Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:41:09 +0200
Reply-To: Janne Ruohomäki <janne.ruohomaki@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Janne Ruohomäki <janne.ruohomaki@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: HIDs? Was: Does the H4 bulb put out more light than the 9004
bulb?
In-Reply-To: <4AFAF0FD.6020402@hughes.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 7:14 PM, Marc Sayer <marcsayer@hughes.net> wrote:
> Well from what I can tell this kit replaces the entire reflector. That
> is not what was being discussed. What was being discussed were
> conversions that stuffed an HID bulb system in an H4 or 9004 housing
> using the reflector designed for the H4 or 9004. Totally different
> animal, and not legal anywhere in Europe as far as I know. I am sure
> someone will correct me if I am wrong.
Ah.. ok. I was referring to "conversion" in a slightly wider meaning.
Sorry for messing this up. You need to have reflector and lens that is
meant for those bulbs also. DC, DR or DCR markings in the lens
probably.
> This is from the website of one of the companies selling the sort of
> illegal HID kits we've been discussing, it's pretty clear. You can find
> it here http://www.directconnectiontuning.com/hids.html
>>
>> NO XENON H.I.D. lighting system available from any source is DOT / E
>> approved if installed outside of the factory. These kits are not
>> street legal for use on public roads as they are. As a result, we
>> officially endorse the kit for exhibition and off-road use and will
>> only sell the kit to be used for these purposes. We are not
>> responsible for customers who violate the terms of sale in which they
>> will assume all responsibilities for any unauthorized or unintended
>> use other than exhibition or off-road use.
But this is something I don't understand: If I install E-approved
lights into my vehicle here, it will pass the inspection. The
inspector just checks that I have E-approved lights or not, are they
positioned correctly. I did not have that in my previous car and had
to remove the wires going to those additional lights. I have never
heard of any lights that were E-approved but I could not be installed
afterwards.
I think previously, before this E-approval thing, they used to be more
interested in the shape of the light pattern here. And they are still
if You have something wrong with it, but they cannot fail the
inspection just because the pattern if You have all the parts
E-approved and meant to be used with each other. They have a device
specifically for checking the lights here. And yes: the conversion to
HID without correct reflector would probably be noticed by experienced
inspector.
