HID Conversion in a 2002 Passat SW

Yes, you can buy them aftermarket and install yourself. Not inexpensive ($900 and up or so), and supposedly you have to drop the front bumper to install, and then disable DRLs as they cannot be used with HIDs. Check out the Passat World forums for lots of info:

Another option are HID conversion kits that include wiring, add-on ballasts and HID capsules that replace the stock bulbs. Check Passat World for this also.

Yes, you can buy VW OEM HIDs aftermarket and install yourself. Not inexpensive ($900 and up or so), and supposedly you have to drop the front bumper to install, and then disable DRLs as they cannot be used with HIDs. Check out the Passat World forums for lots of info:

Another option are HID conversion kits that include wiring, add-on ballasts and HID capsules that replace the stock bulbs. Check Passat World for this also.

I wouldn't recommend option b...

Daniel, feel free to jump in at any time.

nate

You can definitely retrofit the OEM HID headlamps into this car. Won't have automatic headlamp levelling or headlamp lens cleaning unless you add them, too, but this equipment is only mandatory in Europe, not in North America where glare is ignored.

The "HID kits" (or "Xenon kits") involving adaptive-base HID bulbs, ballasts, wiring harness, etc. meant for use with your existing headlamps are dangerous and illegal, every one of them; see

Thanks!

I suspected that this was true. I am willing to spend ~400 to put them in. Not likely to find and install for that price. The halogens are not that bad.

Rob

The halogens on that car are actually rather decent. Very good low-beam focus with extremely low glare -- assuming proper aim, of course. Osram in Germany makes a special H7 65w 2100-lumen bulb (stockers are 55w and 1400 lumen) that works quite nicely in those lamps to boost the performance without negative consequences.

DS

If it was a W8, yes it would have.

Good they sort of made good. But not an honest mistake. The dealer was simply uneducated and/or lying. They should know their product better.

As would I. There are good halogens out there but HID trumps halogen in every implementation I know of.

yes and no. HIDs can't be used at DRLs if it's less than full voltage. So you'd just have to find out how VW dealt with HIDs on Passat W8 models and modify a non-W8 the same way.

That's my point. VW's DRL scheme reduce the voltage to the low beam headlamps to 80% of full voltage. If you retrofit OEM HIDs to a VW Passat, you must disable DRLs, as the HIDs will either not light or light sporadically.

BTW, the OEM VW HIDs sold for retrofit to US-spec Passat are usually not W8 HIDs, but rather HIDs that were available for non-W8 Passats in Europe. W8 HIDs are available, but much more difficult to find.