Scout or Yeti?

[brad]

No way, totally illegal.

True. It's an option though.

People do plenty of illegal things with their cars all the time (wheels, wheel spacers, no hub-centric mounting, open pods, exhausts, ride height, etc)

[pologti18t]

People do plenty of illegal things with their cars all the time (wheels, wheel spacers, no hub-centric mounting, open pods, exhausts, ride height, etc)

And any of those could either gain the owner a defect or cause issues with warranty claims.

[brad]

And any of those could either gain the owner a defect or cause issues with warranty claims.

Sure.

I'm just saying what I did after putting up with the lousy halogens for 3 years (actually i just did the low beams & now the high beams are redundant. The HID supplier recomended the 55w High beams & I would buy them if I was on country roads more often). If I'd known how good the HIDs are, I would have tried to get a car with those fitted in the first place.

I've had spotties fitted to previous cars & found I could rarely use them in the urban conditions I drive in.

[whitelion]

Brad,
the biggest problem with spotties is the gulf that exists between a fantastic high beam and mediocre low beam, just when you need decent lighting the most!
Get them to do a deal on the Xenons.
Steve

[K1W1]

And any of those could either gain the owner a defect or cause issues with warranty claims.

Yes it's a sure way to become the unlucky one who gets picked up in a roadworthy check and issued with a canary or has an insurance claim bounced. I just wish the cops would crack down on illegal installations and get them off the road.

[Michelle]

On the topic of illegal installations and mods...no good telling some people because they don't want to know. I don't waste my time with them.

Young friend totally crushed his Nissan trayback during a rollover last month. Lucky he and his lovely GF weren't killed due to his stupidity. He had it jacked up, was pinged and made to lower it. Jacked it back up again, had a good yuck about how smart he was, crashed it the next week.

Guess what? Insurance has declined to pay. No car. Still owes almost full price. Off work, no income. Charged with driving unroadworthy vehicle due to the mods. Likely outcome for Mr Clever D is no job if he looses his licence or gets a conviction.

Not to mention he's got broken bones, GF is all banged up and likely have permanent scar across her face at age 19. Parents are glad he's still alive so they can kill him for the 1am phone call from Police. Mother is having treatment for breast cancer so the family really needed the extra worry.

Anyway, besides all the obvious no-brainer reasons, I won't be having any illegal crap because I have responsibilities that precludes that sort of risk taking stupidity.

[IBN]

Hi Michelle,
Yes, the driving lights are fitted. I used something similar to this; Eagle Products Unibar Lighting Bracket (check the PDF). It needs to braced against the bar running behind the bumper to secure it properly and to stop excess flex and vibration. I am am satisfied with this first install but would improve things if I had to do it again. Two things to consider: any lights that you fit cannot be too deep as you need clearance for the bonnet to open and a bit of electronics is required to switch the lights so you don't drive the car's CANBUS silly. I am sure any switched on handy person could do the install.
I made the decision to install the driving lights because the halogen high beams did not have the reach that I wanted and I had a set of lights in the garage gathering dust which could be pressed into service. At the end of the day, the whole exercise might have cost me $100 in parts.
Bi-xenons are an option. However, I had them on my old A3 and found that they did not have the reach on high beam that I have with the driving lights on country roads. It might be just perception, but I feel more comfortable.
I suppose you have things to consider. Cost, aesthetics and functionality will all play a part in your decision.
Good luck,
Ivars

[brad]

In the areas I live & work, the police are more concerned about unlicenced drivers, unregistered vehicles, driving under the influence of drugs & alcohol (my work area features fairly regularly on that RBT show) and a raft of other issues. Properly adjusted 3200k HIDs in projector housings with no washers are a fair way down the list from my experience.

I'm glad you guys are such law abiding citizens that have never, ever broken a speed limit, run through a red light or rolled through a Stop sign, let a tyre go beyond the wear bars, driven with a brake light out, etc.

I'll go home & tell my wife what a bad boy she has married as she doesn't seem the type to enjoy rough trade

[Michelle]

Thanks for that Ivars, much appreciated. I've emailed that brochure to the dealer. I want to see if they would fit it for me, and then I would be covered for insurance etc if it affects the airbag sensors in any way.

It certainly looks nice!

[pologti18t]

I'm glad you guys are such law abiding citizens that have never, ever broken a speed limit, run through a red light or rolled through a Stop sign, let a tyre go beyond the wear bars, driven with a brake light out, etc.

The problem with your logic is that everytime you turn your lights on you are essentially causing an offense. Not to mention the glare to other drivers. Headlights that are designed for halogen bulbs can NEVER be effectively aimed or focussed using HID bulbs. They become a glare factory for OTHER drivers.

[brad]

The problem with your logic is that everytime you turn your lights on you are essentially causing an offense. Not to mention the glare to other drivers. Headlights that are designed for halogen bulbs can NEVER be effectively aimed or focussed using HID bulbs. They become a glare factory for OTHER drivers.

I'd be happy for you to explain the technical & design differences between the halogen projector housings in the Octavia & the HID projector housings in the Octavia - besides the lack of automatic levelling & washers.

edit: I didn't realise there were levels of illegality (ie: breaking the speed limit a few times is Ok but every day is naughty). Does tha mean I'm only 90% illegal during the day because the lights are set to 90% but at night I'm 100% illegal.

[ausspace87]

I'd be happy for you to explain the technical & design differences between the halogen projector housings in the Octavia & the HID projector housings in the Octavia - besides the lack of automatic levelling & washers.

edit: I didn't realise there were levels of illegality (ie: breaking the speed limit a few times is Ok but every day is naughty). Does tha mean I'm only 90% illegal during the day because the lights are set to 90% but at night I'm 100% illegal.

I think the main problem with aftermarket HID globes is that the people who usually fit them to their cars have no idea about correct headlight alignment and what level they should be set to, or just don't care.

The amount of times I have driven towards a car driven by some moron who thinks he looks cool with his "xenon" headlights illuminating the lunar surface... It's just downright dangerous for oncoming traffic who can't see a bloody thing.

Fair enough if you are prepared to fit aftermarket globes correctly and get your alignment right, it should be allowed. But that would be like saying Michael Schumacher does not have to obey the speed limit.

So for that reason, aftermarket HID's should remain illegal.

[brad]

I think the main problem with aftermarket HID globes is that the people who usually fit them to their cars have no idea about correct headlight alignment and what level they should be set to, or just don't care.

Fair comment. Plus those that fit non-reflector bulbs into reflector housings, which is an absolute disaster.

The amount of times I have driven towards a car driven by some moron who thinks he looks cool with his "xenon" headlights illuminating the lunar surface... It's just downright dangerous for oncoming traffic who can't see a bloody thing.

During my daily 90-150km commute I see this a lot....... oddly, moreso on vehicles with factory fitted HIDs. I'm not sure what the deal is there. They also seem to be going bluer & bluer every year.

[K1W1]

Read this thread.

Why you can't legally retrofit HID lights to your non HID car

[brad]

Read this thread.

Why you can't legally retrofit HID lights to your non HID car

Thanks Kiwi

I did read those threads (& several others from other forums) and assessed the pros & cons for my application before making a decision.

I don't believe that I have at any time suggested that the option/solution was legal. It's about as legal as hub spacers, stretched tyres, 19" tyres on an r36 and many of the other mods put forward on this & other forums. Strangely, these other illegal mods don't seem to stir the same vocal passion & self-righteousness as HIDs.