Xenon headlights

[skippy41]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone swapped from the FL headlights to the Xenon ones.

I know your allegedly meant to have washers, but would the whole light units be interchangeable and more importantly would they work using the original loomb

[skippy41]

My headlights use the high beam on reduced power for daylight running lights

[majkelo]

Buy elegance and u will get as standard

[silver1011]

They 'should' work with some coding, assuming the CECM module supports xenon's but it would be a lot of expense and hassle.

 

These are your headlights, even the non-xenon lights use projectors, this means that the fitting of an aftermarket HID kit is much easier and almost as effective as factory xenon's...

 

 

For comparison these are the xenon headlights with LED indicators and DRL's...

 

Edited 23 May, 2016 by silver1011

[skippy41]

would a hid kit work on the FL though, allegedly they have been known to do damage to the controller or what ever its called, the hids worked a treat on the pre fl

[chimaera]

One thing I'd check is what the legal requirements are for HID retrofits. In Ireland the rules for the NCT (our version of the MOT) changed a few years ago and any HID retrofit must match the type approved installation for the car. For the Superb this would mean fitting the suspension height sensors, washers and the full control setup.

[silver1011]

The same rules apply here too. Fitting them responsibly behind projectors, using a good quality kit and having them correctly aligned mitigates against a lot if not all of the issues that the headlight wash and level sensors are designed to resolve.

 

The only known issues I am aware of where HID kits affect the vehicle control modules are where:

 

- The car is not correctly coded using VCDS so that it knows it has xenon headlights fitted

- The MkII Octavia between 2010 and 2012 (facelift) where the CECM's are particularly sensitive.

 

I have a HID kit on my 2011 pre-FL MkII Superb and have covered 90,000 miles over four years without issue.

 

There are also plenty of people with MkIII Octavia's that have fitted them too.

[WaveyDavey]

The same rules apply here too. Fitting them responsibly behind projectors, using a good quality kit and having them correctly aligned mitigates against a lot if not all of the issues that the headlight wash and level sensors are designed to resolve.

It's not a necessity to have projectors with xenons though. There are plenty of factory fitted xenon cars that have still had reflector headlights.... Honda Civic, Early Mini Cooper S, Nissan 4x4 who's name escapes me, some Volvo models and my own previous Lexus IS300 are just the ones that spring readily to mind. The issue is that when used with reflector headlights the bulbs have to have shrouds fitted to stop the light shining into the lower area of the reflector.

Attached are pics of the ones on my old IS300.... When the headlights were on the bottom third or so of the reflector was totally unlit.

Edited 26 May, 2016 by WaveyDavey

[silver1011]

These are designed to work in reflector headlights though.

 

The issue I was pointing out is when people retrofit a HID kit into a halogen reflector headlight it is far from ideal. This is when you get scatter and poor light output which translates into dazzle.

 

Retrofitting a HID kit behind projectors is much better.

[langers2k]

Proper D style bulbs used in reflector housings designed and approved for them are absolutely fine

 

The issue is that when used with reflector headlights the bulbs have to have shrouds fitted to stop the light shining into the lower area of the reflector.

 

The issue is using hacked together xenon bulbs, fitted to an incorrect H style base in a reflector housing that is designed for a halogen bulb. Most can't control the light properly leading to glare and dazzle for other drivers. Even the HxR style xenons with extra shields don't do well as reflector design varies so much. There was someone that fitted a pair of H7R to a MK3 Octavia and the amount of glare was terrible! Pictures are here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/389997-h15-hid-headlight-upgrade/#entry4546155

 

At least in projector style headlight, the cutoff should prevent most/all glare although the light distribution below the cutoff may be far from ideal.

 

This is why generally speaking, HID drop in kits are less hated when added to projector rather than reflector style lights.

[WaveyDavey]

These are designed to work in reflector headlights though.

 

The issue I was pointing out is when people retrofit a HID kit into a halogen reflector headlight it is far from ideal. This is when you get scatter and poor light output which translates into dazzle.

 

Retrofitting a HID kit behind projectors is much better.

  

Proper D style bulbs used in reflector housings designed and approved for them are absolutely fine

 

 

The issue is using hacked together xenon bulbs, fitted to an incorrect H style base in a reflector housing that is designed for a halogen bulb. Most can't control the light properly leading to glare and dazzle for other drivers. Even the HxR style xenons with extra shields don't do well as reflector design varies so much. There was someone that fitted a pair of H7R to a MK3 Octavia and the amount of glare was terrible! Pictures are here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/389997-h15-hid-headlight-upgrade/#entry4546155

 

At least in projector style headlight, the cutoff should prevent most/all glare although the light distribution below the cutoff may be far from ideal.

 

This is why generally speaking, HID drop in kits are less hated when added to projector rather than reflector style lights.

Agreed....

I had taken what Silver had originally said to mean if you were fitting any xenons you must use projector lenses but my point was for instance if I had an IS200 then a set of xenons from an IS300 would still be acceptable even though they weren't projector lenses..... If you catch mi drift.

[WaveyDavey]

Just another point in this particular instance..... One of the things required is the headlights washers.... Are they standard on all sorted levers on the Superb or only certain ones.... Or only the xenon equipped cars.

This would at least mean one of the normally harder jobs of either cutting the bumper or removing it altogether wouldn't be required.

[silver1011]

On my non-xenon equipped Superb I have the cover for the headlight washers but there is nothing behind it.

 

I think this is because the cover actually forms part of the headlight design?

 

[WaveyDavey]

That's what I was wondering. I knew all the mk2s had the same light design but wasn't sure if they all actually had the washers behind them.

Surprising it isn't a more widely used technique really. Must be cheaper to be able to have the same bumper and headlight unit across the whole range and just add the washer equipment as required compared to having the same headlight unit but two slightly different bumper designs (one with and one without washers). Even the cheapest option of just having the same bumper design but with washer openings just cut out is an added expense overall.

