Guys,

As many of you know I drive a Nissan Patrol - Series II. If any of you have driven a series I or II patrol at night you will know that the lights are sh!te at best. And the later models (III, IV & V) arent much better. The series III however has a better Lens and reflector setup and goes straight into the series II (which I have) so I am looking to do this upgrade - I am also looking to do a HID upgrade at the same time. Has any one done a HID upgrade on ANY car I'm just after any advice and where to get a kit - a bit dubious about getting an E-Bay kit.

If it goes well I may even upgrade my driving lights (1 - 9" pin spot and 1 - 9" flood)

Also any one know the actual legalities of doing a HID conversion?

Cheers,
Kirk

I've been in the process for the last 2 years... Actually, I bought the parts 2 years ago, had a pathetic attempt, then it's sat around for 2 year

I looked into kits and things and found out they're not the best option as they cause a lot of glare to oncoming traffic do to the stock headlight reflectors not suiting the HID globe that has been grafted onto a H1/H3/H4/etc base.

I found out what headlight housing had a clear front lens for my car, which was Monaro headlight housings, and some proper HID projectors and ballasts from a BMW headlight. Lukcily the Monaro housings come with halogen projectors so the conversion didn't look like it'd be too hard to fit HID projectors in... That's where I stopped.

I found the site below pretty useful:
http://hidplanet.com/forums/index.php

IRC HIDs are illegal unless they were available from the factoy

^^^ x2

or if you get an engineer's cert for the mod, they have to have the whole assembly changed, as mentioned about re: reflectors. Also, the excessive UV may cause 'cataracts' on the factory lenses/reflectors.

You need to have jet washer and automatic dimming function to make it legal.

Well im looking to use the GU III headlight assembly which is a clear lense with a parabola/parabolic reflector (is that the same as projector?). would that be suitable - or would I still need a different type of reflector?

And the light I want to use is the type that moves for high and low beam - not the shutter type.

I'm happy to get it engineered if I need to - i just need to know how to do it properly.

The Jet washer is interesting I know my old MG ZT-T had jet washers on the head lights so I'll have to look into what I can use for that (i think the GU IV and V have jet washers - at least on the arab spec vehicles)

I haven't seen any of those laws in the Vic regulations.

afaik they just stay less than 6500k and ur fine.

I've got HIDs , cops never bothered me , even when pulled over to be harrassed.

easy to install

Jet washer is a gimmick, they are useless. Auto dimming may not be a requirement for the law, but other motorist will thank you for that.

I meant to add this to my original post but the forum was running like a dog yesterday.

Jet washers are required and apparently so is automatic leveling of the headlights, so that if you have excess weight in the back, the lights don't shine high into other driver's eyes.

Dogo... HID kits don't compare to actual proper HID lights.

use the factory wiring to trigger relays run some nice fat stuff straight from the batt and run like 90/100's or somthing brighter than stock. with good new wiring and a brighter bulb it will be alot nicer to drive with.

yeh, i have done a HID Conversion on a mates Valiant.........there was a head of cutting to hit the leads from the ignitors

few of my mates have done it.

auto levelling + washer to make it legal, although i wouldnt bother with this, my mates have never been done for it, and they are using norml reflectors, not projectors so its prety obvious.

do not use reflectors, they will blind everyone (i know from my mates car). if your going to do it, make sure you use projectors.

get 4000-4300k globes, these ones will apear white so they dont grab attention from cops, they light up the road more than any other globe, and they will not make you fatigue like the blue lights like 8000+. 6000k is borderline, and probly the most common used as it gives a bit of a blue tinge to look nice, but ~4300 is best for visability

All very well not to bother with it VB, but lets say an accident happens at night with you being involved. It is likely that you could be found responsible for having illegal lights blinding traffic. That's my reasons for not doing it yet anyway.

