Mysticality's Light Thread!!

[joel0407]

Don't even think of it in your low beam as that's when you'll have issues with dazzling lights for oncoming traffic and legalities but in High Beam they're fantastic.

My Yeti has Bi-Xenon so it has a HID bulb permanently on with the lights then a shutter drops for low beam. This is how most of them work.

My previous vehicle was a MY05 WRX which had exactly as your Octy, permanently on low beam with the lights then a complete second reflector and bulb for high beam. I fitted HID in this lens and it works great. You only use high beam when your not approaching or following other vehicles so there is no problem with dazzling other drivers and you get a bucket load more light.

The down side though is if you want to flash other drivers. Due to the warm up you don't get a bright flash of the head light but I guess my current Yeti is exactly the same,

Happy Days

[Andres]

They are illegal to fit without washers and auto levelling and dont work well if fitted in the stock reflectors as they are not designed for HID and tend to flare like the sun.

Not that it seems to stop some people from doing it.

I understand, however, much like spotlights or even high beams, no oncoming traffic would see then if fitted in lieu of the H1 halogens.

Don't even think of it in your low beam as that's when you'll have issues with dazzling lights for oncoming traffic and legalities but in High Beam they're fantastic.

My Yeti has Bi-Xenon so it has a HID bulb permanently on with the lights then a shutter drops for low beam. This is how most of them work.

My previous vehicle was a MY05 WRX which had exactly as your Octy, permanently on low beam with the lights then a complete second reflector and bulb for high beam. I fitted HID in this lens and it works great. You only use high beam when your not approaching or following other vehicles so there is no problem with dazzling other drivers and you get a bucket load more light.

The down side though is if you want to flash other drivers. Due to the warm up you don't get a bright flash of the head light but I guess my current Yeti is exactly the same,

Happy Days

Yeah, that's what I thought. Previous car had large spotties, so missing decent light output, when on the open road.

[GTR27]

I second HID's in the high beam. The low beams are good enough for when you need low beams, and when you're using high beams no one else is around anyway.

Some 50w HID's (no more than 5K colour temp - 4.3K is better) in your high beam will sort out the lack of guts.

[brad]

Don't even think of it in your low beam as that's when you'll have issues with dazzling lights for oncoming traffic and legalities but in High Beam they're fantastic.

My Yeti has Bi-Xenon so it has a HID bulb permanently on with the lights then a shutter drops for low beam. This is how most of them work.

My previous vehicle was a MY05 WRX which had exactly as your Octy, permanently on low beam with the lights then a complete second reflector and bulb for high beam. I fitted HID in this lens and it works great. You only use high beam when your not approaching or following other vehicles so there is no problem with dazzling other drivers and you get a bucket load more light.

The down side though is if you want to flash other drivers. Due to the warm up you don't get a bright flash of the head light but I guess my current Yeti is exactly the same,

Happy Days

It's a 2012 Octavia. They have projector low beams with halogens standard & take HIDs really well. It's not like a Golf with reflector housings

I've been runing HIDs in the projector housings fro the past 75,000km in Scandinavian mode (permanently on). I pass about 3 HWP cars a day & they don't look at me twice.

[Andres]

I second HID's in the high beam. The low beams are good enough for when you need low beams, and when you're using high beams no one else is around anyway.

Some 50w HID's (no more than 5K colour temp - 4.3K is better) in your high beam will sort out the lack of guts.

Yeah, would definitely not go the wanky blue colour temps.

It's a 2012 Octavia. They have projector low beams with halogens standard & take HIDs really well. It's not like a Golf with reflector housings

I've been runing HIDs in the projector housings fro the past 75,000km in Scandinavian mode (permanently on). I pass about 3 HWP cars a day & they don't look at me twice.

While I reckon you're probably right, the low beams will get a Osram Night Breaker Unlimited or Philips Xtremevision upgrade. I like the courtesy lights and apparently HIDs don't play nice with variable voltages (ie fading).

[Mysticality]

Don't even think of it in your low beam as that's when you'll have issues with dazzling lights for oncoming traffic and legalities but in High Beam they're fantastic.

Octavia uses projector low beams, be they halogen or xenon. If using xenon kits in halogen Octavia headlights, you use the headlight leveller to angle them down by 0.5, so they hold straight and true.

I like the courtesy lights and apparently HIDs don't play nice with variable voltages (ie fading).

Coming/leaving home via fog lights - problem solved!


Now, to answer your question - I did have HID in both high and low at one stage, but I don't think I'd go back to HID in the highs. (Have them in the low again, to see if this new kit will play havoc with the BCM - all seems okay so far)
I have an 80w LED light bar located in the lower grille, and have had for around 170,000km. Works really well.
I now have a 180w LED light bar on the roof so the lower one is disconnected - haven't been bothered to take it out yet. (Is next to brand new, got a warranty replacement not long before I bought the other one)
In the attached image, you can see both light bars.

If I wanted and explicitly cared about the stealth look, I'd go the smaller (20") bar in the grill again - its been great.

