Xenon Bulb Failure

[foggyjames]

To answer your earlier questions about failing HID lamps...

...HIDs are high-pressure gas discharge lamps, similar to those found in entertainment lighting fixtures and video projectors, amongst other things. I have some in some moving lights I own which are 700w lamps, so marginally more chunky than the 35w ones found in cars They are a type of arc lamp, and so don't remotely follow the same rules as incandescent (i.e. filament) lamps.

Lifespan on an arc lamp is all about electrode erosion. The electrodes barely wear at all when the lamp is lit - most of the wear occurs during the start-up (or "strike" phase), when the arc is formed. In other words, running hours don't have such a significant effect as the number of times the lights are switched on and off. That's what makes me so hopping mad about Volvo using cars with HIDs in DRL mode - you can almost double your lamp life by turning the DRLs off! One strike when the ignition goes on, then off while cranking, and a re-strike once the engine has started...

Typical signs of an impending failure are a reduction in colour temperature (i.e. a failing lamp will look *more* yellow, while a new one will be a purer white) and a reduction in output. HIDs should never look yellow, and that's a sure sign that they're dying. Temperature has an effect on the ability of the lamp to strike, so that may explain why they will strike sometimes, but not always. Purple isn't good either...unless it was only immediately after strike (they usually become brighter and a purer white (less blue-y after a few seconds), or viewed relative to the yellow one.

If anyone is interested, I have a couple of entertainment lighting fixtures set up at present which I could take pictures of. One has a dying lamp, while the other has a brand new one. It's a pretty dramatic difference.

Funnily enough, I saw a P2 S60 with factory HIDs the other day. They were a nasty yellow, and extremely dim, and I remember thinking that's someone with a big bill coming up...!

cheers

James

[cookie]

Originally Posted by GrantA

I have been following this thread wondering what bi-xenons I have in my XC70 MY09 (they are non-active bi-xenon lights). Suppose I could take one of the headlights out and have a look but it is freezing outside and if you have VIDA handy cookie........... could you have a look and see what it says for my car - pretty please!!

Active or not makes no difference to bulb, only difference is the active ones have a control unit in the base of the headlight, everything else about headlights seems same

[cookie]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

To answer your earlier questions about failing HID lamps...



Funnily enough, I saw a P2 S60 with factory HIDs the other day. They were a nasty yellow, and extremely dim, and I remember thinking that's someone with a big bill coming up...!

cheers

James

Did ours - 18 quid the pair for Osram - from Bay of E, lasted 8 odd months so far, so based on that, even if they failed tomorrow, car would be dead and gone, b4 got to the price of genuine.

as regards to checking what bulb is fitted on a P3, its a 2 min job to remove headlight, and have a look, probably less time than checking tyre pressures, which is why I can't understand, why no one has just popped outside, whipped out a P3 headlight, and taken a photo, I was almost tempted to go and take a car out for a test drive, just so I could drive round corner, pop bonnet and have a look.

[foggyjames]

I'll eat my hat if they're genuine Osram lamps for £9 each. The usual price for a discharge lamp is £60-100 or so from the trade. There can be a raft of problem with the cheap ones - poor colour temperature, poor arc alignment (i.e. poor beam pattern)...and a reduced service life.

There is an argument for going for Chinese knock-offs, don't get me wrong.

cheers

James

[cookie]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

I'll eat my hat if they're genuine Osram lamps for £9 each. The usual price for a discharge lamp is £60-100 or so from the trade. There can be a raft of problem with the cheap ones - poor colour temperature, poor arc alignment (i.e. poor beam pattern)...and a reduced service life.

There is an argument for going for Chinese knock-offs, don't get me wrong.

cheers

James

Time will tell, but seem to be fine, beam pattern seems fine, and was all good on MOT.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230558358754 fitted in July, car used daily, so lots of on/offs with DRL's (software to switch off, and 1/2 driving done in dark, its software to switch off, so cost means I'll live it DRL's)

[tt82]

Originally Posted by cookie

According to Vida as far as I can see, Bulb for yours is Pt No 30763954

which should look same as



have you taken a picture of bulb, the D1S's seem to be the favourite replacing the D2 format (R or S depending on if headlights are reflector or projector)

Picture of failed bulb, and any writing/detail printed on it would be handy for future reference for others, not trying to be akward, but I'd do a serious amount of research b4 parting with 20 quid for a bulb, let alone 100+ IMHO its going to be a generic bulb of some form, as there are a very limited amount of bulb manufacturers world wide, and cost prohibitive to even Volvo to have a specially made bulb, and they would probably say reason they won't say is due to avoiding injury to untrained person in trying to fit.

Does the bulb separate from holder?

That bulb is fitted in the Facelift S80 according to Vida, and same bulb listed as osram 66144, which is D1S

I have taken pictures in order to do a "How to....." guide for changing Bi-Xenon bulbs and will post it up some time soon. These contain all the photos you mention.

As a note the bulbs I took out are Osram D1S bulbs and so were the bulbs supplied by FRF. The bulb does not seperate from the metal base, I have already tried that.

The supplier of the D2S bulbs I bought has offered me a converter that changes a D2S to a D1S. It would offer more options as there seems to be better choice of different temperatures in the D2S range as well as extra vision bulbs, etc. I roughly worked out that buying a D2S to D1S converter as well as D2s bulbs would work out cheaper after buying 3 bulbs. Though with 7 year life spans (mine would seem to have lasted just under 4 years but have covered 92,000 miles. Based on that if the new bulbs bought through ebay, or other sources are genuine items and last the same, that would mean keeping the car untill it was between 12-16 years old and had covered around 270,000 - 360,000 miles. I will contain all this information in the "How to..." when I get it done, letting them know all the available options so they can make an informed decision.

[tt82]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

That's what makes me so hopping mad about Volvo using cars with HIDs in DRL mode - you can almost double your lamp life by turning the DRLs off! One strike when the ignition goes on, then off while cranking, and a re-strike once the engine has started...

cheers

James

Somebody within Volvo must be listening to you. Observed my V70 on startup and the lights only come on after starting. Probably due to moving from a key to a button start.

[tt82]

Guide for xenon bulb replacement.

[ronmanager]

Originally Posted by Thanatos

When the bulbs start turning purple it's got to hot and is failing

Replace both at the same time because believe me they will go within a week of each other.

I can vouch for that. Passenger side went completely yesterday and the drivers side simultaneously started turning off and back on again every 90 seconds. They were both fine two days ago!

[foggyjames]

I think you'll find the second one will magically come back to life once you replace the faulty one. Out of interest, is this a retro-fit kit, or a factory setup? I had a retro-fit on my P1 V70R (with late-model C70 lights), and if one failed, the second one would misbehave. I blamed the bulb failure relay for upsetting it!

cheers

James