Bricol Posted November 11, 2002 Share Posted November 11, 2002 Anyone any experience of the kits you can get now - bulb replacement, starter/ballast unit etc - all for approx 400 quid for a pair. Considering a set because dipped lights on my Integrale have always been crap - better than standard 'cos of bigger bulbs and relay fed supply rather than thru' std swtich (when they get hot and smel funny on a long midnight run across France and Belgium you tend to cure the problem fairly quickly). Also sort of considering a set for Caterham - but I don't think I use it enough to justify the expense. there are two options - nice white bright and for higher price and 20% less light output (according to manufacturer) you can get bluey ones - choice of performance or style - lets just say I have no fashion sense! Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Locust Posted November 11, 2002 Share Posted November 11, 2002 Rip some HID's out of the nearest BMW with these lights fitted? They might fit 5 1/4"s? From memory there isn't much room behind the lights on your Italian rotbox/stallion and the lights are usually bigger at the back. 20% xenon fitted in the Omega dips (H1), if you use them a lot you'll need to replace them every year or so or they go down to normal levels. I have tried white and Halfords (slightly) blue (quite good), but not the very blue or rainbow coloured types. *eek*AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH this is the route I used to sell the Westfield says you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted November 12, 2002 Author Share Posted November 12, 2002 these are replacment units - take up no more room that exisiting H1 bulb - maybe a bigger cable to the rear - uses existing light unit - made by Philips in Aachen - guess where I'm going? Needs a box of tricks to ignite and maintain arc for each light. Even do H4 replacments - fit Sevens! thses are not just a replacment bulb - a proper HID unit utlising your exisiting lamp - run cooler as equivalent is 36W - but more light, less heat output. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbieclark Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 seem to remember that Barry Waterhouse www.evocars.com does a set of uprated headlights for integrales Integrale for everyday 7 for weekends *thumbup* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 I think the only problem with these is that each unit is only one "light", ie. it'd be dipped OR main. So if your std. light unit uses both in one lamp (a la the 7) then you're a bit stuffed. Might be OK with a twin headlight Integrale set up though. I was considering looking at these for the 7 as the std lights are crap (even with brighter bulbs), but messing around trying to squeeze two bulb units into the shell, plus the ballast resistor jobbie, put me off. That and the fact that they were nearer 800quid a pair a year or so ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 PS Why not simply drive around with all lights on including high beam and fogs. Seems to work for most other road users... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-B Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 I got a set of quartz driving lights (sorry Andy) at Stoneleigh and fitted then in the front nose cone. I have the set to come on with low beams(not dipped beams) and turn off with High beams. Works a treat, and fills in the gaps correctly. At # 20 for the set, and some wire, was a great investment..... This URL http://www.meltingclock.com/rallye2002/image86.htm will show you them installed Steve SV VHPD Drive like your wife depended on it.... click here to see our 7 and rallye pictures.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph7355 Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 You should call it Ronaldo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve-B Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 actually we call it BB2 Steve SV VHPD Drive like your wife depended on it.... click here to see our 7 and rallye pictures.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 Are blue headlights legal? If they are, they bloody well shouldn't be - I'm fed up trundling along with flickering blue lights in my mirror only to find when they get closer its the usual BMW ******* **** ******!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonycaterham Posted November 12, 2002 Share Posted November 12, 2002 hi, I have a BMW 5 series with the Xenon headlamps ( no you cannot rip them out!!!) They will not easily fit another vehicle since they have a self leveling system installed. Really neat when you switch them on and headlights beam moves up a down levelling itself. Yes it is great coming up behind people in the dark when they slow down and pull over thinking you are a police car . Keeps the fast lane nice and clear for us BMW drivers and saves use of the indicators and headlamps to get evetone to move out the way. Used to have lotas of fun with a white volvo estate with a traffic master display on the dash that really made people slow up. Anyway back to to fast lane.... Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JP Posted November 13, 2002 Share Posted November 13, 2002 *mad* *mad* *mad* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonP Posted November 14, 2002 Share Posted November 14, 2002 Hi, For my sins I got involved with these things some years back, before they were adopted by the car manufacturers. At the time GEC Osram were the main manufacturers of the lamps and had a tie up with GE Sylvania in the 'States. They are a tiny high pressure Xenon arc lamp (about the size of a pea) enclosed in an outer envelope which looks like a normal halogen lamp. As a result you can't (as far as I know!) have a 'twin filament version. They consume around 36W but are as bright as a 80-100W halogen. The small arc approximates better to a point source and so the lamp optics can be more precisely designed to achieve a very sharp cutoff, even illumination. The arc colour is adjusted by using a Xenon mix to approximate daylight, hence the 'blue' look. As far as I am aware the lamps are not coated, unlike