# HID conversion on mk4 gti



## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

I have done a search. My question is, what would the cheapest way be to do a mk4 gti hid conversion. i am assuming everyone is in agreement that drop in kits for the stock headlights are not good? however i cant justify spending over a grand on headlights. what i really want is a headlight with fogs, and hid bulbs. i fell in love with the light output of my moms new infiniti, and now i want that on my gti. what aftermarket lights are good to drop a set of hids in? are the leveling motors worth it?


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

at TM tuning, i was able to find Hella E codes, clear w/fogs for $410, the hid drop ins for $250, and the leveling motors for $210. would this kit have a good beam? are e codes good for the hid drop ins? does anyone think the leveling motors are worth the extra $210 ?


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## silver_slayer (Jul 1, 2008)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*


_Quote, originally posted by *glenng78* »_at TM tuning, i was able to find Hella E codes, clear w/fogs for $410, the hid drop ins for $250, and the leveling motors for $210. would this kit have a good beam? are e codes good for the hid drop ins? does anyone think the leveling motors are worth the extra $210 ?

that is still in reflectors. stick to the Depo/FK OEM hid replica lights. or anything with projectors. and the levelers are worth about that with a wireing harness and switch...but they are not necessary....just a cool function


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (silver_slayer)*

ok so i now know i need to go with projectors, what brands are good? in pro? hella? depo? fk?


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

ok i did a search and am having a hard time with this. can someone please take the time to explain the difference in all this to a lighting newbie? i appreciate everyones patience, and i state again, i have done a search!!!!!! first off, any pics you guys could provide are greatly appreciated, as any of the pics i have come across in my searches, were un viewable. so i gather that e codes are just a european projector? please correct me if i am wrong. and that e codes would not be ideal for a hid drop in kit. now, projectors are the lights that look like a glass egg? and are these ideal for a hid drop in kit? also, what brands are quality? i have found hella projectors with angel eyes and fog lights, very nice, bright white led angel eyes, but also very expensive. i have found the depo in pro's, fk's , and also helix. i think the helix are the best value, as they have angel eyes, fog lights, and are projector, i can get them from ecs for about $400, or $330 without the angel eyes. also, is it worth the extra $250 to do the leveling motors? and finally, i want the most light output possible, i have gathered that i would want to go with a 5000 bulb? if this is correct please let me know. again, i am a total newbie, and i appreciate everyones help


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

t


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

bo


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

any one?


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*


_Quote, originally posted by *glenng78* »_I have done a search. My question is, what would the cheapest way be to do a mk4 gti hid conversion. i am assuming everyone is in agreement that drop in kits for the stock headlights are not good? however i cant justify spending over a grand on headlights. what i really want is a headlight with fogs, and hid bulbs. i fell in love with the light output of my moms new infiniti, and now i want that on my gti. what aftermarket lights are good to drop a set of hids in? are the leveling motors worth it? 

IF you fell in love with the infiniti lights.... then you WANT projectors designed for HIDs in the first place, not some cheap halogen projector with a Drop-in kit.
Try http://www.lightwerkz.net/








$1000 with a HID kit. Sounds and is expensive, but the low beam performance of the S2000 projectors is hard to match (except for the huge LS430 projector) or buy your own parts and DIY. 
He did the first MKIV conversion using S2000 projectors for my car. (not first ever MKIV conversrion, just to be clear)


_Modified by GT17V at 11:50 PM 10-3-2008_


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (GT17V)*

is helix any good


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*


_Quote, originally posted by *glenng78* »_is helix any good

no. As I said... halogen projector plus HID kit--- doesn't exactly give you the performance you want (ie your mom's infiniti)


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (GT17V)*

yeah i got it, but a halogen projector is better than just the regular reflector or e codes, no? i would love to get the ones you showed me, but i cant afford the $1000 price. i understand they wont preform as well as the infiniti, but will it not be a dramatic improvement over stock? and will i be blinding other drivers?


