Replacing Halogen globes with HID is not legal. It is partially because the globes are so bright but more importantly because the headlight mirror and lens were designed and approved for the focal point of light produced by a halogen globe (the tiny element) – a HID replacement has a very different point of light emission which creates overflow of light on lowbeam. – park the car infront of a wall with one light replaced and you will see a sharp horizontal line with light below and dark above from the halogen. The HID replacement will still have a line but the area above (directed into other drivers’ eyeballs) is quite brighter.
Under ADR HIDs are required to have
- to be fitted into projector cylinder and lens (the small round lens you can see inside the headlight of factory HIDs)
- headlight washers
- Auto levelling system
So it is the combination of a mirror & lens assembly that is halogen designed and a HID globe that is the problem. Get some custom light assemblies made with the projector tubes and your all good... You can get aftermarket replacements for some cars (our Golf is one) but not the D2
Yes they do take a while to warm up but most of the BiHID H4 kits have one light and a motorized flip cover to shade one side for low beam.
If you use a 50w HID kit you will attract a bored police officer sooner or later – there are heaps of whinging “hot hatch” owners who will confirm that...

