In November of 2017 I bought osram Xenarc D1s 4350k bulbs to replace the factory one that were there, baring it’s a 2008 car they done well but there was only 95k miles on her. Keeping this mind anyway I purchased the bulbs off of power bulbs uk and they’ve worked perfectly until tonight when one has turned a pinky red colour! They haven’t started to fail yet have they?! I was do some research and this is the indication. The car isn’t used as a business car it might do one run a day in daylight during the Week and some nighttime driving during Friday and Saturday and that’s it. I’m sure I’m still entitled to the warranty of a year but I’m a bit annoyed the fact that bulbs that costed over 150€ won’t last a year with minimal use.

thanks 

jack.

Seems unlikely they should fail so quickly unless the bulb was faulty.

 

I'd try switching left to right and vice versa to see if the problem follows the bulb or not.

You might want to read this.

 

https://www.carlightblog.com/2014/09/26/weak-violet-light-means-your-xenon-lamp-is-about-to-fail/

4 minutes ago, seriesdriver said:

You might want to read this.

 

https://www.carlightblog.com/2014/09/26/weak-violet-light-means-your-xenon-lamp-is-about-to-fail/

That's the exact one I read and where i got some info here's a pic.

I would say that bulb is not going to last much longer I would be contacting the retailer to try and arrange a replacement. 

Xenarc carry a 4 yr minimum guarantee I believe.

 

 

https://www.osram.com/am/ecat/XENARC ORIGINAL-Xenon headlight lamps-Motorcycles-Automotive Lighting/com/en/GPS01_1057127/PP_EUROPE_Europe_eCat/ZMP_83508/

1 hour ago, xman said:

Xenarc carry a 4 yr minimum guarantee I believe.

 

 

https://www.osram.com/am/ecat/XENARC ORIGINAL-Xenon headlight lamps-Motorcycles-Automotive Lighting/com/en/GPS01_1057127/PP_EUROPE_Europe_eCat/ZMP_83508/

Thanks lads, hard to believe after 11 months one would fail, must be faulty? What's the best course of action when powerbulbs get back to me?

Thanks

Ask for a replacement, I would be happy to replace with the same

Obviously you need to fit a new one when removing the faulty one and then send it back. Phone them and see how they can arrange that for you.

7 minutes ago, xman said:

Obviously you need to fit a new one when removing the faulty one and then send it back. Phone them and see how they can arrange that for you.

Thanks guys, i had emailed them last night but I'm waiting for a response as they'll no reply until Monday I'm gonna probably put one of the old ones in hopefully there's no much of a difference lol for now

Thanks

Jack 

Given how easy it is to change bulbs on a MK2 Octavia, I'd still be tempted to do that to make sure it is the bulb...

Which bulbs did you fit Langers? 

I use OSRAM Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited D1S, also from powerbulbs.

 

Coming up to three years old without issue.

Aside from this early failure (if it is the bulb) are they known for only having a finite life?

 

I ask because I am curious as to why you replaced the OE bulbs with aftermarket ones.

 

I recently did a HID Xenon conversion with a kit including ballasts, canbus boxes loom, bulbs etc from Ali Express for €30 delivered, I keep the old halogen bulbs in the car if they fail, as has been said its so easy to remove the headlights at the roadside that swapping back will be easy, I fixed the HID ballasts to the outside of the rectangular clip on bulb covers, to change back to halogen just involves a bulb swop, removing 2 male lucar blades and refitting the original plug to the bulb.

From the linked article:

 

Replacing xenon lamps, however, is much more involved and time-consuming than replacing halogen lamps however. This should only be done by someone who really knows what they’re doing. After all, when these lamps are switched on there may be ignition voltages of several tens of thousands of volts. And special test equipment is needed for a wide range of cars. Not many people have that sitting in their garage at home. And don’t even think about replacing lamps by the side of the road.

 

Thats certainly not the case with my set up, it can easily be done at the side of the road, to replace with another xenon bulb would be as fast as a halogen swop, to replace with a halogen a few seconds longer.

 

Is there any valid reason why they say dont even think about doing a roadside swap? Seems more dangerous to me to drive with a non functioning headlight.

I think proper (d base) xenon/hid bulbs are rated for 2000 hours. Given the op's car is 10 years old, the originals were probably past their best and may have started to fade.

 

It's not recommended to change xenon bulbs as the ballast makes thousands of volts! This could easily be dangerous. Pretty sure the gas in the bulb are at higher pressures than halogen bulbs.

 

These risks also apply to your illegal conversion even if you choose to ignore them.

28 minutes ago, langers2k said:

I think proper (d base) xenon/hid bulbs are rated for 2000 hours. Given the op's car is 10 years old, the originals were probably past their best and may have started to fade.

