How can I tell if my car has proper xenon headlights ?(2008 Octavia Elegance 1.9 estate), the dealer I bought it from said yes it has got them when I asked him (car supermarket) but I am not convinced it hasnt just got some of those blue/white bulbs in it of dubious legality. The headlights dont appear to be self levelling and I keep getting flashed at night by other drivers, also when I switch to main beam it is yellowish white ("normal" headlight colour). The car came with limo black rear windows and black and cream full leather interior (curious to know if this is standard too as I have never seen another one like it, or is it a "grey import" or something?)

Edited 12 July, 201015 yr by trickyhicky

How can I tell if my car has proper xenon headlights ?(2008 Octavia Elegance 1.9 estate), the dealer I bought it from said yes it has got them when I asked him (car supermarket) but I am not convinced it hasnt just got some of those blue/white bulbs in it of dubious legality. The headlights dont appear to be self levelling and I keep getting flashed at night by other drivers, also when I switch to main beam it is yellowish white ("normal" headlight colour). The car came with limo black rear windows and black and cream full leather interior (curious to know if this is standard too as I have never seen another one like it, or is it a "grey import" or something?)

Does the car have headlight washers? All factory fitted Xenon cars will have these (this is not a definite test as some cars have headlight washers with normal halogen lights).

You won't have the headlight level adjuster switch in the car either on a factory fitted kit (although again, i suppose someone fitting an aftermarket kit may remove this dial)

The Xenons on the Skoda are not bi-xenon so the main beam is a standard halogen bulb which would explain the yellowish light

have you got a little rolling dial by the main on/off light switch on the dash which has numbers 1-3 on?

Headlights are always halogen so thats normal.

(never heard of a black/cream leather combo tho!)

Does the car have headlight washers? All factory fitted Xenon cars will have these (this is not a definite test as some cars have headlight washers with normal halogen lights).

You won't have the headlight level adjuster switch in the car either on a factory fitted kit (although again, i suppose someone fitting an aftermarket kit may remove this dial)

The Xenons on the Skoda are not bi-xenon so the main beam is a standard halogen bulb which would explain the yellowish light

Yes, its got headlight washers also has the level ajusting nob next to the headlight switch.

Can't be proper factory fit xenons then. Factory fit will be self levelling and therefore won't have the rotary dial for height adjustment. Sounds like a conversion kit has been fitted.......any sign of any 'out of place' wires under the bonnet or some square ballast packs somewhere behind the headlights, perhaps secured with a bit of double sided tape ?

I have to agree that they are not xenon lights. As mentioned have a look around the engine bay behind the light units and see if there are any wires that look like they're not factory fit, the main headlight unit wiring runs down to a large single plug, the other way to check would be popping off the cover on the back of the headlight and removing a bulb.

I would imagine someone has replaced them with aftermarket blue tint halogen bulbs and not a HID kit. Even mine when it ran on OEM bulbs gave off a coloured edge of light.

As to the leather interior, Leather interiors were an optional extra on the Elegance model which I assume you have with it having headlight washers.

Can't be proper factory fit xenons then. Factory fit will be self levelling and therefore won't have the rotary dial for height adjustment. Sounds like a conversion kit has been fitted.......any sign of any 'out of place' wires under the bonnet or some square ballast packs somewhere behind the headlights, perhaps secured with a bit of double sided tape ?

Just been out and had a look, no extra wires or signs of tampering under the bonnet that I can see. When I turn the headlights on they seem to take a few seconds to "warm up" and reach full brightness though?

Xenons are lit up immediately, so they aren't. Sound like upgrade bulbs. If they were sold as xenon get down to the dealer and get some money back. Car is clearly not as described.

I fitted a HID upgrade kit to my car and can confirm that they do take a few seconds to warm up - so very possible they are upgraded. The canbus can be located behind the headlight housing you you might not even see anything.

Oh, and its halogens that light up immediately, not Xenon's - my BMW had factory fitted Xenons and they took a few seconds to warm up too.

Edited 12 July, 201015 yr by Rincey

All HID burners take a few seconds to 'warm up'. The arc strikes (brief flash) and then the light gets brighter over a few seconds as the salts in the burner capsule evaporate and start to emit light.

Standard halogen (filament) bulbs reach full brightness almost immediately (less than a second).

