kace2006 Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hi Chaps, anyone carried out a xenon retrofit to their 8P (previously normal halogen bulbs)? Is it possible and does it require any serious bodywork? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahaydock Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Try VAG Parts as I believe they offer the kit, not sure or bodywork but I do not think anything major is required. Remember if you do not have the auto levelling function or headlight washers it will be illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kace2006 Posted February 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Remember if you do not have the auto levelling function or headlight washers it will be illegal. [/ QUOTE ] There's been lots of debate about the illegality, or not, of retrofitted xenons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h5djr Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Agreed. According to the Dept of Transport, they can only be fitted if you change the complete headlight to one designed for Xenons and you also fit self-levelling as washers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfiejts Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 I've done it on my 8P. Headlights themselves are a straight swap - but the levelling motors are different. I only swapped the lights, I didn't contemplate auto levelling or headlight washers.... The biggest hassle is swapping the levelling motors over inside the headlight housing so that your existing 3-level motors will continue to work. You have to tailor the plastic motor mount, as it fouls the deeper Xenon projector unit inside the headlights. And the wiring plug for the auto-levelling motor is different too, so you have to cut off that inside the headlight and wire in the original wiring plug to inside your new headlights to connect up your original levelling motors. I've done a write-up on Audi Sport..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kace2006 Posted March 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 post a link mate, im interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h5djr Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 I know that you probably don't care, but your Xenon headlights WITHOUT auto-levelling and headlamp washers are illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I know that you probably don't care, but your Xenon headlights WITHOUT auto-levelling and headlamp washers are illegal. [/ QUOTE ] That's not totally true - there hasn't been a test case yet so it's still open to debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h5djr Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Not according to the Department of Transport. In recent articles that appeared in the Auto Express magazine a spokesperson for DoTp specifically said they were illegal unless fitted with auto-leveling and headlamp washers. There statement said: "It is not acceptable to convert a headlight approved for use with a halogen filament bulb to use a Xenon (HID) gas discharge bulb. The only acceptable way of converting is to replace the headlight for one approved for gas discharge bulbs. Such headlamps will be approved to UNECE Regulation 98 and 'E' marked. If headlamps approved to UNECE Regulation 98 are retro-fitted, they must be self-levelling (as part of the headlamp system) or via self-levelling suspension and headlamp washers must be installed. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is an offence to fit or use parts which are not legal" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harddrive Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 From what I understand the issue with converting is that when the bulbs are upgraded some headlamp clusters refract the light and do not correctly direct the beams. If you park a car that has factory fitted Xenon lights in front of a building there is a sharp line projected across the top of the beam in which the light does not pass. The light is directed in this way by the housing that the bulb sits in. On the A3 the bulb housing is the same for both the Xenon option and the normal halogen bulbs so on coming trafic is not blinded. Last year one of the guys I work with updated his A4 with a HID kit and the light on the wall was as sharp as my factory fitted Xenons. So unless you look at the fact there are no headlamp washers you would not tell the difference between his and the factory fitted option. At the end of the day the main thing to consider is do you want to take the risk or do you just update to powerbulbs which are 100% legal? If you are interested in powerbulbs you can read the install that we have on the A4 page here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolDave Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] "It is not acceptable to convert a headlight approved for use with a halogen filament bulb to use a Xenon (HID) gas discharge bulb. [/ QUOTE ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTEC_Killer Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 The Auto Express article was somewhat miss-guided (IMO) - this is evident with the car model they used! The issue with HID upgrades is on cars that have non-projector headlights; the beam pattern is scattered all around and causing other motorists problems via the reflector headlight! (As seen in the AE video) HID upgrade on projector lenses is as close to the OEM you’ll get without any of the probs above. I’ve had my A4 fitted with the HID kit; had the beam pattern aligned at the MOT test; checked with mates that the lights were not causing a problem on the road! I even parked it against my mates S3 with standard Xenon’s – his beam pattern was more eye catching than mine (head on we really couldn’t tell the difference between them; except mine had more of blue light ) Honestly; for all you thinking of doing a HID/Xenon upgrade on projector headlights – it is definitely worth it ; the difference is amazing (I have 6000k kit; it is brighter than the standard OEM 4300K) That is my 2 pence worth . . . Sheraz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandle Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 [ QUOTE ] On the A3 the bulb housing is the same for both the Xenon option and the normal halogen bulbs so on coming trafic is not blinded. [/ QUOTE ] The headlight housings are different for a xenon and non-xenon A3. Xenons come equiped with projector lamps and halogen cars do not. Audi dont even make headlight protection covers for the A3s with xenon lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h5djr Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Unless you change the whole headlight to one designed and approved for use with Xenons and add auto-levelling and headlamp washers it's still illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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