hid kit problem??

Yes, because the beam gets Inverted when it passes through the projector lens. Refer to this image... http://www.mvlc.info/images/lighting...image008SM.jpg

So If your wire is on the top then it will look like it's on the bottom when it comes through the projector. If you look inside you headlight, you will see the cut off shield actually sits on the bottom of the headlight assembly. In you case, the electrode is sitting above the red point in that image, so when it gets projected the shadow will be at the bottom of the beam. Someone in this forum had this same problem, and the solution I believe was to get a small file so that electrode could sit at the bottom... Don't quote me though.

Hmm, I wonder why, with the halogen bulbs, that when the filament is at the top that the top is brighter and viceversa when the filament is at the bottom that the bottom is brighter?

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Originally Posted by aaronng

Hmm, I wonder why, with the halogen bulbs, that when the filament is at the top that the top is brighter and viceversa when the filament is at the bottom that the bottom is brighter?

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Sorry aaronng, what top is brighter? Headlight or Beam?

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Originally Posted by clowdz

Sorry aaronng, what top is brighter? Headlight or Beam?

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With halogen H1, they fit both ways in the headlight. I put the bulb with the filament facing the top, the beam on the wall is bright up the top. If I install with the filament facing down, the beam is very dim on the wall but when you look at it, it's bright.

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Originally Posted by aaronng

With halogen H1, they fit both ways in the headlight. I put the bulb with the filament facing the top, the beam on the wall is bright up the top. If I install with the filament facing down, the beam is very dim on the wall but when you look at it, it's bright.

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because the filament isn't centered in the bulb(at least relative to the base), so when put in upside down, the focal position is wrong. This is part of why hid kits can cause such extra glare... a filament isn't used, so even when positioned in the same place, the source of the light isn't identical to the halogen filament, so output gets all screwed up from an incorrect focal position.

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Originally Posted by EuroDude

The lack of HID washers on the fornt bumper is an easy give away ;)

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LOL. I like this one :) But I don't think when the Stds or Lux have their HID lights are on, I can actually look at that part of their car since its way too bright! Need shades! :cool:


As for looking out at the HID colour temp differences between OEM or Aftermarket HID kits..... Its not easy either.

The standard LUX HIDs look quite white/yellow from close up, blue from a distance, and very blue from even further. Guess what, the aftermarket kits look exactly the same. Some of them are Bluer because they go for 6000 or 8000k kits. :D

But saying this is an 'easy' method to pick out the difference has two falls:

1) You're assuming they went for high K lights. Which is not necessarily the case.
2) Some people on oem HID setup, can also have changed their D2S bulbs to a higher colour temp, as shown on this thread.


My point is - if the oem HID and retrofit HID is so different.... then why is it that I actually have to think and then look out for the signs, before i can conclude whether its aftermarket or factory?

Funny thing is - most BMW 320 or 325s with retrofit HIDs are really easy to spot. It just looks completely different to factory. But for the Euro Accord, its actually quite hard to spot it.

^ that's why i feel safe of not getting defected...

most people assume that all euros come with HIDs

but imagine a civic driving around with HIDs...u'll definately know it's aftermarket...

Do service stations who do rego checks have the power to defect HID's that dont have auto-levelers and washers? Or at least deny the completion of your pink slip?

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Originally Posted by EuroDude

Do service stations who do rego checks have the power to defect HID's that dont have auto-levelers and washers? Or at least deny the completion of your pink slip?

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they prolly won't give a sh!t...

and our cars are still brand new...won't need pinkies for another 3 years is it? correct me if i'm wrong...

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Originally Posted by corn_flakes

they prolly won't give a sh!t...

and our cars are still brand new...won't need pinkies for another 3 years is it? correct me if i'm wrong...

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Yup. When you do your servicing before your rego is due, get the dealer to do the pink slip for you.

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Originally Posted by aaronng

That's not the way to do things. First he has to find out why is he getting a shadow on the bottom when that back electrode is on the top!

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Yeah apparently, that's how the optics work?
I think someone kind of mentioned it already.
An analogy is your eyeballs. When you pick up an image and it goes through your eye optics, its converted upside down. The brain then reinterprets that the correct side up (scary actually!). Also, the right brain controls the opposite, left side of your body. And what's really weird is.. despite that, the right brain actually still controls the right eye. :D

The other thing that's mentioned and might be confusing:

1) On the HID lightbulbs (retrofit or oem), having the ceramic coated 'electrode' at the top gives a shadow on the ground. This electrode is actually a dark body... so due to how optics are inverted, this shadow is logical. Therefore the electrode on HID bulb must face down.
In fact I got confused too before and didn't notice the differences, before this discussion, but:

2) On the Halogen H1 lightbulb, the filament coil being on top is actually correct, because the filament burns and gives the light. It is the same as having the clean side of the HID bulb facing upwards, then having this 'top' light reflected down onto the pavement.

The other thing to consider is - the H1 halogen bulb's 'light emitting dimension' is actually similar in dimension to HID bulbs. The Halogen's filament coil is aligned with the car's length (not perpendicular to, also not off centre to the side such as on other size halogen bulbs). The HID's burning Arc of Light is also aligned with car. So even though the projector designs and focal lengths might be different, I guess in real life its not entirely out of whack...

Anyone know if it's possible to get spares of the headlight bulb covers? The big plastic thing that screws in to keep dust etc out..