Headlight upgrade?

HIDs make a world of difference and they're a doddle to fit (even I can do it :) )

You may find they won't pass an MOT, although people seem to have differing experiences when it comes to this. Personally I'm happy to have them fitted and simply change them out for standard bulbs once a year at MOT time.
 
You could also consider trying to get C2 headlights as well as these are much better at throwing out the light than C1 units. I have got C2 ones with HID's fitted 6000K rated, never had an issue MOT time either. Great upgrade.
 
hid's are the only way you'll get decent light outa c1 lights ,just dont go over 6000k. the actual usable light gets less the higher u go as they start to look too blue..

as for the mot man he should fail them due to the fact that no car can have them without washer jets or self leveling and the coug has non ,you dont need both just one or the other but what ive done is brought a cheap standard pair of headlight off ebay and i swap these over at mot time ,change over takes me 8 mins and is actually easier and less fiddly than changing bulbs.
i got em for £20 although they are slightly fogged.
 
HID is the future

Massive difference just don`t pick too high a temperature 6000k max and even they look a little on the blue side

Never tried 55w, only ever had 35w, 55w should be even better
 
Thanks chaps. Some excellent advice here.

Hids in the C1s post MOT (mine's soon) seem to be the way forward.

Don't HIDs have a rep for being chavy and dazzling oncoming drivers? Don't want to be a road hog! Just want good projection and reaction times.

(y)
 
mattypompey said:
Don't HIDs have a rep for being chavy and dazzling oncoming drivers?
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Not if they're properly adjusted so that the beam's aligned properly - something that any garage with a beam-tester would be able to check for you. This was something I was concerned about with mine, I just took it along to my local Kwik Fit and they checked them for me, didn't cost me anything either (y)
 
mattypompey said:
Hids in the C1s post MOT (mine's soon) seem to be the way forward.
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I don't mind HIDs, but to be honest I went for the C2 lights partly because I prefer their looks, (though you do get a load more Hyundai Coupe SIII comments than Jag ones...). They have the benefit of being infinitely better than the C1 units when compared standard to standard.

mattypompey said:
Don't HIDs have a rep for being chavy and dazzling oncoming drivers?
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As Mart rightly says, that's because they're often fitted by people who neither know nor care what they're doing, and don't do the most basic of "garage door" tests. Anyone who's had a disco in their rearview because of some numpty in a Corsa probably feels the same!
 
I had a quick look on eBay for c2s, could only find one for £80. A tad on the expensive side. Think I'll try some 6000ks correctly aligned and then hit the rural roads!

Thanks again fellas for the chat;)


Mako said:
I don't mind HIDs, but to be honest I went for the C2 lights partly because I prefer their looks, (though you do get a load more Hyundai Coupe SIII comments than Jag ones...). They have the benefit of being infinitely better than the C1 units when compared standard to standard.



As Mart rightly says, that's because they're often fitted by people who neither know nor care what they're doing, and don't do the most basic of "garage door" tests. Anyone who's had a disco in their rearview because of some numpty in a Corsa probably feels the same!
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mattypompey said:
I had a quick look on eBay for c2s, could only find one for £80. A tad on the expensive side. Think I'll try some 6000ks correctly aligned and then hit the rural roads!

Thanks again fellas for the chat;)
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In fairness, you'll definitely find HIDs cheaper than you'll ever find C2 lights. Not sure what your relationship with your MOT guy is and whether he'll do a test for you, but at the very least please do this. Though swap left for right!
 
H7 HID's fitted to dip beam will be spot on if adjusted properly, the only ones that blind people are the special H4-3's where the bulb tilts instead of retracting, absolutely bloody awful bulb that should be banned!!!! and each idiot that uses them given 6 points!! I researched these H4's quite a bit and finding the right ones is a minefield, the H7's in the cougar tho are never a problem
 
The key to whether HIDs will work as intended or not lies in the type of headlight or, more specifically, the type of lens. Those with a projector style lens, ie a speherical lens over the bulb with the outer lens of the headlight being clear and free of patterns will be fine, those with the bulb exposed and a pattern moulded into the outer lens will not. The Cougar's headlights (both C1 and C2) are the projector style and are fine. My 2014 Audi A3 with it's 'poverty spec' halogen headlights, by way of an example, is not. I do not pretend to understand the exact science of why, but the light from an HID bulb travels in a different way, something to do with the frequency of the emitted light waves, which is why you'll notice HID light lighting things like reflective signposts from a great distance away, long before the main spread of the beam falls on them. This difference in frequency also causes the light to be thrown all over the place when shone through a refraction lens (ie the patterned ones), causing the dazzling effect so often seen coming from chavved-up Corsas and Saxos, no matter how the bulb itself is aligned. A projector lens doesn't have this refracting effect and lets the light come through 'cleanly', emitting an unmolested pool of light.
 
Incorrect Rich, read mine above, i have H4's fitted to my bike and Anna's Rav4 very successfully with out excessive glare

You'll see below 4 types of H4, you need to use the telescopic one but
http://www.goodxenon.com/xenon/h4-xenon-lamp-model.jpg

you have to be careful not to buy one of these godforsaken things!!!!
http://i652.photobucket.com/albums/uu246/yxyshopping/Ye Wei Xuan/9a/h4.jpg

Can you see how the HID on the right tilts? These are not good and give a crappy light beam that scatters everywhere but where you actually need it
 
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Thanks for the pointers guys.

Just one more thing! Any of you got any suggestions as to brand? I was looking at Sunwolf or Bluespider and found a YouTube I'd saying the Sunwolf only lasted 2 months! Plus they do a part refund, apparently, if one uploads a positive bid lol :sleep:
 
mattypompey said:
Thanks for the pointers guys.

Just one more thing! Any of you got any suggestions as to brand? I was looking at Sunwolf or Bluespider and found a YouTube I'd saying the Sunwolf only lasted 2 months! Plus they do a part refund, apparently, if one uploads a positive bid lol :sleep:
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cant really advise a brand but avoid the very cheap china ones which are plastic case'd as a the ballasts let water in causing failure.
and also the plastic type bulbs which can melt and you'll find your beam suddenly pointing up to the sky..
also avoid the 55w versions ,i had these and they got so hot they melted the little insulators that hold the reflector in place and the bulbs failed after 4 months
just get metal case'd ballasts with metal or ceramic based bulbs no higher than 35w.

if ur wondering.
hid's are different in that a ballast produces a high volt(approx 2900volts) high frequency electrical arc between an anode and cathode in a quartz capsule filled with a zenon type gas ,as the arc (which is hotter than the sun by the way)heats the gas it emits a highly intense light hence the name high intensity discharge..

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oh and what top cat says is very true...those bloody tilt bulbs should be illegal to sell as they also melt their reflector causing dazzling too
 
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