Headlamp Efficiency Improvement.

[Peter.N.]

Having never got around to fitting HID lamps as I intended, and as I was just heading off to the north of Scotland, (from whence I have just returned) I thought I had try and do something about the abysmal dipped headlight problem. I have carried this procedure before but had forgotton just what a difference it makes.

Remove the grill, four 10mm bolts at the top and two behind the sidelights, and possibly two in the middle of the grill. Remove a lens by levering the clips away from the glass. Remove the no doubt cloudy plastic lens from in front of the bulb, this just levers out, followed by the hood covering the bulb, and throw them away, grasp the metal strip at the bottom with a pair of pliers and just pull. Next get some soft tissues and methelated spirit, soak a wodge in meths and very gently swab the reflectors with it, dont press, or you will take the silver off, give them a good wash and dry gently with some more tissue, don't forget to clean the inside of the glass too.

Driving down the motorway yesterday I was comparing the light output with cars that were passing me, in practically all cases the light output was as good and sometimes better than the average car. The shape of the beam pattern is less than ideal, but not really much worse than many other cars. The beam cut off is sharp and I can see no stray radiation, I checked for this before I reassembled the car. Judicial adjustment is required to get the beam the correct distance ahead but it's well worth the effort.

Peter.N.

This post has been edited by Peter.N. on November 09, 2007 10:35 am

[DrTim]

Interesting ti Peter.

I am curious, is it the removal of bits or actual cleaning that has the most effect?
Did you try putting the bits back again after cleaning?

regards

[techmanagain]

It's the cleaning that has the greatest effect, IMHO

[Peter.N.]

Hi DrTim

Its a bit of both, but theres no doubt that the plastic lens discolours and considerably alters the colour of the light. When my son is following me in his, which still has the lenses, the light looks very yellow compared with the now white light from mine. The only difference with the lens removed is that the beam is a little uneven in spread, leaving middle of the road immediatly in front of the car unlit, but its to close to the car to be of any consequence.

The difference in light intensity between dipped and main beam is now negligable, only the distance ahead illuminated is different. You can do the job in half an hour so its worth a try, you can always put it back if you don't like it, but I wouldn't!

Peter.N.

[aengus-xmv6]

on my V6 I've cut out the bulk of the lower LH of the diffuser panel on each side, leaving the strip down the edge to slot back into the hole inthe reflector. Also removed the hot-spot caps.

Makes a reasonable improvement and still gives some spread to the sides and controls any scatter, so don't get flashed as much as when I had no diffuser.

It's definately as case of both to get an improvement tho, the diffusers go opaque after long UV exposure so block the light and hence dim output.

regards
Dave

[Peter.N.]

Hi Dave

Having removed the diffuser and hood I carefully checked for any stray light but couldn't see any. The light is considerably brighter so if the beams are not set correctly it will dazzle oncoming drivers. I have only had one driver flash me in about 2k miles and I wasn't even facing him, so I dont know what that was about. You get a bit of a sharp cut off on the pattern but I would think that the light output is about double.

Peter.N.

[robertmnorton]

Hi all, having been offline for some time- due france telecom and move of house- i see the performance of the xm headlamps back on the agenda. I fitted the HID conversion from autobulbs a year ago. Boy was i disappointed, having expected a radical improvement, all i got was a change of colour. To be fair, wet or foggy weather showed a noticeable improvement but overall the cost did not warrant the conversion. So, down to the local breaker in Toulouse - a well organised computer data base, with all parts arranged on racks in a huge warehouse also incorporating an engine overhaul shop behind glass for public viewing! any how fitted the LHD light units to find NO significant difference apart from the beam deflection. Decided a closer look was called for so opened up one of each LHD and RHD units. Surprise! the part numbers on the shell/refelector/outer glass and inner lens to be the same for both. It seems the only conversion required for LHD to RHD is to transpose the INNER lens from one side to the other, so continental drivers live with the same lousy light output as we right hookers!

[rowanmoor]

I thought I read somewhere that they upgraded the lights on the LHD at some point, but didn't bother for the RHD market. Not sure if that was supposed to be during the Mk2 conversion or separate from that. Was that complete rubbish?

Before that the lights were certainly the same for LHD vs RHD.

[Peter.N.]

That would account for my strange light pattern then. My son borrowed the car (he has an unmodified one) and complained about the spread of light, or lack of it, he didn't deny though that they were much brighter! I think if you fit HID lamps with the discoloured internal lens still in situ, it will have the same effect as with the bulbs.

Does that mean I dont have to fit lens converters in France?

Peter.N.

[DerekW]

Welcome back robertmnorton. Thanks to your advice my cruise still works very well with a bit of fusewire inserted!

The HID conversion from Autobulbs, was it just replacement bulbs or was it the full monte with the igniter box et al? I fitted the full kit from a HongKong supplier and, like other members of the forum, was truly amazed at the difference it made.

Derek

[demag]

Did anyone notice the post from xlRAY a few months back where he fitted Pug 307 parts into the Xm headlamp shell? I think it was buried in the big multipage thread about HID. There were pictures as well. I pm'd him for details but didn't get a reply unfortunately. It looked like an interesting idea.

[robertmnorton]

Hi all, Just to confirm that my HID conversion was the full matched kit and that the LHD units were from a late (98) model Mk2, so may tinker with fitting some other unit within the existing shell, but certainly the inner lens is the main beam bender and will probably need to be retained.

[seanbrazendale]

Hi

Living in France,I had to get LHD headlights for my righthooker.I bought 2 different sets off French ebay. One set from an early car and one set from a series 2. They are different. The early pair have hoods and difusers, the later pair have neither. Also, the external front glasses are different for RHD and LHD. It's subjective, but I think the Series 2 French LHD units have a better output and spread.

I had also heard that series 2 LHD lights had been improved but not for UK market due to economies of scale.

I agree the black housing unit is identical for LHD and RHD, same numbers on them. The silvered reflector is a separate item and I would have to take my lights apart to see if part nos for UK RHD, French Series 1 and 2 have different nos.

Regards

Sean

[robertmnorton]

Hi Sean, the part numbers on both my LHD and RHD units including the front glass are identical, a bit of a puzzle if your units have different p/n. My car is a 2000 build year, don't know the doner build year, only that it was registered in 98

[Peter.N.]

Is it possible to get replacement internal plastic lenses or perhaps get them made? as they seem to be the villan of the peace.

Peter.N.