[V-Man]

The question was about the HID kit. I'm also interested in it. Can we stick to the subject?

 

[V-Man]

I just went ahead and ordered the HID kit from BPP. I guess someone has to be a guinea pig. I'll let you know how it works out. Anyone has any ideas as to how to judge its performance?

 

[V-Man]

Well, got it on Fri, sending it back tomorrow... :hmm: Unfortunately there seems to be a pattern with BPP's products: grossly overpriced and they're not nearly as plug-and-play as implied.

What I received is a Phillips ballast and a no-name D2S bulb of unknown wattage or color temperature. Ernie was unable to tell me the specs for the bulb.

Here’s the problems I’ve found:

1. No instructions of any kind come with the kit. Had to call them and listen to the explanation over the phone.

2. Although D2S bulbs have the same base diameter as H9 there’s no retaining ring so the bulb won’t stay in. Ernie’s solution? Use epoxy to glue it to the headlight casing.

3. The suggested location for the ballast is on top of the battery. Fine if you’re running topless but you're out of luck otherwise, it’s too big to fit anywhere else.

4. The terminals that are crimped on the power wires won’t fit into the stock bulb connector. Not a big deal, just shows attention to details.

5. For the price ($400) you can easily get 2 of these ballasts and 2 Phillips-brand bulbs and still have some change left.

I will post some pics of the ballast and the bulb tomorrow.

I still think there’s a future to this project, just not with BPP’s parts. I’ve found a place to get a pair of brand new Hella ballasts (all German car manufacturers use Hella ballasts as OEM equipment) plus Phillips 4100K bulbs for $300 + shipping, does anyone want to split it with me?

 

[V-Man]

I'm somewhat interested, though I may want a complete pair. Are you willing to share with us where you found this $300 deal?

On eBay. If you're thinking of replacing both the high and low beam I don't think it's going to work, you really need a reflector to cover the bulb from the front (only low beam has a reflector).

 

[V-Man]

Here's a pic of the ballast and the bulbs (the stock is on the right).

 

[V-Man]

It's been brought up many times before, these bulbs have nothing to do with the real thing (HID) other than the bluish color and will actually produce less light than the regular halogen bulbs.

4,300K is a color temperature, not the light output.

 

[V-Man]

puts out at least the same amount of light as the stock setup

That's highly questionable, most tests confirm that tinted bulbs produce less light than the untinted ones. Really easy to explain too as the tinting simply cuts off (filters) everything but the blue.

And yes, I'm a poser... :rofl:

That's a tough one too because you (at least me) can spot these fake lights a mile away. They never look like the real thing.

Just my :2cents:, don't mean to criticize.