HID headlamps

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Its called a DRL kit , but all it does is turn on your lights all the time so they work as DRLs .

I understand...but ALL NBs already have DRLs. So what's the need for this kit?

[Cooky]

I ordered a kit from ddmtuning.com for 47 shipped to my door. just thought i would toss that out there

[unrlmth]

Can anyone whose ordered from DDMTuning tell me how long it took to arrive? I ordered one last sunday and they still have not come. They are in SoCal and I'm in NorCal so it shouldn't take long for the shipping.

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by unrlmth

Can anyone whose ordered from DDMTuning tell me how long it took to arrive? I ordered one last sunday and they still have not come. They are in SoCal and I'm in NorCal so it shouldn't take long for the shipping.

It depends on the kit. The first kit I ordered was backordered so it took over a week. The 2nd kit I ordered was here in about a week. Look on the website and look up your order. It'll tell you if/when it was shipped or if it's on backorder.

[02newmag]

i know there is a problem with the glare and beam pattern with hids on some cars, but can anyone say what its like on a beetle. does it look the same as a standard bulbs beam pattern

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by 02newmag

i know there is a problem with the glare and beam pattern with hids on some cars, but can anyone say what its like on a beetle. does it look the same as a standard bulbs beam pattern

Mine is just fine. I think, because of the projector headlamps, it's better than most. The pattern is no different, only the light brightness and color differ. Keep in mind though that because of the brightness, you may have to lower the aim a bit. Mine are ok.

[02newmag]

thanks. what temperature colour did you go for in the end.

[simonsi]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

All NBs have DRLs

Maybe US or even NA markets do but globally they don't, certainly UK spec don't have DRLs.

[02newmag]

no they dont in the uk, but i heard somewhere its going to be compulsory on every new car by 2011.

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by 02newmag

thanks. what temperature colour did you go for in the end.

I believe I got the 4300 or 4500...can't remember now..lol.

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Oh sorry guys, I keep forgetting this internet thing is global!! lol....here in the US, they all have DRLs...even though it's not manditory here.

[miffmole]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Wasn't there an HID option at some time for the new bug? And I'm wondering if an aftermarket HID kit would work ok on mine. Anyone have this?

My car has stocks HIDs.

For an extra $600 on the '04 model you got xenon HIDs and these bad boys (see link below):
YouTube - 2004 New Beetle GLS 1.8T HID Pop-Up Washer Nozzles

[unrlmth]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

It depends on the kit. The first kit I ordered was backordered so it took over a week. The 2nd kit I ordered was here in about a week. Look on the website and look up your order. It'll tell you if/when it was shipped or if it's on backorder.

It just says "process." It been 9 days (5 business days) since I ordered.

It also shows and mine is order 75050, so if I'm understanding this correctly, it should get shipped tomorrow.

Today's order #'s

73393 - 74811
495 Orders

And also just a random question, but with the washers do the go on every time you wash the windshield?

[gamefoo21]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Oh sorry guys, I keep forgetting this internet thing is global!! lol....here in the US, they all have DRLs...even though it's not manditory here.

Mandatory in Canada since 1990, if a car ever get's pulled over by the cops and they are feeling fiesty and you have the DRL's disabled, it's a ticket(possible not always) and a forced safety inspection. Since it is slightly illegal to disable DRL's in Canada. Just so you know the cop isn't blowing smoke up your butt when you get pinched.

[Cooky]

Originally Posted by unrlmth

Can anyone whose ordered from DDMTuning tell me how long it took to arrive? I ordered one last sunday and they still have not come. They are in SoCal and I'm in NorCal so it shouldn't take long for the shipping.

Got mine today and it was easy to put in ( even in the dark) it was one day short of 2 weeks. But so worth it. I posted pics under Mods of Hoss in the pic part of the forum.

[unrlmth]

Originally Posted by Cooky

Got mine today and it was easy to put in ( even in the dark) it was one day short of 2 weeks. But so worth it. I posted pics under Mods of Hoss in the pic part of the forum.

Yea I already got and installed mine. i think it was about a week and a half for me.

[Canadianbugin]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

HIDs can't "burn out". Are you talking about the ballasts maybe?

ILMAO..... Are you serious... Just like any other bulb... It will only operate for so long. They do last much longer than halogen but not forever...Lol....

[HudsonValleyVDub]

Originally Posted by Canadianbugin

ILMAO..... Are you serious... Just like any other bulb... It will only operate for so long. They do last much longer than halogen but not forever...Lol....

