Dim HIDs W210

[JimM]

Hi chaps.

Has anyone experienced HID bulbs getting dimmer with age?

Or could it be some distortion or deterioration inside the bulb?

My beams don't illuminate the road past about 12-15 feet, but on a wall the beam height is about correct.

They both are similar brightness to each other but are not as bright as other cars' HIDs, nor as bright as the +130% Xenon Halogen upgrade bulbs I've fitted to my Jaguar.

I've polished the lenses last year and they aren't bad.

So if it's a common fault I'll just get new HID bulbs, or do you have other suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Craiglxviii]

They do get dimmer with age yes. 7-8 years seems to be the L70 point.

 

[EmilysDad]

....... to be the L70 point.

...... and again in English

 

[LostKiwi]

...... and again in English

Don't you speak Geek?

 

[JBell]

...... and again in English

Putting out 70% of their original Lumens

 

[EmilysDad]

Don't you speak Geek?

Obviously not

 

[EmilysDad]

Putting out 70% of their original Lumens

Ta ..... now why didn't Craig say that? :lol::lol:

 

[Craiglxviii]

Ta ..... now why didn't Craig say that? :lol::lol:

He did! Lifetime70% point or L70.

Do you prefer Hz or Cycles per second?

 

[Naraic]

Hi chaps.

Has anyone experienced HID bulbs getting dimmer with age?

Or could it be some distortion or deterioration inside the bulb?

My beams don't illuminate the road past about 12-15 feet, but on a wall the beam height is about correct.

They both are similar brightness to each other but are not as bright as other cars' HIDs, nor as bright as the +130% Xenon Halogen upgrade bulbs I've fitted to my Jaguar.

I've polished the lenses last year and they aren't bad.

So if it's a common fault I'll just get new HID bulbs, or do you have other suggestions?

Thanks.

Just get new HIDs (Xenons if you prefer).

You can't put halogens in because the fittings are entirely different.

 

[Craiglxviii]

On the other hand powering a halogen lamp with an HiD power supply might be (briefly) very interesting...

 

[bob 6600]

I know a lot of people say go OEM or buy a decent brand but in my opinion £40+ per bulb is too much. You do get what you pay for but when you can buy a pair for less than £15 with a 6000k crisp white light which has so far lasted nearly 2 years (famous last words) then it's a no brainer imo

 

[Naraic]

4300k is oem, may not as white as 6000k, but produces more light.

 

[JBell]

Are your light lenses still clear or could they do with a polish?

 

[Craiglxviii]

4300k is oem, may not as white as 6000k, but produces more light.

^^^ This. There is a reason why OEMs choose neutral white. Cos it works best.

 

[JimM]

Hahaha, it's OK guys thanks, I'm slightly teshnikal!

Right, thanks, I'll probably get a pair of new +50% HID bulbs (pricey still) and a pair of +130% Xenon Upgrade bulbs for my main beams.

I used www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk many times, great service and selection is easy on their site.

Last pair I got were a good price from ECP but they've raised their prices so we need a discount code, which they provide nearly every day.

The halogen headlamp upgrade bulbs are Xenon-filled too so "Xenon" doesn't only refer to HID any more.

Philips recently released +150% "Racing Vision" Xenon Upgrade bulbs by the way.

Has anyone used LED (e.g. Cree) for main beams, are they any good yet?

 

[JimM]

Just checked...

HID bulbs (dipped beam) are D2R and main beam Halogen are H7.

D2R HID Bulbs are £64 each for the +50% Philips!
The rest are bright standard output bulbs but still £35 each.

Ouch!

 

[JimM]

Are your light lenses still clear or could they do with a polish?

.
Slightly dulled but not fogged, I polished them last year.

The bulbs are dimmer than the +130% halogens on my S Type Jaguar when I'm looking at them side by side.

I'll get new bulbs and report back.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Hahaha, it's OK guys thanks, I'm slightly teshnikal!

Right, thanks, I'll probably get a pair of new +50% HID bulbs (pricey still) and a pair of +130% Xenon Upgrade bulbs for my main beams.

I used www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk many times, great service and selection is easy on their site.

Last pair I got were a good price from ECP but they've raised their prices so we need a discount code, which they provide nearly every day.

The halogen headlamp upgrade bulbs are Xenon-filled too so "Xenon" doesn't only refer to HID any more.

Philips recently released +150% "Racing Vision" Xenon Upgrade bulbs by the way.

Has anyone used LED (e.g. Cree) for main beams, are they any good yet?

You cannot use an LED based lighting engine for a lamp designed for a type of incandescent lighting source, whether filament or metal discharge. They just do not work in the same way and are not interchangeable, nor would they be legal even if they worked properly. Badically the emission gradient of light from an LED based source is completely different to the incandescent source, so the reflectors do not shape the light correctly or the projectors do not focus it. Chalk and cheese.

LED based lighting is of course possible but uses a completely different lamp housing to achieve the end result.

Cree are really not the LED manufacturer of choice for Automotive applications by the way. They set their stall out to develop ever- more highly efficient chips and have done so superbly well, they represent the bleeding edge of the technologically possible in electronic lighting in this respect. However for chromaticity (colour rendering consistency) and light output, the bleeding edge of the market is held by Osram Optoelectronics who are primarily an automotive and marine applications expert.

Most people will steer you to the excellent Nightbreaker series of lamps for good performance.

 

[Naraic]

Hahaha, it's OK guys thanks, I'm slightly teshnikal!

Right, thanks, I'll probably get a pair of new +50% HID bulbs (pricey still) and a pair of +130% Xenon Upgrade bulbs for my main beams.

I used www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk many times, great service and selection is easy on their site.

Last pair I got were a good price from ECP but they've raised their prices so we need a discount code, which they provide nearly every day.

The halogen headlamp upgrade bulbs are Xenon-filled too so "Xenon" doesn't only refer to HID any more.

Philips recently released +150% "Racing Vision" Xenon Upgrade bulbs by the way.

Has anyone used LED (e.g. Cree) for main beams, are they any good yet?

When talking cars, Xenon usually means HIDs...is there any question about that?

Now...halogen-xenon lamps...how does that work? Is there a little of each gas in the lamp?

 

[JBell]

Just checked...

HID bulbs (dipped beam) are D2R and main beam Halogen are H7.

D2R HID Bulbs are £64 each for the +50% Philips!

The rest are bright standard output bulbs but still £35 each.

Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited are £14.03 a pair on Amazon, by far the best bulb out there

Osram D2R Xenarc Original +100% 4150k are £37.30 each on Amazon