Night driving - EK headlights x(

[skoota]

Alright, I am currently not happy with the amount and quality of light that the stcok headlights in my EK provide. I am having trouble seeing clearly at night, and especially when it is wet like it was tonight. Anywho, I am not interested in looks and all that, I want to know what is available to me, like HID lights or whatever they're called. I want new globes, foglights - the works if needs be. I would like to know, what you guys reckon I should get, what brands and how much am I looking at?

I saw these on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2474866709&category=36 607&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1

Hmmm... thinking looks dodgy. I have no knowledge about this area, so if you guys could stear me in the right direction - that'd be just f*cking fantastic! :P

[incoming]

have u tried those bright white bulbs.. they work abit... cost 40$ a pair!

correct me if im wrong but i think u can adjust the lights to "point" up abit cant u?.. try that

[mo]

Alright, I am currently not happy with the amount and quality of light that the stcok headlights in my EK provide. I am having trouble seeing clearly at night, and especially when it is wet like it was tonight. Anywho, I am not interested in looks and all that, I want to know what is available to me, like HID lights or whatever they're called. I want new globes, foglights - the works if needs be. I would like to know, what you guys reckon I should get, what brands and how much am I looking at?

I saw these on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2474866709&category=36 607&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1

Hmmm... thinking looks dodgy. I have no knowledge about this area, so if you guys could stear me in the right direction - that'd be just f*cking fantastic! :P

I agree with the stock EK headlights being a POS! I have to use high beam to find my street :x

[TOYOL]

There are screws at the back which adjusts the tilt of the bulb. Just fiddle around with them with the lights on the wall. The screws face upwards.

[mo]

mine's on highest...still can't see sh!te lol.

[evil_mike]

I bought a similar pair of those headlights for $50, on the packet it said that the lights were as bright as HID, which of course excited me.

After installing it, I was really disappointed on what I was expecting. Sure it was brighter but there wasn't much difference at all. I guess the packet gave me a false impression on what I was about to purchase,

I woudn't expect too much from those globes.

[Kit]

just a suggestion.
The stock EK headlights are 55/60 H4 bulbs.
while changing to some PIAA bulbs of the same wattage "claim" that the beam will be brighter, I found that they were pretty much the same, or weaker.

what I used to do was use PIAA H4 80/80 watt bulbs, and they were really good, the high beam was really bright too.
but then I found when I lowered the car, it wouldnt light up as far anymore.

yuo dont have to buy PIAA ones, cos they dont last that long, but buy a good quality bulb, like Phillips, Bosch or any of the more expensive japanese ones. dont buy the $40 or $50 ones from the local autostore.
and also dont go over 80/80 w

[Civic Si]

I'm currently using Polarg globes. The best aftermarket globes so far for meee...! :)

Not cheap, but I guess they're better than cheaper brands like MTEC which I've used be4.

When driving at night in da rain da MTEC's were really hard to see through da rain! I've given up on da cheap $50 headlight globes! :D

:arrow: Nothing beats a Stock Halogen headlight globe when usin da high beam! :nod:

[A'PEXi]

i think phillips does the job quite well.....

[skoota]

Thanks heaps guys. What are your thoughts when it comes to foglights?

[Civic Si]

Fog lights are good when used in da right situation.

Under the law if u use fog lights in da wrong situation then if a Cop see's u then u'll most probably get a fine!

Just be careful when u use fog lights! ;)

[skoota]

What exactly are the right situations? Most cars, well new ones, come with foglights and i see ppl using then all the time. Is it just like using your high beams? Can't use them when there is oncoming traffic??

[geo41e]

i gotta EG5 hatch civic with the JDM fog lights. however they abit yellow/white...l changed my headlights but now the fogs dun match up. can i change the fogs??

[coladuna]

What exactly are the right situations? Most cars, well new ones, come with foglights and i see ppl using then all the time. Is it just like using your high beams? Can't use them when there is oncoming traffic??

Well, drivers you see on the road are idiots.
I'm sick to death of seeing stupid drivers who think the purpose of having foglight is to improve visibility in normal situations.
Please don't get foglights if you are going to use it all the time. Those people pisses me right off, not to mention it's bloody illegal and they don't even know! :x
They are only meant to be used in situations where visibility is severely limited by fog, heavy rain etc....
The name "foglight" says it all, doesn't it?

As for globes, I have Philips BlueVision and they seem to work treats.
I got them for $65 from Autobarn, I think, which included a pair of matching parking lights.

[skoota]

No, like the title of the post saus - nightdriving, and I did mention I need this for heavy rain etc... I would not use them all the time, but in situations you said were appropriate.

Any others globes you ppl wanna suggest? I would pay a bit for these if they were to benefit me.

[carbine]

;) stock lights are fine for me

perhaps you guys need your eyes checked.

also dont be adding a lighthouse to the front of your car, think of other road users.

[SIKCVC]

Those people pisses me right off, not to mention it's bloody illegal and they don't even know!
They are only meant to be used in situations where visibility is severely limited by fog, heavy rain etc....
The name "foglight" says it all, doesn't it?


Ok no fog lamps arn't illegal if they were offered as an option and neither are DRIVING LIGHTS.

