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HID headlight conversion- anyone done it?

911addict

New member
Just had HID's (H4 kit) on my 964 turbo. Very bright and look nice but am puzzled. There seems to be only one beam. The full headlight stalk now does nothing, and neither does the beam level adjustment from inside the car. I suspect the garage have not fitted it correctly, but as its Easter can't question them until next Tuesday! So am I driving around on full beam- I don't know!

Has anyone done this conversion, and how should it operate properly?
 
Mark,

I think a lot will depend on just which HID kit you had fitted. There are a lot of different ones around and some work differently to others.

The basic HID light is intended as a dipped beam. Some of the more modern H4 kits use a solenoid operated "shield" which operates within the headlamp to re-direct the beam for main beam use. I suspect there are other sysems which use seperate filaments for high and low beams - just like the H4 tungsten/halogen lights. The major problem with this is that the HID lights take a little while to ignite, so headlamp flashing becomes a non-event!!! Also the switch from low to high can take several seconds which can be dangerous in some conditions.

I know there are several people here in the 964 community (RLW??) who have had HID kits fitted. The more recent ones have used the kits from www.hids4u.co.uk which use the solenoid-operated shield to avoid the ignition delay.

I'm sure Richard will pipe up soon with better advice than I can give.

Regards

Dave
 
It was the H4 kit from www.design911.co.uk and they say on website its the right one for mine (964 turbo). I agree it sounds like Jaz didn't fit it correctly. If done properly should everything work fully? ie. dipped and full, flasher, and interior level adjustment?
 
what is a HID convertion? does anyone know what you do to change the headlights from left hand beam to right? is it just changing headlights?
 
OK Dave - I'm here. Just got back from Yorkshire.

Many of the HID kits are, as you say, dip beam only so I suppose it would be possible to connect up the wrong way round and have main beam only apparently. I say apparently because the damn things are so bright they shoot light miles down the road, even on dip. Also, I guess that the main/dip switch will have no obvious effect if one of these types is fitted.

The kit you have had fitted 911addict will have been advertised as a high/low or main/dip if it is that type, and most are not. If yours didn't say this, then its dip beam only.

The height adjustment should still work as normal and I can see no reason for it not to. How much did the kit cost? Mine was £260 including 10% discount and they don't get a lot cheaper than this yet. If yours was much less, again, I would suspect dip beam only.

What you do need to do is get the alignment sorted out as it is quite different with these bulbs and, seemingly, harder to get right too. Although mine was a straight swap and it passed its MOT the next day with the old settings, I felt that there was a massive discrepancy between the sides which needed adjusting out - in effect, I had a very bright patch 30 feet in front ot the offside of the car and this was very distracting. Also, they were a touch too high, although again different, and you really could pick up fluorescent markings at huge distances, and this might be why you think you only have main beam.

My lights are now too low and aimed too far to the left (done by an MOT tester although not for a test) and it really does show so I think I will spend a few minutes sorting them out again.

 
ORIGINAL: AJR

what is a HID convertion? does anyone know what you do to change the headlights from left hand beam to right? is it just changing headlights?

Tone,

HID is the acronym for High Intensity Discharge lighting - in other words, Xenons. To change from LHD to RHD you have to change the complete headlamp assembly, lens and reflector together. Changing the lens alone will not be sufficient to get past a decent MOT tester although it has been done in the past. If you are considering a HID conversion it will only involve changing the bulbs and fitting the ballasts/starters etc.

Regards

Dave
 
ORIGINAL: Computamedic

ORIGINAL: AJR

what is a HID convertion? does anyone know what you do to change the headlights from left hand beam to right? is it just changing headlights?

Tone,

HID is the acronym for High Intensity Discharge lighting - in other words, Xenons. To change from LHD to RHD you have to change the complete headlamp assembly, lens and reflector together. Changing the lens alone will not be sufficient to get past a decent MOT tester although it has been done in the past. If you are considering a HID conversion it will only involve changing the bulbs and fitting the ballasts/starters etc.

Regards

Dave

dave don't you 964 fella's have the SWITCH on the back of the headlmap unit a la 993 ?
 
ORIGINAL: Sundeep

dave don't you 964 fella's have the SWITCH on the back of the headlmap unit a la 993 ?

Sundeep,

Nope - just a very basic round headlamp with a similarly basic dual filament H4 bulb I'm afraid. The little black stickers on the front are OK for occasional European trips to stop dazzling the natives but the MOT testers won't wear the reverse if you have the LHD lights. The beam pattern is all wrong so changing the units for RHD units is all you can do. Around £160 I'm afraid. I got caught on my 2005 MOT.

Regards

Dave
 
Richard,
thanks for the info.
The lights were ordered from here: http://www.design911.co.uk/index.htm?Region=UK and go to lighting, xenon. The H4's are advertised as correct for 965.




ID911HIDH1R1B
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965 TURBO H4 XENON LIGHT KIT
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1990-94
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£ 295.00

I will check with the garage today whether this is indeed just one light, on dipped beam. If so, then are you saying that I will have no main beam (or can the original bulb be left in place to still provide this function, ie. headlamp and flasher?).

As an asides, something is definitely amiss, as I now have no interior lighting and my rev counter is erratic (ie. sometimes dead. So I have to switch everything off, then start again and then it works!)
 
Update today.
My garage has got the flasher working (on low beam). The interior lights work again (nothing to do with the headlight work! Removed a fuse, forgot to replace).

The headlamps still not working. My guy says that he thin ks this unit is only single bulb and not like those he fitted before. As this was supplied on the basis as suitable for my car, he has phoned the supplier (who is now taking advice from the manufacturer). Watch this space.
 
Fred,
Yes, I believe you're right.
Hence why it does not seem to be the correct product.
I will tell you what the supplier comes back with.
 
ORIGINAL: AJR

Dave, with my LHD headlights I can convert to HID without changing the whole units?

Tone,

'Fraid not. The beam pattern projected by the LHD reflector/lens is all wrong for the UK and will likely get failed on an MOT test unless you have the tester in your pocket. The HID conversion only changes the bulb, the lens/reflector is untouched. You'll have to buy new units (around £80 each) and then convert to HID.

Regards

Dave
 
If it's a while until your next MOT it is worth watching ebay as pairs of right hand drive lights do come up from time to time. I recently fitted a second hand pair picked up for £85 - about the cost of a single unit new.

Funnily enough my local MOT tester was quite happy with my LHD lights fitted with a beam deflector. I only made the change to try to improve the light output/pattern.

Regards

Jonathan
 

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