Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
D4 headlights again
So there I am pondering how rubbish my halogen lights are on my D4 so have a go at whipping off a headlight to see which upgraded bulb it is that I need. When I look at the top of the lamp it states very clearly on the label as below:-
Is it just me or does that say Xenon???
Bulbs look like halogen for dipped as below:-
Yet main has Osram Xenarc
Still total poo compared to my D3 with adaptive Bi-Xenons.
Anyone out there able to help me, tell me what I have and what I need?
FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
You've got main and dipped mixed up I think, the xenons have halogen main beam and that xenarc looks like the low beam housing Altox GSM FBH controller thread
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Owner of the original "Beanie" grille
D4 & RRS style D3 grilles made to order
4th Feb 2015 3:26 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Hi Beanie
The Xenon is behind the glass fisheye which is innermost. Assumed it was the main beam.
If it is Xenon, why is it so poor?FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
4th Feb 2015 3:30 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
No no no, muppet, the outermost I meant. lol!FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
4th Feb 2015 3:32 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
So to improve them I need an upgrade on the Halogen main to something like a Ring Xenonstar or Osram Nightbreaker. The Xenon seems poor also, is there an upgrade for these?FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
4th Feb 2015 3:37 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
The Xenon price at £95 each puts that a bit beyond me at present, although the Main can be improved at a reasonable cost. Geez!FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
IID Pro MV License - D3, D4 & RRS - Enabling, Updates, D4 & RRS Timed / Remote Climate, D4 Bluetooth fitting
PM me for details
Owner of the original "Beanie" grille
D4 & RRS style D3 grilles made to order
4th Feb 2015 3:42 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
I'll check them when it's dark but I guess so as it just had a 70 point safety check at Stratstone's. Best check them then really I spose.
Those makes you quoted there are halogens?
What about a Xenon upgrade? any suggestions or are they all expensive in the xenon range? FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
Those are the upgraded xenons I have and have had, for halogens I also run upgraded cool blue intense but I here good praise for night breakers halogens are way cheaper and will make significant improvement to full beam
IID Pro MV License - D3, D4 & RRS - Enabling, Updates, D4 & RRS Timed / Remote Climate, D4 Bluetooth fitting
PM me for details
Owner of the original "Beanie" grille
D4 & RRS style D3 grilles made to order
4th Feb 2015 4:06 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
When I searched those makes the halogens came up which looked really good value until I read a little further. £80 won't get past the finance director, let alone £160!
Oh well the halogens are a cheaper way of improving the mains.
I noticed a lever to the right of the xenon looking in the back which I assume (There I go again) is the continental switch over to driving on the right?FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
IID Pro MV License - D3, D4 & RRS - Enabling, Updates, D4 & RRS Timed / Remote Climate, D4 Bluetooth fitting
PM me for details
Owner of the original "Beanie" grille
D4 & RRS style D3 grilles made to order
4th Feb 2015 4:54 pm
fisherman
Member Since: 16 Jan 2007
Location: Hornchurch Essex
Posts: 1789
Thanks for your help on this Beanie, much appreciated. FFRR 2017 4.4SDV8 Autobiography. Cost so much I must be mad!
D4 HSE 2012 Like a second wife, more expensive but goes better! I almost cried this time!
D3 HSE 2006 (Almost 8 years together, true love)
Land Cruiser VX 1994 11 years together, wife cried when I p/ex'd for my D3
I thought I'd post my experience (if there's any benefit to the forum)...
I wasn't greatly satisfied with the light output of my HID / Xenons in my 2010 D4 HSE either..
Just so you know which headlights I have; my headlights have the fairy light LED's side lights (not to be confused with DRL's). They have HID / Xenon as dipped/low-beam and also H7 Halogen as the Main-beam.
This can be confusing as lots of sites list this MY as having Bi-Xenons - IMO, this is wrong - owing to the H7 Halogen as main-beam (ABD / Auto Bulbs Direct make this error for example).
Before purchase, I'd read reviews, forums & so forth (primarily from people in America) who'd compared the "Philips Xenon X-treme Vision" bulbs with the "Osram Nigh Breaker Unlimited Xenarc" and also with the stock bulbs they had originally.
On the whole, they seemed to prefer / favour the Osram Night Breaker over the Philips. This coincided with retailer reviews I'd read as well - in almost all of the reviews and comments, the Night Break Xenon was the right choice and all the reviewers I could see, were very happy they'd bought them.
The Philips X-treme did well too btw (and in D3S are more easy to procure on UK soil) but the Osram's stole the show.
The D3S Night Breaker fitments I needed for my headlights are not quite available in the UK yet (D1S Night Breaker fitments for other vehicles are though). Also to note; the Osram Cool-blue D3S are widely available in D3S but are no brighter than standard.
The Night Breakers are claimed to be 70% brighter and provide up to 20metres greater light throw / beam distance and 5% whiter.
Philips are 50% brighter and supposedly subtley whiter owing to a slightly different temperature in kelvin.
So, I found what I considered to be a reputable retailer in Germany (so as to ensure I didn't accidentally purchase fakes) and I ordered a pair of D3S Night Breakers.
I fitted them yesterday.
I am also going to replace the 2 x main beam Halogens with H7 Night Breakers too (have ordered from Amazon Prime currently @ £14.50 for a pair delivered next day). I'll fit tomorrow.
According to reviews and technical spiel I read, new HID / Xenon bulbs take around 15-20Hrs of usage before they "burn-in" and are noticeably brighter than the original used bulbs. This fact was noted in all of the reviews.
I have taken "before & after" pics now (which are very unscientific) so they can be compared later but as expected, the pics show them (IMO) to be a little yellowy to the original stock ones.
My bulbs have about 15 mins on them so if anyone is interested, I can keep this thread up to date with any future findings.
BTW, they cost about £138 delivered (once Paypal had converted from Euros to UK £) or in the silly money - €172.90 inc.carriage.
They are expensive - but my vehicle is 5yrs+ old now so my originals have probably seen their best.
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The fish eye is the dip, and yes you can upgrade the xenon too I run Phillips extreme and did have osram cool blue intense both are very good updates.
halogens are way cheaper and will make significant improvement to full beam
so if anyone is interested, I can keep this thread up to date with any future findings.