Fog lamps are actually red lights possitioned at the REAR of the car to enhance vision for cars coming up behind... excels and euro cars have them, jap cars have no need for these.

Driving lights on the other hand are to enhance the driver of the cars ability to see in adverse conditions... either when its raining... country lanes (because the light is spread WIDE and faned out where as head lights are projected) So this can include twisties etc... and i find them quite usfull myself. You are right in that fog lamps can only be used in adverse conditiongs... because they are ****ing anoying. however Driving lights can be used at anytime as with head lights, providing they are angled appropriatly. Thats the Vicroads rulling, not the same wording but exactly what it means.

[kimbi]

well i was defected a couple weeks ago for having blue headlights (honestly i didnt know it.. think they were in the car when i bought it) so i went to buy those white ones ect ect.. they guy said to buy the el cheapo $8/pair ones that shine for 75m, rather than the ones that are like half the distance.. they are far better than the white ones as they shine longer!!!

[skoota]

Actually - I have had my eyes checked - I now wear glasses as I have a stigmatism in both my eyes - for those who don't know what that is - it distorts light and therefore letters, numbers and things that involve light get blurry without glasses - hence my query and need for better lighting at night.

[toE]

foglights are illegal to use if used in the wrong conditions. it is not illegal to have them fitted on aftermarket or OEM.

foglights are meant to be used in/during fogs, heavy rain, where visibility is limited.

want proof...check the rta/vic roads ... pretty sure it's stated there. There was an article about it in the papers last year too.

I got pulled over in NSW driving from sydney to melbourne for using foglights. officer said that they were illegal to use in the condition on that day ( clear sky :oops: ) I understand that that's in NSW and you're in VIC skoota, but i'm pretty sure that law applies here too.

On another note, try and get some higher powered bulbs. check on the websites (phillips, bosch) and see if they have any, and dealer locators. good luck.

[pgclee]

i have a pair B1 Halogen, Selling for 110 Bucks New!....

120/130w...4700k....very nice lights...and you can see in the dark and find your Streets...

You pay for what you get dude...Quality...
Don't tell me that you get a pair of PIAA light bulbs for around 190 bucks...5500k 120w/130w, and you can't see the difference...

and those cheap ones, the quality...ermm...HAHAHa...tried it ones...used for a week and gone...60 bucks for those...and i've changed 2-3 sets...so...around 180....and you know what...i would rather pay higher for a pair rather than to change it every time...they don't sell you for a high price if they are not good...make sense?

[coladuna]

Fog lamps are actually red lights possitioned at the REAR of the car to enhance vision for cars coming up behind... excels and euro cars have them, jap cars have no need for these.


You are completely lost there!
The red lights you are talking about are rear foglights!
The ones at the front ARE foglights too.
I'm not 100% sure of the law regarding the driving lights, but as far as I know, it's illegal to even have extra driving lights on your car for normal road use. They are only for off-road use, I think.

[coladuna]

i have a pair B1 Halogen, Selling for 110 Bucks New!....

120/130w...4700k....very nice lights...and you can see in the dark and find your Streets...


Using high wattage bulbs like that can lead to problems when they get overheated. It's best to stick to recommended wattage.



they don't sell you for a high price if they are not good...make sense?

Sometimes... but you'll often find that people sell crap for ridiculously high price too even though they're not worth it.

[SIKCVC]

You are completely lost there!
The red lights you are talking about are rear foglights!
The ones at the front ARE foglights too.
I'm not 100% sure of the law regarding the driving lights, but as far as I know, it's illegal to even have extra driving lights on your car for normal road use. They are only for off-road use, I think.

Ok my dad clarified it for me (pommy so he knows his euro crap)
Driving lights are what you buy at the shops and are what JDM honda's and some ausy honda came out with... According to the law up to 6 head or driving lights can be on while driving (as in the case of the new mustangs) under any road conditions.
Fog lamps on the other hand can only be used under adverse conditions this includes rearward (the really bright red lights on euro cars) and forward facing fog lamps(from what my dad recons). Forward facing fog lamps actually point forward and left on LHD cars or forward and right on RHD cars. In other words they point at the curb so you can drive by watching the white line in foggy conditions. It was a standard feature on his E-Type.

So what i said was correct except i didn't realise there were actual fog lamps for the front too. But what you buy in the shop are usually driving lights since they produce a braud but still distant beam... screwed if you'd want that in foggy conditions.

This is probably why theres a thin line on what can and can't be used since both driving lights and fog lamps look almost identical.

My 2 bob.

But yeah get driving lights as well... light up a bigger area fully adjustable and you can turn them off when you want.

[skoota]

You guys are good. Thanks heaps for your advice. Has anyone who live in Vic near Preston been at that shop on Bell St. Upper Heidelberg that specialises in lights...? I wanna check that place out just wondering if anyone here have been there or elsewhere better. If you haven't guessed, lights are now very important to me as they are safety related now.. I CAN'T SEE SHIT!!!

[toE]

Can't be that bad Brett (that's ur name isn't it)??

Maybe you can define a little bit more (if you havent already) what you can't see at nights, what condition it was in eg. no street lights AT ALL, or highway conditions?? who knows, it may not be because of your headlights... just a thought...

