QUESTION ABOUT HID KITS

i have finally scrimped and saved enough dough together to get the c70 04 headlights and indicators and i've decided to go the whole hog and get a hid kit for them too!!!

i've been doing some searches and found this kit: http://www.xenondepot.com/xenondepot...?product_id=22

wot do you think???

i know a few of you guys/gals have already got hid kits installed and i've got a few questions that i hope you can answer.

1. were do i but the kit from?? no one in the uk seems to sell them!!

2. i want to have a blue glow (like mers & bm's) to the lights (but NOT puple!!!) and have decided to go for 6000k - 8000k range is this ok??

3. the sidelight and low beam bulbs use the same part of the headlight on the s70 will this effect the brightness or color of the light??

any other usefull info that anyone can share will be greatly appreciated

cheers

btw has anyone talked to hella about supplying the 04 lights/indicators direct??

[Simon Linton]

There have been threads about HID kits with serious comments on safety issues - look at those before you decide.

i think this is the thread you are talking about

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/dc/dcboa...ng_type=search

and i've mentioned your points to the kit manufacturer and they assure me that the kit is 100% safe as long as it is installed properly but they did say it is for off road use only!!

[Al115]

Then if it's for "off-road use only" what is the point of it - unless you have an XC90? They can't be selling many.


Alastair

i think its a sort of disclaimer because the kits are illegal over in the US but that hasn't stopped people fitting them over there and over here.

are they illegal over here too??

[Al115]

I don't actually know... but it seems a common enough disclaimer. I've also seen it applied to those aluminium gas/brake/clutch pedal replacements you can fit to Novas!

HID as a concept I'm sure is legal (but I don't know anything about the safety implications that Simon refers to). On the other hand there are legalities around driving lights, I'd guess depending on colour and luminosity.

Can anyone else propose an answer grounded in fact rather than my speculation??


Alastair

[sholtby]

I recall reading that HID lights must automatically self level to allow for vehicle loading. Do these kits do this?

Simon

no - i think only hids factory fitted have this and another requirement is that they have to have a cleaning system but luckily my cars fitted with headlight wipers ;)

[basher]

I bought my hids from here

http://www.hid-online.com/hidonline/...t_H7_6000k.htm

everyone has their preference, I got my kit a year ago and I wanted the cheapest quality branded parts kit I could find and these fitted the bill with all philips parts. There may be someone cheaper now but I haven't looked. If you login from the USA you pay in dollars converted y you card and the system takes your money and oyu don't pay vat but it still ships to the the uk (I think they are in Chester or somewhere round there)

Went for the 6K option they actually put less light on the road than 4300k but if you want the blueness like the HID projectors you have to go for 6k. the projector lense refracts the blue light from the hid and makes it more intense. I wouldn't recommend going higher than 6K because it does start to go purple

Saftey well if you drive like I do that all goes out of the window anyway.

But the law is different. If you take a halogen unit and retrofit hid even with self levelling (you can get away with it if you have self levelling suspension i.e. with nivomats etc) and headlamp wash you are still illegal simply beacuase the unit is not 'e' approved for highway use using any other light source than the rated halogen bulb. If however it is constructed for use with HID or you can obtain a certficate of approval it is. Also because the headlamps on your car are no longer e approved you remove the whole certificate of worthiness thingy ??? (can't remember it's exact name) which inturn buggers your insurance and road worthiness.

It is a whole big grey area but on the whole when it comes to the crunch i.e. court room I would say you loose.

After all that I still have them on my car for the moment and is a risk & choice I made, they give superior light output but the '04 lights do that aswell with halogen's, just not quite so well.

The choice is yours but without beating round the bush whatever anyone says It is still illegal.

hope this hopes with all your decisions


Hedley

[basher]

Sorry,

I left out your sidelight question,


not really, but you can notice a yellow spot when looking at them. You can change them for lED's or blue bulbs in fact I think if you buy the kit from where I suggested they give you philips blue vision main beam and side lamp bulbs aswell foc.


Hedley