Xenon headlamps

[330dcoupe]

Afternoon.

I'm thinking of having some Xenon's installed on the Seat - but am not sure which ones I should be buying.

I want the real deal and not the shabby bright blue bulbs you see added to chav mobiles :-D

So, does anyone have the proper name for OEM style Xenon headlamps and what their 'K' output ought to be. Are HID conversion kits the same thing?

Thanks.

[cruiser647]

I think you HAVE to have headlamp washers fitted to cars with Xenons (by law). So that is an additional cost to add on if you do not have headlamp squirters already.

[Rustynuts]

I got a set of Xenon conversion kit from a group buy on another forum. The colours are rated in Kelvin and range from 4200k which is pure white, through to up near 10000k which is heading into purple territory. I went for 6000k ones which are bright white with a hint of blue. Any further up and I was thinking I'd be looking like a chav. A bit of blue in them gives a better quality of light at night time I think.

So you'd be best going with 4000k to 6000k for oem look I suggest.

If you're after a set, then I got mine for £65 delivered, and they're fairly simple to fit. You need to drill a hole in the back plate of the headlight access cover to feed the wires through, and a supplied grommet seals it again when installed. Then mount the ballasts somewhere handy. Dunno where on an Ibiza but my Altea was dead easy. A couple of handy bolts where the wings are held on.

If you want details of where I got mine then I won't pass it on, because it was done through a group buy and the guy who sold them has since disappeared. No worries for me as mine work, but some others were having problems. However, there's another group buy going on for better quality slimline ballasts (better all round I believe0 so if you want details shoot me a pm and I'll pass you the directions.

[kite]

Have a look here

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/store/home.php

[Rustynuts]

As regards headlamp washers, it's an argument which isn't going to be answered until someone goes to court to challenge it I think. Factory fitted Xenons have to have autolevelling and washers fitted, but aftermarkets is a grey area.

I have had to set mine down a click on the levelling setting to stop people flashing me, and I'll probably put the original bulbs back in come MOT time to avoid any embarrassment.

[330dcoupe]

Cheers chaps - will look into that link Kite.

Rustynuts - PM'd :-)

[gizze]

4000k is quite yellow but will give you the most light output, 5000k is white, 6000k is blueish and 8000k is purple looks chavvy and will be no better than you have now.

You don't need washers for after market xenons but you do need a projector style headlamp as the cut off when MOT testsing is very precise, and a xenon in a non projector style lamp will wander over the line and you will fail 99% of the time.