Hi,

When it comes to changing bulbs in my xenon equipped octy, what bulbs do you guys recommend as an alternative to the standard OEM ones? Obviously i'd like as bright and reliable as possible for about 10p, but that ain't gonna happen and I have no knowledge of decent xenon bulbs so don't know if the SUK ones, whatever they are, are as good as others. I just assume you can probably get better bulbs for cheaper than Skoda's prices as this seems to be the case with quite a few items VAG items you can get aftermarket easily, like brake discs/pads, tyres, etc.

Over to you.

if you have factory xenons it's not as simple as just changing the bulb

if you have factory xenons it's not as simple as just changing the bulb

Why?

Are you talking about changing the lo beam (factory HID) globes or the hi beam (h1 halogen) globes ?

The lo beam HID globes should last for years and years unless you are constantly switching them on and off. If you are looking for a "bluer" look then are you aware that as the colour goes towards purple you lose effective illumination ?

If you want to improve hi beam I think there have been several threads on that topic, a search might find some of them.

I just assumed you change the bulbs when they need changing. As I said, I haven't had xenons before so I don't know much about them. Apart from making sure you don't touch the glass, what's so difficult about changing them? There must be a reason why you can buy them in Halfrauds et al? The hi beams are halogen so that's not what I asked about.

So, apart from there possibly being a problem changing them, if they DO need changing, what makes do people recommend? (i've got a funny feeling this thread may have been hijacked now!)

The factory xenons are HID bulbs and should last the life of the car, bulbs are replaceable to my knowledge but certainly can't be obtained from Halfrauds or the like. IIRC they are about £100 from a dealer, not sure if there are user replaceable either.

Don't take this as gospel, but the bulbs on the shelvs in Halfords are normal bulbs with Xenon gas in them. Not real Xenons at all.

The actual bulbs in Xenons are not like normal bulbs at all, much thinner, and longer.

They are supposed to last a long time (i hope) as they are expensive.

The only diffrence with changing them is they have torx screws in them, but thats about all really.

You can buy replacement Gas Discharge Bulbs (Hids/Xenons) from HIDS4U Ltd - UK's Number 1 HID Conversion Kit Specialists. They do sell aftermarket kits too but also sell replacement bulbs for OEM Xenon installs. They are probably just the same as the Skoda ones as there are only a handfull of makers for them.

Steve

I just assumed you change the bulbs when they need changing. As I said, I haven't had xenons before so I don't know much about them. Apart from making sure you don't touch the glass, what's so difficult about changing them? There must be a reason why you can buy them in Halfrauds et al? The hi beams are halogen so that's not what I asked about.

So, apart from there possibly being a problem changing them, if they DO need changing, what makes do people recommend? (i've got a funny feeling this thread may have been hijacked now!)

:confused: With respect, have you actually got HID Xenon units? If your car has a switch for adjusting the height of the headlamps (next to the panel light dimmer switch) then you have standard headlamps with replaceable bulbs. HID equipped cars do not have a headlamp levelling switch as they are required to be self levelling.

He has an L&K, so they should be factory Xenon (HID).

He has an L&K, so they should be factory Xenon (HID).

OK - didn't notice that. However, doesn't it depend on the year? IIRC Xenons were only fitted on L&K's from MY 2007.

Mine is a 2002.5 & I have yet to see an L&K without them.

OK - didn't notice that. However, doesn't it depend on the year? IIRC Xenons were only fitted on L&K's from MY 2007.

There is a possibility to change the D1S units with these:

Philips Xenon UltraBlue D1S 85v 35w 6000K

I own a L&K Mk2 DSG in India (named Laura here) recently one of the bulbs changed color (more pinkish) The low beam use D1S Xenon bulbs which cost GBP 140 here per bulb at the dealer this forced me to source from outside here is what I found

D1S Osram HID bulb

https://www.xenonmaster.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=7&catid=

Do anyone have any experience from these vendors ?

Some info on D1S vs D2S, BTW

Automotive Xenon Metal Halide HID Lamps

Sri

Xenon UltraBlue: Daylight

Philips also has a burner (=xenonbulb) which replicates the color of the other burner, in case a burner changes its color.

Xenon ColorMatch

He has an L&K, so they should be factory Xenon (HID).

The Mk1 (A4) Octavia L&K had HID Xenons as standard from start to finish.

The Mk2 (A5) Octavia L&K only had HID Xenons as standard from March/April 2007 onwards when they revised the spec and added such things as Sputnik alloys etc.

As for replacing the HID lamp itself, just stick with the standard OEM units as made by Philips and Osram mainly. Stick with the OEM colour as well, the higher K rated (6000K upwards) lamps produce a more distinct colour but do not produce the same amount of useful light as the standard rated lamps (4300K IIRC), in addition it makes the xenons look 'after market' :thumbdwn:

As for the life of the lamp, it all depends on how much it is used and cycled on/off when cold.

You'll know when the lamp is on the way out as the light output will drop off and can turn more blue or a pinky colour as it wears out. A flickering light on startup is another sign of a failing lamp.

