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Xenon headlamps??
- Thread starter chris.
- Start date
Carrera 4S. Clio 172. M5
If you mean HID then read this first. 
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=214673&highlight=hid+lights
http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=214673&highlight=hid+lights
Christopher
ClioSport Club Member
Z4M
they are a straight swap, but you will have to carry over your manual adjustment from the standard lights, as you wont have the right loom for auto height adjustable units.
Keep an eye on ebay, a pair went a couple of days ago for £130.
Nope, same thing
Carrera 4S. Clio 172. M5
Yes Shaun, your absolutely correct, they are different.
But its like trying to get someone to stop calling a Dyson, a Hoover.
Ive given up. All people want is the bright blue lights that blind people coming in the opposite direction, and the suppliers of these stupid kits make money by selling them, although they know they are illegal.
But its like trying to get someone to stop calling a Dyson, a Hoover.
Ive given up. All people want is the bright blue lights that blind people coming in the opposite direction, and the suppliers of these stupid kits make money by selling them, although they know they are illegal.
pair of 182 xenon headlight units, fully fitted from MATT BLACK for £300...
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge and HID lighting technology replaces the filament of the light bulb with a capsule of gas (e.g. Xenon) hence the phrase Xenons.
V6 255, 172's, JCW,
Thanks Al.. but i'm still with Brian on this one i think.. i hear what your saying.. though they are a totally different lamp/filiment.. fittment.. which ever.
I have on the V6 and the 182, what i've been led to beleive are 'xenon' lights. A large lamp /bulb about 40mm in diameter. It looks almost like solid glass. Both cars have washer jets too as i'm sure you're aware. I also noiced on my old 172 exclusive, and on my m8's mums 1.6 sport, of the same age, that these too have the same type of lamp/bulb although they're a litte smaller.. say about 30mm in diameter. They too seem to work in exactly the same way as xenon, in the they give out the same light ( white with the slightly blue edge to them ) but neither of these ph1 cars have washer jets, yet seem to have exacltly the same lights!?! Then, there's this lad at a friends garage who has a heavily modded Nova, and he's fitted what he calls HID's. Had a look through the lens and the lamp/bulb is nothing like that on the Clio's. It also give of a very blue/white light. There even just fitted straight inthis original unit! No washer jets either. And WHY do 'xenons' need washer jets..?!
Please can someone give definative answers to all this lot... lol..
Fletcher
ClioSport Club Member
Carrera 4S. Clio 172. M5
The easies way to determine whether a car has HID lights or not, is to switch them on.
HID take a second or two to flicker to life and about 30 seconds to get up to full brightness.
Its for this reason they are not suitable for main beams, as they don't "strike" fast enough.
The word "Xenon" is a noun, its the name of a gas, just like Neon, and Halogen.
Xenon is misused to describe headlight bulbs sold because the have the blue tinge that is typical of Xenon gas burning.
Some do indeed contain the gas, most are just Halogen bulbs with a blue painted coating on the outside.
Xenon is one of the gases used in the bulbs in HID lamps, thus the confusion.
Cars that are fitted with HID lights must by law, have properly constructed reflectors in the headlights and be E marked as such.
They work at a much higher voltage to cause the gas to strike, that is done by the exciter unit connected to the bulb.
As the gas inside the HID lamps is burning and forming a plasma to create the light source, this is much bigger than the thin line of hot wire in a conventional tungsten filament bulb, thus the shape of the reflector is very important, and is the reason they have a bulls eye projector type lens to focus the source.
OEM HID bulbs are made with bases that will not fit a normal headlight to stop them being used in non approved reflectors because the scatter is more likely to dazzle other drivers.
The makers of the conversion kits saw a way round this as a money making opportunity based on the appeal of these lights as fitted to high end models, and made the lamp units with bases that fit normal headlights. H4,H7,H1 etc....
They don't commit an offence by making them, the person who uses them, does.
The self levelling requirement is to prevent the lights from causing glare if the car is loaded at the rear, and the washers are supposed to ensure the lenses are clean to prevent scatter, personally I don't think the latter works.
If you take the whole lamp assembly from another model in the range and fit it with the self levelling units and control box, and the headlight washer, no problem.
Fit the conversion units and your asking for trouble and your a nuisance on the road, IMHO.
HID take a second or two to flicker to life and about 30 seconds to get up to full brightness.
Its for this reason they are not suitable for main beams, as they don't "strike" fast enough.
The word "Xenon" is a noun, its the name of a gas, just like Neon, and Halogen.
Xenon is misused to describe headlight bulbs sold because the have the blue tinge that is typical of Xenon gas burning.
Some do indeed contain the gas, most are just Halogen bulbs with a blue painted coating on the outside.
Xenon is one of the gases used in the bulbs in HID lamps, thus the confusion.
Cars that are fitted with HID lights must by law, have properly constructed reflectors in the headlights and be E marked as such.
They work at a much higher voltage to cause the gas to strike, that is done by the exciter unit connected to the bulb.
As the gas inside the HID lamps is burning and forming a plasma to create the light source, this is much bigger than the thin line of hot wire in a conventional tungsten filament bulb, thus the shape of the reflector is very important, and is the reason they have a bulls eye projector type lens to focus the source.
OEM HID bulbs are made with bases that will not fit a normal headlight to stop them being used in non approved reflectors because the scatter is more likely to dazzle other drivers.
The makers of the conversion kits saw a way round this as a money making opportunity based on the appeal of these lights as fitted to high end models, and made the lamp units with bases that fit normal headlights. H4,H7,H1 etc....
They don't commit an offence by making them, the person who uses them, does.
The self levelling requirement is to prevent the lights from causing glare if the car is loaded at the rear, and the washers are supposed to ensure the lenses are clean to prevent scatter, personally I don't think the latter works.
If you take the whole lamp assembly from another model in the range and fit it with the self levelling units and control box, and the headlight washer, no problem.
Fit the conversion units and your asking for trouble and your a nuisance on the road, IMHO.
RS 200
They dont, they have a projector lens on the headlight and a normal halogen filament bulb behind, hence no need for washers, auto levelers.
Correct me if I'm wrong Brian
Chris
MERCEDES CLS AMG
Brand new £150 + vat each including charger pack and xenon bulb - all brand new !!!
7701054062 £178.22 + vat headlight shell
7701207033 £153.27 + vat charger pack
7701046154 £123.85 + vat bulb xenon
these prices are just for one side NEW from Renault - my price is £150 + vat the lot and thats genuine
7701054062 £178.22 + vat headlight shell
7701207033 £153.27 + vat charger pack
7701046154 £123.85 + vat bulb xenon
these prices are just for one side NEW from Renault - my price is £150 + vat the lot and thats genuine
Carrera 4S. Clio 172. M5
They dont, they have a projector lens on the headlight and a normal halogen filament bulb behind, hence no need for washers, auto levelers.
Correct me if I'm wrong Brian
Chris
Yep ! Spot on, pardon the pun.
Last edited:
BMW M4; S1000 RR
They interfere with police laser guns too