[Guest001]

Octavia uses projector low beams, be they halogen or xenon. If using xenon kits in halogen Octavia headlights, you use the headlight leveller to angle them down by 0.5, so they hold straight and true.



Coming/leaving home via fog lights - problem solved!


Now, to answer your question - I did have HID in both high and low at one stage, but I don't think I'd go back to HID in the highs. (Have them in the low again, to see if this new kit will play havoc with the BCM - all seems okay so far)
I have an 80w LED light bar located in the lower grille, and have had for around 170,000km. Works really well.
I now have a 180w LED light bar on the roof so the lower one is disconnected - haven't been bothered to take it out yet. (Is next to brand new, got a warranty replacement not long before I bought the other one)
In the attached image, you can see both light bars.

If I wanted and explicitly cared about the stealth look, I'd go the smaller (20") bar in the grill again - its been great.

Dont light bars come under the same regs as driving lights and therefore are illegal to use on the road if mounted on the roof. Should have solid covers on when on road. Just asking, not looking to get eaten alive.

[brad]

While I reckon you're probably right, the low beams will get a Osram Night Breaker Unlimited or Philips Xtremevision upgrade. I like the courtesy lights and apparently HIDs don't play nice with variable voltages (ie fading).

Do you mean coming / leaving home lights? I've had them programmed-in the whole time and it doesn't appear to have caused issues.

About the only change I mad was that Scandinavian light default is ~85% of max V so I brought it up to 95% (something like that) as tey don't like being under-volted for long periods.

By all means achieve your desired outcome in your own way but I feel it necessary to say something when a post is fairly incorrect. I'm quite conservitve with things like this. I don't like being cop-bait as I value my licence too much but there are some things that while they are illegal, you can get away with them if they are done properly & with consideration to other road users.

One reason I haven't done HIDs in my high beam is tat I like to flash people (truckies that want to merge into my lane, etc) to indicate they are safe to merge and I don't think HIDs will activate quickly enough. If someone can think of a solution to that it would be appreciated.

[Mysticality]

Dont light bars come under the same regs as driving lights and therefore are illegal to use on the road if mounted on the roof. Should have solid covers on when on road. Just asking, not looking to get eaten alive.

Is possible - but haven't been pulled up on it yet!

Do you mean coming / leaving home lights? I've had them programmed-in the whole time and it doesn't appear to have caused issues.

My CH/LH fade in and out, be they fogs or low beams. HIDs hate the fading.

[k_rider]

One reason I haven't done HIDs in my high beam is tat I like to flash people (truckies that want to merge into my lane, etc) to indicate they are safe to merge and I don't think HIDs will activate quickly enough. If someone can think of a solution to that it would be appreciated.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that cars with bi-xenon lights (ie HID in hi and lo beam) had an extra halogen bulb fitted for the flash function. I have no idea if that's true or not, but seems plausible as it eliminates the time needed for the HID bulb to start.

[GTR27]

Bi xenon is one bulb only, with a shield to deflect light for low beam. A flash isn't igniting a bulb, it's removing the shield to allow full output. Shouldn't be an issue flashing with proper bi xenon's.

[brad]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that cars with bi-xenon lights (ie HID in hi and lo beam) had an extra halogen bulb fitted for the flash function. I have no idea if that's true or not, but seems plausible as it eliminates the time needed for the HID bulb to start.

^^^^ What GTR27 says.

My query was in relation to those that have replaced the halogen high beam with a HID - how do they flash with effect.

[99Reza]

AFAIK, the Bi-xenon system on VAG car (on Tiguan and Octavia at least) doesn't have the extra halogen bulb for flashing. Not a problem during night time as the bulb is on already. What about daytime?? May sacrifice the life of the bulb if frequently used.

Merc (guessing BMW as well) Bi-Xenon's system on the other hand does have a separate halogen bulb (h7 type) for flashing duties, day and night. During daytime, you can hear the motor flicking but the HID bulb stays off.

[99Reza]

There are HID kit out there specifically for Halogen H3 bulb (low and high beam in one bulb). This particular HID kit will have a motor operated shield (similar to Bi-xenon) in front of the bulb. When hi-beam is needed, it works very similar to OEM Bi-Xenon.

My friend has one on his Camry, works ok and comes with an extra wiring for the motor.

[dArK5HaD0w]

AFAIK, the Bi-xenon system on VAG car (on Tiguan and Octavia at least) doesn't have the extra halogen bulb for flashing. Not a problem during night time as the bulb is on already. What about daytime?? May sacrifice the life of the bulb if frequently used.

Merc (guessing BMW as well) Bi-Xenon's system on the other hand does have a separate halogen bulb (h7 type) for flashing duties, day and night. During daytime, you can hear the motor flicking but the HID bulb stays off.

many VAG cars that come with bi-xenon as standard also come with a halogen high-beam, for flashing purposes.

the superb in the skoda range is a good example.


the new mk3 octavia is a new recent example


infact the tiguan also has a halogen reflector for high-beam flashing.....