So...did a bulb replacement fron xtreme vision to night breakers. Yes...they are a lot yellower but after couple of hours driving they allready got whiter. I have very sensitive eyes and notice every light change. Highly recommend nightbreakers. Sides of the road are now visible but a longer beam is questionable...I have Superb FL and a bulb change is a PITA 3hrs work...and tight conditions. So here is my little report☺

Yes, changing the bulbs is a complete pain in the ass on the FL. I originally had the bumper and both headlights out. But I found a nice little cheat where you only need to remove the front wheels and arch linings to get into the back of the lights. 

 

When redesigning the front end, they blatantly ran out of space for the headlights. All of the xenon and AFS control gear is screwed on the back like some sort of bodge effort. Mk3 Superb lamps have everything hidden nicely inside. Unscrew the back covers and you can see the ignitor base of the lamp right away. 

Amazon sell the lamps too now - although for some reason it suggests they are 'not suitable' for the S3. About £65 each for the Xenarc UL D3S.

Amazon sell the lamps too now - although for some reason it suggests they are 'not suitable' for the S3. About £65 each for the Xenarc UL D3S.

 

The problem with Amazon is the same as eBay... far too many non genuine items on there.

 

If I do buy them (after seeing dstev2000’s video... so no pressure!   ) then I will buy them from:

 

Yep. I got mine from here: https://www.lichtex.de/xenon-licht/brenner-birne-lampe-bulb-bombila/xenon-d3s-fassung/

 

The lamps I received appear to be genuine. There are hologram stickers and serial numbers that you can verify on Philips' website. 

 

Nothing is 100% guaranteed, but it certainly reduces the chances of them being fake. 

 

However they only have 1 in stock at the moment anyway

I am very choosy about what I do get on Amazon, and would normally only buy from them rather than a reseller, or 'fulfilled by' option. I haven't yet had a fake in years of buying stuff, but there's always a first time. eBay I treat even more carefully!

There are sellers showing the same lamps for about £20..not in retail box.......er no thanks!

Sorry everyone but I didn't get a chance to get a before and after video. I haven't installed my dash cam and filming with my phone whilst driving was not ideal  :|

 

I took a before and after picture of the headlight beam, but to be hones it's nigh on impossible to pick out any difference in the pictures, you can thank my iPhone for that. 

 

In real life the new lamps do look a little better, a colleague of mine also thought the new ones were better. They also turn more more blue when warming up which would suggest the chemistry in the arc chamber is quite different.

 

It may be subjective but I felt the new lights performed better on the way home from work at 1am. For example, the SLA operation was more noticeable than it has been before which would suggest better light output. 

 

As I say, this could well be a subjective influence, and the lamps have only run for about 2 hours so need more time to burn in. 

 

The jury is very much out on this one, folks......

 

Before:

 

 

 

After:

 

 

Slight difference alright, the upgraded ones seem to have more light lower down....... or I need an eye test...... :-)

The new ones certainly seem to be brighter as the door is ‘washed out’ a little bit more than before.

 

I was hoping there was going to be a bigger difference, not sure if is worth the extra cost... yet.

The new ones certainly seem to be brighter as the door is ‘washed out’ a little bit more than before.

 

I was hoping there was going to be a bigger difference, not sure if is worth the extra cost... yet.

I don't think there will ever be a 'night and day' difference when comparing OEM standard/E marked lamps like this because they are all the same wattage and all have the same luminous flux.

The only major differences are the chemistry inside the arc chamber and how the igniter on the base of the lamp (D1S and D3S) manages the current for the arc. I'm still curious about the claims of a longer beam throw. The cutoff element in the projector unit is what dictates the length of the beam - headlight aim aside. 

 

Anyway......I'll have to let them burn in a little before making another comparison against such a scenic backdrop as that roller shutter 

Position of the arc perhaps?

Position of the arc perhaps?

I would expect the arc chamber to be in the same place across all E marked lamps. Maybe the arc shape is slightly different? I'm thinking out loud here, I might be wrong.......