[coladuna]

According to the law up to 6 head or driving lights can be on while driving (as in the case of the new mustangs) under any road conditions.


Please provide a link where it says such thing. From my search on the net, it appears that driving lights are strictly prohibited from use on normal urban area.



But yeah get driving lights as well... light up a bigger area fully adjustable and you can turn them off when you want.

Again, I'm pretty sure driving lights have to be wired to only come on when highbeams are on. Therefore, what you're suggesting is illegal.

[pgclee]

easy...get HID kit then...pay for like 1k for PIAA H4 kit...7000 - 8000 k...thats gonna b bright enough for you man...

there is no such thing = cheap with quality dude...face the reality..

you wanna get 50 bucks bulbs and you'll start complaining about it, the go ahead...at the end of the day, you will feel that you've lost another 50 bucks...

[SIKCVC]

coladuna what state are you in?

I just read through most of the relevent stuff on Vic roads site and all i could find that says either way is this


The standards also prohibit a vehicle from being fitted with a lamp of reflector that is not required or permitted by the standards.


If its a standard feature it could be argued that it is required to enhance the the light emited.

Its only aftermarket that is defind as illegal.

Its a hazzy area... they usually just ask me if mine are white.

But since you'd be after aftermarket lamps then its probs not a good idea.

oh and heres the correct wireing.


5. Electrical Requirements

It shall not be possible to switch on the dipped-beam headlamps unless the following lamps are already on:

a. the front and rear position (side) lamps;
b. the rear registration plate lamp; and, if fined,
c. side marker lamps;
d. passenger car side marker lamps;
e. end-outline marker lamps.

The exception is when the dipped-beam headlamps are switched on and off for short periods of time to issue warnings or signals.

When changing over to dipped beam, all main beam headlamps shall switch off at the same time.

The control for changing to dipped beam shall be a hand or foot operated switch within reach of the driver in the normal driving position.

The dipped beams may remain switched on at the same time as the main beams.

Dipped-beam headlamps may be concealed when not in use.

[Jus-10]

As the others said, get a good brand name globe, like Philips, etc. They will cost you a bit extra, but they don't blow every month like the cheapo brands.

Philips have different ranges from brighter standard globes (might be worth looking at) to blue vision, crystal visions and diamond visions with the top sets costing about $140.

At the end of the day, I don't think 'white' globes are your answer as they won't offer improved visibility - they just produce a different coloured light.

HIDs or Xenons are expensive - up over the $1,000 mark for a high/low H4 kit - and are illegal.

Your best bet would be to get a high performance standard globe and stay away from 'white' globes. Just check out your local auto parts store and see what they have.

[coladuna]

If you are going for Philips globes, go for BlueVision.
CrystalVision and DiamondVision are simply more white in looks and that's about it. They won't make it more brighter, not to mention they are heaps more expensive.

[incoming]

Actually - I have had my eyes checked - I now wear glasses as I have a stigmatism in both my eyes - for those who don't know what that is - it distorts light and therefore letters, numbers and things that involve light get blurry without glasses - hence my query and need for better lighting at night.

u know i was just thinking.... if u had foggies/brighter bulbs on whilst driving and got pulled over and fined..
u could probably get away with OH&S cos of ur poor eyesight...
just a thought...

[coladuna]

u know i was just thinking.... if u had foggies/brighter bulbs on whilst driving and got pulled over and fined..
u could probably get away with OH&S cos of ur poor eyesight...
just a thought...

I doubt it. They'll probably say you shouldn't be driving then or something like that.

[incoming]

u know i was just thinking.... if u had foggies/brighter bulbs on whilst driving and got pulled over and fined..
u could probably get away with OH&S cos of ur poor eyesight...
just a thought...

I doubt it. They'll probably say you shouldn't be driving then or something like that.

thats discrimination!!! hahahhaha

[skoota]

Alright, this is the go for me, I am not long or short sighted. However, with my glasses on, when it is dark raining etc... I find it hard to see street signs, and lanes/road dividers so it is hard to follow the road sometimes which makes me a little uncomfortable. Legally I can drive anytime without my glasses, my sight is not like some 80 year old invilid hwo cannot see a thing.

Also when driving in back streets and such that are not light very well, I find it harder to see. However, in the my old car it was not such a problem. I cannot afford to get Xenons and things at that price - plus the fact they are illegal for normal roads - I have checked. I think I'll go with the Phillips blue visions and possibly get driving lights from Burg DEsign.

[toE]

u sure u dun have nightblindness maybe?? no offence ... if any...

[skoota]

Nah, no offense. Apparently I don't, but, it's a common problem with people that have my "condition." Anywho, I think problem is solved. thanks guys!

[Civic Type R]

im using Arctic blue bulbs.
but still i agree with the thread topic. Our EK headlights are pretty shit

[McChook]

I am now using a set of

NARVA ARCTIC BLUE, 55w efforts, and they are GREAT. Crystal clear, bright enough, and don't look blue at all... I love'm

[Civic Type R]

yer same .. but wait till a bmw or audi drives up to u and u realise how crappy ours are ...

