Head lights is it me?

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 06 Feb 2005, 01:41

Had the wifes car this morning Reno Megane Convertible (2001 mod) [:D] any how when going from dipped to main beam I noticed that the dipped stayed on. Now my Xsara I have noticed that going from dipped to main beam, the dipped turns off and I have this very faint dark area in front of the car. No big problem but just wondered. Is this the Xsara's old stlye head light bulbs, one bulb for both positions, or is it the Meganes newer seperate bulbs for all positions. Any info appreciated as nothing in the book of lies or owners hand book.
Thanks [:D]

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 06 Feb 2005, 03:13

Lots of cars have h/lights where the dip remains on when main beam is on, xantia and zx for instance as these cars (not all zx) have the twin H1 setup, one bulb one fillament.
Any twin fillament bulb will have the dip switched off when main beam is used, I would have thought a Xsara vtr would have twin H1's too, has it got H4's or something more exotic.
Dave

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 06 Feb 2005, 15:58

Just fitted Osram silver star's, both H4' as early 8 valve VTR. The bulbs are great but just wondered. Any how going to start driving with the front fogs on all the time now (just kidding).

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 06 Feb 2005, 18:47

My Volcane has 4 H1 bulbs in it and yes on main beam all four are lit, on dip only two, I have now got nice yellow driving lamps and must start leaving them on all the time too......Stewart

john alexander · Post by **john alexander** » 07 Feb 2005, 03:21

Had a renault 18, years ago and when the main beam was on the dipped beam switched off.I wired a relay into it so that the main beam switched the dipped back on Regards John.

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 07 Feb 2005, 13:01

If you run an H4 (or any other twin-filament lamp) with both filaments alight, it will burn out very quickly. Sure, it will give you more light on high beam, but at the cost of overheating and metal migration causing one of the filaments to depleate onto the other.
Which is one of the resons why most modern cars have indivual light sources for high and low beam (the other reason being that the shape of the reflector/lens can be configured to give the best light output for that beam shape).
//NiSk

Forth · Post by **Forth** » 08 Feb 2005, 04:48

Do you mean these horrible new ones which blind not just oncoming drivers but their passengers as well, regardless of whether the beam that's on is the dipped or full?
As in, these comparatively small, high-intensity round ones that appear to change in visible spectrum as the angle of approach changes?
Serious dazzlers which are legal and increasing in number with new cars, despite fog-lamps --- properly set up, lower level, safe and no problem to anyone -- having quite absurdly and inexplicably been banned (presumably by some anonymous committee of profiteering stazi apparachiks too power-drunk to appreciate the difference between fog-lamps and misaligned auxiliary floodlights)?

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 08 Feb 2005, 17:33

Thats not H4s, H4s are just a normal twin filament halogen bulb.
Xenon HID headlights are the ones that blind you every time the car with them goes over the slightest bump. By law HID headlights have to be self leveling, they're going to be a lot of fun in the years to come when they get old and malfunction, it'll be rather like having somebody with 3x intensity full beams shining at you full time.

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 08 Feb 2005, 23:56

HID lamps seem a good idea but the cost of replacement is hugh. The whole lamp has to be replaced. Example I read was VX Vectra CDI £180, lot of money for a blown bulb. Osrams H4's apair £20. Hmmm go figure.

john alexander · Post by **john alexander** » 09 Feb 2005, 04:44

Hi to nisk .ran this relay system in a few renault 18,s over the years, had no problems with the bulbs. Regards John.

Oystercatcher · Post by **Oystercatcher** » 09 Feb 2005, 18:15

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Stuart McB</i>

HID lamps seem a good idea but the cost of replacement is hugh. The whole lamp has to be replaced.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
....and what happens when you take it to France, where IIRC, you are required to have a spare set of bulbs?
Alan

Forth · Post by **Forth** » 10 Feb 2005, 05:26

If they can already be so dangerously bad for dazzle when they're "properly" self-levelling, shudder to think what later years will be like with lots more around and the (alleged) levelling gone even worse on older ones.

dan.2cv · Post by **dan.2cv** » 10 Feb 2005, 06:24

HID's are expensive to specify on a new car ( I remember £1000 option on a new Focus) the bulbs are expected to last the car's lifetime and shouldn't wear out like normal halogen bulbs.
The HID bulbs from BMW were £135 each when I enquired about fitting them to my E30 at the time I thought you could just plug them in.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 14 Feb 2005, 01:12

The new blue Xenon lights don't use a filament in a bulb; they rely on an arc between two tungsten terminals. As for Forth's diatribe about foglights, it's been a requirement in this country for at least the last 53 years (the time I've been driving) that any light with its centre less than two feet above road level may only be used in fog or falling snow. This is why a number of cars in the past had pop up headlights - to put the above the two foot mark. Why would he want to use fog lights in clear conditions anyway?

tomsheppard · Post by **tomsheppard** » 14 Feb 2005, 01:59

A Thousand Pounds? On a Focus? You want yer bumps feeling! how many bulbs are you going to have to change to be quids in then. And just how reliable do you expect it to be?