# can i put hid's in my mk2 gti 16v?



## frankspinelli (Sep 24, 2008)

help me out, i am interested in them. these mk2 lights suck way to much in the rain. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## twin2626 (May 11, 2006)

*Re: can i put hid's in my mk2 gti 16v? (frankspinelli)*

Yes, you can put HIDs in any car. You just have to make sure you get the correct bulb type to match your car. I bought some off of ebay for $55 made in hong kong and they are amazing. Lasted me over a year now.


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## frankspinelli (Sep 24, 2008)

*Re: can i put hid's in my mk2 gti 16v? (twin2626)*

thanks i appreciate it.


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

No, legally you cannot.
HID and Halogen lights are two different things. They generate light in two different ways, and need different wiring to generate that light. An HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamp is an arc in a sealed tube, and needs a projector lens to properly aim the light it produces in the right place. It also needs a ballast to produce the voltage necessary to make and maintain that arc.
"Drop in" kits off ebay are _illegal to use on the roads in the United States_. They are not DOT approved for use on the roads and quite frankly are more annoying than all the "rice" in the world, since they throw obnoxiously bright light all over the place. Yes, you can "see better," but you aren't seeing what you _need_ to see any better, that is the road in front of you.
If you want better legal lights, get your headlights relayed (dramatic improvement by itself). If you're still running sealed beam headlights (those big clunky units that you replace the whole headlamp at once) then upgrade to some replaceable lamp style reflectors, e-codes or the like. Adjust them properly (they do get out of adjustment over time, and it makes a difference), use good quality lamps, and adequately size your feed and ground through the relays, and you won't "need" an HID fitment.


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## alec stensaa (Jan 10, 2008)

*Re: (turbinepowered)*

Hids, are the bomb! They are brighter and the best part of all is that your car will look bad ass at knight. What are the cops going to say, they don't Know if they are illegal or not, and nether do you







right. Well maybe you know, that they are illegal, but i don't think that you could not getaway with it.


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## AZV6 (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (turbinepowered)*

No. Legally and physically not able to do it. 
Hid and halogen are totally different lighting sources with totally difference highly scientific technologies. One cannot be replaced for the other...EVER!!
A halogen based headlamp cannot support a HID capsule even though people do it, the lighting pattern is not acceptable, the glare is not acceptable not only that, most of the light is always directly in front of the vehicle where you do not need it. 
Drop in Kits are cheap junk. Always fail and use very very low quality products.
If you want o better lighting stick with halogen, stick with Hella. I always ran Hella H4's and Driving lights on my 16V GTi. Sorry to say a crappy HID drop in kit will not out perform it even though it "LOOKS" brighter and "COOL". It ain't. 
First off, who are you fooling with HID's in a MKII?? Not event he most expensive car of the time had them yet. 
If you want to do it right do it with a Good E-code lamp. There are plenty out there.
















I much rather run a true high quality Halogen over a drop in kit any day of the week. 
If you can find Rally lamps, those are the best IMO. Projections units were awesome. Using a H1 bulb. Thats halogen.
Halogen is OLD SCHOOL, but the technology is still there and it will be around for a long long time. Nothing wrong with it. 
You want HID, buy a car with it installed. Otherwise it is crap. Even those who use real HID parabolic reflectors or Projection units in their halogen just looks homemade to me at least
Jason

_Modified by AZV6 at 8:31 PM 8-9-2009_

_Modified by AZV6 at 8:31 PM 8-9-2009_


_Modified by AZV6 at 8:32 PM 8-9-2009_


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## AZV6 (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (alec stensaa)*


_Quote, originally posted by *alec stensaa* »_Hids, are the bomb! They are brighter and the best part of all is that your car will look bad ass at knight. What are the cops going to say, they don't Know if they are illegal or not, and nether do you







right. Well maybe you know, that they are illegal, but i don't think that you could not getaway with it. 

Words from a wise man.


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## twin2626 (May 11, 2006)

I still love HIDs and am willing to pay a fine any day for the awesome look of HIDs. If you don't want to get caught or looked at by cops then just get a white or 12000K purpleish light like what comes in new BMW and Mercs. If you don't want the light shining all over then get projector lenses and aim them properly. I love HIDs and I will never get rid of mine even if I get pulled over. That is until something better comes out. I don't think cops are as strict with stuff like that in Canada as well and Ive never heard of anyone here getting pulled over for bright headligths.


