LS430 headlight cutoff

[LEDMaestro101]

Hey all, so next up on my list of jobs with the car is replacing the headlight bulbs. I have an X reg 430 which uses D2R in a reflector housing. The original bulbs in the car were degraded on the passenger side but had a noticeable cutoff. I bought some cheap replacements ages ago thinking “a bulb is a bulb” but they threw light everywhere, dazzling drivers at night etc. So I‘ve now bought some lunex 6000k bulbs but......I still have zero cutoff! I have a lot of light being flung upwards and they’re acting more like high beams, to the point where drivers are Still flashing me at night. 
 

Question, I’m I being unreasonable in expecting projector style cutoffs from my reflector housings? Should I spend £60 odd per bulb to get OEM bulbs from Lexus? My thinking is that HID bulbs in a reflector housing are designed to work Best with OEM bulbs but I don’t want to spend £120 on something that may not work. 
 

any help (and pictures) would be appreciated as always

[ambermarine]

The answer is in the question,use the Lexus sourced specification as they were designed to work in that headlight housing.

[NemesisUK]

Must admit to thinking all hid lights were projector?

[LEDMaestro101]

Thanks amber, I slowly came to the realisation that I’d have to go OEM, just wanted peoples thoughts. 
 

I agree though nemesis, I always thought HID’s were always in projector units but it seems it wasn’t until the facelift that projectors were used. Still a very strange setup to me though 

[Britprius]

Are you sure the HID's fitted are OEM or are they aftermarket additions?
  I do not know of any car designed for the  European market that has reflectors with HID bulbs. The only car I know of in the world that does use a reflector housing with HID's as OEM fitting is the North American  gen2 Prius. This had specially designed reflectors with many more ribs in the reflector than it's halogen version also available in the US.

Your headlamps should be marked DCR if they are suitable for HID bulbs " this maybe on the lens or the body of the light" If they are not marked they are only suitable for halogen bulbs.

John.

[LEDMaestro101]

Yep, HID’s were fitted as standard to the 430. As I said, this is the first car I’ve seen use reflectors with HID’s instead of projectors and it’s a very odd setup to me. Makes me wish I had saved a bit more for a facelift 430 now lol. 
 

both the handbook and various bulb “check” websites state that it takes D2R’s but I will check the headlamp itself for the DCR Mark you mention, thanks for the heads up! 

[NemesisUK]

No offence meant but you haven't put the bulb in upside down?

I know it's possible on some (MB) models, maybe also on the LS?

[LEDMaestro101]

Lol no offence taken mate haha. I honestly thought I might had done that but the bulb definitely only goes in one way into the housing. I’m going to take a punt at the OEM lights and see how I get on. Hopefully it solves my issue. I’ll post comparison pictures when they’re done.