[skoota]

How much are they???

[Civic Type R]

my mums HRV has 3 times better night illumination !

[skoota]

And why is that dear???? 8)

[McChook]

My mother's BMW 330i blows me away... the lights are awesome

[mo]

My brother's skyline and my mum's laguna both has xenons...makes the civic look very gay!! LOL

[skoota]

Damn fricken Honda grrrrr.... :x

[Civic Type R]

And why is that dear???? 8)
because it just does lovvy

[wynode]

Yeah even the EG has shit reflectors.

I second the Narva Arcitc blues. They are not as bright as stock, but have a nice white light and they don't blow out as quick as the other cheaper brands. Been running them for over 8 months no probs.

[skoota]

Thanks precious... ;)

[Civic Type R]

has anyone here done a projector conversion ?
better or worse .. ?

[skoota]

I met someone at the Vic mini-meet last year who had projectors in their EK. Can't remeber where they got them from but said that the resistors needed changing and all sorts of shit cos they blow quite easily and give less light. :shock:

[Alpine]

I second the Narva Arcitc blues. They are not as bright as stock, but have a nice white light and they don't blow out as quick as the other cheaper brands. Been running them for over 8 months no probs.

I saw these at Hypermarket today for $29.95 a pair. Are they really not as bright as stock? Does anyone have pictures of before and after of what these look like? Considering getting them.

[lamsy]

The best bulbs I've used are the Philips X-Treme Power +80% from http://www.powerbulbs.co.uk/. £ 21.27 for H4 including delivery from UK.
Much brighter than stock. Same colour as stock bulbs. If u want blue light/ HID effect these are not for you. If u want bright get these.

[quang]

just adding to this, as i have a little trouble seeing during the night aswell, but does anybody find it hard to see during slightly wet conditions because of the reflection off the road? my lights seem to sorta disappear when it comes to conditions like that. any recommendations that don't seem to disappear as much?

[Ph@t-G]

Well I guess you can do one of two things. One is to get a set of globes that have a higher output rating than stock e.g. 4300k+ or you can try and adjust the headlight spread and height angle.

I had the same problem with poor light visibility until I went and adjusted the headlights' horizontal and vertical beam angles. Now it's all fine.

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39393&highlight=adjust+headlight

Hope this helps you out!

[Alpine]

just adding to this, as i have a little trouble seeing during the night aswell, but does anybody find it hard to see during slightly wet conditions because of the reflection off the road? my lights seem to sorta disappear when it comes to conditions like that. any recommendations that don't seem to disappear as much?

Is this with the stock yellowy bulbs or blue/white ones?

Really wonder if these are worth it:
http://www.narva.com.au/Globes_Performance_2.html

[mimps]

has anyone here done a projector conversion ?
better or worse .. ?

:wave:
done properly, the results are day and night, i'll look for pics on the other computer and post it.

[mimps]

some photos.

[steve88]

i was never a fan of projectors, they look nice kinda but ... hmmm

[mimps]

Is this with the stock yellowy bulbs or blue/white ones?

Really wonder if these are worth it:
http://www.narva.com.au/Globes_Performance_2.html

Higher temp bulbs i.e 4300K+ will reflect more in wet conditions and reduce visibility. Stick to 4300K (yellow or standard temp), higher temp bulbs look brighter, but put out less usable light.
Those who have 8000k bulbs are crazy...

[aaronng]

I saw these at Hypermarket today for $29.95 a pair. Are they really not as bright as stock? Does anyone have pictures of before and after of what these look like? Considering getting them.

You're better off getting Narva Plus50s as they are brighter. But they are normal halogen-coloured bulbs. http://www.narva.com.au/Globes_Performance_1.html

[quang]

Is this with the stock yellowy bulbs or blue/white ones?

Really wonder if these are worth it:
http://www.narva.com.au/Globes_Performance_2.html


these are with blue/white ones some platinum white ones or something. so i should go back to yellowy ones if i want less relfection.

[mapdit]

the hid kits are awesome..cost me 60 bux for a philips kit.

[EK1.6LCIV]

bumpin' for new info on lights

need bright (legal lights)

[neo_phase]

I installed a pair of Philips BlueVision recently and it is definitely clearer than the stock bulbs but I'm still not happy with the range/coverage I'm getting with it. Guess I'll just have to deal with it.

What bulbs do you use for the parking (first level) lights as it's weird to have them on stock.

Also, would anyone be kind enough to take a picture on where the bloody screws are? My beams are shinning pretty low and I've tried adjusting a few screws but it hasn't changed anything.

Any help would be great! :thumbsup:

[EK1.6LCIV]

Im not sure of the bulbs in mine atm

(bought projectors and they came with bulbs already)

going back to stock Honda lights, was going to go the HID route, but can see this being a bad call... lol

[twing]

I have my narva 50 plus for 3 years now... and it is a step better than OEM.
If they blow up, I'll go for philips x-treme power. 80plus
Look at this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNXfhrQTdaw

[EK1.6LCIV]

yea been trying to find pics on the net (as I cant youtube at work, lol)

[twing]

try this link:
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2151068

the osram 50plus in there, is sold as narva 50plus here

[EK1.6LCIV]

cheers for that :D

[sPoOnD_]

ive used the cheap $30 - $50 globes and they a better than OEM but in the wet u see nothing. spent almost $200 on different brands. but now i use HID's ill never go bak :D

[neo_phase]

I have my narva 50 plus for 3 years now... and it is a step better than OEM.
If they blow up, I'll go for philips x-treme power. 80plus
Look at this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNXfhrQTdaw

Kudos for that.

