[CL9] To anyone who has HIDs on their CL9

**HunterZero** · 18-10-2012 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Andy

I'm pretty sure all euros come with projector headlights(low beams).. however the non lux-model headlights don't come with the auto leveling system, which makes it illegal to install after-market HIDs

Base model Euro has halogen projectors. Lux model Euro has HID projectors. They are both projectors, but are optically different. You can't adjust a halogen projector to work with HID bulbs because the emitted light pattern is different. HID bulbs in halogen projectors will glare all over the place.

HIDs are brighter, but the HID projectors are designed to have a sharp beam cutoff that stops them being completely blinding to oncoming cars and people you are following.

For HIDs to be ADR compliant, you also need auto levellers AND headlight washers.

- HZ

**curtis265** · 18-10-2012 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by hunterzero

base model euro has halogen projectors. Lux model euro has hid projectors. They are both projectors, but are optically different. You can't adjust a halogen projector to work with hid bulbs because the emitted light pattern is different. Hid bulbs in halogen projectors will glare all over the place.

hids are brighter, but the hid projectors are designed to have a sharp beam cutoff that stops them being completely blinding to oncoming cars and people you are following.

For hids to be adr compliant, you also need auto levellers and headlight washers.

- hz

repped

**Andy** · 18-10-2012 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by HunterZero

Base model Euro has halogen projectors. Lux model Euro has HID projectors. They are both projectors, but are optically different. You can't adjust a halogen projector to work with HID bulbs because the emitted light pattern is different. HID bulbs in halogen projectors will glare all over the place.

HIDs are brighter, but the HID projectors are designed to have a sharp beam cutoff that stops them being completely blinding to oncoming cars and people you are following.

For HIDs to be ADR compliant, you also need auto levellers AND headlight washers.

- HZ

ty for clarifying things

**wammies** · 18-10-2012 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by I CU2

All aftermarket retrofits are illegal (most of them are the really dodgy buy ballast online and plug into headlight set up).

Do you even know what retrofitting is.. there's nothing stating that it's illegal, in VIC anyways.
What you're doing is putting an actual HID projector lens into halogen headlight housing, so this ensures that you get the same 'cutoff' as a "HID designed projector"

So in his case, he's going to need to swap out the halogen projector to a HID one.

**I CU2** · 18-10-2012 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by wammies

Do you even know what retrofitting is.. there's nothing stating that it's illegal, in VIC anyways.
What you're doing is putting an actual HID projector lens into halogen headlight housing, so this ensures that you get the same 'cutoff' as a "HID designed projector"

So in his case, he's going to need to swap out the halogen projector to a HID one.

So I'm guessing that he'll find a wrecked Euro Luxury and transfer over the auto-level system and connect up the washers etc. as well as the headlights with an engineering certificate?

The act of retrofitting isn't illegal, the use of the HID globes in a set-up not designed for them is.

It can be done legally but it's quite expensive. So technically you are right in the fact that it can be done legally but usually the costs aren't worth it and people just use the dodgy eBay setup (Few grand vs $40).

**thezaza101** · 18-10-2012 04:21 PM

So the general census is its a bad idea and don't do it? I would have gone to the trouble of getting HID projector housings but from what I gather they will still be illegal and void my insurance (i'd rather keep my savings than have shiny headlights)?

Seeing as I've already invested in LEDs for my car and my external and internal T10 bulbs are white (incl my parkers), I should get something like Phillips crystal visions to match? as far as i can tell they are halogen but are much whiter than stock lights, and should be fine in my light housings?

And also what are the point of headlight washers? i clean my headlights every 2-3 weeks and i'm pretty sure they are cleaner than 95% cars running HIDs.

**I CU2** · 18-10-2012 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by thezaza101

And also what are the point of headlight washers? i clean my headlights every 2-3 weeks and i'm pretty sure they are cleaner than 95% cars running HIDs.

I think they're to prevent glaring in snowy conditions in Europe (when the snow builds up on your lights), they don't need them in the US but they are for some reason needed to meet ADR specification (imports from Japan with factory HID's but no washers are converted to Halogens upon arrival).

Look up Osram Night Breakers, they're highly rated as one of the best halogen bulbs.

**thezaza101** · 18-10-2012 09:21 PM

I was just driving earlier, i was paying attention to where my lights come up to on normal cars (not super low MR2s), the light seems to cut off just under most car's rear windscreens.

Just an image i found on Google, but notice where the lights hit on the silver car.

My HIDs cut off like the left light in this picture:

One main [problematic?] issue that I'm concerned about is my lights don't cut off in a straight line like the above picture, it has a cut of that looks like this \_ _. This may affect traffic on the left lane if I'm driving on the right lane?

In my opinion (I'm yet to test this) a SUV/4WD/people driving with fog lights on, are more annoying than my HIDs.

I'll post a video so you guys can see what i'm talking about, but i'm strongly leaning towards getting some white halogens for insurance reasons.

**carab** · 18-10-2012 09:39 PM

I can vouch for the osrams, have some for sale actually but I'm not sure on your fitment. See my for sale thread. They arnt a perfect match to the eBay leds (leds are around 5-6000k and that bluey tinge, osrams are more natural white at about 4k) but thats me being picky, most people won't notice.

If you want super white to match your parkers like the hids and don't care about brightness then there's Phillips blue vision but they are just tinted, not really much brighter. Your choice if you want high vision; osrams night breakers or style; blue vision.

Side note: Even though the HID's might also be say 200% brighter if only half of that gets to the road, while the rest is being scattered everywhere, then your back to halogen levels but now you've pissed the world off

**wammies** · 18-10-2012 09:50 PM

@theraza, you're going to have to swap out your halogen projectors to a HID projector. From the sounds of it, doesn't sound like you're going to want to play around with it too much and spend too much money, so do some research on the light output for the Phillips Crystal Vision or Blue Vision bulbs (from what I recall, some people weren't happy with it at all, especially for the price they're paying for them)..

From the looks of the pictures, seems like you've taken off your front bumper, and hence taking off your headlights would be a piece of cake. Changing the projectors wouldn't be too hard in my opinion. But it all comes down to what you want and how much money you're willing to spend.