Is there any where I can have this done professionally - I'd be willing to spend 2.5k - 3k if that ment I could have it done properlly and legally - im sick of crap lights! Otherwise I'll just do the driving lights as I know I can convert them to HID legally as they are seperatly switched and can only be turned on with highbeams

3k!! budget? lol

There are plenty of people in the JDM scene who do HID conversions.

They usually come in a kit, depending on bulb type. H1, H4 etc

They are priced from $300-$500

If your just after good visibility, then 3-4000K is enough, anymore [6000K, 8000K+] is either for "blingness" and the blue colour, and they are not that great compared to the 3-4k in terms of visibility.

As for legality.

I'm pretty sure anything non standard is illegal these days, with or without an engineers certificate, if a cop wants to defect you he will.

I know of a place, JDM tuners, who sell them for $300 delivered, and $80 to be fitted.

Note: that this is only for low-beam, I haven't ehard of anyone doing HID for the Hi-beam

philz... Did you read the rest of the thread? Basically, kits = crap.

This is because the kit uses a HID globe mounted in a stock halogen reflector... HID globes have a vertical filament and halogen have a horizontal filament, this makes a massive difference to where the light is reflected. On low beam it causes the light to shine above the low beam height and is significantly brighter so it's quite annoying (and possibly dangerous) to other driver.

Proper HID is mounted in proper HID reflectors and projectors to give the correct beam cut off height.


Yeah, the kits will be brighter than halogens and you can pick and choose the colour of the light and it's fairly cheap but it does has it's drawbacks. Doing it properly also has a drawback, it will cost a fortune to do it right and get it engineered to be legal

Are proper projector housings available after market? I would love to fit something inside a WH foglight housing, even if it requires a bit of custom work

http://hidplanet.com/

The above site has Bosch parts available, but i'm sure there's other place that carry them as well. It still takes a fair amount of work to modify a standard headlight housing to fit the projectors though.

Kris if i use the HID projectors from a Nissan Infinity to my normal housings and add lense washers I should be good to go.

say if i bought something like this from a wreaker
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=190161007102

Sorry mate, I couldn't tell you for sure. You'd need to ask an engineer about what NEEDS to be done if you plan to make it legal.

I just bought the projectors like your link, but BMW and single level as the headlight housings I am using have a separate globe for high and low beam. The HID is going to be low and the standard halogen the high beam.

Those ones you linked to don't look as deep as mine so would probably be easier to fit into a headlight housing.

I should be able to use one of those HID conversion "kits"

My car has factory projector headlights for low beam which uses an H1 globe.

H1 globes have a vertical fillament which is the same orientation as an HID arc.

Now provided that the HID arc location is the same distance from the base of the globe as a standard H1 globe then the focal position of the light source within the projector will remain the same.
This means the light beam's cut off should be the same as a normal halogen globe and remain within factory spec so as not to cause any blinding of on comming traffic.

Can anyone confirm if the arc's location on a HID globe is in the same position as the filament in it's standard halogen counrtpart?

Ok thanks for your help Stone! I've also got a nissan spare parts guy looking into it for me! (Big thanks to Garry / Nizzbits for his help!)

Dunno Alan - but I do know that as I've looked into these more that the HID specific projectors are far more concave than a standard projector for halogens. this might just bo coincidence - but it might be part of the science also.

I'm looking to fit GU III headlights cause they have a clear lense then have the HID projector inside of the std series 3 headlight housing (which is in fact a projector style reflector any way).
Much like stone fitting the BMW HID projector to the monaro housing.

After having had the MG with HID projectors I know that HID projectors are different again to halogen projectors - halogen projectors stop fairly dramatically - but nothing like the HIDs do! I'll still be fitting some hallogen "fog"/driving lights into the bullbar (gotta get one of the boys in the factory to get the gas axe onto the front bar) because they feather out to the sides better and just make driving on low beams much nicer / easier - especially on trips like i did earlier this year across to WA where you dip to low beams like 8-10 ks from one another! the fear of a roo or a camel coming out of the side of the road is pretty un-nerving lol.
Im also working out where to place a side light. after driving a mates car with a flood light either side of his roof racks I kind of understand the mentality behind having lights on roof racks (though I still think they are wanker lights)

Sierra... Here is a D2S bulb next to a H1. The filament and arc point are at virtually the same height. I'm not sure how much of the D2S gets grafted onto the H1 base in the kits though. Looks like it might work... It's worth a try since kits are about 1/4 of the cost of doing it a whole new refitting.

