Mysticality's Light Thread!!

[Mysticality]

If you'd have seen my first car - a 2007 Kia Rio - you'd understand. Over 500W of driving lights, fog lights, LED's... The whole shebang.
The Octavia vRS wagon wouldn't look as good with a barrage of driving lights on it, so I think I'm going to go a more elegant LED light-bar route.
EDIT: Rio: http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2312439_n.jpg
Oh, what a feelin'

Yes there is a point to this. I do a lot of camping, drive a lot of dirt roads and all of the back streets around the Southern Highlands are small, dark, windy, and covered in wildlife.

Mods so far:
Low-beam aftermarket 6000K HID
High-beam aftermarket 6000K HID
vRS Parking lights (on with low beam) - Advise against. Seem to be the cause of my Body Control Module carking it. $500 repair job, minus labour.


Internal LED



To do:
Chinese LED tail lights *OR* The black aftermarkets
Probably going to go with the chinese ones, due to the brightness of the reverse beam.
2x SnakeRacing.com.au Dually D2 Driving
1x SnakeRacing.com.au 20" E-Series light bar
CAN-BUS compatible white LED numberplate lamps
Cargo-area LED lamps from VW.
Coming/Leaving home via Fog VAG-COM coding.

[dArK5HaD0w]

damn....u sure luv ur lights!!!!

[kamold]

If you wouldn't mind sharing which LED license plate lights you get that don't throw a bulb out warning I'd appreciate it.
The 'CANbus error free' lights I got look the part but car detects bulb out. I don't want to add inline resistors so am happy to put up with the errors until I get a proper replacement. The ones I have now work fine in a MkV Golf, and in my previous A3 but newer cars seem to be more sensitive...

[gldgti]

The 'CANbus error free' lights I got

Dont you mean "Free CANBUS error" ? :-P

[Mysticality]

@Kamold- Sure thing. Currently waiting on some eBay ones.



I found an issue today, whilst sitting outside the high school. I noticed in the main door reflection that the right hand front indicator bulb was stuck on. CANBUS didn't throw an error for a good five minutes. The only way to turn the bulb off is to remove it.
This includes locking the car. The bloody thing stays on even if you leave it for an hour.

I removed my HID's, returned the bulbs to stock and will take it in for a warranty check tomorrow.

[kamold]

The errors aren't free, you have to buy aftermarket globes to get them

[GamCem36]

Did you have to wire in the parking lights? I've read that they don't work here as the DRL's are the in the place of them? I want mine to work!

Also, how do you find the low and high beam at 6000k? I looked at some and the length of light throw seemed to diminish anywhere above 5600k. I've got Xenon low beam but wouldn't mine looking at a white high beam. What brand are you using?

Thanks!

[Mysticality]

I spliced the parkers into the low-beam.
Yeah, we have the LED DRL's, and so we don't have the little T10 parkers... Its a shame, really.
My entire system is back to stock until next Thursday when I can get this indicator issue sorted, will report back on it.

I actually really quite like the 6000K, although 5000K would probably be a much more 'European' look. The high-beam reflector is almost perfect for the HID bulb, too. Perfect light throw.

I'm using a cheap generic $60 eBay system that I had previously in my Kia Sorento. The kits have done a good 25,000km so no real complaints.

[Mysticality]

Body Control Module swapped out for a new one, indicator issue resolved.
Advise against the parking light mod.

eBay HID kits (high and low) seem to still be fine. Vehicle at 7,500km.

eBay CANBUS-compatible LED's didn't work. Will have to find alternatives.

Interior lights still working perfectly.

Waiting to hear more about LED tail lights.

[dArK5HaD0w]

eBay HID kits (high and low) seem to still be fine. Vehicle at 7,500km.

i'm guessing u put hid in ur high beam aswell - i hope u realise putting hid globes in highbeams r next to pointless.
hids r not 'flash' friendly. they're 'startup' characteristics don't go in favor of 'highbeam flashing'.
that's why a lot of cars that come equipped with bi-xenons still have highbeam reflectors with halogen globes. take the superb as an example.
then again if u do a lot of driving (country) n u use ur high beams alot, then i guess u have a point.

[Mysticality]

When I flash people I hold it on for 2-3sec. This gets around most of the warmup issues.
Not all, I know, but the output of the HID highs is enough to negate the ease of flashing.

Most night driving is highway or back roads, so the extra high beam is amazing.
Considering an LED light bar, next. Hidden in one of the grilles.

[wfdTamar]

I had 6000 and 4300 HID in my old car. The 4300 are better because they give more light and look more a more normal colour. Use the ones with an R after them (like H7R) they have a strip inside them that helps block glare for other drivers.

I have some driving lights that are dual beam so I can have them on with low & high beam headlights and they dip too when I dip the headlights.



If you live in the country good lights make night driving much easier and safer. That's why I have them, not to look like a Bundy drinking yokel.

[Transporter]

You guys are addicted to light.

More pictures would be nice.

[Mysticality]

You guys are addicted to light.

More pictures would be nice.

Beam throw (Low)


Low beam colour


Low beam


Low beam


---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------

HID bulb (High)


High+Low


High+Low


High beam bulb


High beam ballast - I still need to find somewhere to mount these properly.

[Mysticality]

Low beam ballast mounted to headlight assembly via electrical tape.
Crude, but does the job extremely well.
Very easily removed, should you need to.


Another shot


With high-beam ballast plugged in.


Shot showing Left hand side ballasts/headlight assembly.


Everything on, for colour comparison.


Trying to get an actual shot of the colour.
Damn these fancy automatic dSLR's.