Question about Xenon Headlights
#1
10-03-2006, 08:29 AM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Vail, Arizona
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#4
10-03-2006, 12:32 PM
#6
10-03-2006, 01:10 PM
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Vail, Arizona
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#7
10-03-2006, 01:21 PM
Trending Topics
#9
10-04-2006, 12:47 PM
#10
10-04-2006, 04:42 PM
OK, now that we've answered the FACTS of the matter, let's address the EMOTIONAL issue....
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial
).
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial
).
#11
10-04-2006, 04:49 PM
OK, now that we've answered the FACTS of the matter, let's address the EMOTIONAL issue....
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial ).
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial
).
#12
10-04-2006, 04:51 PM
OK, now that we've answered the FACTS of the matter, let's address the EMOTIONAL issue....
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial ).
Feelings of disappointment and suckiness to "plain" halogen high beams. My first flick with the high beams didn't seem to make much difference in some dark areas of driving.
But hey, I got over it (or I'm in denial
).Emotional? What do you want for a $25K car?
wink:
#13
10-04-2006, 05:43 PM
#14
10-04-2006, 05:47 PM
#16
10-04-2006, 07:57 PM
Remember that white doesn't mean bright. Just look at the "bulb" in an LED flashlight then look at the bulb in a rechargable Maglight...then shine them onto a wall in a dark room, or better yet across a dark field. The next gen MINI has bi-xenon lights, and so does the E92 335i (I checked on a recent test drive) As an aside, the inner lights on the 335i do NOT illuminate on the bi-xenon light on high beam. Making these work would be about the equivilent of adding the driving lights to a MINI. All they do is "flash to pass" and DRLs (if activated). If I get one, they will work as high beams before my first full weekend of ownership is over. There's just no such thing as too much light.
Rawhyde
Rawhyde
#17
10-04-2006, 09:09 PM
Remember that white doesn't mean bright. Just look at the "bulb" in an LED flashlight then look at the bulb in a rechargable Maglight...then shine them onto a wall in a dark room, or better yet across a dark field. The next gen MINI has bi-xenon lights, and so does the E92 335i [Emphasis added.] (I checked on a recent test drive) As an aside, the inner lights on the 335i do NOT illuminate on the bi-xenon light on high beam. Making these work would be about the equivilent of adding the driving lights to a MINI. All they do is "flash to pass" and DRLs (if activated). If I get one, they will work as high beams before my first full weekend of ownership is over. There's just no such thing as too much light.
Rawhyde
Rawhyde
"Xenon Adaptive Headlights with auto-leveling"
That quote was taken from the BMW 335i Coupe Features and Options page of bmwusa.com.
Out of curiousity, how did you confirm that the Xenons were Bi-Xenons on the 335i? Was the reference to Bi-Xenon headlights on the Mulroney sticker?
#18
10-05-2006, 08:52 AM
#19
10-05-2006, 10:18 AM
#21
10-05-2006, 06:49 PM
Maybe someone forgot to tell BMW about Bi-Xenon headlights:
"Xenon Adaptive Headlights with auto-leveling"
That quote was taken from the BMW 335i Coupe Features and Options page of bmwusa.com.
Out of curiousity, how did you confirm that the Xenons were Bi-Xenons on the 335i? Was the reference to Bi-Xenon headlights on the Mulroney sticker?
"Xenon Adaptive Headlights with auto-leveling"
That quote was taken from the BMW 335i Coupe Features and Options page of bmwusa.com.
Out of curiousity, how did you confirm that the Xenons were Bi-Xenons on the 335i? Was the reference to Bi-Xenon headlights on the Mulroney sticker?
The headlights only are steerable when the switch is in automatic headlight position. They stay srtaight ahead when the lights are in the normal "on" position.
The lights only "steer" to the RIGHT. If you turn the steering wheel to the left, the lights remain straight ahead.
Steerable headlights ARE a good thing, but they're certainly not new. Tuckers had them in 1948, and Citroens had them in the 60's (possibly earlier)
Rawhyde
PS Yes, I check out the lighting on any car that I'm seriously considering buying. If that makes me a nerd, so be it. I'm a nerd that needs all the light I can get!
#22
10-12-2006, 02:31 PM
Awww GEEZ, guys, this one's easy!
They're halogens, the light's a little yellower, you can put in higher wattage bulbs (with a relay, check www.rallylights.com, among others), and the Halogens can definitely throw more light than the Xenons.
The practical advantage of Xenons are more lumens per watt, allowing lower current draw on the system, affecting gas mileage very slightly (every little bit counts to an automaker).
