Widelupo Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 This might be a stupid question but what is the difference between the cheap xenon bulbs (£4.99-7.49) on ebay and the conversion kits which costs £59+Has any one bought the bulbs from eBay or are they just waste of money. Danke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 They are completley different things. HIDs are the kit, which includes the bulbs, ballast and igniter, and the bulbs are just normal bulbs filled with xenon gas instead of halogen gas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widelupo Posted January 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Ok so what is the difference in quality? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 They are different things, you cant compare them like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Let me try to explain this a little better.A xenon bulb is like a normal light bulb with a filament in the middle which 12V is passed across and causes it to glow, the space inside the bulb is filled with xenon gas.An HID bulb doesn't have a filament instead the gas it's self has a voltage passed through it, usually very high voltage somewhere in the 20,000V region (which is why you need a ballast) and the gas glows, similar to how a neon sign works or a strip light.The difference in light output is completely different, but as HID kits are now illegal unless you have HID kit approved headlamps, which self level and have headlamp washers , I wouldn't really advise using them on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philplop Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Isn't the xenon gas used in the cheap bulbs just so they can say they're 'xenon' and trick people?£5 "Xenon bulbs" will be no different to a decent normal bulb.Proper HID Xenon's will give the intense white light that you see on Mercs and Audis (and Lupo GTI's).Other than being illegal, if you fit HID Xenon's to a Lupo you'll scatter the beam all over and blind everybody. They should only be used in projector headlights (which will still be illegal, but won't be any different to standard-fit xenon lights). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 They should only be used in projector headlightsYou can get HIDs that use reflector housings, using a D2R bulb. My Mini has them, as do some Renaults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widelupo Posted January 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Thanks for clearing it up for me guys. I was gonna buy the cheap xenon light off eBay until I can afford the conversion kit. But if they are all illegal there is no point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonball Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Not illegal, but could give a failure on an MOT2 very different things ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 The law has changed, they will not only fail an MOT but the police can pull you over and give you a vehicle rectification notice for them too.Pretty much illegal!If you want the same look without the HID kit and slightly less illegal get some Phillips Diamond Vision bulbs instead, they give a nice crisp white light rather than yellow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widelupo Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Where can I get these phillips diamond vision bulbs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Type it into Google, press shopping... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widelupo Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Nice one thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonball Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Walking down the street carrying class A drugs is illegalWalking down the street carrying a HID kit isnt illegalLike I said legality is 2 different things, and if anyone tells you they are illegal they are wrong ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Where can I get these phillips diamond vision bulbs?If you are buying uprated bulbs, get the new Ring 120% ones, they are very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Walking down the street carrying class A drugs is illegalWalking down the street carrying a HID kit isnt illegalLike I said legality is 2 different things, and if anyone tells you they are illegal they are wrong !Absurd example.Are you allowed to have them fitted to a car without the appropriate levelling and washing parts? No. That is all there is to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Walking down the street carrying class A drugs is illegalWalking down the street carrying a HID kit isnt illegalLike I said legality is 2 different things, and if anyone tells you they are illegal they are wrong !Whatever sunshine, come back and tell me that after you've been done for them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonball Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 Absurd example.Are you allowed to have them fitted to a car without the appropriate levelling and washing parts? No. That is all there is to know.And I repeat just to correct people, it does NOT make them illegal they may not comply with current C&U regs for vehicles using them as kits on the road, but they can 100% be used with no questions asked for off road use or for example in auxiliary lighting such as lamp pods on rally cars.So I restate the fact that kits are not illegal as was suggested.Sunshine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 And at what point did the OP say he was fitting them to a rally car and using them for off-road use only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonball Posted January 22, 2012 Report Share Posted January 22, 2012 And at what point didnt he ?We can both make assumptions, and both be wrong, however explaining something as illegal when in law it isn't "illegal" is incorrect information being posted.So correcting the point a moderator made by using an analogy was my intended reason for posting, not to tell the OP whether he or she can, or can not fit them !As the original question was answered correctly no further input was required on the bulbs, however on reading the incorrect use of the word illegal I thought it necessary to correct.If I am wrong in that, then I will gladly hold my hands up and listen to reason and apologise, and learn from it and expand my own knowledge learned from others, what is funny though, is when others wont do the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widelupo Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 I think this has got outta hand. I wanted to fit the lights on my road car. If they are illegal how come we see them on the road everyday. Does this law apply in Scotland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 The law has only just changed this month, you'll be seeing a lot less of them. I know for a fact Grampian Police have had a crackdown over the course of this month on HIDs and I'm sure other forces will be doing the same.If you take your car to a reputable MOT centre for it's MOT then any trace of an HID kit should fail too, it's not enough to simply remove the lamps and change back to traditional bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_273 Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 So if I have a HID kit in my boot then my car will fail it's MOT... hmm I think not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashh Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 So if I have a HID kit in my boot then my car will fail it's MOT... hmm I think not.I think thats a little bit much, he obviously meant if you leave the ballasts and wiring all in the engine bay in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treblet Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 So if I have a HID kit in my boot then my car will fail it's MOT... hmm I think not.Yes, clearly... You know what I meant Jon_27382376402439857034985702349 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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