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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
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Sky-drive
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by Sky-drive » Thu Mar 02, 2017 7:50 pm

Wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction with regards to headlamp bulb replacements?

I have f/f xenons bulbs as standard on my Zed and they have a modern crisp white/blue look to them but they only serve as dipped beam. I'm keen for all the headlamp bulbs on the car to give a uniform and whiter cleaner look to match the xenon bulbs.

The main beam bulbs appear to be halogen and whilst they light up the road pretty well they have a crappy yellow tinge to them - if I do replace them should I go for white halogen or white LED? And which is best: H1 or H7? And whichever I choose to buy is it going to be compatible with working in a high beam function?

The sidelight bulbs also give off a yellow tinge so would like to swap these over to white halogen (or LEDS) so that they match and balance with the colour of the xenon lamps.

It would also be good to uprate the front foglights to white LEDs (with a view to maybe running them as DRLs in the future).

Do any of you guys have experience of uprating bulbs to achieve the look I'm after? Any current weblinks would be useful and any advice on the topic much appreciated.
Xenons | LED S/lights | CF Trim | Royale SW | ZHP | CDV | AUX | DISA | Vanos Refurb | Cruise | MV2s | Roof motor > boot | K&N | Sound Gen | Interior LEDs | E/H seats | Remapped

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by markeg » Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:08 am

Mine's a pre-facelift with Xenons. I use T10 white LEDs for the sidelights, and H7 Philips racing vision for the main beams. Dips (Xenon) are Osram DS2.

Links:

H7: H7 from Amazon
T10: from eBay. Note these aren't the actual ones, but I went for T10 Cree Canbus error free, and ignored the ones with exposed LEDs as, when I've used those previously, they've separated and burnt out which is a complete pain to get out of a sealed headlight
DS2: Osram Night Breakers
previous: Alpina Roadster S, #108: gone
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by Sky-drive » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:08 pm

[quote="markeg"]Mine's a pre-facelift with Xenons. I use T10 white LEDs for the sidelights, and H7 Philips racing vision for the main beams. Dips (Xenon) are Osram DS2.

thanks for the info, much appreciated :thumbsup:

Going to keep the f/f xenon bulbs already fitted. Will uprate the main beam bulbs to the H7 Philips racing vision as you have suggested but instead of fitting LEDs for the sidelights, I found these sidelight bulbs on Amazon: Philips WhiteVision Xenon effect W5W car bulb 12961NBVB2 for less than £5.00 so happy to to give these a go.

Foglights: will keep researching for the best LED option and add to this post depending on what I find and install
Xenons | LED S/lights | CF Trim | Royale SW | ZHP | CDV | AUX | DISA | Vanos Refurb | Cruise | MV2s | Roof motor > boot | K&N | Sound Gen | Interior LEDs | E/H seats | Remapped

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by markeg » Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:38 am

For foglights, beware of the LED versions - I tried some (like these) but they would fit through the hole!
previous: Alpina Roadster S, #108: gone
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by Ducklakeview » Sat Mar 04, 2017 12:43 pm

I've gone for 55w HID's in BOTH dipped and main beam, 5000k in colour temp, along with white LED's in the side lights. Visibility is much improved at night, and they are all clean white rather than yellow.

Not bothered with the fogs, as very rarely use them.

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by road warrior » Wed Nov 21, 2018 9:53 am

Bump..
My xenon dip is fine but the main beam is pants, is the main beam H1 and anybody put an led bulb in there?
If you ever think I'm off my rocker.. Just put me back in it and walk away... It's the kindest thing
My wife says I never listen - or something like that.
gone but not forgotton -Mean Steve - made a sound like a bear with his nuts in a trap.

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by mjennings23 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:50 pm

I was always under the impression all factory fit xenons are bi-xenon, in that they use the same bulb for both functions and they are controlled by a cutoff shutter and solenoid.

Is there actually cars out there with factory xenon dipped beams only, or are they retrofits that naturally wouldn't include the xenon projector solenoids?

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by philbo909 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 1:59 pm

mjennings23 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:50 pm I was always under the impression all factory fit xenons are bi-xenon, in that they use the same bulb for both functions and they are controlled by a cutoff shutter and solenoid.

Is there actually cars out there with factory xenon dipped beams only, or are they retrofits that naturally wouldn't include the xenon projector solenoids?
Facelift are bi-xenon
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by mjennings23 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:35 pm

philbo909 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 1:59 pm
mjennings23 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:50 pm I was always under the impression all factory fit xenons are bi-xenon, in that they use the same bulb for both functions and they are controlled by a cutoff shutter and solenoid.

Is there actually cars out there with factory xenon dipped beams only, or are they retrofits that naturally wouldn't include the xenon projector solenoids?
Facelift are bi-xenon
I have a pre-facelift with xenons and they're most definitely bi-xenon. The halogen bulb, while present, is only used for the "flash" function. Full beam proper (i.e. push the stick forwards with headlights on) uses the xenon bulbs

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by MACK » Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:41 pm

Ive had both pre and facelift and they are definitely both bi-xenon
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by philbo909 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 5:07 pm

mjennings23 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 2:35 pm
philbo909 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 1:59 pm
mjennings23 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2018 12:50 pm I was always under the impression all factory fit xenons are bi-xenon, in that they use the same bulb for both functions and they are controlled by a cutoff shutter and solenoid.

Is there actually cars out there with factory xenon dipped beams only, or are they retrofits that naturally wouldn't include the xenon projector solenoids?
Facelift are bi-xenon
I have a pre-facelift with xenons and they're most definitely bi-xenon. The halogen bulb, while present, is only used for the "flash" function. Full beam proper (i.e. push the stick forwards with headlights on) uses the xenon bulbs
:thumbsup: I'm wrong then
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by road warrior » Wed Nov 21, 2018 6:41 pm

ok, well the dip works perfectly , but the main is completely crap and hardly tell the difference between main being on and dip alone.. just put both on and looked . one light is xenon the other pale halogen.. luck of the draw maybe ?

so.. is it h1 main beam or a non working bi xenon, how can i tell ? what do i look for ? so.. with main beam on i see 4 lit beams of course, so if it was bi xenon the other side would not be on at all - that right ? :?
If you ever think I'm off my rocker.. Just put me back in it and walk away... It's the kindest thing
My wife says I never listen - or something like that.
gone but not forgotton -Mean Steve - made a sound like a bear with his nuts in a trap.

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by Jl-c » Wed Nov 21, 2018 8:01 pm

Try the headlamp flash (get someone to hold the stalk back for you) then I think I am right in saying that will be main beam only. Yes I know someone on here will misconstrue what I've typed but I can't phrase it any differently :roll:
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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by mjennings23 » Wed Nov 21, 2018 9:44 pm

Turn on the headlights.

If you pull the stalk towards you, the halogen main beams should come on too.

Push the stalk away from you and the bi-xenon shutter should engage and open the dipped beam projector up fully.

If pushing the stalk away turns on the separate main beams then something is up!

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Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

Post by road warrior » Thu Nov 22, 2018 12:11 pm

something is up then,
least of my worries now as handbrake ratchet is stuffed so big job ahead sighs
:headbang:
If you ever think I'm off my rocker.. Just put me back in it and walk away... It's the kindest thing
My wife says I never listen - or something like that.
gone but not forgotton -Mean Steve - made a sound like a bear with his nuts in a trap.

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