The secondary advantages:
- skirting an outdated DOT regulation only allowing so many watts of lighting in a car, so the Xenons can legally throw more lumens to the road.
- Better focus, as the Xenon arc (light source) is more pinpoint, allowing better optics. This is a mixed advantage, since a sharp cutoff results in less light beam "scatter", and it's this "scatter" that illuminates road signs, etc that normally lie outside the beam's view.
The supposed "advantage" of a "whiter" light (bluish tint to your eyeball) may not be an advantage; the whiter light also means higher glare (numerous studies and artcles on the subject). It does have "bling" factor, and helps car sales (perceived value and "neat-o" factor). With the auto-leveling, they're great, except to oncoming drivers on hilly roads... Gotta admit, I like mine!
To use a higher wattage bulb in the high beam, just add a relay to the system so the current headlight wiring only supplies a "signal" to the relay, and 12v+ gets supplied to the bulb directly from the battery. Susquehanna (www.rallylights.com) among others sells relay harnesses for like $75 that are plug-and-play, or you can buy a relay for $8 and use some plugs, a soldering gun, and some wire and have the equivalent thing for about $15, and Susquehanna has the wiring diagram on their site. Total cost with 100w bulbs (practical maximum, anything more and you're just making more heat) would be about $30 plus your labor.
Another option is to get a standard bulb that is higher light output - NOT a blue tinted one (counter productive, the blue tint somply filters OUT the yellow light), but a high output one. Go to WalMart and buy the Philips High Output, they're noticably brighter, but it's incremental, not revolutionary. The 100W are a much more noticable difference.
Hope this helps - Good luck!
They're halogens, the light's a little yellower, you can put in higher wattage bulbs (with a relay, check www.rallylights.com, among others), and the Halogens can definitely throw more light than the Xenons.
The practical advantage of Xenons are more lumens per watt, allowing lower current draw on the system, affecting gas mileage very slightly (every little bit counts to an automaker).
The secondary advantages:
- skirting an outdated DOT regulation only allowing so many watts of lighting in a car, so the Xenons can legally throw more lumens to the road.
- Better focus, as the Xenon arc (light source) is more pinpoint, allowing better optics. This is a mixed advantage, since a sharp cutoff results in less light beam "scatter", and it's this "scatter" that illuminates road signs, etc that normally lie outside the beam's view.
The supposed "advantage" of a "whiter" light (bluish tint to your eyeball) may not be an advantage; the whiter light also means higher glare (numerous studies and artcles on the subject). It does have "bling" factor, and helps car sales (perceived value and "neat-o" factor). With the auto-leveling, they're great, except to oncoming drivers on hilly roads... Gotta admit, I like mine!
To use a higher wattage bulb in the high beam, just add a relay to the system so the current headlight wiring only supplies a "signal" to the relay, and 12v+ gets supplied to the bulb directly from the battery. Susquehanna (www.rallylights.com) among others sells relay harnesses for like $75 that are plug-and-play, or you can buy a relay for $8 and use some plugs, a soldering gun, and some wire and have the equivalent thing for about $15, and Susquehanna has the wiring diagram on their site. Total cost with 100w bulbs (practical maximum, anything more and you're just making more heat) would be about $30 plus your labor.
Another option is to get a standard bulb that is higher light output - NOT a blue tinted one (counter productive, the blue tint somply filters OUT the yellow light), but a high output one. Go to WalMart and buy the Philips High Output, they're noticably brighter, but it's incremental, not revolutionary. The 100W are a much more noticable difference.
Hope this helps - Good luck!
#23
10-12-2006, 02:35 PM
Awww GEEZ, guys, this one's easy!
They're halogens, the light's a little yellower, you can put in higher wattage bulbs (with a relay, check www.rallylights.com, among others), and the Halogens can definitely throw more light than the Xenons.
The practical advantage of Xenons are more lumens per watt, allowing lower current draw on the system, affecting gas mileage very slightly (every little bit counts t an automaker).
The secondary advantages:
- skirting an outdated DOT regulation only allowing so many watts of lighting in a car, so the Xenons can legally throw more lumens to the road.
- Better focus, as the Xenon arc (light source) is more pinpoint, allowing better optics. This is a mixed advantage, since a sharp cutoff results in less light beam "scatter", and it's this "scatter" that illuminates road signs, etc that normally lie outside the beam's view.