The Extreme Power looks pretty awesome. Gonna try calling the local shop to see if they have any in stock.

If not http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=43 seems pretty cheap at $25 pounds with free delivery.

[dahondr98]

As an owner of a 98 model VTi-R since new, I’ll agree that the headlights are poor. You can put in better globes, as long as they are standard wattage, to avoid damaging the plastic headlight lens and reflector. The Philips X-treme +80 globes are about the best standard wattage globes (55/60W) currently available. But, unless you upgrade the wiring to the headlights to avoid the voltage loss which the standard wiring provides, you won’t be getting the best out of any globe.

The wiring on the Civic, and on many Japanese vehicles, is just too thin to allow full voltage to get to the headlights. I measured that only 80% of the battery voltage was available at the headlights on mine on low beam, soon after I bought it – well over 2 volts was being dropped across the wiring between the battery and the headlight plugs. As voltage drop is proportional to current (Ohm’s Law is V=IR), and hence wattage, the 60W high beams would produce slightly more voltage drop, with less available at the headlights. Here’s a table from Hella, showing the percentage brightness of lights for various percentages of battery voltage:

Voltage Brightness
100% 100%
95% 83%
90% 67%
85% 53%

This shows that by reducing the voltage by only 15%, headlight bulb brightness is reduced to almost half. So, given a 20% reduction in voltage at the headlight terminals of a near-new Civic, as measured by me using a digital multimeter (I worked in electronics for many years, and have an electrical engineering qualification), we can assume that our headlights are about half as bright as they could be, if they had full battery voltage. Solution: upgrade the wiring, using two high quality relays, one for low beam, and the other for high beam, with 5mm or 6mm diameter cable run directly (via inline fuses) to the battery. You can either do it yourself, get an auto-electrician to do it, or use a quality plug-in headlight wiring loom. The 8 Standard Wire Gauge wire sold by DSE (Cat W2302, W2304), Jaycar (Cat WH3060, WH3062) and Altronics (Cat W4100, W4102) for wiring in high power car amplifiers is excellent wire for a DIY headlight loom job, and it’s nice and flexible too. If you do it yourself, here’s an explanation of how to do it, by US car lighting expert Daniel Stern http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html , who knows what he is talking about.

The plug in headlight wiring looms are commonly available in Australia from 4X4 accessory outlets, such as ARB, Opposite Lock, 4WD Megastore, or 4WD Warehouse. The two best known brands are Piranha’s Superloom, and ARB’s IPF headlight loom. I used a Piranha Superloom on my Land Rover in the mid-90’s, which I removed before I sold it, so I fitted it to the Civic, and got much brighter headlights, on both high and low beam. The effect was much more noticeable on the Civic compared to the LR, as the LR original headlight wiring was thicker, so the percentage improvement wasn’t as great. The Superloom’s just a plug in loom, with relays for high and low beam, complete with fuses, using 6mm thick wire – a ring terminal connects to earth under a convenient bolt on the body in the engine bay, another is connected to the battery positive lead, one of the original headlight plugs is plugged into a socket on the new loom, and the two plugs on the headlight loom plug into the headlight globes. The relays on the loom need to be mounted to a convenient spot in the engine bay – I made up a small bracket to hold mine, and used an existing unused, tapped bolthole to screw it to, and the fuses also need to be mounted somewhere. I used cable ties to hold everything in position, and ran it alongside existing wiring, and as it uses similar split corrugated tubing to the original Honda wiring, it looks stock. The wiring loom, combined with upgraded bulbs – lately the recently released Philips +80 bulbs, means that the dim stock headlights are a thing of the past. I can certainly believe Hella’s figures – they look twice as bright. Here are some links to information on looms on Australian 4x4 websites http://piranhaoffroad.com.au/index.php/default/headlights-driving-lights/2-headlight-super-loom.html http://www.arb.com.au/products/ipf-lights-accessories/ipf-spares-accessories/ . Unfortunately most Aussie 4X4 accessory sellers seem to be reluctant to use the web for sales, so if you’re in a remote locality, you may need to ring around some of the stores I mentioned above to ask about the looms, and see if you can buy from them via phone or mail order, or get a local auto-electrician to make up one – a close relative in that trade would be ideal.

Expect to pay quite a bit for the upgrade loom – somewhere between $100 and $200 would be typical. It’s been some time since I bought mine in the mid-90’s – I think it cost me about $60 or $80 back then, from a local 4X4/rally expert. While you may think that’s a lot, when you price the relays, relay connectors, fuses, wires, plugs, and split tubing (and labour), it’s quite reasonable. I actually extended the length of my superloom, so that I could fit it down the driver’s side of the engine bay, and mount the relays under the airbox, where there’s more room, but at a stretch, it’s probably possible to fit the standard loom down the passenger’s side from the battery, with the relays fitted in somewhere. I fitted the loom across in front of the radiator between the headlights – the radiator can be unbolted at the top, and tilted towards the engine to gain access, without disconnecting any hoses.