Thanks for the comparison pics Stone .... that's exactly what I was after

I'll definately be looking at HID kits in the future then.

I've found this Site that sells HID kits and are based in Sydney.

Seems reasonably priced too

Alan - you done this yet?

I ran out of coin for now but im still researching it. Definately gunna do it
A few of the boys from patrol4x4 have done it with good results - though I dont think any have used proper HID projectors

I have all the parts for mine, I just don't have the tools or motivation

Not yet Kirk .... same as you I've run out of coin

Other things are taking priority for now .... but I will do it before the end of next year ....

I used a kit and it was blinding. I got high beamed at least once every 3rd night I was out driving.
Great light tho...I once had a cop ask me if I had my high beams on, I said no and he just said 'damn, they are bright'
I was worried for a while because it was very attention grabbing...but I don't have the car anymore, so no longer my problem.

I put a H7 HID kit in my 2002 Subaru Outback (Gen 3, same as a Liberty) about a year ago, it doesn't have the projector lenses etc, the cut-off is good and the flare (for on-coming traffic) isn't very bad at all.

I do alot of night driving and get flashed rarely.

I put one of the same HID kits into the fiance's car (2006 Impreza) which has projectors, she gets flashed (not by old men...) more often than me!!

Also, I put a H3 HID kit into my Lightforce 170's.
Not as bright as I thought they'd be (might need a 50w kit), but it is so much clearer its not funny.

Sheppo are the light forces brigher than std? Im thinking about putting a kit in my hellas...

I've put a H1 HID kit into an ED XR6 (again factory projectors), it's worked very well, the owner is happy, and we checked the beam pattern against the stock bulb, they match up almost perfectly. The HID has more 'splash' at about 10m from a white wall,, but that's because it's brighter.

I run HIDs in my GT-P as well. High/Low beam switching, and in the fog lights, I use them as DRLs always on during the day, off at night. Saves me a lot of grief from daydreaming public servants who somehow manage to miss a dark grey, loud GT-P next to them before they change lanes, since running the lights all day I very rarely get 'merged upon'.

Good to know that it fits and works in an XR projector assy Chris ....

Now all I have to do is get around to buying a kit .... one day

Any one seen any really LOW powered HID kits?

ie even lower wattage than the 35watt units which seem to be the standard?

Nope, have seen 55W kits though. They'd be 'sun' bright.

fair enough
a quick google reveals 10watt units are available but at a rediculous price around $600 for a bicycle lamp!

Brighter with the HID kit in? Hell yes, ALOT clearer and easier to see. 

What lenses you got on the light forces spot or flood? and are you using filters?

Ive got a spot and a flood (though ass about I would have put the flood on the passenger side and the spot on the drivers side but the previous owner did it the other way and Ive never changed it) and I dont use filters

I use the clear lenses which are spot/pencil with the HID kit.

I used to have blue filters with spot lenses, before the HID kit because they looked way to yellow after I put HID's into the main headlights.

I've tried them with flood lenses, but didn't like it, didn't go far enough and it seemed to throw the light at the ground and in the trees, not down the road.....

With the Lightforce, I can just spin the head's (?) themselves to go from spot to flood anyways.

Thanks for the info champ very interesting.

Hi all, I'm new to this forum but having read the various posts on this topic I believe many are not really conversate with how precise lights are.
The following link explains it a lot better than I can so I hope it helps.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/HID.html

Do we really believe that a simple and cheap bulb swap will reproduce the light spread, penetration and pattern of a fully tested and approved HID setup?

