As promised at todays Rennlist UK meetup I will post details of where I managed to source the H4 HID's cheaply.

I looked around and saw that the usual cost of all of the conversion kits was £250-400 and reasoned that you should be able to find them cheaper. I realised that most of the kits were Chinese made and that there would be a large markup on them. I looked on eBay and decided to take a chance on a set of H4 Hi/Low beam HID lights from a Chinese seller.

The lights were £90 plus postage (another £27) and are branded KLight. The ballasts/igniters and bulbs seem to be identical in size/shape and specifications to those being sold by other UK online vendors at two or three times the cost. Probably all made in the same factory and branded differently..... I have seen the Klight HID's advertised elsewhere so feel good that not a complete cowboy product!

The important thing is that they work, and the bulb with the solenoid for Hi/Low does fit into the 964 headlight bowl. I had to cut a single 22mm hole in the UK passenger side headlight bowl to run cables through but the rest of the cabling would run through the existing holes and grommets (with some judicious cutting). The kit wires into the battery with a full fused and relayed good wiring harness, instead of connecting just to the existing H4 connectors. I got the 6000K bulbs and gives a clean white light. In the short time I've had them on the car I've had no problems and work as advertised. If there is a problem he says there is a 36 month warranty, but chasing this back to China could be difficult.

The seller I used was:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Kassabian9898-Car-China

He has both the H4 single and H4 Hi/Low in stock - the one I got was the more expensive Hi/Low. No association with them - just discovered a cheap way of getting better headlights. Also he lists on the US eBay site as well for those on the other side of the pond!

 

So, are the hi/low the dual beam version, as ideally one needs both headlights beams to work?
I was originally supplied with the single beam version (ie. no full headlamps) by a well known UK supplier and after complaining got a replacement dual beam. These HID's are great, aren't they? Provide good beams to see by, and also look good and modern. A well worth while mod.

 

The hi/low is the dual beam - uses the same HID bulb but has a reflector that is moved by a solenoid to alter the beam position. This allows for both headlight beams to work off the HID.

 

Iain, good to meet you yesterday. Is the kit you have the one described as BI XENON HID CONVERSION KIT H4 H13 9004 9007 BIXENON bi on the ebay shop?

Piers

 

Yes, it is the bi xenon kit - the more expensive one. The cheaper one is just the dipped beam and does not do full beam (no solenoid and reflector). Specific H4 bulbs and 6000K colour temperature.

 

Thanks for this Iain. I'll check it out when I get a chance.

Cheers,

David

 

Have just received this kit and it appears identical to the more expensive version available in the UK albeit rebadged.

Quick question for Iain.

The solenoid switch has wiring coming from it with one connector the same shape as the back of an H4 bulb. I am assuming that this is plugged into the car loom (left side due to length) to provide the switch for hi/lo beam? The other side of the car loom is then permanently disconnected? Is this correct?

I only received one solenoid harness in the box and once everything is laid out on the floor the above is how it would appear to work.

Cheers,

Gary (BTW Iain, it's Gary up in Croxley Green!!)

 

Hi Gary,

Could you share a picture of all the bits laid on the floor so we can see what you get? How does the reflector thingy work in your headlight? I'm not sure if my car has single or double bulbs so I'll hae to check though other 993 drivers have reported that the low beam works so well that they don't need the xenon on the high beam.

Cheers,

David

 

Please do post on results as I've just had a look at the website and those prices are excellent, even factoring in the postage. What kelvin number gives the best light (as in see the most in the dark and not look the most bling)?

Cheers,

David

 

Caveman,

I would post a picture but I can't as I am not a full member at the moment! If you send me your email address I can send a picture. I won't be fitting the kit for a few weeks at least......

I got the 6000K bulbs. The kit looks a dawdle to fit as long as I have all the parts! Hopefully Iain will be able to confirm this......

Gary

 

It is pretty easy to fit - as you correctly summarised Gary the H4 connector will have to go onto the light on the (UK) passenger side of the car. I ended up drilling a 22MM hole in the back of the headlight bowl, and then disassembled the H4 socket to pass through the hole, then putting the socket back together once in the headlight bowl. The H4 connector is to actual turn the lights on as it obviously triggers the relay when it is powered on. You leave the other side permanently disconnected as the new wiring harness then provides the power to the HID light via the relay connection.

I have got the 6000K bulbs - bright white light and only slightly blue. Higher temperature colours are more blue then purple, 4300K is apparently daylight colour but not quite as effective apparently.

Oh, and nice to hear from you again Gary - you'll have to bring the nice RS clone to one of the Rennlist meets next year for people to drool over... Still got the Cup 1's on mine BTW as have decided to keep it original rather than tinker!

 

Hi Gary,

No worries. I'll borrow a picture from the Ebay ad and post here when I get a chance.

I do have separate bulbs so I would probably just use a low beam kit. Given that the guy is charging in dollars those prices are going down by the day....

I'm tempted to get a set for my car and the wife's car!

Iain and anyone lese who has bought them - do you think they are the real deal, quality wise compared to say HID4U? The kits look xtremely similar even down to the use of Sylvania's website for checking your bulbs...

Cheers,

David

 

Here you go:

 

I suspect they are probably the same as those sold by HIDS4U and others - guessing that the ballasts and stuff come out of the same factory (or two) and are then rebadged, and the same for the wiring loom and bulbs. They are not thin substandard cables or connectors - they are all waterproof positive lock connectors. Most of the kits use Chinese components, and I suspect even the Hella stuff is outsourced to there as are most electrical things nowadays!

Speaking to one of the other guys at the Rennlist meetup he was saying his wife bought stuff from China for peanuts - I suspect that even at the cheap eBay price the guy selling them is still making at least 100% on the deal!

 

Hi Iain,

Thanks and good luck to the Chinese guy. The pictures certainly suggest pretty good quality and I agree that so much is made there it's a case of trying to move as close to the source as you can. I'll probably take a punt. The guy takes Paypal so at least there is some cover, especially if I get the same delivery guy as the one who threw my last package over a six foot gate! How well was the stuff packed?

Silly question but has anyone had to buy new bulbs yet and if so where from and how much?

Cheers,

David