Most auto-electricians will also wire up a new loom, with relays and fuses, for you at a reasonable price, using decent 5 or 6mm wire (the Civic uses 2.5mm wire, which is why it produces such a voltage drop with high wattage accessories like headlights). Do a google search on headlight & loom on Australian websites, and you’ll see what plenty of Australians had to say about the difference in brightness after fitting a headlight loom to their (mainly) Japanese 4X4 – the majority, if not all, said what a major difference it made. Note that you shouldn’t use high wattage globes in the EK Civic, due to the plastic headlights – only standard wattage globes (60/55W) can be used, as higher wattage bulbs damage the plastic headlight lenses and reflectors through excessive heat and UV output. The upgrade standard bulbs, such as +30, +50 and +80 bulbs, from reputable manufacturers such as Cibie, Hella, Osram, Philips or Narva, are quite OK, as they run at the same temperature as standard, and they also make a worthwhile difference, but not as much as fixing up the wiring. The Philips brand globes are superb, and if you go for +30 or +50 bulbs, you can save a bit by buying the Australian Narva brand items – they are actually the Philips globes, in Narva packaging, or the ones I’ve checked have been! But remember, when you fit new headlight wiring, you’re effectively fitting the equivalent of “+100” bulbs, and you can also install the +80 bulbs, and get a total 180% improvement! That’s 3 times as bright.:) If the headlights are properly adjusted, you won’t dazzle other road users – I’ve been using the upgraded wiring, and brighter bulbs, for almost 11 years, and I’ve never had anyone flash their headlights at me because they were dazzled. I’ve also driven towards my Civic, in another vehicle, when a relative was driving it, and although the headlights looked nice and bright, they didn’t cause me any discomfort, unlike those of some other vehicles I’ve had the misfortune to meet coming the other way!

[MikeyG]

dude wtf is that?? did u copy and paste that???

[dahondr98]

dude wtf is that?? did u copy and paste that???

Wrote it in MSWord, and then pasted it in.

[vinnY]

when you say upgraded harness do you mean something like this (http://www.rallylights.net/useful_info/headlamp_wiring.htm) don?
i've been considering it for some time now..

hidplanet (http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6612&highlight=wiring+harness) also have their own sort of harness for hid conversions

also these blokes (http://xenonexpert.com/ddm_kit.html) seem to be selling harness' to car batteries for about $30US too
i wonder how they would perform?

[dahondr98]

when you say upgraded harness do you mean something like this (http://www.rallylights.net/useful_info/headlamp_wiring.htm) don?
i've been considering it for some time now..


Yes, that's the sort of thing.

[QUOTE=vinnY;2240320hidplanet (http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6612&highlight=wiring+harness) also have their own sort of harness for hid conversions

also these blokes (http://xenonexpert.com/ddm_kit.html) seem to be selling harness' to car batteries for about $30US too
i wonder how they would perform?[/QUOTE]

I think that the HID harnesses would be fine to do a HID conversion. However, I suspect that they don't have the correct socket to plug onto an H4 halogen globe - they probably have a different plug, so that they can plug into the HID ballast units, and power them.

I'd guess that the Xenonexpert harness is like that - it certainly looks like a nice harness, but only for HID. I can't access the HIDplanet link - it wants me to register and login to gain access to it. I can tell you that I think it's illegal in Australia, and I suspect the USA too, to convert halogen low beams to HID. HID low beam headlights in Australia MUST have headlight washers, and some form of levelling - either self-levelling suspension, or a driver headlight height adjustment, I believe. I know people do the conversions, and plenty of firms will sell you the equipment to do it, but it could invalidate your car insurance (including third party insurance) if you do it.

About the only HID conversion that's legal here is one for high beam headlights (or driving lights, and possibly foglights, too) which are seperate from the low beams, with their own separate globes, like the very latest Civics, but you'd need to check that - I think I read it on a forum, so it's not gospel.:D I notice that the Xenonexpert FAQ section gives no details on the legality (or otherwise) of their conversion kits.:confused: They just want your money, and aren't interested in what the consequences might be. However, the excellent Australian Xenonoz site specifically tells you that their HID conversion kits are "for off road use only", and are "not ADR compliant or legal for road use on low beam" http://www.xenonoz.com.au/faqs.php#10 .

So, to sum up, you can either build a harness to upgrade your halogen lamps, which is quite legal, like the rallylights circuit you provided the link for, or buy one of the readybuilt Aussie ones, like the ARB or Piranha harnesses, from one of the (mainly 4X4) suppliers I mentioned above. They are relatively expensive, but they are very high quality, and the wiring is even thicker than the wiring the rallylights people were recommending.