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

keep in mind... while the so-called experts will say the minimum you need is halogen projectors, they are mostly wrong. Very few halogen projectors are suitable for a HID kit. Helix halogen projectors are not one of the suitable projectors. They too will give a pretty bad pattern (which can glare also).
Some people have purchased Helix or Depo projectors and retrofitted a 2.5" Valeo HID projector from a B5 A4 with decent results.


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (DirtyDub01)*

where can i come across a set of these projectors? and do they have to be retro fitted to a light that does not have angel eyes? or will they fit in the angel eyes equipped lights? if not, can they angel eyes be taken out?


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*


_Quote, originally posted by *glenng78* »_where can i come across a set of these projectors? and do they have to be retro fitted to a light that does not have angel eyes? or will they fit in the angel eyes equipped lights? if not, can they angel eyes be taken out?

ebay for the Valeo 2.5" HID projectors.
the lights, you can buy them without angel eyes (cheaper also)


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## Abramite (Jun 12, 2007)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (GT17V)*

I love the Lightworkz ones, S2000 hmmm delicious, second best projector out there, if you have $900 buy THEM!
I currently am running the Valeo D2S in helix, its a good projector, and can't complain, its the easiest Retro I ever did.
I am proud to announce I think I am the first person to put LS430's in my GTI headlights!!!!



















_Modified by Abramite at 11:19 AM 10-6-2008_


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## DeutschConvert (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: (GT17V)*


_Quote, originally posted by *GT17V* »_ Helix halogen projectors are not one of the suitable projectors. They too will give a pretty bad pattern (which can glare also).


Are the depo projectors a halogen type aswell?


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

*Re: (DeutschConvert)*


_Quote, originally posted by *DeutschConvert* »_
Are the depo projectors a halogen type aswell?

yes. And not a particularly good projector for HID pnp kits


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## DeutschConvert (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: (GT17V)*

So, basically the only way to go, no matter the housing, is retrofit? Be it an aftermarket housing with a pre-fasioned bezel or a complete custom OEM headlight with a fitted projector.
Good to know...I wasn't aware that all of the aftermarkets were halogen spec.
http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## silver_slayer (Jul 1, 2008)

*Re: (DeutschConvert)*

I wouldnt say it is the only way to go......I have never had any problems with my Helix or FK projectors with HID drop in.....they def. are not nearly as good as a projector designed for HID's but they are in no way blinding, and they have very sharp cutoffs. but if you are looking for the infinity output/width, the only way to do it is to go retrofit.....but if you are just looking to improve the lighting you have now, an aftermarket projector headlight with HID drop ins will be good.








as you can see here, the pattern is wide, but looses brightness when you stray from the center of the road....with a real HID projector, there will be no "hot spots"
i ran this setup for about 6 month before switching to real D2s projectors. i loved the setup, but it got old after a while of not being able to see much on the sides of the road. i now love my new setup (pics coming soon)


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## Abramite (Jun 12, 2007)

*Re: (silver_slayer)*

Valeo D2S HId in Helix...
Got shaky hands


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## DeutschConvert (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: (Abramite)*

^^
Hey, that isn't bad...
The Valeo's are basically a direct swap out, correct? Being as it is 2.5"-2.5" (from what I've gathered).


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (DeutschConvert)*

how hard is it to fit veleo s into a helix lamp? i found a set of projectors from an audi, but the guy doesnt know what model they are. he says they are valeo's. does audi use different projectors, or only 1 part? and, are these the ones i need


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## Abramite (Jun 12, 2007)

*Re: (glenng78)*

Its a direct swap


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

borrowing Nater's pic on the MK3 








I have seen similar dissections of Helix lights for the MK4 golf


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## DeutschConvert (Aug 10, 2007)

I would love some cut off and galre pictures of the Valeo Helix setup if someone has some.


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)




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## DeutschConvert (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: (GT17V)*

Cutoff looks pretty good.
Do they take well to color modding at all?
Any other opinions as to a better 2.5" projector?


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## GT17V (Aug 7, 2001)

you may be able to color mod it, however it means you don't reuse the retaining clip. I would imagine, it would be a washer mod.


