.:mike:.

First of all - Hello, i'm new!

I was considering a HID kit for the car - bugeye - and was confused about bulb sizes; I've replaced my standard bulbs (just how bad are these?!?) with osram bulbs and seen a big difference. I'm not suggesting that these would (quite litteraly) hold a candle to a HID kit, but - the main beam/dipped is an H4 bulb - how come i've noticed that the recommended HID kit isnt H4??

Secondly - has anyone actually failed an mot due to these being retrofitted into a non-projector type headlamp unit?

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

A HID kit will be a great improvement. H4 bi kits use a small motor to flick the beam from dipped to main. I use the H4 bi kit on my own car and have done for some 2 years now and find them to be far better than any uprated halogens.

Of the hundreds of kits we've sold, none have had any issues passing MOTs, (but they are sold in the same way as high wattage bulbs ie off road use).

https://www.scoobynet.com/group-buys...id-kit-gb.html

tanyatriangles

iTrader: (2)

Hey BOB, there's a guy wants to know about '97 headlight bulbs, and as you are now the acknowledged expert, can you have a look at his thread?

Chelspeed

Bugeye WRX is an H4, bugeye STi uses an H1 dip and 9005 main beam.

2008scooby

Most common fail is on beam pattern. Some people aim there headlights down to get round this. Though not ideal as it tends to just give you a super bright blob of light on the floor right in front of your car rather then spreading it out where you need it, it will often get them past a MOT.

Another common fail is colour. Headlights must be white to yellow in colour. The highest colour temp light to achiever approval is 5800k so if you stay under that this should not be a problem. Though saying that on the cheap kits you can not trust there colour rating.

Many cars with halogen headlight will turn off the low beam at the same time as turning on high beam. This is fine with halogen bulbs but HID bulbs take time to warm up and in so all vehicles fitted HID always hold there low beam on. This is so it never goes dark when flicking from high to low beam as this is dangerous and a MOT fail. So if you have a vehicle that does not hold low beam on fitting twin HID or a HID and a halogen will often fail a MOT. There are some HID kits that hard wire low beam so its always on and some that use a sliding bulb to get round this problem.

This next one is more relevant to older or really cheap kits. Many H4 kits only had a single beam as this was much cheaper to produce. These sorts of HID are a instant fail on having a missing obligatory light.

Yes another one on the cheaper kits is they do tend to flicker and change colour. Again this is a MOT fail on both fronts.

Though this is a general guide on fails with retofit HID bulbs but not nesaseraly all applicable to your vehicle.

The biggest problem is not the MOT but rather the fact that no HID bulb hold a E mark approving it to be used in a halogen headlight. In so its actually illegal to use a headlight retrofitted with HID bulbs on the open road. This is why they are sold as for off road use only.

.:mike:.

Thanks! Confusion cleared up - so if I want a HID kit I can use an H4