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

[Sky-drive]

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.

 

[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.

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

 

[Sky-drive]

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

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

 

[markeg]

For foglights, beware of the LED versions - I tried some (like these) but they would fit through the hole!

 

[Ducklakeview]

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.

Mike

 

[road warrior]

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?

 

[mjennings23]

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?

 

[philbo909]

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

 

[mjennings23]

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

 

[MACK]

Ive had both pre and facelift and they are definitely both bi-xenon

 

[philbo909]

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

I'm wrong then

 

[road warrior]

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 ? :?

 

[Jl-c]

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:

 

[mjennings23]

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!

 

[road warrior]

something is up then,
least of my worries now as handbrake ratchet is stuffed so big job ahead sighs

 

[scarlet-jester]

I was going to start a new thread on this but thought it prudent to add to this one instead.

So it appears that I may have the same issue.


The picture shows the front off-side cluster. The RHS light is a xenon and functions as dip and full beam. The inside light has the early days angle-eye, but does nothing more. On auto, manual, full beam and flash, the inside lights do nothing. Have a 2006 3.0Si and presumed I was running 'bi-xenons'.

This may be useful (or not), and indicates the inside light is a 'dummy'.
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2965458&postcount=27

Any ideas?

 

[road warrior]

It would seem there are as many versions on our cars as hairs on a dogs arse.. :lol:
My version has the inside light as reflector style with an ordinary halogen bulb for main beam which is pants and barely makes any difference to light output on the road

 

[mjennings23]

something is up then,
least of my worries now as handbrake ratchet is stuffed so big job ahead sighs

Is it possible they're not factory fit xenons? If it's a retrofit or similar from stock halogen then, unless whoever fitted them also took the time to wire in the projector solenoid, it would still use the high beam as though they were halogen.

 

[road warrior]

i suppose it will remain a mystery till i take a look eh, well.. nothing is certain but i do have the headlight washes, is a bi xenon differnant bulb to an ordinary xenon ?

 

[Gwest44]

It would seem there are as many versions on our cars as hairs on a dogs arse........... top quote

Anyway thought I would hijack this thread to request some advice before I shell out the £67 that Halfords are asking for their Xenon bulb - or I should say £134 as their advice is only to fit in pairs

When I ran the VIN Decoder the information I got back regarding lights was S522A Xenon Light - does this mean I have to go with the above option or can I fit the alternatives suggested which are less than £20?