Poor xenon lights

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 12:29 am

I have to agree with the description of 'poor' to describe the light output of my xenons too.

They are OEM dipped units but I really do struggle to see well on darker roads without switching the main beams on.

Do you think I should replace the lamps as they are probably original and if so does anyone know what colour temp are the OEM's are?

Also do you think it would be worthwhile upgrading the mains to HID' too?

Any thoughts would be appreciated thanks guys.

ChewingBacca · Post by **ChewingBacca** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:07 am

I think my lighting is Ok on my '04 E53 OEM's. But my last car was a Disco II and they are poor.

However I did raise the beam slightly to illuminate further in front of me.

nujon · Post by **nujon** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 5:25 pm

Interesting thread - having now done a few lengthy night trips in my X5 (acquired late January), IMHO the throw, spread and intensity of the dipped-beam projectors - are at least pisse-pauvre and at worst, dangerously inadeqaute ! - particularly on poorly-marked roads (worn / absent side lines, worn centre lines + no cats eyes)

Any recommended improvement approaches folks ?

storminmike · Post by **storminmike** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:16 pm

[quote=""nujon""]Interesting thread - having now done a few lengthy night trips in my X5 (acquired late January), IMHO the throw, spread and intensity of the dipped-beam projectors - are at least pisse-pauvre and at worst, dangerously inadeqaute ! - particularly on poorly-marked roads (worn / absent side lines, worn centre lines + no cats eyes)

Any recommended improvement approaches folks ?[/quote]

dipped-beam projectors with halogens....I would concur....they're rubbish

Me...I retrofitted fitted HIDS, super sharp cut off, no scatter, no blinding, easily reversed, point where they're supposed to

ps mine's a facelift with washers....debatable if legal but I doubt you'd get pulled up if you go 4,300k (or is is 4200k?) as it's white and non chav

I don't want to crash so it was an easy decision

pps...my opinion above doesn't apply to non projector lights as I have no experience of HIDS in them

nujon · Post by **nujon** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:12 pm

[quote=""storminmike""][quote=""nujon""]Interesting thread - having now done a few lengthy night trips in my X5 (acquired late January), IMHO the throw, spread and intensity of the dipped-beam projectors - are at least pisse-pauvre and at worst, dangerously inadeqaute ! - particularly on poorly-marked roads (worn / absent side lines, worn centre lines + no cats eyes)

Any recommended improvement approaches folks ?[/quote]

dipped-beam projectors with halogens....I would concur....they're rubbish

Me...I retrofitted fitted HIDS, super sharp cut off, no scatter, no blinding, easily reversed, point where they're supposed to

ps mine's a facelift with washers....debatable if legal but I doubt you'd get pulled up if you go 4,300k (or is is 4200k?) as it's white and non chav

I don't want to crash so it was an easy decision

pps...my opinion above doesn't apply to non projector lights as I have no experience of HIDS in them[/quote]

Thanks Storminmike - does effecting HID just involve a lamp swap or is there more to it ? - I presume from the 'high voltage' warning labels on my light units that some type of discharge lamp is already fitted which needs a high capacitance to 'fire-up' '?

BL02WAS · Post by **BL02WAS** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 7:15 am

changing the bulbs would surely have no effect on the cut off?? the cut off is down to the rotational ( lhd rhd) sheild itself which is within the headlight itself. i cannot see aftermarket bulbs altering performance unless you are opting for 55w ballasts as opposed to 35w??? lense etc is staying the same, thus cut off the same, or are you saying you only had halogen dipped and your car never came with xenons as factory??

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

nujon · Post by **nujon** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:12 am

[quote=""BL02WAS""]changing the bulbs would surely have no effect on the cut off?? the cut off is down to the rotational ( lhd rhd) sheild itself which is within the headlight itself. i cannot see aftermarket bulbs altering performance unless you are opting for 55w ballasts as opposed to 35w??? lense etc is staying the same, thus cut off the same, or are you saying you only had halogen dipped and your car never came with xenons as factory??

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

The dipped appear to be OEM xenon projectors and the mains, 'conventional' T/H (mains are fine BTW)

If you are driving on a road with good white markers and cats eyes, the dipped are just about OK (they illuminate the markers fairly well) - otherwise they are about as effective as the lamps on my first motor - a 1959 105e Anglia !

storminmike · Post by **storminmike** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:02 pm

[quote=""nujon""][quote=""storminmike""][quote=""nujon""]Interesting thread - having now done a few lengthy night trips in my X5 (acquired late January), IMHO the throw, spread and intensity of the dipped-beam projectors - are at least pisse-pauvre and at worst, dangerously inadeqaute ! - particularly on poorly-marked roads (worn / absent side lines, worn centre lines + no cats eyes)

Any recommended improvement approaches folks ?[/quote]

dipped-beam projectors with halogens....I would concur....they're rubbish

Me...I retrofitted fitted HIDS, super sharp cut off, no scatter, no blinding, easily reversed, point where they're supposed to

ps mine's a facelift with washers....debatable if legal but I doubt you'd get pulled up if you go 4,300k (or is is 4200k?) as it's white and non chav

I don't want to crash so it was an easy decision

pps...my opinion above doesn't apply to non projector lights as I have no experience of HIDS in them[/quote]

Thanks Storminmike - does effecting HID just involve a lamp swap or is there more to it ? - I presume from the 'high voltage' warning labels on my light units that some type of discharge lamp is already fitted which needs a high capacitance to 'fire-up' '?[/quote]

does effecting HID just involve a lamp swap or is there more to it ?

If they're not halogens, or non projectors, or have factory hids already the I don't know so I wont guess.

If they're halogens then it's straightforward...very straightforward save for a little bit of drilling and bolting

The kit is essentially four bits per side.....the bulb, a clip to hold the bulb in the lamp, the ballast, the ballast bracket

*the bulb goes in the lamp where the halogens go....but to hold them into the lens you need a small clip. Don't start the job without this little bit first. Mine came in the kit...some may not do

assuming you do

remove back plate from lamp
pull wires from halogen and move to one side
remove halogen (twist)
look at the rubber grommet that comes with the new hid bulb. This will have 4 wires (2 coming out+ 2 coming in) passing through it. You need to make a hole in the backing plate big enough to fit this sealing grommet...but no too big. The kit says how big

to make a neat hole I dremmeled the middle of the wings away on the lamp back plate to create a flat surface the drilled a hole with a spade drill. The wings allow you to twist this plate on and off the back of the lamp so leave a litle bit on either end

pass the lamp wires through this hole and make sure the grommet seats well.

remove protector from hid lamp

fit into lamp...with the small clip mention earlier ( the small clip is like an adapter so you can twist fit the bulb in like the halogen that came out)

plug original bulb connectors onto new cables (idiot proof usually but you may want to double check polarity)

refit lamp backing plate

fits the ballast....there are EARS so to speak behind each lamp on the inner wings with drilled and tapped holes. You can mount the ballasts to them. Mine came with bolts and a ballast bracket. Fasten one each side.

couple up the wire that come from the ballast to those coming from the bulb

fire up and admire

edit....I now notice you have factory xenons....so the above may be pointless

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