FIRE! (Headlamp, Foglight & HID Questions)

[JrCanuck]

Hey guys, so just recently I had a bit of an electrical fire in my headlamp, which damaged my headlamp housing and such.
I know for sure i'll be replacing the headlamp housing as its a little melted and foggy from the smoke, along with the fried bulb holder (Not sure technical name of this piece). This fire cut out the function of my driver side foglight, not sure if its just a blown bulb, or the wiring was fried in this incident. It's too cold out right now for me to get under the car and check this out.

Here's may plans however:
1. Replace drivers side headlamp housing
2. HID headlights and foglights.

Here's my questions:

Should I look into new wiring when i'm looking at getting my housing and bulb holder?
The actual harness is not visibly damaged, but I don't know if it was affected at all.

I am looking to purchase kits, and have them installed as well, this being said, are there any places around that have a good reputation for this?

And lastly, has anybody else had this happen to them? Kinda caught me by surprise, but it happened right after having my car oil sprayed.

[TheMAN]

did you have any mods done to your lighting system? aftermarket bulbs? HID conversion?

[JrCanuck]

did you have any mods done to your lighting system? aftermarket bulbs? HID conversion?

Nokya bulbs in his, lows, and fogs. Would that have done it?

[leecheefoto]

Nokya bulbs in his, lows, and fogs. Would that have done it?

Nokya 100w/55w or the 75w/35w?

[TheMAN]

it is possible if they're overwatt or advertised as "performance of 100 watts" like PIAA loves to do
even if they're not, it's also possible that the connectors were not seated properly and the grommet used for the headlight bulb wasn't installed properly.... it's a hard thing to do on these cars

[JrCanuck]

Nokya 100w/55w or the 75w/35w?

I'll take a look when I get home this evening, I can't remember off hand

[SonicBoy]

Lockdown(Mark) would be a good place to start for shops that do that kind of install.

Send him a PM here if he doesn't chime in.

[JrCanuck]

Nokya 100w/55w or the 75w/35w?

70w in the Lowbeams, 100w in the Hi-Beams.

It was the drivers side Low that burnt

[r4BBiT]

I'm going to say that they were probably too powerful and overheated the housing. I've been using 65w in my high/DRL for couple years now without any issues.

[TheMAN]

70w in the Lowbeams, 100w in the Hi-Beams.

It was the drivers side Low that burnt

then that's why your **** caught fire
the oil spray may have gotten hot and combusted, but ultimately the cause was overwatt bulbs that put too much heat/load on your headlights

this is why you don't just go buying some "performance" light bulbs and cramming them into the car without knowing what you're doing!

[JrCanuck]

then that's why your **** caught fire
the oil spray may have gotten hot and combusted, but ultimately the cause was overwatt bulbs that put too much heat/load on your headlights

this is why you don't just go buying some "performance" light bulbs and cramming them into the car without knowing what you're doing!

Thanks, i'm gonna go rip that shit out then and wait 'til spring until doing anything further.

[silverstarmazda]

nokya bulbs arnt bad until you get the wrong stage. stage 1 is all you need. nothing more

[gotak]

nokya bulbs arnt bad until you get the wrong stage. stage 1 is all you need. nothing more

Why are there even "stages" for head lights? I mean seriously... they are 2 lights for seeing things at night how many stage do you need without blinding people on the other side?

I really hate how in Markham every dumb guy with a boy racer car has after market HIDs. Especially on those honda fits, it's like they designed the reflector in that car to blind people when a HID bulb is used. And people put HID lights in the low beams only, a real WTF situation. Do you need that much light in low beam? You use low beams when you are bumbling around town with street lights. Where you need more light for people with after market shove in a bulb HID you don't have it. Of course the issue is that you can't put high beam HID on cars without moving projector head lights due to the start up time required to get full brightness.

It's why the HID option on WRX STI and some of other subaru car are so stupid. Factory HIDs that are only low beams. A complete waste of time. Kudos to Mazda for putting real HID factory lights in the Mazda 3 with AFS to boot. And a pox on Subaru for asking 40k plus for an STI and giving you poser HIDs.

[JrCanuck]

Why are there even "stages" for head lights? I mean seriously... they are 2 lights for seeing things at night how many stage do you need without blinding people on the other side?

I really hate how in Markham every dumb guy with a boy racer car has after market HIDs. Especially on those honda fits, it's like they designed the reflector in that car to blind people when a HID bulb is used. And people put HID lights in the low beams only, a real WTF situation. Do you need that much light in low beam? You use low beams when you are bumbling around town with street lights. Where you need more light for people with after market shove in a bulb HID you don't have it. Of course the issue is that you can't put high beam HID on cars without moving projector head lights due to the start up time required to get full brightness.