Could I ask is there a cheaper way to get a brighter light.

You can take the lad out of Sheffield, but you can't....etc.

There are plenty of xenon lamps out there that aren't made by the likes of Philips and Osram. Chances are they won't be as reliable as the OEM stuff but they'll certainly be much cheaper. 

 

D1S lamps: http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/categories/hid-xenon-bulbs/oem-bulbs-by-type/d1s

D3S lamps: http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/categories/hid-xenon-bulbs/oem-bulbs-by-type/d3s

Sorry everyone but I didn't get a chance to get a before and after video. I haven't installed my dash cam and filming with my phone whilst driving was not ideal :|

I took a before and after picture of the headlight beam, but to be hones it's nigh on impossible to pick out any difference in the pictures, you can thank my iPhone for that.

In real life the new lamps do look a little better, a colleague of mine also thought the new ones were better. They also turn more more blue when warming up which would suggest the chemistry in the arc chamber is quite different.

It may be subjective but I felt the new lights performed better on the way home from work at 1am. For example, the SLA operation was more noticeable than it has been before which would suggest better light output.

As I say, this could well be a subjective influence, and the lamps have only run for about 2 hours so need more time to burn in.

The jury is very much out on this one, folks......

Before:

After:

Beam pattern seams a bit weird...

Edited 16 March, 201610 yr by fuzzz

I'd say the foreground is better lit and the throw against the shutter door is definitely brighter. Difficult to judge but looks better to me.

If you look at right side wall on both pictures you will notice "after" shot is brighter than "before" shot. This indicates exposure for both shots were not the same. You can take a look at details on original files on your computer to confirm this. If you correct for exposure, you will probably get two almost identical pictures. I'm not saying upgraded bulbs are the same as OEM, just it is very difficult to judge from posted photos. 

 

How difficult was it to change bulbs on your own?

If you look at right side wall on both pictures you will notice "after" shot is brighter than "before" shot. This indicates exposure for both shots were not the same. You can take a look at details on original files on your computer to confirm this. If you correct for exposure, you will probably get two almost identical pictures. I'm not saying upgraded bulbs are the same as OEM, just it is very difficult to judge from posted photos. 

 

How difficult was it to change bulbs on your own?

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/392573-s3-xenon-lamp-replacement-guide/

 

Changing them isn't too bad actually. Miles easier than the Mk2 FL Superb.

 

I'm still expecting the lamps to perform better once they have had time to run in a little more. 

The only way to photograph the difference is to shoot in manual on the camera.

Shooting in Auto mode will show different exposures and not be accurate.

Is it a headlight out job to change the xenon D3S bulb? 

 

Looked before, whilst easy accessible there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre around. 

22 hours ago, aldouk said:

Is it a headlight out job to change the xenon D3S bulb? 

 

Looked before, whilst easy accessible there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre around. 

Its not really easy accessible. I don't think u can change it without taking off bumper or wheel house liners. I wanted to give it a try but couldn't get bulb out with so little space, not safely anyway (breaking a 80€ bulb would be kinda not cool)

22 hours ago, aldouk said:

Is it a headlight out job to change the xenon D3S bulb? 

 

Looked before, whilst easy accessible there wasn’t much room to manoeuvre around. 

No it's bloody almost impossible and I wouldn't wish to do it again.  I think the TSI engines offer a better working space than the TDI units, possibly due to the screen wash reservoir locations. 

 

 

Not even contemplating either of those. Hoping headlight off job be easy. 

Shame it is not like the Octy 2 headlights I have at the moment that easily pop out with the pull of a lever and makes bulb changes quick and simple (can even take the headlight unit in the house and do it in the warm/dry). Lets hope I do not have to change th bulbs on my S3 anytime soon after it has arrived then.

Yep bumper off job. I now have 3 errors. Park assist, ACC and tyre pressure. :-/

Why does something like changing a bulb have to be so complicated? 

Leave the bumper on, and remove the front wheels and inner wheel arches instead.