Xenon worth it?

[Gareth Wales]

Are these bulbs, typically sold on e-Bay, really that much better.
I've just driven 60 very dark miles, and I must say the standard BX lights are terrific.
Gareth

[Ian_Fearn]

When i first bought a BX i thought the lights were dire.

I went out and bought brand new headlights, bulbs, foglamps and bulbs.

I then set them up infront of the garage door.

After that they were great. I put the top Halfrauds bulbs in which are apparently Xenon. I'm sure the alignment and new headlights are what made the difference, not the bulbs.

What you really want is the genuine article HID headlight conversion kit which i think starts at a shade under £200. This is the system on upmarket modern cars with the blue/daylight coloured headlights.

[MULLEY]

I would watch out for bulbs on e-bay, theres an awful lot of crap being sold, looked for branded names such as phillips, osram etc... who actually make decent car bulbs.

I have thought about investing in some new bulbs as they are supposed to be 40% brighter, which can only be a good thing. I think my main beams are a bit weak by modern standards, but with full beam they seem pretty good. So would prefer to have brighter main beams for added safety factor.

Anyone else changed to brighter bulbs? How have u found them?

[docchevron]

I was running 90 / 160 watt bulbs in the TD as the light output was sh!te.

Then I got the valver and noticed how much brighter the lights in it were with standard bulbs.
Changed the headlamps in the TD, put standard bulbs in and set them right. Bl**dy terrific now!

Of course, aside from 90 / 160's being illegal for road use they also require a relay and some decent wiring since the original loom just aint up to it!.....How do I know this....

Cheers
Chris G

[tim leech]

I have those "blue ice" bulbs in mine (previous owner fitment) and they are like candles!,soon to be changed!

[jeremy]

Heavy duty wiring will make a great difference - fun trying to retain the dim dip - as the dip beam will benefit too.

Alignemt will also make a world of difference. It seems most MOT stations only use their alignment kit to make sure the lights don't dazzle rather than aligning it properly.

I had mine come back from the MOT one year with the lights pointing skywards - as presumably someone had let the suspenion sink at the back while doing the job!

[tom]

Funny that, Jeremy. I think we use the same tester because mine got fiddled with every year on any car I brought in until he changed premises and it is all right now. Back on topic, I bought Philips 55/60 blue bulbs last month and can report a noticeable improvement but voltage drop is the real enemy. Thicker cables are the answer.

[Neortic95]

Hi, I put these xenon bulds in my BX and I have to say it was the biggest waste of time and money ever. I even got some from auto bulbs direct quality I thought but they are crap also. So now I have bought a proper HID KIT and they are fantastic I can recommend them. They are very good for driving in the dark in the highlands of scotland as I found out last week. Just about to fit the hearlamp washers before the MOT is due as I think it will fail without them.

[jeremy]

Headlamp washers are NOT a requirement for the MOT.

[Neortic95]

I was of the understanding that All xenon headlamps have to have washers or wipers or both by law. But I must admit that none of the HID kits you buy seem to state this. Certainly all new cars with them fitted have them. Everybody I asked some of which were MOT testers seem to give a different answer so I thought I would do it to be safe.

[jeremy]

Why not have a look at the testers manual:

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm

If its only bulbs that are changed - why not submut it for test with the standard bulbs in it.