It sounds to me as though the lights described are indeed HID..

Xenons are lit up immediately, so they aren't. Sound like upgrade bulbs. If they were sold as xenon get down to the dealer and get some money back. Car is clearly not as described.

Xenons have a warm up period of about 5 - 8 second to reach full brightness and colour temperature

I have a few questions relating to this topic:

• My 9 year old Subaru Outback (Jap import) that I've just sold in anticipation of the delivery of a new Scout (ordered with Xenons), had Xenon lights. The lights, both dipped and main beam, produced a white (as opposed to yellow) light. So would I be right in thinking these Subaru lights should be described as bi-Xenons?
  
• My reading of this thread is that the Scout Xenons will be halogen dipped beam, Xenon main beam. It seems strange to me that a 9-year old car would be shipped with "posher" Xenons than a 2010 Xenon-equipped car?
  
• If the Scout Xenons use regular dipped beam halogens, does this mean my lights will be a conventional yellow colour when driving on dipped beam?
  
• If the Xenons only reach full intensity after a few seconds, won't that appear strange when driving at night and flicking backwards and forwards between dipped and main beam?
  
• Should I avoid "flashing" my lights, as this will very briefly activate the main beam Xenons and thus shorten the Xenon bulb life?
  

That's very helpful, thanks. I'm showing my ignorance here, because I always assumed that in a non bi-Xenon car (such as the Scout apparently), the dipped beam lights would be halogen and the main beam lights would be Xenon, but it looks like I've got that completely arse about face and the dipped beam is Xenon, with the main beam halogen.

That's very helpful, thanks. I'm showing my ignorance here, because I always assumed that in a non bi-Xenon car (such as the Scout apparently), the dipped beam lights would be halogen and the main beam lights would be Xenon, but it looks like I've got that completely arse about face and the dipped beam is Xenon, with the main beam halogen.

that's correct, unless ur car is equiped with bi-xenons, the main beam is always "halogen" type, while the dipped beam can be either "xenon" or "halogen" type.

it doesn't make sense to have dipped as hologen n main as xenon. 99% of the time u drive around with dipped - it would only make sense for these to utlise xenons.

because of the xenon's "warm-up" characteristics, its not effective for main beam operation.

Must agree, that's an aftermarket HID kit you have. Mini ballasts which are hidden in the headlight housing.

Factory xenons will never have the headlight level switch in the car.

Mike

It would appear I have one of the cheapo Ebay aftermarket kits fitted (square silver box inside headlight back cover). Are they road legal and capable of passing an MOT???

I am looking for a good brand of Xenon lights for my car. This thread has relevant discussion, hope someone can help me on this.

Xenon Lights for Skoda Octavia

"MOT -- yes, you will pass MOT with them, as they only MOT requirements are that they work, and that the beams are correctly aimed." NOT FOR LONG!!!!

One of a few little changes come next year, will mean your car will fail its MOT with a HID kit because tester with look for suspension level sensors, in car beam adjuster, and usually headlight washer

Have a good read, found this info all over the web.

http://wrecks2riches.co.uk/2010/10/2011-changes-to-mot/

If done properly, a good HID kit is spot on but little c()cks spoil it, with burn your eyes out set-ups.

It would appear (in threads on here elsewhere) that washers and self-levelling systems are no-longer required as part of the new (as of 1/1/21) MOT regulations. (Here for example)

The issue with retro-fit HIDs is that they are not road-legal as they are not 'E' marked and approved for use on the roads in Europe. The approval system is ensure that the same, predictable, results occur whenever you put two devices together (e.g. reflector and bulb), as the approval system effectely gives the physical specification of the device (where the light-source sits in respect of the reflector.) So far there appear to be no 'E' approved HID kits that retro-fit into a reflector designed for a halogen bulb. (an HID light-source is completely different to a halogen one) As the retro-fit is different to the OE/approved system, you end up with light being scattered in outside of the original pattern, usually blinding everyone else on the road.

From a common-sense point of view, if that light is going "everywhere" instead of "somewhere specific" it's going to be nowhere near as effective as "proper HIDs". (Just look at the boy-racer setups compared to (let's say) an L&K. One's crisp, defined, controlled light, the other is on a Pegeout 106. :rofl: