HIDs or bulb upgrades?

jaykicksass

2011 SEAT Leon SE 1.2 tsi
Jun 11, 2009
338
0
devon
As above, what shall I do? I have a FL leon FR in black, have people put hids in? if so any picture?

Thanks
Jamie
 

jrsmooth

Active Member
Jan 6, 2009
210
0
Derby(ish)
Why is that an issue? And sorry don't.

I wasn't having a go at your grammar friend, mine is far from perfect. I was just highlighting the legal issue.

I am unsure of the technicalities myself, but my understanding is, that fitting HIDs without headlamp washer jets and a self levelling system is illegal. Probably due to blinding other road users.... or some health and safety bollocks.
 

mark

Cupra 02
Feb 10, 2002
50
0
Hertfordshire
Visit site
Its part of the MOT regulations, so if the test is done correctly they would not pass the MOT unless the self levelling and washer jets fitted, I also think self levelling lights are different from the ones you will have fitted to your Leon but I may be wrong.
 

mark

Cupra 02
Feb 10, 2002
50
0
Hertfordshire
Visit site
I have Halfords extreme brilliance bulbs they claim to be 90% brighter, they are very white don't seem to last as long though only lasted just over a year about 13K
 

S2TTB

The fake K1...
Apr 28, 2008
650
0
Glesga
Well you will be pulled on your plates before you will HIDs.

Copper pulled me for pressed plates, but had nothing to say about the HIDs. (passed mot too)

Same.


End of the day.... if you dont get stupid blue hids and have them shining all over the place then you will be fine.

i have 5000k hids, which i've had fitted for 2+ years.... been behind, been pulled by traffic police, had my car checked over etc due to having illegally spaced plates and they did not once mention the HIDS. mainly due to the fact mine look like standard OEM items, instead of the stupid neon blue efforts that most folks seem to chose.

in addition to the above, my car has been thru and past a mot..
 

deann

Active Member
Dec 9, 2009
125
0
Wolves
Go for the HID's mate... I was in wales the other day and walked past a car with factory fit Bi xenons and it had no head light washers... I have 6000K HID's in fine far better light and visability.

Dealer had nothin to say about them either.
 

dannychapman10

K04 Time ;)
Mar 30, 2009
1,268
1
Grimsby, UK
Self levelling and washers are needed for a HID lamp, mainly because the discharge is so close to actual sunlight that when, i.e going over speed bumps, the levellers would move the light beam pattern downwards when the car was facing upwards on the speed bump to stop other road users being blinded and visa versa when the car is pointed downwards, washers are also needed as specs of dirt can cause light to refract causing blindness to other road users aswell,
I have 8000k so are more blue then white and have never been stopped, 12,000k is totally illegal as its just too blue and they hardly give any light out, a lot of places don't sell them anymore I don't think either.
HIDs are the far better option, these are my 8000k ones.

29112009197.jpg


Danny.
 

FR_Flavoured

Guest
I had aftermarket HID's added to my (previous) Mk4 SEAT Ibiza.
The car was MOT'ed at SEAT after that and the lights didnt get a mention once (no washers or auto levelling).

You'd be unlucky to be failed for that situation and if so, take your car back and drive it down the road to the next MOT tester, and you will probably have NO issues. ;)

Note but as mentioned above, dont choose HIDS that have a garish blue look to them, as these WILL get unwanted attention (usually higher the K rating, the more Blue they will look).
 
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vt-marty

Manual is for Peasants
Nov 21, 2007
261
0
Marske by the Sea
ive had a HID kit on my audi A6 for well over a year, again i chose a near white colour 6000k i think...
the A6 doesnt have self levelling so technically they could dazzle other drivers if aligned badly...

but the light they give off for night driving is immense, and i dont recall ever being flashed at by other road users for having my lights too bright.

even if i got failed on the MOT (which it didnt, it flew through) i could easily reve teh hids adn refit halgenns for the retest. the hid kit is plug and play.

well worth it imho. just a shame my current hid kit on the a6 wont fit my leon thats on order :-(
 

S2TTB

The fake K1...
Apr 28, 2008
650
0
Glesga
Self levelling and washers are needed for a HID lamp, mainly because the discharge is so close to actual sunlight that when, i.e going over speed bumps, the levellers would move the light beam pattern downwards when the car was facing upwards on the speed bump to stop other road users being blinded and visa versa when the car is pointed downwards, washers are also needed as specs of dirt can cause light to refract causing blindness to other road users aswell,
I have 8000k so are more blue then white and have never been stopped, 12,000k is totally illegal as its just too blue and they hardly give any light out, a lot of places don't sell them anymore I don't think either.
HIDs are the far better option, these are my 8000k ones.

29112009197.jpg


Danny.


how they look there and what light gets put down on the road is usually quite different.

i'd guess from looks of things the light on the road urs puts down is pretty blue....
 
Oct 17, 2006
2,141
0
Mid Wales
Go for the HID's mate... I was in wales the other day and walked past a car with factory fit Bi xenons and it had no head light washers... I have 6000K HID's in fine far better light and visability.

Dealer had nothin to say about them either.

No car can leave the factory with Xenons without self levelling and washers - the car you saw would have either had them retrofitted or they would have been halogen projector units rather than xenon - a lot of Vauxhalls are like this