HID headlights?

[Creampuff]

Hi people,
thinking of installing HID headlights in my 2009 Jetta.
Any opinions? what type or size to use?
just curious

[Guest001]

It is illegal to install HID HEADLIGHTS

UNLESS they were original equipment in the model and the car you are fitting them in has headlight washers and auto headlight levellers.

[Creampuff]

okay....thanks for the info

[DkN]

That aside plenty of people have retrofitted, without washer or leveling systems, OEM HID headlights or Hella ones which are aftermarket though they are the OEM manufacturer. Technically illegal yes but considering how many idiots are running around on the roads with HID bulbs in their reflector headlights...

That's another thing, your choice what to go for in the end but for the love of God please do not shove HID bulbs in reflectors.

[Guest001]

That aside plenty of people have retrofitted, without washer or leveling systems, OEM HID headlights or Hella ones which are aftermarket though they are the OEM manufacturer. Technically illegal yes but considering how many idiots are running around on the roads with HID bulbs in their reflector headlights...

That's another thing, your choice what to go for in the end but for the love of God please do not shove HID bulbs in reflectors.

Agreed. The HID bulbs require different reflectors due to the difference in length of the bulb Easy to tell the idiots as the lights flare all over the place as it is virtually impossible to focus them correctly.

Should you be involved in an accident where an aggrieved party says your lights blinded him your pocket may be considerably lighter if its found illegal lights contributed.

[peter]

Yep.... purpose built HID enclosures actually have a lower shutter/flap between the bulb and the lens, which block out the upper half of the beam when on low beam (the lens also inverts the beam). The shutter drops when high beam is invoked, causing the full vertical range illumination that we all know and love.

Running HID bulbs in halogen reflectors is equivalent to invoking high beam permanently.
Annoying at best but can be a hazard to everyone around you, especially in the wet.

Unless........you retrofit a proper HID lens with the solenoid activated shutters, like what this guy's done...

Detailed (LONG) HID Retrofit Write-up *DUW*DUW* - Crownvic.net

....or get pre-fabricated aftermarket HID replacements which have it built in.
Then you're halfway there. Still not legal, but at least you're decent.

[Guest001]

Yep.... purpose built HID enclosures actually have a lower shutter/flap between the bulb and the lens, which block out the upper half of the beam when on low beam (the lens also inverts the beam). The shutter drops when high beam is invoked, causing the full vertical range illumination that we all know and love.

Running HID bulbs in halogen reflectors is equivalent to invoking high beam permanently.
Annoying at best but can be a hazard to everyone around you, especially in the wet.

Unless........you retrofit a proper HID lens with the solenoid activated shutters, like what this guy's done...

Detailed (LONG) HID Retrofit Write-up *DUW*DUW* - Crownvic.net

....or get pre-fabricated aftermarket HID replacements which have it built in.
Then you're halfway there. Still not legal, but at least you're decent.

Bl**dy hell Nearly rebuilt the car . All that and wouldnt be in any way legal here in any State

[DkN]

Bl**dy hell Nearly rebuilt the car . All that and wouldnt be in any way legal here in any State

Lol it's not that bad really. Did something similar to mine but my lights were aftermarket and already had projectors, idiot that sold me them said they were okay for HIDs and even sold them pre-wired and in a package for HIDs, then I find the projector was the wrong cut-off and the headlights specifically have markings that say "NO HIDS".

If you want to keep your current headlights, retrofitting the projector is the best option. The Retrofit Source online: headlight upgrades for all applications has all of what you need, should be around $350 landed, for some real nice projectors and ballast / bulbs that are comparable to OEM quality. However this option will need significant effort in removing your headlights, opening them up, cutting out your reflectors and gluing in the new projectors.

Next option would be to buy Hella lights aftermarket, typically around $700, I can't remember if that includes the HID kit. If you source your own HID kits though, just remember anything under $100 would be trash and anything venturing further than 6000k would be significantly REDUCING light output. Lots of cheapies offering 6000k are also in reality closer to 7000k and quite blue - and no, these are not cool. They are stupid, have LESS light output than factory halogens and you can't see much at all when it rains at night. I myself would highly recommend the Morimoto HID kits sold by Retrofitsource. I think a forum sponsor, AutoSlick has recently started offering them locally too.

Last option is to buy OEM lights which will set you back maybe $1,200.

Keep in mind all three above are NOT TECHNICALLY LEGAL. To be technically legal you need the full washer kit and levelling motors, these are from memory about $600 by themselves and the washer kit is a PITA to install. Levelling motor obviously works only on headlights compatible with them, which are OEM and some Hella lights.

[jazd]

There are numerous existing threads on this topic. I got oems for $800 from Germany.

[maca]

I think the OP gets the picture, they're illegal wahh wahh wahh.

Do it if you want, just remember that it is a defect that renders your car unroadworthy due to Australia being a nanny state. If you want to do it on the cheap, buy any headlight housing that has projector beams (TMTuning has a wide selection), and install HID bulbs into your new lights. I seriously doubt the cops would even know that you haven't got the washer/auto leveling system installed but having them in a reflector housing would attract attention.

I saw these guys at a trade show here in alumina xenon : T4Teknology that claim to offer xenon bulbs that won't mess with the computer system. They even offer an aftermarket bulb holder should you decide to install them into your factory housings.