fantastic. My mothers RX8 mazda has them and I tell you what, they should be considered a safety feature. Night vision is sssoooooo much better.
Leon

**Mechan1k** · 27-06-2006, 07:11 AM

The work damn well in the RX8 ... as they have the correct setup for HID.
You'd need at least a projector headlight setup ... and then there are difference in those as well (there are specific halogen and HID projectors too).

v8snerlo · 28-06-2006, 07:31 AM

So from the general feedback I assume that the Narva 50+ is the way to go. Is that a white light or yellow light and is there a rough indication on price? I have tried some cheap white/blue light from supercheap and I took them back saying that they were crap so I am a little cautious as you could probably gather. Thanks for the replies
Leon.

blackers10 · 29-06-2006, 01:04 AM

look at mechanik's avatar.. would you say that man would settle for crap lights?? :P

he drives alot of DARK roads thru the country side so needs decent lights not just spotlights

from memory he said the narva plus 50s are around $20 a pair
i believe them to be available from places OTHER than supercheap (Dont recall us(i work there) selling narva gear
autobarn would
so would queensland diesel spares(theres one located at burpengary. they have ALOT of useful narva stuff(every type of connector etc and types of ducting hose for trucks etc)

**Professor Farnsworth** · 29-06-2006, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v8snerlo

So from the general feedback I assume that the Narva 50+ is the way to go. Is that a white light or yellow light and is there a rough indication on price? I have tried some cheap white/blue light from supercheap and I took them back saying that they were crap so I am a little cautious as you could probably gather. Thanks for the replies
Leon.

mate you may wish to look at this thread for some opinions on who's tried what, and how good or bad they are..
I have philips crystalvision bulbs, and in all honesty after having them for a week i find them better to look at for extended periods of time, as the light is easier on my eyes, but they don't light up as much as the standard bulbs.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LIGHTING THREAD

**Mechan1k** · 29-06-2006, 08:03 PM

The Phillips do look good ... it's a bright white looking light ... but looking from the driver's seat on the road ... it seems soft (ie: not crisp) ... the Narva Plus 50 has a sharper beam ... but looks a little browner/yellower ... but has better distance ... just. But beam pattern is wider and has more clarity.

I'd love to go back to HID .... but the wiring loom was like spaghetti ... and getting it all to fit was a pain for me (I have a lot of electricals under the bonnet) ... also it annoyed so many other drivers out there. I had a lot of people flash me ... so i "HAD" to flash them back.

Then I had my fiancee drive my car ... and she followed me when i was in my Territory (higher driving position) ... and it REALLY annoyed me. Then i had flickering issues with the driver's headlight as well (not fun ... and i couldn't find the problem either).

So i pulled the kit out .... it was better for brightness over halogen ... don't get me wrong ... halogen can't compete ... but in the reflector housing ... the beam was all over the place and was dangerous for oncoming traffic (even though i had it set as low as possible).

I wouldn't mind trying it in the projector headlights now .... the person to speak to would be Duffman as he is running a low-beam HID kit in his projectors.

Also another reason i got rid of the HIDs was that the UV radiation from them was burning a hole in my reflector in the headlight housing and it was slightly discolouring the lense as well. Hence I have gone for a UV Cut Quartz globe now ... to reduce headlight internal damage.

Narva Plus 50 was cheaper than i expected ... and I am happy (now that I have adjusted myself back to halogen after having HID) with them ... have done a couple of months worth of testing (10,000km so far) with a few globes and it looks like the Plus 50s work the best (for me anyway).

Side Note: managed to get a set of Ion Cyrstal H7 globes from the US for my foglights ... very happy to have found them ... as the fog is getting bad now early in the mornings.