DS5 Headlights poor illumination

[Steve DS5]

Hi , My first post , love my DS5 2013, however one problem is the poor illumination of the road , I have replaced the HID with like for like bulbs and adjusted manually the levels, how ever the bulbs glow brightly but do not light up the road a head , quite dangerous on the country roads. The high beam works well.
Any suggestion on what to look at next , Thankyou Steve

[GiveMeABreak]

A similar query has just been posted here by Lee, Steve: viewtopic.php?t=80551

[Steve DS5]

Thanks Marc, hoping for a easy fix to this , however after many searches is seems to be a mystery on these cars

[GiveMeABreak]

On the later range of DS badged DS5s they upgraded the headlights again with an LED integration. So there was the Halogen only version, the Discharge (Xenon) version and finally a Discharge and LED Headlamp.

[Steve DS5]

Mark, mine has the Discharge and LED (DLED) I have changed them to new DLED,s and adjusted headlights manually with no change at all. Driving in to work this morning I'm relying on my fog lamps to see the road.

[Steve DS5]

the vin number is VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] if that helps for identification.
Cheers Steve

[GiveMeABreak]

Yes, got that Steve, I never realised they were so poor!

[NotAnInterestingName]

I've got the DLED later ones and they're utterly blindingly bright. Road signs light up like beacons.

What I would suggest is that when I got mine (used) the alignment was up in the air, I could see but got lots of flashing. I think there may be an issue with factory alignment for these, perhaps they just didn't bother. I've adjusted them down lots to make them not melt everyone else's eyeballs. I'm wondering if yours are set very low and need raising.

Even with the standard automatic adjustment and steering lights, alignment is entirely manual. You just need an allen key, I forget what size. Park in front of a wall and twiddle, see what happens. One adjuster is up/down, the other is left/right.

Another thing - if the beam is anything other than bright cold white then you need new bulbs. Mine went orangey pink when one went.

[Steve DS5]

I've replaced the bulbs and realigned the levels with a 6mm Allen key, I've polished the outer lenses , still very poor to the point of being dangerous on country roads ?????

[GiveMeABreak]

I can only suggest you get the headlight properly aligned at a garage or other test centre that has proper alignment equipment and I would also check that the replacement bulbs you purchased are legit and not fakes. Poor performance is a trademark giveaway of fake bulbs, from the likes of Amazon and other places. Some manufacturers provide approved specific resellers for their bulbs. Also, if Xenons, they can be a bit fiddly to fit with getting the complete base unit plugged into the housing. Make sure you wear latex gloves or similar and don't touch the bulbs with your hands or the oil will damage / reduce the lifespan of the bulbs.

Not sure where you purchased from but the issue with Amazon is that they have product 'bins' that all the products with the same SKU go into from all sellers, and when you order you just get the product from the bin stock regardless of where it has originated. This is how fakes can be be mixed with genuine products.

[Steve DS5]

Thanks Mark ,i will double check

[Mares]

I noticed on my DS5 that right low beam headlight illuminate in slightly different color than the left headlight. This one at some angles brights more like pink/purple, but can't see any differences while driving. Is it ready for replacement?

I am also not that satisfied with low beam headlights (unlike high beams), although I am driving it for 5 years, but if I need to replace them now due to failing right headlight, I would search for better bulbs. Any recommendation?

I am not sure what headlights are installed in my DS5, I would be thankful if you could clarify this to me. It is 2011. DS5, 6-speed automatic, 2.0HDI 160hp, VIN VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]

[NotAnInterestingName]

Definitely needs new bulbs. Keep the one that's not a weird colour as a spare.

Marc recommended Osram, I bought them and am very happy with them. Replaced the previous Philips ones, seem to be equal performance wise as far as I can tell.

Other thread linked below...

viewtopic.php?p=763553

[GiveMeABreak]

D1S bulbs in common with all xenon type bulbs must be replaced in pairs otherwise the colour output will be different and will become more obvious over time.

Stock bulbs can often have a yellowish light, but you can get upgraded lights form Osram like the Xenarc Nightbreakers that provide a purer white colour and significant projection of light and output.