Thread: legal hi/low beam hid

I'm pretty sure it was referenced in my D1 owners manual but it wasn't fitted on my model.

Originally Posted by 33chinacars

The 3 major items to determine if HID are legal on your car if not fitted from the factory.
1: Self leveling
2: Headlight washers
3: Reflectors must be designed for HID. ( This will cancel most cars out )
Any deviation from this will make your car unroadworthy & void insurance.
Fit them at your own peril

The P38 really falls in 2 out of the 3 categories, so that technically rules them out. P38's are pre- HID designed.

I wouldn't put them on mine purely for the fact that it annoys other motorists, and to be fair, you have to think about them too.

I have them on mine and have never been flashed by oncoming traffic. I paid particular attention to aligning them correctly and even had a mate drive in front to report if they were annoying, all good. Anyone thinking of doing this most kits will show a headlamp bulb failure warning, mine dont.
I personally believe if these kits are used on headlamps with proper lenses they are fine if correctly aligned , its when they are fitted to the clear perspex lamps on many modern cars they are a nuisance.

Originally Posted by wayneg

I have them on mine and have never been flashed by oncoming traffic. I paid particular attention to aligning them correctly and even had a mate drive in front to report if they were annoying, all good. Anyone thinking of doing this most kits will show a headlamp bulb failure warning, mine dont.
I personally believe if these kits are used on headlamps with proper lenses they are fine if correctly aligned , its when they are fitted to the clear perspex lamps on many modern cars they are a nuisance.

You must be one of those very few that installs them properly, still doesn't make them legal though. If a tight bum copper with nothing else better to do wants to get technical, they can ( in Victoria anyway ) slap a defect sticker on the car.

Most I've seen on not only p38s but others like Landcruisers, Pootrols, Early pajeros not to mention older Commodores and falcons are way too bright, you wonder how they get away with it.

Just read through the entire vsi regarding hid lights.

It does mention a vehicle leveling system, and the light washing stuff.

The reflector needs to spread the light in a prescribed way. It seems pretty close to the standard light spread . There is mention of the rear of the reflector being different, but only to accomodate the ballast. As fair as I could see there was no prescription of light spread from the driving lights.

To get a relector certified they need 10 or so reflectors and a few lenses also - what a load of....

I've allready got the top phillips h4s, so a 55wat hid kit in the driving lights will give a good spread and the same kit in the two hella 4000 pencil beams should be good for a kilometre. Around town hid really isn't needed anyhow. I've just got to be mindfull of dipping the lights quickly.

ComLaw Legislative Instruments - Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 50/00 - Front Fog Lamps) 2006 (ADR 50/00)

Originally Posted by benji

Just read through the entire vsi regarding hid lights.

It does mention a vehicle leveling system, and the light washing stuff.

The reflector needs to spread the light in a prescribed way. It seems pretty close to the standard light spread . There is mention of the rear of the reflector being different, but only to accomodate the ballast. As fair as I could see there was no prescription of light spread from the driving lights.

To get a relector certified they need 10 or so reflectors and a few lenses also - what a load of....

I've allready got the top phillips h4s, so a 55wat hid kit in the driving lights will give a good spread and the same kit in the two hella 4000 pencil beams should be good for a kilometre. Around town hid really isn't needed anyhow. I've just got to be mindfull of dipping the lights quickly.

ComLaw Legislative Instruments - Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 50/00 - Front Fog Lamps) 2006 (ADR 50/00)

You said just about exactly as I was going to, saved me typing it.

I have just purchased the Hella 4000 compacts for my Skoda Yeti and a HID kit is on the way for them. I'll get the full size 4000 for the Disco in a month or so.

HID kits really transform driving lights. I'm not experienced enough with LED light bars to say they are better or worse but for me they are the best addition for night driving.

I have not yet seen a HID kit for low beam that will work effectivly without making the lights dazelling to on coming traffic. The bulbs are just too different of shape and it casues the light to be reflected wrong.

Happy Days.

Another document with information for vehicle modification in Queensland.
Not too much information about lighting but it does state that any replacement bulb must carry the same approval markings as the manufacturer's original, since these marks don't appear on after market HID kits the implication is that there is no such thing as a legal HID conversion unless all original manufacturer components are used.

http://www.seatsafe.com.au/documents..._vehicles2.pdf


However, if your lights don't dazzle other road users and don't seem overly bright you're unlikely to attract the attention of police but they'll almost certainly never be 'legal'

Originally Posted by joel0407

....

I have not yet seen a HID kit for low beam that will work effectivly without making the lights dazelling to on coming traffic. The bulbs are just too different of shape and it casues the light to be reflected wrong.

Happy Days.

This is exactly the point. The HID globe has a much larger (and different position) point of light source. This means that the reflector designed for a halogen globe will not control light from a HID correctly.

As an experiment, change one light. Park in front of a wall and cover one light at a time, compare the two, the HID will throw heaps of light above the cut off line, no mater how far you point it down.

Every time one of these morons comes up behind me I have a shadow of my head on the roof lining above the windscreen, never get that with either halogen lights or factory HIDs in the car behind. And I'm in a L322, can only imagine being in a small car. Doesn’t worry me much from behind as the 3 auto dimming mirrors go very dark, once again they don’t for factory lights. But oncoming traffic is just plain dangerous especially on country highways, and to comment that they are all fine because no one flashes – get real. I don’t flash because a. that just affects the other cars that the moron is following and b because I’m too busy trying to actually see the road and c anyone stupid enough to think that there is no affect to others is not going to get any message by flashing anyway.

Just have a look at how a HID low beam conversion lights up the interier of the car in front, something that is easy to see at the lights in town, my factory HIDs don’t, there is a clear cut off line just below the rear screen of a small car.