[vinnY]

actually just used the link as an example of a somewhat 'off the shelf' harness, not really specifically used for a hid setup

shot them an email today and they said you could probably shop off the ballast connectors and just hook up a h4 bulb connector(usually available from autobarn and the likes)

might order one and see how i go

[dahondr98]

Yes, it can't do any harm, if the wiring from the battery is nice and thick. I'd recommend at least 4mm wires for the wiring from the battery to the relay switch terminals (30 and 87) and then on to the headlamp plugs, preferably 5 or 6mm for the lowest voltage drop. That's the diameter of the wires, including insulation. But if you order it and install it, you can always see how it goes.

Connect a voltmeter, or a multimeter on a DC volts range, up to the headlight connector earth and active pins, start the motor (to avoid flattening the battery), switch the headlights on, leave for maybe a minute or two until they stabilise their temperature, then measure the voltage at the headlight connections. Then remove the multimeter, and with the headlights still on, measure the battery voltage at the battery, and compare the headlight voltage with the battery voltage. If the difference is one volt or more, then the headlight wiring is too thin. If it's lower than 1 volt - preferably 0.5V or less, then it's OK. Even a 1 volt drop is far better than the standard headlight wiring (more than twice as good, actually!), so should make a worthwhile difference.

[Killa From Manila]

use 6mm cable??r u sure thats huge.


edit jstu read the rest. so ur prob usin 2.5mm cross sectional area then. or auto wiring is totally diff to regular cable

[vinnY]

8ga? pretty fat cables to have leading up to a h4 bulb connector :p i'll see what i can do

enquired about the relay rating and cable gauge size but they weren't able to tell me much other than 'it's rated to run a 55w xenon ballasts... so it should be okay'
not verbatim but pretty much what they meant

[dahondr98]

use 6mm cable??r u sure thats huge.


edit jstu read the rest. so ur prob usin 2.5mm cross sectional area then. or auto wiring is totally diff to regular cable

The wire that's in the ARB and Piranha looms is 6mm diameter, including the insulation - it's not just the wire that is 6mm thick. This sort of wire - http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?flcmd=preview&flmaint=441 and http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?flcmd=preview&flmaint=442 . It's somwewhere between 10 and 11 AWG, I think, with Hella saying it's about 4.6mm² cross sectional area.

I prefer diameter, or wire gauge (SWG or AWG/GA) to cross sectional area. Somewhere between 8 and 12 AWG is ideal. DSE actually used to have some high quality red and black 5mm wire, which I think was about 12 AWG, that I used to use for wiring driving lights, but they've taken it off the market sometime in the past few years - I last bought some early this decade. None of the main electronic stores - DSE, Jaycar or Altronics, seem to have anything between about 4mm thick and the 8GA wire, which is 6.5mm thick, so I recommended that.

The Hella wire from above would be ideal, and may be available from some more specialised auto places, including auto electricians - whether Repco, SCA or Autobarn would have it, I don't know, but I suspect not. They may be able to order it, though, if they haven't got it, as it should be a standard line in the Hella catalogue. The trouble is, they may want you to buy 30 metres, if they have to order it!:eek:


8ga? pretty fat cables to have leading up to a h4 bulb connector :p i'll see what i can do

enquired about the relay rating and cable gauge size but they weren't able to tell me much other than 'it's rated to run a 55w xenon ballasts... so it should be okay'
not verbatim but pretty much what they meant

Chances are the relay contacts should be OK - it looked like a standard mini relay with 30 or 40A contacts. They are pretty cheap from most electronic and car accessory stores anyway - even places like Big W and KMart sell them.

Yeah, the 8GA wire is about 6.5mm thick - slightly thicker than the auto 6mm cable that ARB and Piranha use, which is probably the Hella cable, seeing that they supply a lot of the Australian car industry's electrical products, including headlights. If the HID people supply nice thick wire in their harnesses, then use that. It's hard to tell from the photo they supply, and saying it will supply 55W HID ballasts doesn't really say much - I'm sure Honda would tell you their wiring thickness is suitable for 55/60W headlights. IMO, it's not. It's almost certain that the HID harness uses thicker wire, but whether it's 12 GA (AWG) or thicker you may not be able to find out, unless you buy one. It looks as if the wire is all hidden inside split convoluted tubing and heatshrink, by the look of it, so asking them to measure it may not be helpful, even if they have a vernier caliper.

Rallylights do have a similar upgrade H4 harness using 12GA cable, here http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=1247 - select HL28200 with the menu (below "In stock"), which gets the harness for two H4 headlamps - US$79.64. I think that after postage, the Aussie ARB or Piranha looms will be better value, and of similar quality. I was also unable to find whether they export or not.

[vinnY]

that rally lights looks fairly easy to construct.. the only problem i have is finding the male end of the h4 connector :(

[dahondr98]

that rally lights looks fairly easy to construct.. the only problem i have is finding the male end of the h4 connector :(

Yes, they are a problem, aren't they? I did manage to get some last century:p from an auto electrician who started a business supplying auto electrical equipment in Hobart, but he didn't last too long in business. I bought some H4 plugs from him, and the proper H4 male connectors, similar to an H4 globe, and swapped the male connectors with the female ones in one socket to make a male plug.

