Changing HID Bulb on Adaptive Xenon's...

[Damo H]

...has anyone done it?

Tried searching to no avail as its all about HID kits and retro fitting.

Bought some Osram Xenarc Cool Blue DS1's to better match my LED Side lights. Got great reviews despite being 5000K. Albet nearly got the Osram Xenarc Silverstars instead but they where £150 a pair (Got my pair for £80+p&p on eBay but none left now)

Anyway I've changed xenon bulbs before but on a MINI. Pretty easy to be honest but they where only xenon, not adaptive bi xenon. They were also D2S bulbs so not to different from swapping a H7 if you forget the ballast bit.

As usual owners manual says needs to be done by a dealer, but in this case does it really? Does the fact it's a bi xenon and adaptive complicate it further?

Thanks in advance. Feel like such a noob again but got to learn everything new for a new car.

 

[SteveTDCi]

I ddn't think they were bi xenons ? I'm probably gong to change mne to the Osama silver star bulbs, the higher the temp the worse the ligh I thought .... Anywy I thought they were fairly easy to change, probably make sure the battery is off though, the xenons have wuite a voltage to them.

 

[Damo H]

I ddn't think they were bi xenons ? I'm probably gong to change mne to the Osama silver star bulbs, the higher the temp the worse the ligh I thought .... Anywy I thought they were fairly easy to change, probably make sure the battery is off though, the xenons have wuite a voltage to them.

Defo bi xenon. On the mini voltage wasn't an issue as you couldn't remove the bulb with the power lead connected. As soon as you twisted the ballast (which held bulb in place) it forced the power lead out.

 

[Damo H]

I have a similar problem. I need to carry spare bulbs in France and all I can find is after rnarket retro fit kits. Where can I buy spare xenon bulbs for my FR Supercopa?

Not 100% sure what rules are on posting websites that aren't sponsors, but there are loads of places that sell xenon bulbs online. Due to the colour changing with age though your supposed to do them in pairs. Not cheap though if you stick with good quality bulbs (osram or Phillips).

Happy to play places you can get them if someone can remind me of the rules haha. But just google d1s hid and osram or Phillips.

Edit: having said that shouldn't need a spare bulb kit for a xenon bulb as in theory they should out last the car.

 

[Damo H]

Oh and in answer to colour temperature.

Yes as you go higher than 4150k you don't get increased light (anything above 6k is silly) but its not all a out the temperature. It's where the light is displayed and the lumens.

To cover lumens, the lumens output of theses new bulbs is equal to the OEM bulbs on the spec sheet, but n testing its brighter.

As for the positioning, the reason 6000k lights are so bad usually are because the bulbs are cheap and don't direct the light in the right way. The whole point of xenons is that they're supposed to have a more uniform light pattern that's easier to direct so can be brighter.

The only HiD bulb in testing to beat the ones I've got are the very expensive Osram xenarc Silverstars, but they were supposed to be 4150k which wouldn't match my side lights, and nearly twice the price.

I've had good quality and bad quality 6000k bulbs before and can honestly say good quality 4150k vs 6000k there is t that much of a difference. These 5000k are performance ones as well so that combines should make then better than the OEM.

To be fair the cool blue and Silverstars are simulate in RRP but the Silverstars I think are newer so hard to find cheaper.

 

[SteveTDCi]

I've only seen silverstars on eBay at around £110 a pair. You should be able to pick an oem bulb up for £40.

I always thought bi xenon were active shutter where the xenon did the dipped and then the shutter opened and did the main. On my pre fl dipped is a h7 and the xenon doesn't move at all.

 

[TarekElsakka]

I don't get it. Do you have a Leon with gas-discharge Bi-Xenon headlights or are you talking about your Mini? If it's the former, then you just get whatever bulb you want that'll fit (in that case DS1 as you mentioned), open the hood of your car, unclip the bulb holder from its place so that you're allowed to take the bulb out, remove the power cable from it, replace it with the new one, reinsert, re-clip bulb holder, and you're good to do.

Any manual will say that it's better to change it at the dealership, but it's fairly easy to do it yourself. The bulb holder that you need to unclip is probably the trickiest part since you might not be able to see it while doing it, so try using a mirror for better visibility and avoid doing it blindly.

 

[TarekElsakka]

Yeah I believe it is.

 

[allbutt55]

I got a pair off hids direct 6000k to match my leds, very easy to change just undo the cover with torx screw driver and you will find a black lock ring turn 90'd and the bulb comes out, disconnect the cable and swop

 

[Damo H]

I've only seen silverstars on eBay at around £110 a pair. You should be able to pick an oem bulb up for £40.

I always thought bi xenon were active shutter where the xenon did the dipped and then the shutter opened and did the main. On my pre fl dipped is a h7 and the xenon doesn't move at all.

Maybe pre facelift are not Bi-Xenon. I honestly don't know. But these are defo Bi Xenon as where the main beam used to be is the DRL. Maybe it's only the newer adaptive xenons that are bi xenon

 

[Damo H]

I don't get it. Do you have a Leon with gas-discharge Bi-Xenon headlights or are you talking about your Mini? If it's the former, then you just get whatever bulb you want that'll fit (in that case DS1 as you mentioned), open the hood of your car, unclip the bulb holder from its place so that you're allowed to take the bulb out, remove the power cable from it, replace it with the new one, reinsert, re-clip bulb holder, and you're good to do.

Any manual will say that it's better to change it at the dealership, but it's fairly easy to do it yourself. The bulb holder that you need to unclip is probably the trickiest part since you might not be able to see it while doing it, so try using a mirror for better visibility and avoid doing it blindly.

I have a Seat Leon FR+ DSG 170 CR diesel. Think that's the right techno. Was just stating it was easy to swap HID on the MINI but they were only normal xenon, not adaptive or bi-xenon. It's just the description in the manual says requires removal and adjustment of lenses so wanted to be sure. Didn't want to break my lights being a noob haha!

 

[Damo H]

Thanks for that. I've found them on Ebay, Osram for about £30. I think I'll get one of those just to be legal in France, not that I'll ever need it from what you say. Is Colour temperature: 4300K the standard fit?

Osram quote 4150k for their standard bulb. Not sure what Philips is. Was under impression the Seat ran Osram as OEM. As said before don't think having a spare xenon bulb is a legal requirement for France due to their nature. Personally never had a standard hid bulb go (just some cheap 6000k ones off eBay that where rubbish anyway but that was my own fault for not researching like I normally do). Only other peeps I know who've had issues, its been the ballasts weirdly.

 

[Damo H]

Thanks for that. I've found them on Ebay, Osram for about £30. I think I'll get one of those just to be legal in France, not that I'll ever need it from what you say. Is Colour temperature: 4300K the standard fit?

66144 is the osram your after for OEM.

http://www.osram.com/appsinfo/pdc/pdf.do?cid=GPS01_1056953&vid=EU_ALL_eCat&lid=EN