[s-cars] Re; Time to revisit headlights?

[Tom Green]

Lee,

All this discussion has focused :-) on projector headlamps.  The  
projector
and bulb mounting socket and any needed adapter if it is not a  
factory HID
projector will put the bulb in proper position, and use the installed  
adjusters
for set up.

Since the assembly and the projector are almost identical, whether  
HID or halogen,
  the light leakage is more intense but well controlled in the S6  
Hella assembly.

You won't have any of these advantages with the older MB setup.    
Without the
projector shutter to cut-off the light scatter, I don't think you can  
install a D2R
bulb in a parabolic reflector satisfactory for road use.  IMO you  
would have to
install a complete HID assembly to replace the OEM headlamps, unless  
someone
has engineered a mounting setup for a projector to replace the H4  
bulb holder.
It may be these older lights are sturdy and may even have some metal  
brackets
rigid enough for mounting a projector.

In practice, I can see no difference in the light output whether the  
covering glass
lens is DOT, euro, or e-code HID.  There is probably some subtle  
difference that
I miss (happens :-)) but with proper adjustment of the assembly, the  
projector
shield cutoff is so dramatic that any scatter present goes unnoticed.

All this discussion is about low beam HID to provide adequate road  
illumination
in urban areas.   See Mad Max for outback lighting.

Tom  '95 S6
           '95.5 S6 Avant


> Lee Levitt asks:
> I'd like to hear more about this too...I'm picking up an old 300  
> turbodiesel
> and will be installing ecode headlamps. I'd like to upgrade to HID,  
> and am
> concerned about the issues:
>
> - physical mounting of the projectors
> - wiring (should not be too bad)
> - proper positioning of the projector versus the lens/reflector
> - light output control - does the fluting on the lens modify the beam
> pattern
> - high beam (I'm replacing an H4 bulb, and there is no separate  
> high beam on
> this car...this may be the dealbreaker right here!)
>
> There's a lot of chatter on the Internet about light output control  
> and
> light leaking around the HID projector...
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Lee