Isaac Sibson said:
I wonder how people would react to HID lamps in a reflector (rather than projector) housing? The only car I can think of with such a setup from the factory was the Lexus LS400 mkIV.
OK, I'm something of a car headlight/xenon geek :shame: so here goes:
A number of Lexus' have factory xenon in freeform reflector housings (the ones with clear "lenses") as do several Volvos and the Renault Laguna. Some older Mercs and BMWs have factory xenon in parabolic reflectors (the ones with etched lenses) but most xenon installs these days use projectors simply because with projectors it's far easier to control the beam cutoff and to get a very sharp, clean cutoff which helps to reduce glare to oncoming drivers.
All factory xenons are required by law (throughout Europe) to be fitted in conjunction with headlamp auto-levelling (to ensure the beam cutoff is always below the eyeline of oncoming drivers) and headlamp washers (dirt on the lenses can cause glare through refraction). Xenon lights are, after ABS and airbags one of
THE most important recent safety innovations in the auto industry. Studies in Germany have shown dramatic reductions in night time road deaths as a result of using xenon headlights. They don't blind/cause glare to oncoming drivers any more than halogen lights do. However, because of their colour spectrum and relative rarity some people do seem to be drawn to look right at them in a way they would never do with halogens and this can be a problem. As xenons become ever more popular and people get used to them the "they blind me" reaction will subside. Most of it is just complaining about something new, perhaps not helped by the fact they were first only available on the most expensive cars (rich bastards blinding the poor
).
I have (retrofitted) xenon lights on my car and I would never buy another car without xenons. The difference is
literally night and day. It's not just the extra distance you can see but also the much wider spread of light to the sides which gives you a much better picture of your immediate surroundings. Properly adjusted they shouldn't cause a problem to oncoming drivers - I certainly have never had an issue with xenons coming towards me.
As for bulb cost - yes, they're expensive but they will generally last the life of the vehicle unless they are damaged in an accident. Even so they have come down a lot recently. A Philips D2S xenon bulb (the most commonly used) costs about £100 (inc VAT) on the net.
If you're interested there are whole forums on the net devoted to discussing automotive lighting and xenon lights
:cry:
Michael.