It's why the HID option on WRX STI and some of other subaru car are so stupid. Factory HIDs that are only low beams. A complete waste of time. Kudos to Mazda for putting real HID factory lights in the Mazda 3 with AFS to boot. And a pox on Subaru for asking 40k plus for an STI and giving you poser HIDs.

I need brighter lights as I live out in the country in Niagara. No street lights in my town lol. But I know what you mean about the whole blinding thing. Unnecessary. I have been driving with my high-beams on since my bulb burnt out, never have I yet had someone flash me because they're too bright. Nokya bulbs are odd IMO.

[silverstarmazda]

Why are there even "stages" for head lights? I mean seriously... they are 2 lights for seeing things at night how many stage do you need without blinding people on the other side?

I really hate how in Markham every dumb guy with a boy racer car has after market HIDs. Especially on those honda fits, it's like they designed the reflector in that car to blind people when a HID bulb is used. And people put HID lights in the low beams only, a real WTF situation. Do you need that much light in low beam? You use low beams when you are bumbling around town with street lights. Where you need more light for people with after market shove in a bulb HID you don't have it. Of course the issue is that you can't put high beam HID on cars without moving projector head lights due to the start up time required to get full brightness.

It's why the HID option on WRX STI and some of other subaru car are so stupid. Factory HIDs that are only low beams. A complete waste of time. Kudos to Mazda for putting real HID factory lights in the Mazda 3 with AFS to boot. And a pox on Subaru for asking 40k plus for an STI and giving you poser HIDs.

stage one is 50w and the stage 2 is 100W. some cars actually come with 100W bulbs, that might be why they sell them.

omg i hate honda civics with blinding hids without a retro fit. it just bugs the shit out of me and causes so much glare.... people with reflectors shouldnt have hids unless they do a retrofit. but im gonna have to disagree with your comment on hids in the low beam. people live in different areas and drive on different roads. some of these roads are poorly lit with on coming traffic. and since highbeam reflectors cause glare to other drivers, its best to use the low beam. hids are a good upgrade on a budget. they last longer, resist shock since theres no filament, and are greatly brighter overall. some people like to have lots of light on the road, just based on driving preferences. some street with street lights sometimes doesnt illuminate the entire road very well (i call these dead streets), and can sometimes fail to illuminate objects/animals on the road. if you were out in the forest in pitch black darkness, its like comparing candles to a flashlight. however, hid color temps play a part in the usable light (read another thread).


Of course the issue is that you can't put high beam HID on cars without moving projector head lights due to the start up time required to get full brightness.

i dont understand this part... hids dont HAVE to be installed on moving projector heads. they can be installed in normal projectors that dont move. yes hids do need start up time, but it only takes a few seconds. and yes, some of these add on prices are nuts... but you have to understand, if an HID package is in the options list from the dealer, its likely that the entire headlight housing is made for HID use. which explains the cost.

[silverstarmazda]

I need brighter lights as I live out in the country in Niagara. No street lights in my town lol. But I know what you mean about the whole blinding thing. Unnecessary. I have been driving with my high-beams on since my bulb burnt out, never have I yet had someone flash me because they're too bright. Nokya bulbs are odd IMO.

depending on your headlight aim, with a halogen bulb. i dont see how you would be blinding anyone which is good. my headlights are aimed high because my low beam cut off is lower than normal. i dont use my headlights unless im alone on the streets.

i use nokya bulbs in my fogs and high. i only use stage 1. and never had a problem.

here are the wattages on theyre site:

low H7
stage 1 - 55w
stage 2 - 80W

high HB3/9005
stage 1 - 65W
stage 2 - 100W

fog H11
stage 1 - 55W
stage 2 - 80W

if i remember our headlights where designed with 55W bulbs originally (halogen housing) someone correct me if im wrong. 65w is generally safe to run in the 55w housing, but it will create a bit more heat.

[JrCanuck]

depending on your headlight aim, with a halogen bulb. i dont see how you would be blinding anyone which is good. my headlights are aimed high because my low beam cut off is lower than normal. i dont use my headlights unless im alone on the streets.

i use nokya bulbs in my fogs and high. i only use stage 1. and never had a problem.

here are the wattages on theyre site:

low H7
stage 1 - 55w
stage 2 - 80W

high HB3/9005
stage 1 - 65W
stage 2 - 100W

fog H11
stage 1 - 55W
stage 2 - 80W

if i remember our headlights where designed with 55W bulbs originally (halogen housing) someone correct me if im wrong. 65w is generally safe to run in the 55w housing, but it will create a bit more heat.

If I don't end up going with HIDs come warmer weather, i'll probably just try Stage 1s and see if that solves my problem then.

[silverstarmazda]

If I don't end up going with HIDs come warmer weather, i'll probably just try Stage 1s and see if that solves my problem then.

lol to be honest, stop wasting money on halogen bulbs... theyll burn out sooner or later, you might as well spend the money on a set of hid's. there are specials from sponsors on this forum all the time. the hid's are more cost effective in the long run.

there are some really nice ones out there for $200 and more. but the quality is unmatched.

