Beam pattern with Diane-shop HIDs

guiddruid

Guest
Fitted the 6000K H7 HID kit from diane-shop on ebay last weekend (£39.12 incl P&P!)
Light output is great, but the beam pattern doesn't look right at all, when I park the car in front of my garage doors & look at the pattern.

The original H7 bulbs produced a clear kink up on the passenger side, like this (if you swap the image left-right in hour head... this is a US beam pattern);

Beam_aim.jpg


The HIDs produce a pretty much rectangular block of light.

Have any of the rest of you with HIDs from this supplier checked the beam pattern?

There was a little ring of clear plastic around the base of the lamp, which I assumed was part of the packaging, so I removed it before fitting the lamp... should I have used it as a spacer, to back the lamp out of the housing a little?
 

stevo72

Active Member
Feb 3, 2007
151
0
cambridge
I hope that ring thing was only for packaging as i took mine off as well and has long gone. Doesnt mention it anywhere within instructions so assume ok.

I am not sure if mine have the correct beam set up, no one has flashed me so far, but to be on the safe side, just pop into your local MOT centre for them to check them out, something i must do when i get a moment
 

BCM

Keyboard Gangster
Feb 1, 2005
2,680
0
Wishaw, North Lanarkshire
the ring is just packaging, make sure the bulbs are in nice and tight and seated well, i've had mine now for about 3 months, (wrote the original write up) and have had no problems, don't think anyone else has had problmes, check they are seated well!
 
Mar 5, 2007
588
0
Seems like a flat pattern on mine too. I suspect that's probably due to the longer bulb.

I don't remember seeing any spacer like ring either. But I am a bit of a retard sometimes...Also the bulbs base fits perfectly into the spacing in the headlamp housing (even down to requiring a small turn) so I doubt there is such a spacing ring.

But really, seat saw fit to not fit our cars with projection lenses, so the pattern is never going to be great. :(
 

lc_allan

Northern Monkey
Sep 15, 2006
3,389
4
The lenses determine the beam pattern do they not?. The bulb is still housed inside the grey plastic cover inside the lense. I can only assume that as it is a much brighter bulb then the light is escaping out the sides a little. Either way people have had the alignment checked and passed MOTs so I wouldn't worry.
 

CRAIGLCR

THE DADDY!!!!!
Nov 14, 2005
363
0
STOKE ON TRENT
guiddruid did you notice a difference in colour with the HID's fitted??? is 6000k not near to the standard light colour or has it a blue tint to it???
 

guiddruid

Guest
craiglcr: the colour difference is very noticeable. The HIDs look pure white, and make the original H7 bulbs look very yellow indeed.

r6_allan: On the leon, I don't think the beam pattern is affected by the lense at all. I am pretty sure the lense is just flat glass, and all the beam shaping is done by the reflector & the metal shroud.

I will have a look in more detail at the weekend, but my suspicion is that the HID arc is not in the same place as the filament on a standard H7 bulb... the HID tube is certainly longer in total length, and the arc is about central front-back IIRC, so I suspect the HID arc is too far forwards to work correctly with the shroud.
 

ChrisUK

Eat My Smoke
Oct 20, 2004
2,258
0
Liverpool, UK
I have not had anyone flash me either.

I've even tested it with the misses before I went out by having her parked up on the side of the road and me driving past her (oncoming), and from behind - no glare at all.

Lots of people on here have had these HID's pass MOT's fine too, not one failure to my knowledge, so you will be fine !
 

marshyc

Full Member
Mar 12, 2006
299
0
Huddersfield
I fitted a set last week and popped down to my local garage for the alignment checking. They showed me as they set them up and there was a clear kick up and cut off on the gauge. They set up perfectly.

Only thing was a slight overspill in to the cut off and kick up area compared to halogen bulbs but well within MOT standards.

Can't believe how I ever drove without them now and I never hardly need to use the main beams now
 

RikH

Texas Cowboy
Oct 17, 2005
2,474
0
Yorkshire
decided to test mine after work yesterday after reading this, drove it up to roller shutter doors and i have noticeable kick up's on both headlights on the left side
 

Cammage

Turbo Time...
Oct 16, 2007
59
0
Leeds
I too have these HID's from Diane-shop my alignment seems fine but i must admit i seem to have a little light loss the the left hand side (pavement side) but i carnt see this been a problem. I'd rather dazzle pedestrians than drivers that are coming at me...:)
 

edmong

GHE Tuning
Aug 15, 2007
567
0
Plymouth, Devon
Fitted the 6000K H7 HID kit from diane-shop on ebay last weekend (£39.12 incl P&P!)
Light output is great, but the beam pattern doesn't look right at all, when I park the car in front of my garage doors & look at the pattern.

The original H7 bulbs produced a clear kink up on the passenger side, like this (if you swap the image left-right in hour head... this is a US beam pattern);

Beam_aim.jpg


The HIDs produce a pretty much rectangular block of light.

Have any of the rest of you with HIDs from this supplier checked the beam pattern?

There was a little ring of clear plastic around the base of the lamp, which I assumed was part of the packaging, so I removed it before fitting the lamp... should I have used it as a spacer, to back the lamp out of the housing a little?

Hello mate. I started a thread about this when I got mine. The nearside just seems like there is no kickoff to the left and that I was half tempted to send it back for a replacement but then I thought that its a brighter bulb and the headlamp unit is not designed for it. So im prob gonna purchase some projection headlamp units which produce a more defined beam pattern. Theres a couple of people on here that have got them and there pretty good.
 
Mar 5, 2007
588
0
Those projection lense mods looks great. As well as making the beam pattern better, it transforms the clusters too!

If I was really that fussed to spend 200 on squids on it, I'd do it. But as I'm not, I won't :)
 

guiddruid

Guest
Here are before and after pics for those interested.
The camera was placed in the back edge of the bonnet, in the middle. Car did not move between photos. You can only really see the right hand light pattern, but the kink clearly isn't there anymore.

hidske8.jpg
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
looks like a cheap hid kit would to me

must be loads toyota's and corsa's round here bought em too it seems - just get a glow rather than an actual light pattern
 
Mar 5, 2007
588
0
dont replace with projector lamps as the light quality will be back to OEM standard.....in other words,
you need to put HID's in the projectors to make them as good as standard OEM h7 hallogen bulbs

The idea was to change to projectors AND get HIDs I think...

Speaking of corsa and crap with HIDs. Are you sure they aren't just Blue tinted standard halogens?

Heavy blue tinted ones look very white. But unfortunately block out a HUGE amount of useable yellow light (at least half I think), so thus, would look like just a "glow", and must be really crap to drive with.

I see no reason why a corsa with real HIDs would be any worse than a Leon with HIDs...
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
nah mr corsa man takes great pleasure showing em off to his mates outside his house

check dis out wickid innit etc etc

wasn't too impressed when i suggested he saved his pocket money for a decent set as my torch was brighter - lmao
 
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