Edited 27 May, 2016 by WaveyDavey

[skippy41]

I would have just preferred xenon, the whole unit, if the wirering is the same, but where are the ballasts inside the lamp housing, or somewhere else.

if fitting a HID kit there is next to no room for the ballast unless it can be fitted behind the high beam cover.

anyone got any photos of how they fitted the HIDS

[*murph*]

I looked into this a few months ago as i was disappointed with light out put on the normal h7 headlights even with uprated bulbs fitted, the xenon route is the better from a legal point of view but a lot more costly than the hid kit route, have a look through my post as i covered this in more detail & the final decision was a london colour 4300 35 watt non can bus from eBay approx £26.

 

After the kit was fitted & coded with vcds plus i had my headlights realigned on a mot beam checker I'm a lot more happy as they look pure white & almost like factory xenons, my car has just passed the mot in the past week without any issues.

[createcartel]

A word of warning here – even the londoncolour eBay kits which have been successful for Octavia owners will fry the BCM. The igniters must surge power back to the BCM when they trigger.

 

I installed the HID kit and coded with VAG-COM & it worked for a few days, then the driver's side indicator came on constant even with the ignition off & the car locked. I bought a replacement second-hand BCM and got help from a forum member to copy the exact coding across as VAG-COM can't see everything.

 

As I'm in the process of building a complete wiring loom, fuse and relay box, etc. for my MGB GT restoration, it occurred to me to use a relay to trigger the HID kit on the Skoda.

 

A quick search on eBay turned up this pre-made loom: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261048165322

 

A bit of extra modification was required to extend the earth to reach the driver's side earthing point behind the headlight. To trigger the relay, I tapped the headlight wiring harness, plus I added 50W 6ohm resistors across the original wiring so the BCM doesn't flag the bulb-out notification.

 

The pins for the halogen headlight loom are as follows – these are for the passenger's side as the wire colours are different on the driver's side:

 

Pin 5, brown, earth

Pin 6, yellow & black with blue ribs, dipped beam

Pin 8, white & black, main beam

Pin 4, yellow with black ribs, DRL

 

Using a relay and resistors means the BCM only ever sees the resistor and assumes it's a halogen bulb. The HID circuit is then independent from the car's main loom & fused accordingly. I've had it fitted for a month or so now & using the car daily without issues.

[skippy41]

If the headlights units were available, with the control box fitted to the side, how easy would it be to convert to xenon's, surely the wiring would be the same , but would possibly need coding

[langers2k]

If the headlights units were available, with the control box fitted to the side, how easy would it be to convert to xenon's, surely the wiring would be the same , but would possibly need coding

 

I fitted factory xenons to my Octavia and I'd expect the Superb to be a similar process: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/391916-fl-xenon-retrofit/

 

You need an AFS controller, level sensors and a bunch of wiring. A combination of these two kits would probably cover most of it:

- https://www.kufatec.co.uk/shop/en/skoda/superb/superb-3t/auto-leveling-headlights-retrofit-skoda-superb-3t

- https://www.kufatec.co.uk/shop/en/skoda/superb/superb-3t/xenon-hid-headlights-adapter-skoda-suberb-3t

 

You can do it much cheaper if you can find the parts separately, the headlights are still the biggest expense.

 

To make it completely legal, you'd also need headlight washers if you car doesn't have them as standard.

[skippy41]

Do you actualy need auto leveling , now that HIDs are acepted through an mot.

Is there anyone who actualy fits them in the UK

[chimaera]

Do you actualy need auto leveling , now that HIDs are acepted through an mot.

Is there anyone who actualy fits them in the UK

 

Here in Ireland, only type approved HIDs are allowed in our equivalent to the MOT (NCT). So if the type approval for HIDs on the car included auto-levelling then they must be fitted. Given that all of this is to meet EU type approval laws I suspect the UK MOT is similar.

 

If you retrofit AFS2 it's probably going to throw a fit anyway if the level sensors are not present and working.

[langers2k]

Do you actualy need auto leveling , now that HIDs are acepted through an mot.

Is there anyone who actualy fits them in the UK

 

The manual headlight range adjustment dial won't do anything when xenons are fitted. This will leave you with no way to adjust the headlight high as you should when carrying passengers or any other load. To fit xenons with no ability to adjust them is a complete **** move as it will cause dazzle and glare to others.

 

The only UK firm that tend to do this is http://hazzydayz.com although it won't be cheap. They offer it for a MK6 Golf at almost £2k+VAT.

 

If you really want xenons, either do it properly or replace your car for one with factory fitted versions

[williamshatnerspants]

Not sure if anyone else answered the question on washers and levellers. 

 

I am sure its a legal requirement in most countries that Xenon lights are equipped with washers and are self levelling. This is because Xenon lights are very sensitive to dirt on the lens and they are horrifically bright to other road users if not level and clean. Its bad enough just being followed by an SUV with Xenons.

 

While I like the bi-Xenons in our Superb I wouldn't say they are the best lights I've ever used. 

 

A decent set of bulbs in standard lights might be enough of an upgrade, and by far cheaper.

[silver1011]

A word of warning here – even the londoncolour eBay kits which have been successful for Octavia owners will fry the BCM. The igniters must surge power back to the BCM when they trigger.

 

Not necessarily so, perhaps the BCM in your 2014 Superb is more sensitive.

 

My 2011 Superb has been running a London Colour kit for almost 5 years and 100,000 miles now with no adverse effects.

[skippy41]

What about the kits from hids 4 u the balasts are much bigger than london colour, going to get the resistores, if I decide to go ahaead, just fitted 430 K H7 bulbs and they are almost on a par with hids