[TheMAN]

some cars actually come with 100W bulbs

no car comes with 100 watt bulbs, they are out of SAE specs (and all other regulatory specs worldwide) and are ILLEGAL to use on any road, period
why they sell them is because some people want to use them... the excuse is "race use" or "off road use", but those who use them are either too foolish to know about what you need to do to run them or are smart enough to make proper upgrades to accept those bulbs safely

[TheMAN]

lol to be honest, stop wasting money on halogen bulbs... theyll burn out sooner or later, you might as well spend the money on a set of hid's. there are specials from sponsors on this forum all the time. the hid's are more cost effective in the long run.

there are some really nice ones out there for $200 and more. but the quality is unmatched.

cost effective? yes
safe? no
legal? no

HID retrofits are illegal, period... it doesn't matter if you put them in projectors or reflectors... the light flux and geometrics produced from HID bulbs are much different than halogen, therefore HID headlights uses different beam pattern designs to control the light output... HIDs in halogen projectors maybe safer, but that doesn't mean they're 100% safe and legal
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

I don't care if the weak and old HTA laws says it's OK, I don't care if you never got caught using them... they're still unsafe to use and are illegal... no national level government regulator in any country allows the use of HID conversions... conversions do not meet FMVSS/CMVSS 108, UNECE R98, JIS D 5500, ADR 13/00, etc

there's a reason why OEM HID lights costs over a thousand... they have been rigorously tested and engineered to work properly, their balasts are also much more robust against abuse as well as protecting people from getting shocked... the added levelling system is additional cost yes, but for a manual levelling system (which is all that's required here) is old cheap technology... auto levelling required outside of north america is more complicated of course but it's not something we need to care about when it comes to costs since those requirements don't apply to us

you can get plenty of SAFE, LEGAL lighting upgrades from old time large renown brands in Europe, such as Philips, Narva, Tungsram, Osram... their years of experience, OEM backing, as well as actively close working relationships with regulatory bodies give them the know how in making the best light bulbs in the world... other brands are either too small time to even bother with or aren't good enough...

it still disgusts me when I think about how many people here continually ignore what lighting experts and engineers say about HID retrofits and cram HIDs into their halogen projectors, only because some forum guru with high post counts say it's OK to do :rolleyes

[CelestSpeed3]

Just want to clarify something, so you mean the HID conversions are illegal and the retrofits are ok?

To me it's;

Conversion: slapping in an HID bulb into a halogen type lamp

Retrofit: installing HID projectors with proper HID bulbs and ballast into a halogen type lamp


I was under the impression that a projector designed for a D2S bulb could be installed into a headlight and that was ok provided they were aimed properly?

I've done "retrofits" before and I have never had any issues with people complaining or even complaints from other motorists before.

[TheMAN]

"retrofits" OK if done properly, they should be quite safe... they're still technically illegal of course, but ultimately what matters more is safety, not legality :)

[silverstarmazda]

any HID that did not come with the car is illegal. i never said hid kits wasnt lol :chuckle. i just said it wouldnt make you a dick to on coming traffic with all the glare. if it werent for aftermarket halogen prices, i would of bought a set of osrams. but damn theyre expensive, and in the end theyre still halogens which will burn out sooner or later. i plan on retrofitting my headlights so theyll be as good as they can be. performance, and safety (glare) wise. it still wont be legal, but at least i wont be bothering anybody.

aftermarket hids are not safe to the human body....ive been electrocuted many times and its not fun having an electrical arc going through your hand.

[JrCanuck]

ive been electrocuted many times and its not fun having an electrical arc going through your hand.

Sounds fun to me..

[silverstarmazda]

Sounds fun to me..

its actually not painful....but that might just be because my nerves are fried LOL.

[JrCanuck]

its actually not painful....but that might just be because my nerves are fried LOL.

My old apartment's doorbell was actually straight access to wiring. So everytime you touched it you got the shock of a lifetime. My roommates were a-holes, and i have no feeling in my right hand. Facepalm.

[silverstarmazda]

My old apartment's doorbell was actually straight access to wiring. So everytime you touched it you got the shock of a lifetime. My roommates were a-holes, and i have no feeling in my right hand. Facepalm.

not as bad as my friends "hot wire" door bell.....literally just two wires you had connect together LOL

anyways, heres the glare off a civic with hids with no projectors

http://imageshack.us/a/img22/952/img0104sfy.jpg

[JrCanuck]

not as bad as my friends "hot wire" door bell.....literally just two wires you had connect together LOL

anyways, heres the glare off a civic with hids with no projectors

http://imageshack.us/a/img22/952/img0104sfy.jpg

Jesus that's too bright even on my screen.

