Yellow Headlamp Bulbs?, Are they legal - where can I get them?

I have just bought a copy of Citroen XM (Martinez/Sauzay) on ebay. A bit of an XM lauch love fest with some great photography.

For me, the most seductive and charismatic of these are a number which show yellow headlamp bulbs. Any night journey could only be enhanced with the Gallic glow of lemon.

To many early evening screenings of art house French films I saw as an art student, showing moody road trips through fog with that distintive hue, mean I simply have to get some.

Are they legal? Where can I get them?

MC

Your UK XM won't look very charismatic wrapped around a lamp post or stuck in a ditch

Do you really want to make your lights less efficient?

Seriously though.....Remember (on the S2) the French got redesigned headlight reflectors that corrected the pityful excuse for headlights that the UK models got

One of our members applied some bulb tinting paint to his bulbs with limited success - it does burn off after time though, so needs periodic reapplication.

How about some yellowy HID's, if they are available in that colour temperature?

I dont fancy the paint-a- bulb route, that looks like a one way ticket to the lamp post.

A quick google search shows that there are HID and Xenon H1 bulbs with a hint of yellow.

Are they legal here? I had some greenish H4 100w bulbs in my old Golf and never had any problems with my MOT inspectors. I've seen blueish bulbs too.

MC

The coloured bulbs all reduce the light output, but the HIDs give you a lot more AND yellow (ish). What more could you want?

Peter.N.

....now there's a question that could lead to some debate.

...I wonder if we've discussed this before?

mcmoonter,

look here:

http://www.autolamps-online.com/halogen/goldcentre.htm

http://www.suvlights.com/index.php?cPath=36 (yellowish Philips)

http://cgi.ebay.fr/LOT-8-AMPOULES-12V-45-4...1QQcmdZViewItem

George

Hi Mcmoonter.

To answer your basic query, there are no yellow halogen bulbs to fit the XM lamp, as a standard insertion. Yellow XM headlamps in Europe were a separate part number, which makes me suspect the beam diffuser, or the lens itself were tinted. Probably still available from France, if you're really keen.

Mike.

Hi Mcmoonter

French headlamp bits will have the beam angling in the opposite direction for LHD.
There has been some serious debate just recently on this site about the legality or otherwise of HID's. The improvement is such that I would be surprised if anyone has put their Halogen bulbs back in. There is a legal limit on wattage for halogen headlamp bulbs and 100 watt is well above it. With HID's the higher the design (colour) temperature the lower the light output power but they are in the region of 3 times that of the normal 55 watt Halogens anyway. For different colours only the bulb changes but you can only buy complete sets so you have to order the right ones.
HID bulbs have their colour defined by a K rating.
12000k gives a deep purple light
10000k gives a bluish purple light
8000k gives a blue light
6000k gives a bluish white light
4500k gives a white light
3000k gives a golden yellow light
Only a few of the HID suppliers provide this last colour which is virtually identical to the colour of normal halogen and filament sidelamps. The light output of these particular HID's is around 3.5 times that of 55 watt halogens.

Regards

XMexc

Thanks XMex,

That explains it much better than I ever could!

Just to correct your point about seaparate bulbs though - they are very easily obtainable, if you find that the colour you had supplied in your kit is not to your personal liking; as long as you choose a reputable supplier with decent after sales support.

Just for instance- This is the PilotHID selection and they do 3000K kits and separate bulbs

In fact, I've just looked and there is excellent spares support from this manf - ballasts are reasonably priced too.

No refunds or part exch on the old bulbs though - quite understandably

This post has been edited by wirdy on February 07, 2007 11:17 am

hello all,
with respect to yellow headlamps being legal in the uk,they must be as my car has them and it passed the last two m.o.ts with them.
I swopped the bulbs from an earlier xm I had. I owned the car very breifly with it being a 2ltr petrol model,I am hooked onto the practicality and amazing economy of the 2.1td.
However...........I said to the previous owner"er what's with the yellow headlights "
he told me they where more efficient ! than the normal lights.
so with me taking that info on board and being taken with the yellow headlamps,I swopped em into my 2.1td. with regards to the efficiency of them,they ain't that good but neither are standard xm lights,I tend not to drive like a loonatic,so until one of em blows,they will do for me.
gary
ps its the dipped beam that is yellow the main beam is normal.