flewbyu

I own a 97' A8 which most of you know came without the HID kits. I was looking to install PIAA bulbs and was wondering if anyone had any comments or complications before I run out and purchase them. If I'm not mistaken the 97' A8 uses H1 bulbs rated at 55 watts. Thanks in advance for your comments.
-Erik

ryoung

Eric,

I was pleased with the PIAA "Super White".

I do not recommend either the "Super Plasma" or the "Xtreme White". The do have that HID blue look, but visibility is VERY poor on rainy nights, especially with the Super Plasma.

skiracer

Since many of the aftermarket Halogen bubs are rated at 100/90 Watts (for offroad use only- yea, right), can the Audi wiring harness/headlamp assembly handle the additional load without overheating? I know that in some of the older Audis the headlamp current flowed through the switch on the steering column (rather than having it drive a remote relay) and if you installed higher wattage headlamps the switch would melt down due to the higher current load. Does anyone have any information on this pecific to the A8? I too have a '97 without Xenon (not even an option for that year), and have been looking at a lighting option that wouldn't set me back $600.

TraderAlex

As far as I knew, PIAA is not yet making a H1
bulb for their super whites. But I think these bulbs are probably a waste. You are better off
going to Autolamps-online.com, and ordering a pair
of Phillips Vision-Plus H1's. This is a UK company, but they ship worldwide for free. Should cost about $32. They are superwhite bulbs,
and the improved quality and depth of illumination I got in my 00 A6 Avant was dramatic, compared to the OEM Osrams that Audi had installed. Also, they are rated as 55w bulbs, so you are not risking frying your harness or lamp switch.

wws03

I'm very pleased with the result, and looks just like the factory Xenon less the auto-level system. I got the system off ebay... I"m not sure how long it will last, but it seems to be fairly reliable so far. The Xenon lights are 5300k, so it's very white, with a hint of blue to it.

flewbyu

First of all I would like to thank you all for your support, it is greatly appreciated.

My question is for Alex. When you ordered from autolamps-online, the vision plus bulbs are priced individually, correct? I just wanted to make sure because the sites currency converter has a bad link. Thanks again! =)
-Erik

skiracer

wws03:

Who did you get the Xenons from- a company or a private party. If it was a company, who was it, and do they have a web page? I have had trouble finding these on ebay.

TIA!

TraderAlex

specify the currency paid in US Dollars.
I ordered my pair about six months ago, paid $16 each for a total of $32. At that time, they had a promo, buy two, get one free. They showed up at my front door about four days, later. For 32 bucks, you can't really go that wrong, but I do think you will find them as a significant improvement or standard bulbs. Alex

TraderAlex

Some of the kits out there outline a wiring plan to simply hook up the ballast directly to the original H1 bulb leads, in the housing. Some people have suggested that this will put stress on the lamp swtich, leading to an expensive failure. A couple of the other kits out there, including the one that is sold by Autolamps-online, use a wiring plan that runs the positive lead for the ballast through a relay that goes directly the vehicle's positive battery terminal.
It means extra work for the wiring and routing.
In the case of an A6, this means drilling a hole through the metal compartment that encases the battery, directly behind the engine. This is probably a safer bet for the sake of the car's wiring.

wws03

the most expensive ones are the real ones, and the $5 ones are the blue bulbs. These kits come up ALL the time, and there are several sellers. Mine kit cost $350 delivered, but there are several more expensive ones out there.