Sorry, lol..but that's incorrect. They can't "burn out"...there's no filiment to do so. It's basically a gas filled capsule. Over time they can get dimmer, but it's generally the ballasts that go bad first. So unlike a Halogen "bulb", they don't just work one minute, then stop the next. Do they last forever?...of course not, but they do not burn out...which was my point.

[Canadianbugin]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Sorry, lol..but that's incorrect. They can't "burn out"...there's no filiment to do so. It's basically a gas filled capsule. Over time they can get dimmer, but it's generally the ballasts that go bad first. So unlike a Halogen "bulb", they don't just work one minute, then stop the next. Do they last forever?...of course not, but they do not burn out...which was my point.

Lol...... Let's split some more hairs here.... The point being if you use you DRL's with a HID kit you will prematurely burn-out the ballasts unless you use a relay to supply the proper voltage to the ballast smart guy.... Not everyone here is unaware you know..... Mute point....

[oceanjoe89]

Originally Posted by HudsonValleyVDub

Sorry, lol..but that's incorrect. They can't "burn out"...there's no filiment to do so. It's basically a gas filled capsule. Over time they can get dimmer, but it's generally the ballasts that go bad first. So unlike a Halogen "bulb", they don't just work one minute, then stop the next. Do they last forever?...of course not, but they do not burn out...which was my point.

Alright kids, you've hit a soap box of mine.... look out LOL...

Not true. As someone who has multiple vehicles with HID kits, the bulbs can in fact work and then just stop working. Take my bug for instance. Saturday, the light worked. Sunday morning it did not. Before you chump me about the ballast, let me tell you it was the bulb.

Same thing happened on the last car I had with a kit.

The bulb color shifts over time. The bulb in the bug was a pink color all last week, and I recognized this as a sign that it was failing. The bulb in my other car turned a different shade of blue from the other one before it went a week later.

The bulbs may not have a physical filament, but they do have an invisible gas filament. Wear the gas out to the point where it can no longer conduct (or support conduction) from point A to point B and the bulb will fail. Just like a halogen bulb. In addition to wearing out the gas, if a contaminant gets on the bulb, it can create a point where the energy that is trying to make it from the cathode to the anode will jump to and scorch the bulb, truly "burning" it out in the sense that the bulb has a hot point on it that raises the temperature to a point where the gas and vaporized salt is no longer capable of supporting the arc to create the light. When this is the case, the bulb will usually ignite, burn for a period of time, and the just go out, until all of the salt (or enough to no longer carry current) is "scorched" to the side of the bulb... which is visible as a white, powdery substance on the bulb at the point of the contaminant. Restarting the system remedies the problem for a short period of time, but it is essentially a viscous cycle.

And on what basis do you believe that the ballasts go bad first? The ballast is the most reliable piece of equipment in the system. They do go bad, but they usually outlast the bulb. The principle is just the same as it is in fluorescent lighting. Ballasts last for years, bulbs don't. Running a bulb that is on the verge of failure for an extended period of time (supposing the bulb could remain at this tipping point for a duration of time) can cause premature ballast failure, but the bulbs don't usually spend much time at this tipping point.

Usually, there is some outside source that causes a ballast to fail, and that is what is to blame. A properly installed ballast will most definitely outlast the bulb.

Like I said, soap box... I've been round and round on this subject multiple times with multiple people on various forums (not just here on the org) and in person, discussing both HID and fluorescent lighting fixtures at my job.

I'm not trying to fuel an argument. This is one of those "just sayin'" type deals. Everyone seems to know how these things work and we have to remember that other people browse these forums looking for information, so, essentially, this forum is a reference tool. Don't you think we ought to be sure of something before we post it? We all make assumptions and mistakes, but this is the one subject where everyone seems to be an expert, and a lot of false information is posted based on biases and personal opinions.

And on the DRLs, if you hook up a kit and don't disable the vehicles standard DRL function, the bulbs will flicker. The DRLs on the bugs operate the bulbs at a slightly lower voltage than the switch does when it is placed on. Park your car in front of a wall at night, turn on the car and note the brightness with the switch off. Turn the switch on and note the slight increase in brightness. It isn't a huge difference, but it is enough to send the ballast into a tipsy. This WILL burn out the ballast first. In countries where DRLs are required by law, you will have to get creative in wiring the kit... or just always remember to turn your lights on assuming you don't have to pass some MOT test where you have to prove you have a standalone DRL function...

and while I'm at it, it is a moot point... not a mute point