Xantia Headlamps

Post by **Peter.N.** » 19 Jan 2007, 22:27

Sure. One of their great advantages is a low heat output as being gas discharge they generate more light and less heat, they are also only rated at about 30 watts. You could fit 100 watt bulbs, but apart from being illegal the heat produced can cause the reflectors to deteriorate, and of course you need added relays/wiring. A couple of people on the XM Club have fitted the HIDs and say they are brilliant (no pun intended).

np · Post by np » 19 Jan 2007, 22:39

Thats good then.I found a guy with 100% feedback,£89 for the H7 kit with 6000k white bulbs.I wished i`d hd look into this when i had my Xantia.Although i did find Osram silver stars were good.& i did have the later headlamps of the mk 1.

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 20 Jan 2007, 12:21

I am tempted myself for the sub £100 sets, I have ordered a set of the phillips ones for dipped beam but if the problem persists thed HID is the way to go, my gaffer drove us up from south wales before christmas in his HID equipped BMW and the illumination was absolutely superb, its one of those giant leaps IMHO.
Stewart

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 20 Jan 2007, 13:41

What's HID like for other drivers?

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:04

Bluish, need to be well aligned I would imagine, most modern expensive motors have them, Audi/BM etc you must have seen plenty of them out on the roads.
Stewart

NiSk · Post by **NiSk** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:36

"What's HID like for other drivers"

Unfortunately, in wet weather (of which there is much in the UK and Sweden), they are a real pain in the iris - especially if you wear glasses and most definitely if they are retrofitted to cars that do not have self-levelling; and where the amature fitter (read owner) hasn't adjusted the beam properly.
Lots of boy-racers fit them to old Beamers, Fords, Hondas, Mits, etc. and don't bother about either fitting self levelling (costs as much again as the lamps!) or even adjusting them properly.

As shame, because they are a real benefit when properly fitted and adjusted (except when its raining!)

//NiSk

Post by **RichardW** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:54

I'm pretty sure you'll find the Xantia headlights are relayed anyway - they just dire in design. Phillips vision plus is great help, but you need to keep them clean - like wash them everyday! I'm certainly thinking about getting a set oh HIDs for my next one for <£100 - although I understand that MK11 lights are an improvement on Mk1s.

Evodad · Post by **Evodad** » 20 Jan 2007, 15:14

With respect Richard, I'm sure Mk1 headlights aren't relayed.
Before I did the relay mod there was 0.75V voltage drop between the battery & bulb, after, it's 0.2V.

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 20 Jan 2007, 16:14

My Xantia is a Mk2 and does not seem very improved

I have vision plus bulbs for dipped beam on the way and I am eating carrots as well, the HID kits look rather attractive as we oleo drivers already have self levelling.
Stewart

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 20 Jan 2007, 16:15

These retrofit HID kits should be banned, they are a real nuisance to others on the road.

Without the proper automatic levelling mechanism & headlamp washers that cars factory fitted with HID lights by LAW have to come with all they do is throw out light everywhere & p**s other drivers off that get blinded by them.

Incorrect front fog lamp use was enough of a nuisance, these retro fit HID kits seem to be the new in thing

steelcityuk · Post by **steelcityuk** » 20 Jan 2007, 20:16

I'd be wary of fitting a HID conversion. See here for a short story on it -

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/fea ... _test.html

Steve.

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 20 Jan 2007, 20:44

steelcityuk wrote:I'd be wary of fitting a HID conversion. See here for a short story on it -

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/videos/fea ... _test.html

Steve.

Good find

KP · Post by KP » 20 Jan 2007, 21:03

I have to agree about the dodgily fitted ones but i know of a good few that have been fitted after market and done properly they can improve visibility and not affect other road users. It mainly depends on how well you adjust them when you fit them. adjusting is easy enough to do and some cars are more suited to them than others.

IE the fiat coupe has a very Sharp cut off for light and when you fit hids and set the level of the hieght correctly you can see this distinct line on the road ahead and it doesnt increase upward glare at all.

People who fit them to older cars and dont adjust them cause the problems. specially older MPV, SUV types that have the lights higher off the floor already are a right nightmare.

Also ive seen some HID kits from factory that dont have headlamp washers so are those cars legal??

The police are as bothered about it as they are by foglights...

reblack68 · Post by **reblack68** » 20 Jan 2007, 22:18

I have a late Mk1 and a Mk2 and the Mk2's lights are nowhere near as good as the Mk1's, although that might be an adjustment issue. We had a Renault 21 and a 19 before that, both facelift models, and both had much better lights with their single H4 bulbs than the Xantias.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 20 Jan 2007, 22:39

My own personal experience is that I get far more hastle from ordinary headlights that are not correctly adjusted, probably on 10-20% of cars, than I do from HIDs, but I can appreciete there could be a problem with badly fitted/aligned HIDs especially on non self leveling cars.

There is a good discussion of the pros and cons and legal issues on the XM club site - club-xm.com