JDM Bugeye HID, how do they work?

[Vlad]

As far as the HID headlights, I wanted to know:
-Did the JDM bugeye STI with HID have daytime running lights?
If not, does using these headlights cancel the daytime running lights feature on a USDM bugeye?
I don't think it's that great to have HID daytime running lights. Those bulbs can also cost some money.

-I've been reading a bit about HID headlights in general. How does such a bugeye headlight flash? I read that HID bulbs never flash. That would quickly destroy the bulb. So is there an integrated halogen in this headlight, that flashes with the flasher?

-Is the high beam HID too? Some cars have motorized plates that get removed off the projector, to get high beam effect. Is this how these headlights work?

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[02boxer]

-if they run drl's...it would utilize the highs....typical. HID drl's are called headlights.

-no

-same way as 99% of others...light the highs

-no that would be a liability unless the lows stayed on...look at the lamp, analyze it and you will S brix

[Vlad]

Ok, so the high beam is halogen, it is activated by the flasher and it istays on in DRL.
So by plugging these into my bugeye, the DRL feature would be atomatically transferred from the current low beam onto the high beam, right?
But if you're running all day on high beam, how do you flash?

[Mulder]

No.
The cars that were equipped with those lights as OEM equipment did not have DRLs at all. Only North American-spec bugeyes had DRL's.
If you plan on installing a set of JDM lights on your car, the DRL's are the least of your concerns. You must first deal with the RHD beam pattern by either modifying the projector optics internally, or by doing a retrofit and replacing the projector units entirely with LHD ones from a US-spec vehicle.

[Vlad]

Thanks for the explanation. This actually clears it for me.

Do you think that the DRL feature will go away on it's own, just by doing the swap, due to internal wiring of the headlights being different, or I will have to work on the wiring of the car to cancel it?

What about the USDM 04+ Sti with HID? This also comes without DRL and flashes on high beam halogens?

I'm aware of the RHD pattern problem and plan on internal modification.
The guy from Lithuania that seems to be selling a lot of the LHD and RHD bugeye headlights seems to think it's only a bracket internal to the projector.
If it's just a metal bracket, maybe a symmetric one can be made by me in AutoCAD. Although I don't have everything figured out yet, my direction is clear in that respect.

And no, I won't just run it in RHD.

I'm actually looking into something different.
Prior to the HID, the US and EU/LHD world, were running different beam patterns. The US has a more symmetric pattern and the EU/LHD world have the left side cutoff, right side turn-up.
Did the onset of HID change this, as far as HID, it's now level field US/EU?
Does the 04+ USDM Sti HID pattern kinda match the EU, with cutoffs?

I'm asking because since I'm going to be making the bracket, conceivably, I could make a DOT style pattern bracket.

[Uncle Scotty]

oh boi....

[WoodsWagon]

With my truck, I put 2 100w "off road" lights in the middle of the grille. Separate power feed, used the high beam circuit to feed the relay coil and a switch in the cab to ground the relay coil.

Lights the road up like day, and as soon as I switch to low beams they go out. If I want to keep them off, I click the switch in the cab. You have to be more aware of oncoming traffic and dim earlier, but you should be paying attention to that anyway.

You could do the same thing with replacement high power lights in where your stock fogs are now.

[Vlad]

Yes, Prodrive had a kit, with HID, for offroad use.

I've read some more about these bugeye HID, and the pattern.

The cuttoffs on these are not plates but round shields.
It seems that any plate/shield has to be a precision unit, manufactured to a small tollerance.

It seems that 04+ Sti and other DOT approved HID have the cuttoff pattern stepped, a change from the pattern mandated by the DOT for halogens, in US.

On the forum it seems that the EDM shields are difficult to find. Someone on the forum CNC-ed symmetrical shields, that would be EDM-like, but never set up to manufacture them.

Some just flatten the rim of these shields, obtaining some lighting to the right side, where the JDM would be dark, but not solving the oncoming traffic problem.

Self leveling, or at least manual leveling, seems to be important with not blinding incoming traffic, that's why they installed this on the Sti. I often wondered why such an "extravagant option" on a car that in '04 was presented without stereo.

I wonder if in Europe it's as simple as walking into a Subaru dealership and just ordering the shields, being that you have UK guys moving to the Continent and it's mandated that they have to change pattern. The dealer should accomodate, I would think.