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## AZV6 (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (twin2626)*


_Quote, originally posted by *twin2626* »_I still love HIDs and am willing to pay a fine any day for the awesome look of HIDs. If you don't want to get caught or looked at by cops then just get a white or 12000K purpleish light like what comes in new BMW and Mercs. If you don't want the light shining all over then get projector lenses and aim them properly. I love HIDs and I will never get rid of mine even if I get pulled over. That is until something better comes out. I don't think cops are as strict with stuff like that in Canada as well and Ive never heard of anyone here getting pulled over for bright headligths. 


You do not know what your talking about. BMW or others do not use 12000K capsules. What caused the color is the distance the cutoff shield is away from the light source, closer...bluier/purple...farther away yellow/orange.
HID retro's are so amateur. An informed enthusiast would never use this garbage, he/she would do the proper thing and buy OEM new or Used. 
But whatever dude you know best.


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## twin2626 (May 11, 2006)

Yah okay, well maybe not everyone wants to spend $1000 for headlights when they can get the same thing for leass than $100. Thank you for your HID knowledge.


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## AZV6 (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (twin2626)*


_Quote, originally posted by *twin2626* »_Yah okay, well maybe not everyone wants to spend $1000 for headlights when they can get the same thing for leass than $100. Thank you for your HID knowledge. 

That's always the excuse. Whatever happened to saving money and doing it right?? I see so many issues with kits and what not, never have had 1 single issue with the OEM in the 7 years I have had them.
Anyways, $100 Hid's well ok. Good luck with that.


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## bubba_vw (Dec 3, 2008)

*Re: (AZV6)*

if u want HIDs look at this website. alot of guys in the MK2 forum use this guy. im going to buy some from him very soon
http://www.directconnectiontuning.com/


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

*Re: (bubba_vw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *bubba_vw* »_if u want HIDs look at this website. alot of guys in the MK2 forum use this guy. im going to buy some from him very soon
http://www.directconnectiontuning.com/

This "guy" isn't selling the appropriate aiming equipment to go with his HID "kits," making him really no different in a legal or actual effectiveness standpoint than any of the various HID kit sellers on E-bay.
_Yes_, the light _looks brighter_ with HIDs in your halogen reflectors. It _is_ brighter, after all. But it's not going where you need it to to go, at an appropriate distance from your vehicle. Most of the HID light is thrown on the road directly in front of you, or to the sides of your vehicle, or up and at an angle destined to diffuse before it hits the road.
Because the area right in front of you and immediately to your sides are more brilliantly lit, you _feel_ like you're getting better lighting; after all, you can see more than you used to be able to, right?


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## twin2626 (May 11, 2006)

Those are the same ones you can get off ebay for $55. They work amazing and I as well as 5 friends of mine all have them and no problems. I've been running mine for 2 years now. That's not bad for $55. If you've got the money than go to the stealership and get ripped on a set or buy an expensive car that comes with HIDs stock. Or for us cheapies out there get some immis off ebay.


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## AZV6 (May 3, 2006)

*Re: (turbinepowered)*

Clearly if you (not you) know anything about lighting is that a camera or picture cannot produce a headlamp properly, you need a photometer for that. I can just adjust the aperture to make it look brighter is I wanted to.
You can also cleary see that 4000K which is the proper HID kelvin temp is much better for seeing than anything in the blue spectrum. Blue is not a light to see with, neither is purple. 
Brighter light in the wrong housing projecting in the wrong way does not make it good. 
I have to say that the more you know the more you realize this stuff is GARBAGE!!
But I also have to say the more misguided information you know the more you shun the truth because fancy pictures, awesomely bright, blue, exotic xenon lights on a $2K vehicles is badA$$ right?? 
If you can keep your attention for more than 5 seconds, try reading http://www.danielsternlighting.com tech section about this. He is a actual lighting expert who works with lighting companies and govt agencies about laws, lighting standards and so forth. 

Some people get it, some never get it.


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