The supposed "advantage" of a "whiter" light (bluish tint to your eyeball) may not be an advantage; the whiter light also means higher glare (numerous studies and artcles on the subject). It does have "bling" factor, and helps car sales (perceived value and "neat-o" factor). With the auto-leveling, they're great, except to oncoming drivers on hilly roads... Gotta admit, I like mine!
To use a higher wattage bulb in the high beam, just add a relay to the system so the current headlight wiring only supplies a "signal" to the relay, and 12v+ gets supplied to the bulb directly from the battery. Susquehanna (www.rallylights.com) among others sells relay harnesses for like $75 that are plug-and-play, or you can buy a relay for $8 and use some plugs, a soldering gun, and some wire and have the equivalent thing for about $15, and Susquehanna has the wiring diagram on their site. Total cost with 100w bulbs (practical maximum, anything more and you're just making more heat) would be about $30 (plus your labor).
Another option is to get a standard bulb that is higher light output - NOT a blue tinted one (counter productive, the blue tint somply filters OUT the yellow light), but a high output one. Go to WalMart and buy the Philips High Output, they're noticably brighter, but it's incremental, not revolutionary. The 100W are a much more noticable difference.
Hope this helps - Good luck!
They're halogens, the light's a little yellower, you can put in higher wattage bulbs (with a relay, check www.rallylights.com, among others), and the Halogens can definitely throw more light than the Xenons.
The practical advantage of Xenons are more lumens per watt, allowing lower current draw on the system, affecting gas mileage very slightly (every little bit counts t an automaker).
The secondary advantages:
- skirting an outdated DOT regulation only allowing so many watts of lighting in a car, so the Xenons can legally throw more lumens to the road.
- Better focus, as the Xenon arc (light source) is more pinpoint, allowing better optics. This is a mixed advantage, since a sharp cutoff results in less light beam "scatter", and it's this "scatter" that illuminates road signs, etc that normally lie outside the beam's view.
The supposed "advantage" of a "whiter" light (bluish tint to your eyeball) may not be an advantage; the whiter light also means higher glare (numerous studies and artcles on the subject). It does have "bling" factor, and helps car sales (perceived value and "neat-o" factor). With the auto-leveling, they're great, except to oncoming drivers on hilly roads... Gotta admit, I like mine!
To use a higher wattage bulb in the high beam, just add a relay to the system so the current headlight wiring only supplies a "signal" to the relay, and 12v+ gets supplied to the bulb directly from the battery. Susquehanna (www.rallylights.com) among others sells relay harnesses for like $75 that are plug-and-play, or you can buy a relay for $8 and use some plugs, a soldering gun, and some wire and have the equivalent thing for about $15, and Susquehanna has the wiring diagram on their site. Total cost with 100w bulbs (practical maximum, anything more and you're just making more heat) would be about $30 (plus your labor).
Another option is to get a standard bulb that is higher light output - NOT a blue tinted one (counter productive, the blue tint somply filters OUT the yellow light), but a high output one. Go to WalMart and buy the Philips High Output, they're noticably brighter, but it's incremental, not revolutionary. The 100W are a much more noticable difference.
Hope this helps - Good luck!
#24
10-14-2006, 06:22 AM
#25
10-14-2006, 06:13 PM
Chows: It's the relay AND the wiring.
I don't want to (or have to) type out the whole process, that's why I referred to www.rallylights.com for the diagram .... but... clarifying my earlier:
Use the stock OE (switched) headlight wiring to supply the voltage signal to the relay, and use heavier-duty wiring to supply current from the relay (12v+) to the lights. If'n you're really concerned, do as I did and use a heavier gauge wire as a ground as well, that way you're covered all the way 'round the circuit and back.
How's that wrong? Why NOT discuss it? If it's wrong I want to correct it! Why the rolling eyes emoticon - just trying to help out here...
Oh - the link to the headlight relays/wiring page on www.rallylights.com is
http://www.rallylights.com/useful_in...amp_wiring.htm
I don't want to (or have to) type out the whole process, that's why I referred to www.rallylights.com for the diagram .... but... clarifying my earlier:
Use the stock OE (switched) headlight wiring to supply the voltage signal to the relay, and use heavier-duty wiring to supply current from the relay (12v+) to the lights. If'n you're really concerned, do as I did and use a heavier gauge wire as a ground as well, that way you're covered all the way 'round the circuit and back.
How's that wrong? Why NOT discuss it? If it's wrong I want to correct it! Why the rolling eyes emoticon - just trying to help out here...
Oh - the link to the headlight relays/wiring page on www.rallylights.com is
http://www.rallylights.com/useful_in...amp_wiring.htm