I have a pre ford Mazda 1.5lt 323f BA 1995 n reg. I want to buy a hid kit for it as I'm to scared to drive it when I'm really dark roads. I hear it's h3 but I want to make sure as I want to take it to a mechanic and he suggested that I buy a good one as sometimes these types of conversions don't work out as they're aftermarket etc. So I don't want to waste his time and me looking like a fool for getting this wrong... anybody have an idea of what kind of hid kit I need and a decent brand or item to buy. Appreciate the help, thanks! I have another issue, it's my windshield. It's starting to leak mainly on the top corner passenger side, but sometimes the opposite side and near the rear view mirror. I've put a bead of sealer down but I'm not fantastic at car jobs so it's not worked out so anyone have this issue? I do intend to sell the car sometime soon as I've got a zxi now, and my wife hates my 1.5lt ba. I just keep it to irritate her and keep my f at the same time!

Don't buy HIDs, go to a shop were they refurbished old headlights.Let them take apart the bosch lights and cleaned them from inside(from blowing bulbs inside the reflector is smoked and did not reflect the light as it should be).then buy new h3 Osram nightbreakers and you will be amazed.It's even better than middle class Hids.You could do it by yourself if you got the skills.There are plenty of youtube vids of how to do that or this..If you have an itch in your hands go get the tools and do it!

Hi Michael.

Like Mazzda says, I'd suggest not getting a HID kit. Too many fiddly bits with the ballasts, etc. and unless it meets the road specs (ADR in Oz, E4 in Europe? for example) and is designed for RHD then they won't be legal. Or better. Good 'uns will cost $$$, probably more than the car is worth.

Also like Mazzda says, the Osram nightbreakers are good but expect to change them very regularly. I think their quoted lifespan is < 1/4 the lifespan of a normal H4/H3/H7/whatever bulb and I can confirm that having used them for several years. You run a very real risk of having both lamps fail at the same time. I'm backing off to silverstars which have a much longer lifespan ( but are harder to find as they aren't as bright...and everyone must have the brightest).

Only other option, if you could find something, is a proper LED headlamp replacement for the projector. LED replacement bulbs don't suit, as their emission pattern doesn't match a filament so they don't match the lamp optics. Perhaps something like these but I don't see any specs or compliances quoted.

What you could use is something like this Narva headlamp unit. They are designed for mounting on truck bodies and therefore both designed to be incorporated into OEM light units and are standards compliant (ADR in this case). What you actually want is the projector-style insert inside the unit.

I would suggest a good set of aftermarket driving lights with a dual broad-beam/spot-beam pattern would be the best and easiest upgrade. A good LED bar costs $$$ but will now have some optics and be low-profile.

Now for the two lamps, low-beam and hi-beam:

Low beam
Is a projector lamp. And a very poor one at that. Now replacement projector lamp designs are available but again I don't know the legality of their setup and then there's the problem of retrofitting to the headlamp unit. Most seem to be cheap copies out of Asia and no idea whether they meet any regs at all. They are likely set up for LHD. The size of ours is a smaller diameter.

If you want to retro-fit then (apparently) the Honda S200 has some of, if not the best pattern. But that's the issue, they're sought after...

I find my BK Mazda 3 has a reasonable low beam unit. However I think the projector insert is a larger diameter and may not fit.

Note I haven't tried retro-fitting any, just read about them on the web.

hi-beam
Tragic. A basket case. As it's a lensed unit there's not much you can do apart from a brighter bulb. But that doesn't fix the poor optics. Best result I think is driving lights/light bar.

Just my opinions but I hope it helps,
Patrick

You mentioned you have a zxi also. Depending on your reg the bulbs are not identical. Mine is S and I have h1 low beam, h1 high beam and h1 fogs. I used some led ones so I have some flashers (high beam) but I had to enlarge my lamps and they are just light not actually useful light. The low beam is ridiculously bright though.
I'm looking to buy these when I have some spare change
https://www.powerbulbs.com/product/phil ... 30-h1-twin

Hey, I don't have Bosch lights I have the koyito ones. Will it work the same? I know the koyito lights are not as bright as the Bosch ones, but I do like the original ness of the car and don't really want to put Bosch ones in. I'll try to clean them out and see when I have a chance. I probably don't have the tools for a job like that so I'll look around for a place that does this kind of work. Is there a specific name for a shop that does it or do mechanics do it at a normal garage? Appreciate your reply!