Unfortunately shining your lights against a wall doesn't really show the full pattern nor does parking on a road as the poor spread can create the illusion of "better" light output.

If so maybe we should all be using those 800 and 1000 watt amps for $100 bucks instead of the "slightly" more expensive brands.

Just my two bobs worth

deafoldfella

Kirk .... I've finally got around to buying and fitting a HID kit to the XR.

I chose a color temp of 4300K which gives a high lumen output and a briliant intense white light.
I also went for a more expensive kit that uses good quality components and genuine philips HID globes.

The results are brilliant

HID compared to Halogen
Click to view attachment

Halogen
Click to view attachment

HID
Click to view attachment

What style globe? H1's are a good match to the shape/length of the HID globe so the reflector still works as designed, other style globes aren't so co-operative

I have a H4 kit, H1 kit and H3 kit all 4300K colour temp waiting to be tested in my car. I bought Hella mini fogs for the H3's.

Will you be able to fit a H4, H1 and H3 in your car? My understanding was that you need to get the kit whatever type of globe your headlight takes.

IE BA Falcon is H4, so it will ONLY take a H4 kit.

i recently bought (off ebay) the exact same kit (Philips H1 4300K) for my new daily driver car, so i look forward to its fitment. it has projector lenses, but if the beam pattern isn't perfect, i'll do a proper OEM HID lens conversion.

looks good sierra.

good stuff alan, its a very worthwhile mod to do.

have you also replaced the parkers with white LEDs to match?

Since my car has H4 as low beam, then H4 and H1 as high beam, yes they'll fit and the H3's will fit the fog light housings But, I don't plan to use them all... I kept changing plans and buying new kits then ended up deciding on HID for low beam and fog lights. HID as high beam was a stupid idea as turning them on and off is bad for the globe.

Sierra... Does the kit induce any noise into your audio system?

H1's in projector headlights seem to work well.

Post up here how you go with your new set shiny



It sure is Dan .... so much less fatigueing when you have good lights.
I did replace the parkers (because they were dull) but not with LEDs at this stage, just used slightly brighter Narva replacement globes.



No noise at all Stone .... tested on a 0 bit track and silence with lights on or off

I'm toying with the idea of HID for my high beam.
I don't see a problem with turning them on and off being bad for the globe as there is nothing mechanical to wear out.
The only issue I see is the time delay between turn on and full brightness, not responsive enough for flashing or quick changes between low/high/low.

Go for LED parkers quick smart. I left it for a long time, until I was bugged enough by everyone. They do fit in so much better with the whiter HID output.

The HID ballats can cause electrical noise, but where you installed them, I'd have been surprised if you did get noise. Where I initially installed mine, was too close to one of the front wheels, and the instant of start up interfered with one of the ABS sensors, which played all sorts of havoc with the car (transmission, speedo as well as ABS are run from the ABS sensor inputs). Relocated the ballasts and no problems.

And you're right, HIDs in the high beams are no good, you can't "flash" them.

Unless your high beam is a H4 bulb, then you can get combined HID low/halogen high bulbs or a bulb with a built in solenoid that refocusses the HID arc to give low and high beams (like I use) I also have a H3 high beam bulbs too, I've left those standard halogen.

LEDs can give 'bulb errors' unless their resistance/power consumption is compensated for. that presumes your car can sense when a normal halogen/tungsten globe is blown.

@ data_mine: did you need to add a resistor or anything?

instead of that, i use heavily blue-tinted globes for the parking lights.

Good to hear there is no noise... You know what I mean

HID bulbs have salts in them that are ignited with high voltage to vaporise them into gas, this gas allows the light to be produced. The gas then turns back into salts when the globe cools down. If you turn the high beam off and then back on while the salts are still gaseous, the high voltage ignition causes damage. You will generally see pink light after the high voltage zaps the gas, this shortens the life of the globe significantly.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2080
Just after the electromagnet quote.