Ok so I was givin a link to some Bosch E46 single xenon projectors by SilverGLE and the link was for ECE projectors not DOT. I found a pair of DOT ones and was wondering what the difference is besides the cutoff if any(that is the only thing I could find.)

Thanks

 

I don't know, but I bet these folks do.

www.hidplanet.com/forums/

 

thats weird, maybe ones not good enough for the road so its not DOT approved?

 

Straight from the newb thread on HID Planet, courtesy of gearbox (thread link):


Let me help out on some of these questions.

DOT cutoff has a short slope between the cutoff lines, this allows them to be aimed higher without blinding traffic. The DOT design also incorporates a way to let small amounts of light out above the cutoff to reflect off road sign on the right, as you can see from the faint upward flare of light. Here is a DOT valeo projector cutoff.



ECE also known as E-code is what they use in Europe. Alot of these projectors have different bowl designs and can offer increased light output based on the design. The most important part of an HID projectors performance comes from the bowl. The lens can be changed to make a sharper cutoff with clear lens, but the actual output beam is controled by the bowl shape behind the lens. The cutoff also has a much larger slope, and there is no light above the cutoff because Europe has lit road signs. If you use E-code projectors in the USA, they must be aimed lower so they don't blind traffic. Here is a cutoff from the E46 BMW M3 ECE projectors.




Now for the question about putting hid bulb in a halogen housing, you cannot do this. Any reflector or projector designed for a halogen bulb will not work with hid. the reason is the different ways the two bulbs emit light. Halogen has a small filament in the center of the bulb, whereas hid has a very large arc tube that emits light. The two require completely different optic design for the lens. The hid reflector and projector are designed based on the geometry of the hid bulb and how it emits light. This is why the oem hardware works so well.

Now if you decide to go with a cheap kit and throw it in a halogen housing, bad things will happen. One, there will be alot of stray light (glare) above the cutoff line which will shine directly into drivers eyes. This is very dangerous due to the angle and brightness of the light. Also, you will have areas on the road where there is no light, and areas with more light. This produces hot spots, or uneven areas of lighting. While some kits provide decent ground light, much of it is lost above the cutoff and never makes it to the ground. in addition, halogen headlamps just do not provide a wide enough beam to really put the extra hid light to use. For example, lets put an H4 rebased hid kit into this civic halogen reflector. Look what happens on the wall, the cutoff is nothing but a large blob, and there is alot of light above the blob where there should not be any.



Now lets take a look at the ground. While this kit provides acceptable results, the beam is still similar to stock. There is alot of foreground missing, and the beam does not go very far or wide.




Now what happens if we switch to an oem hid projector and look at the ground. There is perfectly even lighting all around, stretching out from the edge of the bumper to the far distance. Also look how wide you can see to the left and right, into the field.



And another to show how much wider the beam is. Since hid is so bright, engineers can adjust the projector to output a much more spread out beam. Halogen projectors on the other hand must focus light more to a smaller area.



Now look what happens when you put a real hid projector up against a wall. Instead of a big fuzz, you get a sharp straight line with light below and darkness above to limit glare to other drivers.

[cliffs]Get the ECE, you won't regret it... [/cliffs]

 

i would get the ece...i've dealt with both sets before and ECE ones are much sharper and has more color on the cutoff

here's a pic of my ece e46 cutoff (from my old accord)...



can't find pic of the DOT ones...but they're just more yellow on the cutoff and not as sharp. also, the ECE has wider cutoff too.

 

The folks at HID planet also say the ECE design makes for brighter light output

 

Yea thats what i thouhgt. I unfortunately cant find ECE ones, only DOT ones and the guy said he only has 2 pairs left. HIDPLanet will no longer be carrying those projectors and cant find em on ebay.

 

go to the forums on hidplanet, they have a strong classifieds section