[tom192]

Let us know how you get on, im sick of driving by candle light!

This post has been edited by tom192: 03 December 2007 - 11:26 PM

[dancer]

I'm lucky if I get a drive in the Puma once a week, Gabrielle uses it day to day. Now I,m getting
earache over the poor headlights, so yeah, let us know how you get on with the Hid's.
At least my pushbike has got good lights

[baxxter]

I have fitted them on my Puma nearly 2 years ago (the 4300K) and it is no comparison to the original lightbulbs. If you have fitted them I would recommend to get them adjusted again because I noticed that they were too high after I fitted them even though they have been adjusted not long ago.

[BOK]

Please read a professional's point of view on the subject, and one that I wholy agree with.

[Ratty]

Bok, that was a super find, and great read...

Cheers...

[JamesMalin]

I have HiD's fitted and its a good test of DiY for placing and connecting the HiD battery/booster for the bulbs.

Your'll need to drill the back of the headlight cover to get the bulb wires in too, it all comes with O-Ring water tight seals or should do!

I also removed the metal bar that goes across the headlight as it creates a much better beam.

Mine have been fine and i love the look but mostly the extra light!


I SEE THE LIGHT!

[pumarv6]

I SEE THE LIGHT!

...and it appears to be illegal after reading Colin's link, and watching the video.

[Sw33t]

James, Do you have a photo from the driver perspective on a country lane at night?

[JamesMalin]

...and it appears to be illegal after reading Colin's link, and watching the video.

Its passed an MOT just fine

[xjay]

I gotta get me some of these lights

This post has been edited by xjay: 04 December 2007 - 01:14 PM

[m_kitty]

nope they are illegal - the mot is only interested in the pattern and even then i find as long as it is more or less ok they don't get too hung up over the pattern, anyway they would swear blind you had changed the bulbs afterwards. see below which i pulled off another forum. they are banned in most forms of rallying as well. next thing they will be marketed as off road use only. i do have a set which i was planning on trying in a set of spots, just got to get a car to hang them on.

From the DfT:

December 2006


Quote:
Aftermarket HID headlamps

In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern.

The following is the legal rationale:

The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 regulate the situation in the UK.
Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law.

However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle).

For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. The same level of safety should apply.

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.
In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.
3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.

In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above.


If you require any further information regarding the regulations covered by this fact sheet, please contact the DfT at the address below:

Transport Technology and Standards 6
Department for Transport
Zone 2/04
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street Telephone: 020 7944 2078
London Fax: 020 7944 2196
SW1P 4DR Email: TTS.enquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk

[clarkie]

keep us updated am interested in these myself.

some before and after night time pics would be good too

This post has been edited by clarkie: 05 December 2007 - 01:55 AM

[Turby]

I find regular cleaning of the outer clear covers works wonders - any crap on their severely reduces the light ouput.

[eldoodarino]

i really don't see what the problem is with the lights...??

mine have always been fine..... altho with the slightly uprated phillips i did notice a slight improvment in the clarity of the beam pattern...

they are much better than my MKIV fez.... a lot of modern cars now seem to VERY bright (and annoyingly high) lighting.... sure your not just trying to compete with this....... maybe as suggested, it is a 'lens' problem...

Chris

[m_kitty]

I know you could go into ludicrous depths on the subject but the fact is it is unsafe to drive at night with the standard fitment headlamps. There's no 'ifs' and 'buts' with that one.

*not a fact; your opinion - to which you are entitled. on a serious note have you had your eyes tested recently, there are known problems with night driving and sight is something that doesn't get checked regularly with may people (i had my first eye test in 43 years in the summer), i remember years ago being driven home by my girlfried and being a wee bit worried as i could see corners etc a lot earlier than she was. see here
http://www.college-optometrists.org/index....ision_Problems/

The legalities mentioned cover a whole multitude of scenarios and hence are, to a certain extent totally unappropriate for individual cases.

*the law may be inconvienient but not inappropriate, unusually it is also unambiguous.

If i fit the hid bulbs and do find the pattern to be anywhere and everywhere then common sense says it's not appropriate, but if it throws light in the same pattern and area to which the previous existing bulbs did then there shouldn't be a problem. It will be obvious if the bulbs aren't suitable for use so till i fit them i reserve judgment.

*i totally agree, unfortunately too many drivers couldn't give a stuff and would use them anyway.

Its like saying its breaking the law for changing the stereo station, or smoking whilst driving, due to driving without due care and attention. Or a motorcyclist wiping his visor, all in theory are classed as driving without due care and attention.

*no it's not, these things could be the cause of dwdca, in the same way that mobile phone useage was prosecuted before a specific law was enacted (and probably why) and how eating whilst driving has been procecuted, but proof of careless driving is required to convict not just the act of changing the channel or smoking.

You can't say that every hid conversion is detrimental to the operating parameters of the headlights, it just isn't true.

*i agree, unfortunately the law doesn't.
the research quoted above and the autoexpress test used a traditional headlamp setup, puma use lenses similar to hid lamps so may well be fine. it would be nice to see some research on pes lamps, but this is unlikely to happen unless the after market suppliers defend themselves

So for everyone interested in the results i will post my findings when i recieve them-Hopefully tomoz!!!

i'd be very interested, in the effectiveness of the units, the ease of fitting and where you put the ballast units - i got a kit for converting spotlamps for rallying, then the msa went and banned them.

the main reason i posted at all was so those using them are aware of the law and the need for care when using them, personally i am used to driving with on coming lights that are badly adjusted, uncorrected lhd or just not dipped. in this day and age of summary 'justice' you could find your car impounded or crushed for fairly minor infringements - your car could be issued with a notice to immediatly take it off the road and require retesting, as well as finding yourself being prosecuted under the construction and use regulations.

i'm also curious why hid lamps need washers - self leveling i can understand. my focus ones still got dirty (though not as dirty as the puma's) and the dirt had no noticeble detrimental effect.