some filament types, which have a blue filter. Many late series BWM lights exhibit a 'blue flash' and this is associated with the fact that they are projector units which use a lensed optical assembly. The blue flash is due to a prismatic effect as the lamp passes through the cutoff region. This happens in both standard and HID lamps and I agree is a real pain (or it could be paranoia). However most BMW drivers get so close you can't see the headlights so its not an issue Internally the ballast has two parts, a step up inverter (which makes the high voltage AC to run the lamp) and an ignitor (which strikes the lamp). These may either be combined in one box, or the ignitor may be incorporated into the bulb holder. In the latter case the room behind the lamp becomes important. Striking the lamp is quite an issue, because it must light hot or cold and hot strikes are usually difficult to achieve reliably. The inverter takes lamp temperature into account and tailors the output current so the output intensity is held constant, normally it would be reduced in a cold lamp. So the control is not trivial, hence the price. If you look on the Cat Eye cycle lamp site you will find a cycle lamp which uses this technology called I think the Stadium. This is a lower wattage unit in a neat cycle lamp sized case which looks ideal for setting in the grill of a Seven. So I wonder how long it will be before some enterprising chap fits two of these for dip and modifys the headlights for main beam only? There are also lamps sold for diving use which use the same technology. Not sure if either of these address the hot restrike and intensity issues. Problem at the moment is price, the cost of the control gear is high and of course you need to have the space to install it. However, the size and cost are coming down all the time, so may be in a few years Caterham will offer it as an option! Best regards Jon P Edited by - jonp on 14 Nov 2002 13:25:19 Edited by - jonp on 14 Nov 2002 13:31:11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted November 15, 2002 Author Share Posted November 15, 2002 Right - back from Germany. My (very) limited knowledge of the H4 setup - acdcept there is no main beam but have an optically correct dip which is miles and miles better or a compromise. Existing bulb use different filament which means focus shifts in lense - not perfect but pretty good. HID replacement moves the arc (not quite sure how yet - maybe mechanically - technical discussion to follow to clarify!) - so both dip and main are an optical compromise but still better light output than conventional bulbs. However, I think some of the light problems with Caterhams maybe due to our relative seating position to the light beam - in a tin top you look down and along it - in a Cat ec you are pretty near the level of the light units - must make a difference. Regarding Bazza of Evocars - same lights as normal, but sells a kit to put relays into wiring loom to feed full battery power to bulbs - made my own - makes a difference but . . . Units I'm investigating come with ignitor / invertor unit - just a case of wiring lengths if comes as a kit - need to eb long to get to our lights. Technically, thses replacement units would be illegal for road use - the reason why your BMW with HID units has headlamp levellers and washers is because the law says so - to minimise problems of incorrect alignment when loaded and beam scatter form dirt on the lens, that is what is required. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 That's why the HID's I've just fitted on my road car are for off road use only officer..... Forget the legality, it's like fitting 100W blubs, technically illegal but how's anyone to know? Plus whats the chance of an mot man knowing whether lights are HID or not etc etc. On a se7en the technicalities of fitting them is more likely to be the problem. The small box of leccytronics is fag packet size and is attached to the glass bit by approx 12 inch long cables which cannot be extended or it screws up the control system. This box is too big to fit inside the headlamp bowl and the wires are too big and too short to run down the stay so that the box can be fitted inside the bonnet. So I think you would struggle to fit them with the standard headlight location at all. Incidentally the blub isn't really called a blub (or bulb....), it's technically called a burner I'm told. I got mine from http://www.autolamps-online.com they did a group buy for scoobynet and got an extra 10% discount. Their website has a lot of details plus pickies of the kit. Very helpful and knowledgeable people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonP Posted November 15, 2002 Share Posted November 15, 2002 Hi, Thats a very good web site........says it all really! Interesting to see the ballast as the original Hitachi units produced for Lexus were about 4 times the size (and probably 4 times the price!). Cheers JonP Eliseless and Se7ening again in the rain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c21vhpd Posted November 16, 2002 Share Posted November 16, 2002 If you look on the Cat Eye cycle lamp site you will find a cycle lamp which uses this technology called I think the Stadium. This is a lower wattage unit in a neat cycle lamp sized case which looks ideal for setting in the grill of a Seven. So I wonder how long it will be before some enterprising chap fits two of these for dip and modifys the headlights for main beam only? I have a Stadium - it's good for up to about 40mph on a bike - after that you can't see enough. Also, it's not lensed, so too much light goes upwards for use in a car (great wthen off-roading at night in the forest though!). Also, something about it being low power (21W) means it doesn't quite achieve the stability you need on a car - it occasionally flashes red, particularly as the battery is getting low. So don't do it! Unless you like the idea of having flashing red and blue lights on your car Honda Passion Orange, 640kg , and proud of it 😬 Edited by - c21vhpd on 16 Nov 2002 14:18:46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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