# do your HID's blind traffic?



## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

I know hId's in a stock headlight housing is kind of a bad idea, but i was given a kit so i figured id give it a try. In stock form, with stock aiming....WAY too bright. Most cars think you have your hi-beam on. I aimed my headlights down, and to the right fairly significantly...I still get a good amount of usable light but cars don't seem bothered by them any more. So if your gonna be a dumbass ike me and drop HID's is stock headlights, point them down:thumbup:


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## dubrubbin81 (Dec 2, 2009)

I'm getting the smoked golf e codes and was wondering about HIDs in them. I dont like to butcher wiring harness but would I even need the D connector if I got HIDs and what about the city lights


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## DBL_TKE (Sep 2, 2010)

If you use HID's in Halogen reflector housing than you should at least use a glare shield.


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

harmankardon35 said:


> I know hId's in a stock headlight housing is kind of a bad idea,


One bad idea.



harmankardon35 said:


> I aimed my headlights down, and to the right fairly significantly...


Another bad idea.


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## VAGaddict (Feb 16, 2002)

Yes its a very bad idea. Down here in Texas everyone has em in non-projector housings. The light is unfocused and often times blinding. It's cool that you asked. Plus everyone here drives a SUV or truck. SO guys that ride H&Rs are constantly getting mirrors full of blinding light. Be cool. dont do it.


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## macc70 (Sep 30, 2007)

Another HID lesson learned Maybe
HIDs and stock lenses dont mix and worse than that the GLARE may cause other drivers vision to be compromised.
Get some H7 bulbs and be done with it.:banghead:


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## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

harmankardon35 said:


> So if your gonna be a dumbass ike me and drop HID's is stock headlights, point them down:thumbup:


Pointing down glaring HIDS does nothing to numb the agonizing pain to oncoming drivers! 
The world is getting used to dumbasses like you (you said it, I only agreed :laugh so they have come to notice that you don't have your highs on, they know you have a non-oem pimping, glaring light upgrade.
Most just curse you out as they drive past, knowing that flashing you will do no good.

Lesson for you noobs searching and coming across this thread: do it right or put your money elsewhere, this is not a joke and can cause accidents!






iPhone


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## rajuncajun37 (Apr 25, 2008)

macc70 said:


> Another HID lesson learned Maybe
> HIDs and stock lenses dont mix and worse than that the GLARE may cause other drivers vision to be compromised.
> Get some H7 bulbs and be done with it.:banghead:


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## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

with stock aiming, drivers would flash their lights at me pretty constantly...when aimed down (and more imporantly, aimed right) i have yet to be flashed by an on-coming car (i drive every night). And i can see great. I see many people try to do it 'legal' and they go out and buy cheap ebay projectors with 8000k christmas tree color bulbs and its far more hideous than my lights will ever be. I use 4300K, so their just white. BTW the mk3 uses 9004 bulbs, well known to be the weakest bulb on the market in stock form, mostly due to the orientation of the filament.


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## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

I love it when people base how good or bad their setup is on how many times they get flashed. :screwy:


iPhone


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

nater said:


> I love it when people base how good or bad their setup is on how many times they get flashed. :screwy:



*So what would the ideal HID setup be?*

ps: Im not being a smart ass, I seriously want to know...


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## DBL_TKE (Sep 2, 2010)

BigJohneyK said:


> *So what would the ideal HID setup be?*
> 
> ps: Im not being a smart ass, I seriously want to know...


In an OEM projector housing with OEM HID bulbs and ballasts.


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

DBL_TKE said:


> In an OEM projector housing with OEM HID bulbs and ballasts.


im really confused about the term "oem" I know it means original equipment manufacturer, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Is that just saying stock stuff or what?:banghead:


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## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

BigJohneyK said:


> im really confused about the term "oem" I know it means original equipment manufacturer, but that doesn't make any sense to me. Is that just saying stock stuff or what?:banghead:


Exactly. Stock stuff. Some stock stuff is better than others. 
You can retrofit stock HID projectors into your lamps and (assuming it's done properly) get an oem beam. 


iPhone


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

nater said:


> Exactly. Stock stuff. Some stock stuff is better than others.
> You can retrofit stock HID projectors into your lamps and (assuming it's done properly) get an oem beam.


By retro fit, do you mean take some newer models stock parts and slap em in our mk3's?

I am just confused because we are taking our stock stuff out, and putting in aftermarket parts...how is that still considered stock?:what:



be gentle...


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## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

basically take very expensive OEM parts from a newer VW, somehow fabricate it to properly fit into your headlight housings, to get the razor edge beam everybody likes to brag about. this comes at a price that is probably close to what an average mk3 is worth

MK3's have an anti-glare cap in the stock headlight housing, it helps quite a bit compared to other vehicles i have seen HID's in. A newer ford ranger i seen the other night comes to mind, BLINDING glare, but then again I notice those trucks have bright headlights even it stock form.


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

harmankardon35 said:


> basically take very expensive OEM parts from a newer VW, somehow fabricate it to properly fit into your headlight housings, to get the razor edge beam everybody likes to brag about. this comes at a price that is probably close to what an average mk3 is worth
> 
> MK3's have an anti-glare cap in the stock headlight housing, it helps quite a bit compared to other vehicles i have seen HID's in. A newer ford ranger i seen the other night comes to mind, BLINDING glare, but then again I notice those trucks have bright headlights even it stock form.