P.S. is that a sticker bombed middle piece?! That looks fresh

[JrCanuck]

Duplicate

[TheMAN]

HIDs can be properly done with reflectors using D2R bulbs, but retrofits? practically impossible
the 1st gen Acura RL was one of the few cars that had reflectors for HIDs instead of projectors
the JDM Protege also had that as an option:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5941/dscf0731j.jpg

[JrCanuck]

HIDs can be properly done with reflectors using D2R bulbs, but retrofits? practically impossible
the 1st gen Acura RL was one of the few cars that had reflectors for HIDs instead of projectors
the JDM Protege also had that as an option:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5941/dscf0731j.jpg

Whatever I do, I just need something brighter for these damned country roads out this way. I've skinned 2 deer in 3 months because they came out of the dark.

[TheMAN]

since the idea is function over form, then just get a bull bar... problem solved!

[silverstarmazda]

HIDs can be properly done with reflectors using D2R bulbs, but retrofits? practically impossible
the 1st gen Acura RL was one of the few cars that had reflectors for HIDs instead of projectors
the JDM Protege also had that as an option:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5941/dscf0731j.jpg

oh yea, definitely. but a lot of people just throw the generic hid kits into reflectors. thats a no no. but ive seen some people put hid's into reflectors and get a great output without the blinding glare. its pretty hard to do and often ends up getting expensive.

[silverstarmazda]

since the idea is function over form, then just get a bull bar... problem solved!

a bull bar isnt enough...... he needs a COW CATCHER LOOOL

[JrCanuck]

a bull bar isnt enough...... he needs a COW CATCHER LOOOL

If anybody wants venison, I've got a freezer full of fresh roadkill.

[silverstarmazda]

If anybody wants venison, I've got a freezer full of fresh roadkill.

i smell a TM3 barbeque LOL

[JrCanuck]

i smell a TM3 barbeque LOL

All of you GTA guys gotta make your way down to Niagara for a cruise this summer.

[Turk86]

If anybody wants venison, I've got a freezer full of fresh roadkill.

At least you got to keep yours, mine did the hit and quit.....I felt used. And I had to wait two weeks for my insurance to ok the repairs and get them done. Make that bastard into deer jerky!

[kenghk]

cost effective? yes
safe? no
legal? no

HID retrofits are illegal, period... it doesn't matter if you put them in projectors or reflectors... the light flux and geometrics produced from HID bulbs are much different than halogen, therefore HID headlights uses different beam pattern designs to control the light output... HIDs in halogen projectors maybe safer, but that doesn't mean they're 100% safe and legal
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

I don't care if the weak and old HTA laws says it's OK, I don't care if you never got caught using them... they're still unsafe to use and are illegal... no national level government regulator in any country allows the use of HID conversions... conversions do not meet FMVSS/CMVSS 108, UNECE R98, JIS D 5500, ADR 13/00, etc

there's a reason why OEM HID lights costs over a thousand... they have been rigorously tested and engineered to work properly, their balasts are also much more robust against abuse as well as protecting people from getting shocked... the added levelling system is additional cost yes, but for a manual levelling system (which is all that's required here) is old cheap technology... auto levelling required outside of north america is more complicated of course but it's not something we need to care about when it comes to costs since those requirements don't apply to us

you can get plenty of SAFE, LEGAL lighting upgrades from old time large renown brands in Europe, such as Philips, Narva, Tungsram, Osram... their years of experience, OEM backing, as well as actively close working relationships with regulatory bodies give them the know how in making the best light bulbs in the world... other brands are either too small time to even bother with or aren't good enough...

it still disgusts me when I think about how many people here continually ignore what lighting experts and engineers say about HID retrofits and cram HIDs into their halogen projectors, only because some forum guru with high post counts say it's OK to do :rolleyes


Big ups. Mazda3 owners are almost worse than Honda owner when it comes to HID kits. They think because they have projectors that they don't blind people. The Chinese HID kit penddlers are no better, they have their asses covered because there's a sticker on the box that says "for off road use only" but they sell/install the kits anyways.......I'd ticket every one i came across....sit outfront of these shops if i could but vigilantyism is also illegal.

[TheMAN]

too bad it's not like the states.... the DOT didn't buy that "for off road use only" nonsense... they cracked down on those HID kits a few years ago, made it hard for ricers to get them for a while

[6strings]

Sounds fun to me..

Sounds like my friday nights.

[silverstarmazda]

too bad it's not like the states.... the DOT didn't buy that "for off road use only" nonsense... they cracked down on those HID kits a few years ago, made it hard for ricers to get them for a while

was this 2003? i remember seeing a news report "dangers of HIDs" back then

[TheMAN]

I don't remember... it's been too long ago
I remember ricers throwing a fit everywhere lol