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (GT17V)*

ok, this guy has a set of valeo projectors, he says they ar bi xenon, but doesnt know if they are D2S. they apparently came off of an audi. does audi use D2s's or do they use several different projectors


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (glenng78)*

GT17v check your pm's


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## Abramite (Jun 12, 2007)

*Re: (glenng78)*


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (Abramite)*

hey Abramite check ur pm's one more time for me


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (glenng78)*

122


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## ukferrari (Jun 25, 2008)

*Re: (glenng78)*

Would these projector headlights work with HID's in the projector low beams? A pre-installed HID kit is an option so I am assuming that they will work with HID's?
http://www.parts4euro.com/DCSh...d=115


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## glenng78 (Dec 23, 2004)

*Re: (ukferrari)*

ok i got a set of helix hid replica headlights, 2.5" valeo D1S projectors, and a euro switch. is there a way to convert the D1S projector to fit D2S bulbs? it seems like the D2s bulbs are a lot cheaper and readily available than the D1S


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## marksae (Apr 20, 2009)

*Wiring in the back of Helix Headlight Housing*

Bumping an old thread.
I have a set of D2S Audi S4 projectors that I plan on putting in a set of Helix headlight housings. Does the headlight housing back cover need to be modified to clear the D2S bulb wire? Anyone have any pictures of their setup from the back side of the headlight housing?
TIA!


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## KB4 (Sep 22, 2008)

*Re: Wiring in the back of Helix Headlight Housing (marksae)*

if you want to go cheap, i've heard good things about these
Go to mydepots(dot)com
they're not legal though, the HID projectors you speak of ($1,000 ones) are actual projectors since they cut a clean line across the horizon. These would just install in place of you're existing bulbs. They would literally just "spray" HID light all over the place, which is what makes them annoying to passing cars on the road. 
H7 are stock bulbs
H3 are most likely you're stock foglights (if you have any)
hope this helps.










_Modified by KB4 at 10:01 PM 5-10-2009_


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## marksae (Apr 20, 2009)

*Re: Wiring in the back of Helix Headlight Housing (KB4)*

Alright, I'm in the middle of converting my Helix headlights to use Valeo D2S projectors. It appears the back cover needs to be modified in order to get the D2S wire to the headlight bulb. Anyone got a picture of this setup? How did you get it to seal?


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## pilotlars (Aug 19, 2004)

*Re: (glenng78)*

Glenn, i'm coming late on this but i wanted to clarify a few things for you: "E-Code" or "ECE" is a type of lighting standard that the rest of the world uses. The US uses SAE/DOT which allows much more light to be scattered upwards, into the eyes of on-coming traffic. SAE lights are NOT legal for use in Europe, since they blind traffic and don't actually put enough light on the road. Hella, Depo and Valeo are all OEM makers for lights in Europe. I would trust any of them. Stay away from no-name brand projector lights or halos or that crap. the exception are the Hellas you found, which are expensive but well worth it. "Projector" lights are DE units, Hella invented them. They have a very defined cut-off. Normal E-Code lights have a cut-off as well, just a little fuzzier. I would NEVER recommend using an HID kit with an SAE headlamp, way too much blinding. H7 and H1 HID "drop-in" kits have worked well for me in ALL cases for E-Code headlights. Halogen headlamps and HID headlamps have different types of reflectors, regardless of whether it's an FF (clear-glass) headlamp or a DE (eye-ball, or glass-egg, as you called it) headlight. Basically the filament of a halogen bulb and the arc in the HID capsule have different shapes and each reflector is specifically designed for ONLY that type of light-emitter. That having been said: the H7 and H1 HID kits work better than most because those capsules can be placed in almost the perfect position in the Halogen reflector. High beams are great for up-grading to HID kits since blinding is no issue, just a huge amount of light for safety! Low beams are tricky, you don't want to blind everyone, so a dedicated HID/Xenon headlamp is the best (and also the only LEGAL option). Hella makes a Golf 4 Xenon light, it's been an option on the European Golf since 1998 or 99. Your next best option is a DEPO or HELLA DE (projector) headlamp with 1 or 2 HID drop-in kits. I have even tried the standard E-Code Golf FF (clear/OEM) low beam with an H7 HID kit and it worked almost perfectly. Oh... the colour temp of HID kits is mis-leading. 4300K is the brightest, it's a WHITE/blue light, OEM for BMW, Audi.. etc. 6000K is more blue, 8000K is quite blue. anything over that is purple/violet. This is more blinding as the human eye has trouble dealing with blue lights, they appear out of focus and are scattered the most by moisture. Hence red tail lights and rear-fog lights. Also, the light intensity drops off severly as the colour temp goes up. So a 4300K is much, much brighter than a 12,000K light. Oh, there are 3000K HIDs, they are YELLOW. 
Here are the Hella DE Halos, they are also available in black:

