BI Xenon - Full Xenon?

[McShape]

All

Help me out here, Im very confused, when i ordered my Superb 2 Ambition (Hasnt arrived yet) I chose Bi Xenon Healights when given a choice between them and a full leather interior, I asked the dealer if the Xenon headlinghts were Xenon on high beam as well and he said "yes, only cheap xenons use halogen bulbs for main beam"

My friend just took delivery today of his superb elegance and i asked him to stick on the lights, Xenon was nice and Blue and quite sexy, Then he put on the high beam and HALOGEN Bulbs came on!!! Yellow Bulbs!! Is this the way they work? Im in a SAAB 95 replacement car at the moment and it has this system and its very unimpressive, PLEASE put me out of my misery and tell me how this works, Here is what i got from Wikipedia

Bi-Xenon Headlights refers to HID (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon headlights that offer both low (dipped) and high (main) beam lighting from a dual headlight system (as opposed to a quad headlight system).

A bi-xenon system eliminates the need for a separate halogen high beam bulb/lens by either moving the xenon bulb within the lens or by moving a shield up or down in front of the bulb (depending on the reflector design) to allow light to escape from the lens in a different pattern.

A bi-xenon system typically features dynamic headlight leveling and on some vehicles direction adjustability.

[JustinCombi]

Your understanding of a Bi-xenon system is as mine. However, IIRC in some cars there still remains a halogen bulb for flashing, as HID are inappropriate for this task due to their slow response.

[Supurbia]

All

Help me out here, Im very confused, when i ordered my Superb 2 Ambition (Hasnt arrived yet) I chose Bi Xenon Healights when given a choice between them and a full leather interior, I asked the dealer if the Xenon headlinghts were Xenon on high beam as well and he said "yes, only cheap xenons use halogen bulbs for main beam"

My friend just took delivery today of his superb elegance and i asked him to stick on the lights, Xenon was nice and Blue and quite sexy, Then he put on the high beam and HALOGEN Bulbs came on!!! Yellow Bulbs!! Is this the way they work? Im in a SAAB 95 replacement car at the moment and it has this system and its very unimpressive, PLEASE put me out of my misery and tell me how this works, Here is what i got from Wikipedia

Bi-Xenon Headlights refers to HID (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon headlights that offer both low (dipped) and high (main) beam lighting from a dual headlight system (as opposed to a quad headlight system).

A bi-xenon system eliminates the need for a separate halogen high beam bulb/lens by either moving the xenon bulb within the lens or by moving a shield up or down in front of the bulb (depending on the reflector design) to allow light to escape from the lens in a different pattern.

A bi-xenon system typically features dynamic headlight leveling and on some vehicles direction adjustability.

Let me sober you up, the cost of a xenon bulb at the dealers is £250, so imagine 4 of them being a grand, get the leather and an eye test, you know it makes sense.

Edited 9 June, 2010 by Supurbia

[mannyo]

The Bi Xenon system in the superb works as follows, it behaves differently depending on the conditions.

1) Headlights on dipped beam, engage high beam and a flap is moved inside the headlight and full beam is on until you switch off using the same xenon bulb as dipped beam but with a larger beam pattern.

2) Headlights switched off, headlights flashed. a standard Halogen bulb is used in this circumstance for the flash because of the amount of time a xenon bulb takes to power up and stabilse, also a xenon bulb does not like being switched on/off over and over again. So to enable the flash to be instant a halogen bulb has to be used.

Those with Xenons on the superb can try this.

Park by a wall,

Switch on headlights. Nice white light, now engage main beam and you get the same nice white light but with a bigger spread. The same bulb is also used when you flash the headlights as long as the headlights are on giving a nice white flash.

Switch headlights off, now pull the indicator stalk to flash the headlghts and you get a yellowish light from the halogen bulb which is in a separate part of the headlight to the xenon bulb.

At least this is how it seams to work with my elegance.

[5icz]

Superb has bi-xenon lights but the point here is that when using distance lights also the halogen lights go on so that there is as much light as possible.

[McShape]

Superb has bi-xenon lights but the point here is that when using distance lights also the halogen lights go on so that there is as much light as possible.

But that contradicts what everyone else is saying

[McShape]

Let me sober you up, the cost of a xenon bulb at the dealers is £250, so imagine 4 of them being a grand, get the leather and an eye test, you know it makes sense.

Company Car, so bulb cost not an issue

[5icz]

Superb has bi-xenon lights but the point here is that when using distance lights also the halogen lights go on so that there is as much light as possible.

This is exactly how it works with my car (Elegance). On distance light the xenons go to distance and also the halogens go on.

Edited 9 June, 2010 by 5icz

[MidVRS]

Company Car, so bulb cost not an issue

Hi McShape, who is your lease through?...I have a VRS on a company car lease aswell and I'm thinking of going to a Superb Ambition spec estate...Was just wondering what the costs work out like?...PM me if you can?

[McShape]

Ok, I just nabbed my bosses elegance for an experiment, It does flash main beam through Xenon lights, But also halogens at the same time

[warncol]

Ok, I just nabbed my bosses elegance for an experiment, It does flash main beam through Xenon lights, But also halogens at the same time

I'm the friend McShape referred to, and while the halogens come on for flashing as well as the xenon (if they are already on), I have to say that at night the yellow is not noticable, as the spread of the lights covers it. I think we just looked at it in daylight, and it did look a little off.

2 days and 700k in my new baby and I have loved every second so far.