Heads up on Bi-Xenon lights

Ruperts Trooper · « **on:** December 15, 2015, 09:30:12 »

Can I offer a quick heads up for anyone thinking of a new car of any brand which may have Bi-Xenon lights either as standard or an option.

There are two types, those with 25w bulbs and those with 35w or higher - the 25w type only have a light output of 2000 lumen which is low enough to allow fitment without the otherwise mandatory levelling and headlight washers, which obviously reduces costs.

The problem is that the 25w type light output isn't that good - certainly not as good as a Santa Fe's projector lights when aftermarket 100+% high intensity halogen bulbs are fitted.

I've found out the hard way as I didn't tick the £1,250 upgrade for 35w Bi-Xenons on my Touareg as I expected 25w Bi-xenons to be adequate - made worse that there's no bulb upgrade path although I could replace both headlights in their entirety, but at even greater cost.

Piskoty · « **Reply #1 on:** December 16, 2015, 17:13:55 »

£1,250 just for a headlight upgrade? You are joking right? I think this is a case of the world gone mad.

Ruperts Trooper · « **Reply #2 on:** December 16, 2015, 17:38:44 »

Quote from: Piskoty

£1,250 just for a headlight upgrade? You are joking right? I think this is a case of the world gone mad.

"Bi-xenon 35W dipped and main beam headlights
Automatically range adjustable, dynamic curve lighting, static cornering function, headlight washers, LED daytime running lights and rear LED tail lights"

As ever, it's a package - but all car options are expensive - always better to get the model with the options as standard - except in my case that would have included sports suspension which I don't want.

Jon · « **Reply #3 on:** December 16, 2015, 22:31:56 »

Could you upgrade bulbs and ballasts through an independent supplier such as HIDS4U ?

Ruperts Trooper · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2015, 08:19:48 »

Quote from: Trustmeimapilot

Could you upgrade bulbs and ballasts through an independent supplier such as HIDS4U ?

I'm investigating that but HIDS4U hadn't even heard of 25w Bi-xenons despite Ford having used them on the Focus ST for 3 years!

The 25w HID bulb is D8S but the base fitting is deliberately different to D1S/D3S 35w HID bulb - one enterprising Focus owner has modified the base but I'm not sure I want to go down that route. The ballast connections would need modification as well.

I'm also looking at LED lightbars as some of the newer ones are now E-marked but getting a neat fitment looks difficult for my car.

Coming home last night, I noticed that it's good on straight roads but not so much on bends/corners - I have read somewhere is that the reflector for the 35w version is wider angle to use the extra light there - so I might just resort to using chav foglights which do have a wide beam!