I'm lost with all this! Love all the detail
But I'm a real dumbass when it comes to cars. I want to keep the car as original as possible, she's not the best body work wise but she's still solid and just want brighter lights. I don't have front dogs so may need to look them up, but not sure about the fittings for my car as I think they vary pre and post ford. Think I'll try and find some front gigs and look for a place that cleans headlamps, then go for these nightbreakers and keep spares for just in case. Thank you for the reply!

My zxi is an s reg as well. I don't even know what's kind of bulbs it has. I should know you know. The previous owner would probably know and I have his contact details so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the reply though, if the lights matches what's in the link you posted then I'll dedinateley have a look at them!

S reg usually means post ford. The high beam is easyer to pull out. If the high beam is h1 then the main beam is h1. Anyways check before you buy any bulbs. I've had mine out and swapped main and high beam so I'm definite they are the same. But again just check. When the bulbs arrive I'll update you on their performance, the claim is a bit high so I'm reserved that they are that good, though upgrading to Philips bulbs in my l200 made a huge difference (those were from a petrol station)

Hi nafre, I've got hid's in mine, I'm post for too on an S reg. I tell you I would never go back, I can see at night now.
This bit will need checking but as far as I am aware VOSA have relaxed Thiet guidelines a bit.
It used to he that hid kits had to self levelling, fitted with reflector type headlight lenses, had an external washer source.
This was due to a million corsa's with cheap aftermarket 9,000k bulbs blinding everyone.

The relaxed stance is now that the headlights can be levelled, which ours can, and fitted through reflector lenses, which ours have.

I run 6,000k bulbs which are bright but not blinding.
I did get pulled and fined, but that was mainly cos I had dodgy running lights fitted, they only noticed the hid kit when I lifted the bonnet. The fine was for the running lights. I've also never had any trouble with mot, and i have them declared with my insurance too.

I don't want the hassle that hid provide. The ones I just ordered are plug in, no ballast, no anything.
They'll be better than my current bodged ones anyways hehe. The Philips I used in my l200 are much brighter than the stock ones so I was happy with them, again not hid.
Thank you for the information though

As you described the car i thought it was with bosch lights.H3 is used in them.
Koito is H1 all the way.
Yes, all the lights could be disassembled and cleaned.I did it on my Koito ones.
When i opened the reflector body and lence i said: "DAAMn.. this is nightmare.." and with wet towel i gently cleaned all the smoke.The reflectors shined.I did chromed the cutters so to get extra light but that is a difrent story.At the end of that i had the brightest headlights with stock bulbs in my city(or maybe in our small city club)
And beleve me, my Koito's are brighter than Bosch lights now.

That's a winter project for me, I think! I don't want to fit HIDs to my Koitos, and the nightbreakers barely lasted a couple of months.

Thanks for the tip

S

Cheers for this info mate! I'd love to know how the lights you've mentioned perform!

I shall give this a go some time and I'll update on this thread. Appreciate the help! I just hope I don't mess it up, but it sounds ok to me so I'll get it done when I get some time off work.

This disassembling includes baking!
250 celsius for 5 min in a fan circulating oven!
Not a minute more.. or the headlight plastic will deform badly!!!!
After that is more like disassembling lego remember every step,because you have to put it back together you know.
I think there is a guide here in the forum for that.use the search to find it.

Thanks man, I'll have a look when I have holiday. Thanks for the info, I'll search it up!

Hi Michael - how's you and the ZXI? I miss it, great car
Your ZXI has Bosch headlights with HID conversion done by me, because the original headlights were so dire. HID conversion is a doddle to do, but there is the issue of legality because they changed the regs to require projector, auto levelling and headlight washers and the BA levelling is manual and of course has no washers.
That said, if it's done properly there is ZERO prospect of them blinding anyone, and if you hide the ballast away (yours are fixed to the bumper under the headlight unit), and don't use daft blue bulbs it's very unlikely anyone will notice at MOT.
Personally I didn't fancy melting headlights open, too much potential for things to get expensive, but if you can pick up some spares and have the time, sounds like it's worth a go. Don't forget...first refusal when you sell please, lol.