I seen a 4 video DIY set on youtube to do this.opcorn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imIiglkq7HA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qExaAFgvquE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg_C_jtonZw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ1repIX_UU

How do you know what parts are gay or rad though? I dont want to build a rad custom job and find out I used a bunch of crap parts...


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

harmankardon35 said:


> with stock aiming, drivers would flash their lights at me pretty constantly...*when aimed down (and more imporantly, aimed right)* i have yet to be flashed by an on-coming car (i drive every night). And i can see great. I see many people try to do it 'legal' and they go out and buy cheap ebay projectors with 8000k christmas tree color bulbs and its far more hideous than my lights will ever be. I use 4300K, so their just white. *BTW the mk3 uses 9004 bulbs, well known to be the weakest bulb on the market in stock form, mostly due to the orientation of the filament*.


1 - Ummmmmmm :screwy: HIDs DO NOT HAVE FILAMENTS!!!!

2 - Aimed down is not aimed right.......aimed with a 2" decline over a 25' run and straight ahead with you in the drivers seat and a half tank of gas is aimed properly.

So please before you go bragging about how your HIDs don't blind traffic please take a lesson from people who know a little bit about this stuff :thumbup:


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

MechEngg said:


> So please before you go bragging about how your HIDs don't blind traffic please take a lesson from people who know a little bit about this stuff :thumbup:


That was a little harsh yo. BOOOOO:thumbdown:


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

BigJohneyK said:


> How do you know what parts are gay or rad though? I dont want to build a rad custom job and find out I used a bunch of crap parts...


If you want all quality parts order from www.theretrofitsource.com. If you are looking into doing a retrofit i would suggest many hours on www.hidplanet.com just surfing around. They have a noobie section where you can ask beginner questions and nobody will get mad at you and will help point you in the right direction :thumbup:

Also sorry for last night but sometimes people have to be told that they are wrong


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## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

UMMMMM i was talking about 9004's, the original halogen bulb . 9004's arent hids:screwy:. I was saying, in stock form, 9004's are insanely weak. When it rains, i lose the road. Night time driving, in the rain was downright dangerous. Aiming HID's down keep the beam out of peoples eyes and put it down on the road.. allowing me to finally see properly.


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

harmankardon35 said:


> I was saying, in stock form, 9004's are insanely weak.


Not really insanely weak.... 
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulb_types/bulb_types.html

With HIDs there is so much glare that not even half of your lumen output will make it to the road. And by aiming them down you lose all the road ahead of you.

READ THIS!!!
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html


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## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

:facepalm: all i have to do is take a drive at night to tell i get much more light to the road. if it was dimmer i wouldn't bother with it:screwy:. i use 4300K white its not for looks like most people use them for . and that first link you posted confirms 9004's are the weakest bulb of them all....(700 lumen's, not including any light lost from weathered lenses)...modern h7 halogen's common on newer cars put out 1450 lumen, 750 lumen more than the old 9004's(that's more than DOUBLE the output, stock). Most newer vw's use h7's, and I know why. 9004's suck!!

also, don't go on the attack when you didn't read the post properly. I said aimed right (meaning physically aimed too the right, not "aimed right")


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## MechEngg (Jan 13, 2009)

harmankardon35 said:


> :facepalm: all i have to do is take a drive at night to tell i get much more light to the road. if it was dimmer i wouldn't bother with it:screwy:. i use 4300K white its not for looks like most people use them for . and that first link you posted confirms 9004's are the weakest bulb of them all....(700 lumen's, not including any light lost from weathered lenses)...modern h7 halogen's common on newer cars put out 1450 lumen, 750 lumen more than the old 9004's(that's more than DOUBLE the output, stock). Most newer vw's use h7's, and I know why. 9004's suck!!
> 
> also, don't go on the attack when you didn't read the post properly. I said aimed right (meaning physically aimed too the right, not "aimed right")


Okay i misunderstood your post when you said in parenthesis "and more importantly, aimed right". But aiming your headlights to the right hand side isn't a good idea now is it?? You now get less light on the drivers side of the car where the actual road is....

Yes i agree that the bulbs are weaker than some others, and the HIDs put out way more lumens. There is a big difference yes. The difference is the scatter of light. With the HIDs the light goes everywhere instead of just being focused on the ground. 

Did you even read the link that i gave you to read? If you are still convinced that HID kits are the way to go because they provide safer lighting then you should really take your head out of your ass and go to school. Maybe take some classes on optics :thumbup:


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

While I was reading the latest post this can on the local TV news...

[video]http://video.boston.cbslocal.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5599528&at1=News&h1=Curious%20About%20Intensity%20Of%20Headlights&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&rnd=34847763[/video]


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## nater (Apr 10, 2000)

I can't believe we are still arguing this point. No matter how you "aim" glare-inducing HIDS you are scattering light in an uncontrolled manner. Period! 


iPhone


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## BigJohneyK (Feb 13, 2011)

MechEngg said:


> If you want all quality parts order from www.theretrofitsource.com. If you are looking into doing a retrofit i would suggest many hours on www.hidplanet.com just surfing around. They have a noobie section where you can ask beginner questions and nobody will get mad at you and will help point you in the right direction :thumbup:
> 
> Also sorry for last night but sometimes people have to be told that they are wrong


Right on, thanks.


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## harmankardon35 (Sep 16, 2009)

eace:


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## Ewinkdub04 (Oct 5, 2010)

its a wee bit blinding


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