High beam, is it xenon?
01-31-2007, 09:03 AM
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Hi all
I had my car for a couple of months now, and almost never use highbeam. I know I have xenon headlights, the usual bright white colour, the autoleveling adjustment..etc.
Today, I had to use high beam in a pitch dark road, but when I saw the reflection in the back of a parked car I realized the colour difference - It cannot be xenon. When I got home, I checked it and - low and behold - I could clearly see the lamp in the inner light
Is this normal? do you lot with Xenon have normal high beams? If so, then why isn't the high beam Xenon like the lowbeam?
If not, then how could this be?!!
Thanks
I had my car for a couple of months now, and almost never use highbeam. I know I have xenon headlights, the usual bright white colour, the autoleveling adjustment..etc.
Today, I had to use high beam in a pitch dark road, but when I saw the reflection in the back of a parked car I realized the colour difference - It cannot be xenon. When I got home, I checked it and - low and behold - I could clearly see the lamp in the inner light
Is this normal? do you lot with Xenon have normal high beams? If so, then why isn't the high beam Xenon like the lowbeam?
If not, then how could this be?!!
Thanks
01-31-2007, 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by the-oneil' post='385898' date='Jan 31 2007, 06:03 PM
Hi all
I had my car for a couple of months now, and almost never use highbeam. I know I have xenon headlights, the usual bright white colour, the autoleveling adjustment..etc.
Today, I had to use high beam in a pitch dark road, but when I saw the reflection in the back of a parked car I realized the colour difference - It cannot be xenon. When I got home, I checked it and - low and behold - I could clearly see the lamp in the inner light
Is this normal? do you lot with Xenon have normal high beams? If so, then why isn't the high beam Xenon like the lowbeam?
If not, then how could this be?!!
Thanks
I had my car for a couple of months now, and almost never use highbeam. I know I have xenon headlights, the usual bright white colour, the autoleveling adjustment..etc.
Today, I had to use high beam in a pitch dark road, but when I saw the reflection in the back of a parked car I realized the colour difference - It cannot be xenon. When I got home, I checked it and - low and behold - I could clearly see the lamp in the inner light
Is this normal? do you lot with Xenon have normal high beams? If so, then why isn't the high beam Xenon like the lowbeam?
If not, then how could this be?!!
Thanks
The inner lamp is halogen for Flash to pass etc. You can make it whiter with Philips Super Brilliance bulbs.
01-31-2007, 09:09 AM
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The low and high xenon beams are coming from the same outside headlight. There is a shutter than cuts the xenons for low beam and opens wide for high beams. At least that is how it is in the US. The inside headlights are for flash-to-pass or daytime running lights. Are you sure that you didn't accidentally activated the flash-to-pass and mistook it for the high beams?
01-31-2007, 09:17 AM
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Originally Posted by vegastrashed' post='385902' date='Jan 31 2007, 01:09 PM
Are you sure that you didn't accidentally activated the flash-to-pass and mistook it for the high beams?
01-31-2007, 09:27 AM
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Originally Posted by the-oneil' post='385905' date='Jan 31 2007, 06:17 PM
I am sure it is the highbeam (I could see the distinctive blue symbol lit on the dash). Is it possible the DRL come on with the highbeam?
I think in the UK yes, the inner light supports the high beam outer
01-31-2007, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by vegastrashed' post='385902' date='Jan 31 2007, 08:09 PM
The low and high xenon beams are coming from the same outside headlight. There is a shutter than cuts the xenons for low beam and opens wide for high beams. At least that is how it is in the US. The inside headlights are for flash-to-pass or daytime running lights.
01-31-2007, 10:05 AM
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Thanks r clearing this up, because this was a question that I was going to ask , but I was going to check on my own a little more. 
, but I was going to check on my own a little more.
01-31-2007, 10:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Ricracing' post='385924' date='Jan 31 2007, 07:02 PM
That's the way it is except for that the inside Halogen works also as a support to the Hi-Beam Xenon.
The inner halogens come on along with the xenons when in high-beam mode.
But on US E90s, only the xenons are on in high-beam mode.
Nobody seems to have a good answer for why the behavior is different in the US though.
01-31-2007, 10:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Raighne' post='385932' date='Jan 31 2007, 02:11 PM
Same for the E90 (for what it is worth)
The inner halogens come on along with the xenons when in high-beam mode.
But on US E90s, only the xenons are on in high-beam mode.
Nobody seems to have a good answer for why the behavior is different in the US though.
The inner halogens come on along with the xenons when in high-beam mode.
But on US E90s, only the xenons are on in high-beam mode.
Nobody seems to have a good answer for why the behavior is different in the US though.
01-31-2007, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr.PC' post='385941' date='Jan 31 2007, 07:22 PM
In the U.S. you're limited to a certain amount of wattage, or candlepower. That's why the fogs go off on high beam.
Any idea of the rationale for that (if there is one)?