And to round things off: a health and safety lecture

HID's need to strike an arc across the electrodes and the striking voltage can be in excess of 25,000volts so extreme caution is required if one intends to fiddle with HID lamps as a 25k belt will really hurt. In addition to this, the HID capsule itself contains gases under very high pressure so eye protection is recommended when handling them.

Each bulb will cost you between £75 and £100.

Why would you want to change them? They seem good enough to me.

The Mk2 (A5) Octavia L&K only had HID Xenons as standard from March/April 2007 onwards when they revised the spec and added such things as Sputnik alloys etc.

.

I thought I hadn't imagined it as I waited for MY 2007 before buying my L&K to get a better spec.

Thanks for all the replies guys, i'll try and answer a few questions/comments put out.

BertJ, my motor is a '58 L&K so i'll take it as read that is does have the until-now-I-didn't-realise, massively expensive HID bulbs. And no disrespect taken, that's why I asked the question initially, I know VERY little about these bulbs.

Gadgetman, they are fine for me, indeed they p*ss on the lighting in every car i've had before them, I was thinking of it more in terms of if I needed to replace them. I bought one of the snazzy bulbs kits in the Skoda box when I bought the car in September, but the xenon fitted cars have a different bulb kit and it doesn't include one for xenons in it. Since i'm vaguely aware that the rozzers can technically do you for not having a spare if you get pulled over and can't replace it, it made me think i'll get a spare pair of headlights just in case.

I didn't know they are supposed to last ages, so that's nice to know. Also, I thought if I do need to replace them once in a while, as is my experience with normal bulbs, then usually there's something better than whatever comes as standard. Sort of like all the various discussions with tyres on this forum; sometimes there are better alternatives, you just need to shell out for them.

BertJ, my motor is a '58 L&K so i'll take it as read that is does have the until-now-I-didn't-realise, massively expensive HID bulbs. And no disrespect taken, that's why I asked the question initially, I know VERY little about these bulbs.

You've obviously got xenons then!

TBH I wouldn't worry about them; I had a Passat with Xenons that did 65K without any replacement. As regards fitting a replacement bulb (of any kind) at the roadside, the Octavia is better than most; have a look at the instruction book. I think it's a Mk 4 (5?) VW Golf where the front bumper has to come off to replace a parking light bulb. However, as other people have pointed out, replacing a Xenon bulb would not be something you would want to do at the roadside!.

Possibly the police may use a missing light as a reason to pull you over but I think it's only in certain European countries where the law requires you to carry a spare set of bulbs. This seems to be a large grey area. I'm sure someone else will comment on this

To be honest a car with a blown xenon probably chucks out a similar amount of light to a car with both halogens running. My xenons are as good as gold after 70000 miles. Friend of mine has an 8 year old TT with OEM xenons and they are still fine.

Dont worry about them, they will probably still be working when the car is long gone.

If you want to know more have a read:

OSRAM|Consumer|Automotive Lighting|Products|Headlights|XENARC ORIGINAL|index

Xenon HID*: A revolution in automotive lighting

Not carrying a spare is not illegal, techincally, or otherwise. Having a light out is. What should happen, however, is that you be given a notice to repair and be required to attend a Police station with proof of the repair (usually stamped by an MOT approved garage)

As Xenons are expected to last the life of a car then carrying a spare would be unreasonable. I am unsure of the position in many of the European states where there is a requirement to carry spares...........

I didn't know they are supposed to last ages, so that's nice to know. Also, I thought if I do need to replace them once in a while, as is my experience with normal bulbs, then usually there's something better than whatever comes as standard. Sort of like all the various discussions with tyres on this forum; sometimes there are better alternatives, you just need to shell out for them.

They don't believe me. I changed my xenon bulbs this summer after 3 years and 60 000 km's. The light output from new bulbs is massively better. Xenons dim very heavily as they age but are still able to output much more light than standard halogens even after dimming.

Search ebay. If you have possibility to order them from Germany you'll get a pair for around 60 euros including shipping.

I bought Osram Xenarc D1S bulbs as replacement. They have the same 4300k output as the OEM bulbs.

OEM bulbs are Philips Xenstart D1S.

Changing the actual bulb is dead easy. Remove the headlight unit, unscrew the two torx head screws from the ballast unit, unclip and remove the ballast. Now you'll see the xenon bulb. It's held by two small screws. Unscrew them and take the bulb out. Disconnect the wire from the bulb. Insert new one in reverse order.

Takes around 10 minutes to swap one side.

I assume the same care, IE not touching the bulb with fingers, would still apply?

I assume the same care, IE not touching the bulb with fingers, would still apply?

Yep. Also just to be sure. Disconnect the negative battery lead and let the car sit for 30 minutes or so. Or take the headlight assemblies out and let them sit for 30 minutes.

The xenon ballast has some residual voltage left and it can zap you if you're not careful. The residual should be very low to nonexistent after 30 minutes.