My xenon headlights are an off white colour much the same as a normal halogen. Kind of yellowish. I've seen other octavia's of the same age and the lights are brilliant white and much more xenon like.

Is there any reason for this variance in colour? Also they don't seem as bright as my wife's Peugeot that has halogens. The aim on them is a little short and they just seem a little dim in comparison.

It depends on the temp colour of the bulbs you probably have 3000 degrees kelvin being white. And 6000 degrees kelvin turning blue and 10000 degrees kelvin being close to purple

Don't want to sound patronising but.........

Are you sure you actually have Xenons?

Octavias have halogen lights with projector lenses as standard- these look the same as xenon headlights.

There are a few tell-tale signs if you have Xenons-

1- you will have headlight washers in your front bumper. Little rectangular covers below the headlights.

2- you will not have an adjustment wheel for leveling the height of the beam. Underneath the light switch you will have only one adjustment wheel (for dimming the dashboard lights) if you have Xenons, if you have halogens you'll have two wheels.

3- if you look around the outer ring of the projector lens in the headlight it will actually say the word xenon.

The xenon output is a nice crisp and White light and there is no reason for it to become more yellow over time.

The xenon gas burns at a certain colour temp (I think OEM ones are around 4300K) and this will never change.

I have the washers and the adjustment wheel.

If you have the adjustment wheel then you don't have xenons. The washers could have been specified as an extra.

Mac

If you have the adjustment wheel then you don't have xenons. The washers could have been specified as an extra.

Mac

+1.

that would explain the color and lack of brightness.

Any good bulbs I can get to give a better light?

Try the Ring XENON Ultima range or Osram Night Breakers from http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk - I've just bought a couple of the Ring type and can recommend them and I had the Osram on my previous motor and they were quite good, but you'll probably need four in all for the dipped beams and main beams.

Mac

If you have the adjustment wheel then you don't have xenons. The washers could have been specified as an extra.

Are you sure? As far as I am aware headlight washers were not available as an extra on the pre-facelift vRS or even now on the facelift vRS, at least here in the UK.

Agreed, having the adjustment wheel for manual headlight alignment means the OP does not have xenon's, but something is strange here if the headlight washers are fitted.

markyvrs, are you in the UK, if so are you sure you have the headlight washers?

This is an example of a pre-FL vRS with the washers, you can see the colour coded caps just under the headlight...

Do the headlight washers actually work? the car may of had a 2nd hand bumper fitted to it at some point that had washers fitted to it.

Adjustment wheel might be the interior lighting level. it should be very obvious as Xenons looke totally differant and give mush sharper light. The also tilt up and down when they are switched on and take a split second to warm up.

Definately have the washers. They spray every 5th time I use the windscreen wash.

The lights come on instantly and don't change colour at all. I bought it as an ex demo from a main dealer. Had quite a few options in it.

Gutted now. For the last 2 & 1/2 years I thought I had xenons. I've been living a lie.

If you have working headlight washers on a UK spec pre-FL vRS (as pictured above) then you must have xenon's?

Next to the headlight switch there should be two adjustment wheels...

1) Adjusts the brightness of the interior / dashboard lights.

2) Adjusts the height of the headlights to compensate for different loads.

As mentioned above the xenon headlights self level so on xenon equipped cars the second adjustment wheel on the dashboard is blanked off.

Take another look! If the second wheel is missing then you have a very unique specification vRS, are you sure it isn't an import?

I have the 2 wheels mentioned above. Having the working washers made me believe I had xenons. And the fact that it has the crystal ball style lamp but apparently they all have this.

And the fact that it has the crystal ball style lamp but apparently they all have this.

Yep, all MkII Octavia's have the projector headlights so the washers are the only exterior clue.

You have a very special vRS there!

Oh well. I will just have to upgrade the oem H7 bulbs.

Oh well. I will just have to upgrade the oem H7 bulbs.

Or fit aftermarket xenons

Or fit aftermarket xenons

Exactly, I also have original washers and got a 4300k xenon H7 Kit

The xenon gas burns at a certain colour temp (I think OEM ones are around 4300K) and this will never change.

Don't want to sound patronising but.........

Xenon Gas is inert and does not "Burn"

LOL

Don't want to sound patronising but.........

Xenon Gas is inert and does not "Burn"

LOL

I think over time the colour changes too . . . .

Try the Ring XENON Ultima range or Osram Night Breakers from http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk - I've just bought a couple of the Ring type and can recommend them and I had the Osram on my previous motor and they were quite good, but you'll probably need four in all for the dipped beams and main beams.

Mac

Are the ring ones better than the nightbreakers you had?

Don't want to sound patronising but.........

Xenon Gas is inert and does not "Burn"

LOL

No need to patronise mate, I'm educated enough :p

Let's scrub the word 'burns' and replace it with 'emits' instead then.

I think over time the colour changes too . . . .

Ok, so if you're going to be a smarty pants you're going to have to explain how, 'cos as far as I'm concerned when an element is stimulated to emit photons, the emitted photons are of discrete wavelengths which can't change.

And the mix of these wavelenghts creates the light with a particular colour temp, which therefor also can't change.

I could be wrong of course, it wouldn't be the first time, but if you're going to call me then you have to back it up

As xenon bulbs begin to fail they can change colour, I've seen one turn a pinky / purple colour once.

As xenon bulbs begin to fail they can change colour, I've seen one turn a pinky / purple colour once.

Yes as they age they lose brightness and go pink/red. It's becoming noticable on older cars now.

over a number of years and repeated use, a residue will start to form on the inside of the gas chamber - visible as a discoloration on the glass.

this will, in turn, effect the color output of the xenon lamp.

i'm not sure if this only happens with the cheaper versions, or across the board or particular designs.

the ones i saw were d2s xenon lamps.

unfortunately i do not have any pics as evidence :(