[vinnY]

yeah i considered making a tranny connector by hacking up an old light bulb and stealing the contacts :p
still hunting some stuff down

[EK1.6LCIV]

HIDs dont need washers its complete bs, just thought Id clarify as the B4 import is legal to drive here, has factory 8000k HIDs in not projector headlamps without washers lol

there are a few other imports that do not have projectors and have hids which are legal to comply under legistation for sale

[vinnY]

just an update, decided to throw together my own harness made of 12ga wiring
almost done, just need to test in some guinea pig bulbs and see how i go

[EK1.6LCIV]

hell yes :D Im keen to hear how this goes :D

[BOO IT]

Got my bulbs and parkers from good ole faithful autobarn.
on sale $60 for all 4.
[being the bright white light bulbs]

i used to have the some problem
just note any of the decently lit bulbs are usually "illegal"
I also have SiJ foggies, they do the trick :)

[JDM EK9]

Hi Bro I had the same problem as u, And I have installed a 8000k HID set for my ride Well When its not raining or The weather is good at night I can see the difference in it but the only main problem is For hid When its raining it defeats the whole purpose. I live In adelaide Hills and everytime i needa kind of pass by this hill to Get home, i have notice that When its fogging and Rainning its so useless for Putting the high beam on.. Cos it does not make the diff. as for me i just think that if the weather is good HID is enough for me But If Is rainning I would really prefer The normal yellow lights , Maybe yellow show more light density.


Alright, I am currently not happy with the amount and quality of light that the stcok headlights in my EK provide. I am having trouble seeing clearly at night, and especially when it is wet like it was tonight. Anywho, I am not interested in looks and all that, I want to know what is available to me, like HID lights or whatever they're called. I want new globes, foglights - the works if needs be. I would like to know, what you guys reckon I should get, what brands and how much am I looking at?

I saw these on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2474866709&category=36 607&sspagename=STRK%3AMEBWA%3AIT&rd=1

Hmmm... thinking looks dodgy. I have no knowledge about this area, so if you guys could stear me in the right direction - that'd be just f*cking fantastic! :P

[Riviera]

dude just get philips Xtreme power or power2night bulbs...

they noticably brighter, and are legal...

[vinnY]

so my kit consists of:
12ga wiring(depending on how you wanna do it, length varies, i used about 20m)
2x40a/14vdc 12v relays
2xrelay sockets
2xwaterproof inline fuse holders(only have one hooked up at the moment, will be doing the other tonight)
2x10a fuses(20a if you feel you want to run those crazy 90/100w rally bulbs)
2xh4 female connectors
+ bits and pieces of heatshrink

i've yet to work out what i want to do about a male h4 connector(would be great if i could fine one!)

pretty simple job just hooking everything up, got most of my kit together so far just trying to work out which terminals which on the stupid h4 connectors
so at the moment it's just a big clump of wires
gonna be hooking up the second inline fuse holder since i've decided to do things a bit differently after i got it together

clicky (http://6ixx.net/h4harness) for some pics

[VT-11-RR]

does anyone have eyelids on there headlights with HIDs?? how is it? would the head effect the eyelids? and how is the sight of the light

:D

[dahondr98]

i've yet to work out what i want to do about a male h4 connector(would be great if i could fine one!)

clicky (http://6ixx.net/h4harness) for some pics

Looks good, Vinny.:thumbsup: You may have to make something up using old headlight globes for the H4 male connector. There should be plenty of unwanted sealed beam headlights at wreckers, for instance, seeing how much better halogen lights are.

[vinnY]

yeah i was just gonna get two of these (http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=PT4910&keywords=spade&form=KEYWORD) and mash them flat and solder them into a spare female h4 connector i had spare, i'll see how i go :)

[vinnY]

tested the harness tonight and am happy to report success! will update this post with pics of the completed harness tomorrow :)

hope i made it long enough to tuck neatly
maybe this is an excuse to clean up the engine bay cabling a bit

[EK1.6LCIV]

hell yes :D

[mocchi]

update on that wiring vin! hehe hows the brightness?
did you paint your car black?

[vinnY]

too busy to do any work lately :( too cold too
have it at home, tested it with a 12v psu from a pc and it seems to fire fine

[twing]

I installed a wiring harness. I forgot to take the before and after pix :(.
I could test the voltage drop with my multi meter.
With original wiring, it drops 1 volt. With the new wiring, it only drops half.

I wonder if vinny has done his.

[vinnY]

haven't done mine yet
steering mods>lighting hehe

[VTECnique]

Bought the phillips xtreme power bulbs from powerbulbs, we'll see how bright these bastards really are...

[mocchi]

I installed a wiring harness. I forgot to take the before and after pix :(.
I could test the voltage drop with my multi meter.
With original wiring, it drops 1 volt. With the new wiring, it only drops half.

I wonder if vinny has done his.

do you think it's brighter with new harness? or you can't tell the difference?

[twing]

do you think it's brighter with new harness? or you can't tell the difference?

sorry moc.. I didn't take pix before and after the install. I can only confirm the voltage drop is reduced.

[mocchi]

sorry moc.. I didn't take pix before and after the install. I can only confirm the voltage drop is reduced.

yea i know, i was asking more in your personal opinion, your own judgement.
can you actually tell the difference or you just cant remember how bright your lights were before you change the wiring harness?

thanks twing.