Hid Headlights

[Guest blatters]

A slight digression:

 

Auto-Express recently covered a Saab 9-5 owner who had got Xenon lamps but found that, every time he switched them on/off, they appeared to flash as part of the 'ignition' cycle.

 

The driver said that someone had mistaken this for a 'come on out' signal and nearly driven into him (just as well Saab also fits their cars with good brakes then, eh?).

 

Wrote to Saab who said that the flash of the headlamps is normal on that model. They also said that any flash warning should mean ' watch-out, I'm coming through'. Nice one. That's the case abroad as I have found on the German autobahn. You don't flash anyone over there because they do see this as a 'get out of my way' and never a 'why don't you go ahead of me'.

 

Still, in the UK that's not much comfort. So Saab said to Auto-Express that owners should ensure that they don't switch their lights on/off in a potentially dangerous situation.

 

And we Galaxy owners think we've got problems!

 

Blatters :ph34r:

[Xenonman]

...this is why you will see some new cars advertised as having "Bi-xenon" lamps - usually only main beam units are upgradeable to xenons, but "bi-xenon" means both dipped and main beam are xenons.

This is correct, I have xenons on my new C-Max, when full beam is switched on a mask flips down out of the way in the headlamp housing to give full beam xenons as well as the main beam halogens.

 

When the headlights are not on and you just flash the main beam, only the halogen bulbs flash.

 

They are exceptionally bright when ful beam xenon and halogen are on :ph34r: :(

[seatkid]

May I just throw in my 2p worth.....

 

I've noticed that when HID cars overtake me on a motorway, that if its a Mercedes or a BMW then although its obvious they're HID, when theyre behind me they don't blind me (in my mirror) and as they pass they have a heck of a lot of light on the road in front of them.

But if if its a VAG group car (usually Golfs) they blind me from the rear and when they pass the light on the road in front of them looks rather weak and pathetic, not much better than a modern halogen setup.

 

Same goes for Alfas and Fiats (pathetic)

 

I dont think all HIDs are the same.

[djacks42]

Quick update - one of the bulbs has just blown after two months of average usage. Stuck the originals back in. Rubbish <_<

[GSMGuy]

don't be fooled as they are no comparison to the real thhing for an improvement in visibility - also they do not last nearly as long as regular bulbs...

 

 

Mike..

I rest my case!!

 

Mike

[SharanTDICarat]

I can recommend the Phillips Vision plus bulbs , I originally bought a set for my Yamaha TDM and they have been in use for over a year now and they made a big differance to the light output and the beam. :)

However when I got my Sharan the one thing I thought let it down was the headlights , so it was off to powerbulbs.com for another set of phillips vision plus bulb and fitted them to the Sharan and whilst they did make an improvement on the original it was not as marked a difference as on the TDM.

On a whole I thing they are worth the money but I also think there is only so much you can do by just changing the bulb the rest I think will come from the design of the headlight and lens.

RIDE magazine had a good artical last month on upgrade bulbs and there were a lot of the pattern bulbs that there manufacturing tollerances were well out which would have an effect on the beam, phillips, Osram and OEM came out the best in there test.

 

TAM

[Guest vr6galaxy]

I keep debateing whether or not to get a twin headlight conversion set up, nearly got one last year at GTI inters but went for the replacement sunvisors instead, a mate of mine has a fully kitted out Alhambra with a set on and he says they are an improvement over the standard head lights!

I did notice that the twin light set up is on the parts list and is still available over the counter at my local Ford dealers!