These are from Hella and can be Xenon or Halogen:

I hope that helps a bit, I hope you've been able to get some good lights, please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions about anything. thanks, lars


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## pilotlars (Aug 19, 2004)

*Re: (pilotlars)*

I just found the other pics I was looking for...
These are the OEM Hella xenons:

These are the Hella Halos lit up:

They are pretty in blue too, probably from FK or Depo:

And finally the mk5-style lamps for the mk4:


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## whatnxt (Mar 15, 2006)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (glenng78)*

After doing a retro with FX35 bi-xenon HIDs into my E-codes with fog lights, I found that the fogs were so over powered by the HIDs that using them together was useless. I run the fog lights as DRLs now.
A better set-up if you want fogs is to get the Hella Micro DEs. Much better than the GTI or E-code fogs and add to the HIDs.


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## pilotlars (Aug 19, 2004)

*Re: HID conversion on mk4 gti (whatnxt)*

good point, btw... the stock xenon headlamps on golfs and jettas don't even have a foglight option, there's no room in the lamps for them.


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## PernellGTI (Jan 1, 2010)

*Can bus hid kit?*

Hey does anyone know anything about using a can bus hid kit instead of a regular one on a gti mk4? The reason I ask is because someone just told me that the computer will go into a fail safe mode when it sees 35W output on the headlights instead of 55W and this will cause the ECU to regulate power output and ultimately kill the ballast. 

I have to say Im damn confused now, My friend has a cheap xentec kit running on a jetta 02 with FK headlights and for 2 years of knowing him and his car I don't think he ever had a problem. 

I want to buy an HID kit but the guy at the shop told me I need a can bus unit for my Volkswagen, anyone here can throw some info? Thanks!


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

PernellGTI said:


> Hey does anyone know anything about using a can bus hid kit instead of a regular one on a gti mk4? The reason I ask is because someone just told me that the computer will go into a fail safe mode when it sees 35W output on the headlights instead of 55W and this will cause the ECU to regulate power output and ultimately kill the ballast.


Who told you that? Do you have any reason to think that they know what they are talking about???



PernellGTI said:


> I want to buy an HID kit but the guy at the shop told me I need a can bus unit for my Volkswagen, anyone here can throw some info?


Sounds like the second person that you talked to who doesn't know what they are talking about.

Try listening to Daniel Stern and reading Thinking of converting to HID?


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## PernellGTI (Jan 1, 2010)

dennisgli said:


> Who told you that? Do you have any reason to think that they know what they are talking about???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Excellent info in the link you provided.... Well I actually went to autozone and bought a set of two hella h7 bulbs at 55w I gave up on the cheap HID idea, I installed my bulbs on new FK headlights and it looks good, not like my buddy's jetta with HID's but the light pattern on the floor and wall looks damn sharp compared to his. 

Thanks for the info, I haven't invested any money in the cosmetic aspect of my car, everything went to the engine, trans and susp. I really wanted to do HID's but I guess that will be when I can buy something top notch.


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## Pheno.menon (Oct 3, 2012)

I'm about to get the helix euro replica lights with a Morimoto h7 hid kit.

If I want to convert the helix projector to a valeo projector later on, what do I need for this (links would be very helpful, even if they are ebay links!)? I am new to HID's so bear with me.

Is there any special work involved and if so, is there a DIY out there on it? 

Thanks!


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