 

It's not recommended to change xenon bulbs as the ballast makes thousands of volts! This could easily be dangerous. Pretty sure the gas in the bulb are at higher pressures than halogen bulbs.

 

These risks also apply to your illegal conversion even if you choose to ignore them.

I've just changed the bad one out there easy enough job as the headlight comes out, disconnect totally from the car, two screws hold the bulb in, I replaced the old ones and these are the new ones I put 11 months ago and one is falling already for anyone that didn't know, 10 min job just watch the screw's of the holder don't fall into the headlight. Just gotta wait for powerbulbs to respond.

Edited 27 October, 20187 yr by JacksVRS

1 minute ago, JacksVRS said:

I've just changed the bad one out there easy enough job as the headlight comes out, disconnect totally from the car, two screws hold the bulb in, I replaced the old ones and these are the new ones I put 11 months ago and one is falling already for anyone that didn't know, 10 min job just watch the screw's of the holder don't fall into the headlight. Just gotta wait for powerbulbs to respond.

It's definitely bulb failure these were the genuine bulbs and not aftermarket, put the old one from 2008 in that works from the last pair and it's perfect no red.

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

I think proper (d base) xenon/hid bulbs are rated for 2000 hours. Given the op's car is 10 years old, the originals were probably past their best and may have started to fade.

 

It's not recommended to change xenon bulbs as the ballast makes thousands of volts! This could easily be dangerous. Pretty sure the gas in the bulb are at higher pressures than halogen bulbs.

 

These risks also apply to your illegal conversion even if you choose to ignore them.

 

I do have enough common sense remaining to not change a bulb while the lights are switched on, a taser makes thousands of volts and gives a lot more kick than an HID ballast without usually killing people, it will be no worse than a packet from a modern ignition system except it would not even produce the voltage without a Xenon bulb connected, when I turn mine on they flash for a millisecond while its checking to see what is connected then go through the slow start warm up sequence of a few seconds.

 

What do you think a garage would do different if I paid them?

 

Comes to something when an owners forum advises people to not even change a headlight bulb on the car with the easiest removal I have ever had.

 

I will look in the owners manual to see what it says but to paraphrase a certain Mandy Rice Davies "they would say that wouldn't they!"

 

Illegal conversion, well that is me told! Should the OP have had the garage fit and remove his presumably legal replacement bulbs?

@J.R. you asked why the warnings were there, I answered that. They are valid reasons even if you don't agree with them. Simply put, there are increased risks with the higher voltage and pressures involved with xenon systems.

 

Personally I believe any competent person should be able to deal with xenon's but that's not what you asked. Just a few posts ago I suggested the OP swap the left and right bulbs to confirm it was the bulb at fault. No mention of taking it to a garage.

 

At no point did I question your ability or common sense. If that's how you've taken it then please accept my apologies.

No its me that needs to apologise, I had returned to the thread and not recalled your previous posting re swpping the bulbs.

 

And yes I did ask so double sorry

 

Its all good, we are all adults

Cool, no worries!

 

Now to wait to see how powerbulbs react, it might be with contacting osram directly as you've got proof of purchase.

As mentioned above, the build is definetly faulty. The problem is known as "pinking". Most likely a manufacturing defect.

 

I used the xenarc's and wasnt very happy with the so I upgraded to Philips xtreme vision D1s. Certainly an improvement.

 

Fitting the bulbs wont be an issue, you have to remove the light from the car so it wont be connected. They are designed to make changing the bulb pretty easy to reduce risk of damaging the bulb.

Forgive the slight thread hijack, my question is regarding my "illegal" HID conversion and the dipped beam pattern which remains from the original halogen headlight, its the type with a reverse parabole that covers the bulb, projector headlight?

 

It looks to be the same construction as the factory fitted xenon headlight, my question is, does the factory Xenon, (or those of any other xenon eqipped vehicle) have a flat dipped beam pattern without the kerbside kick up?

 

It was my understanding that they do because of the much higher light intensity, mine retains the kick up to the right (I am in France so fitted LHD units) and I believe that this can dazzle oncoming motorists when there is a RHD bend ahead of me in flat open countryside where the dipped beam can cut across the corner, this is the only time when I get the occasional flash from oncoming vehicles.

 

If Xenons should be flat beam as  suspect then I would like to modify mine, there is a shaped metal cut off shield which would need to be flat, access is only possible for a gynaecologist so the only way would be to glue a strip of alu in place using tweezers or whatever, do the xenon bulbs give off as much heat as halogen bulbs as if they do glue would be a problem.

 

The self levelling aside if I am correct about the flat beem pattern requirement then its a very good reason not to fit an HID conversion to existing headlights, whilst it is a minor annoyance at the moment its a very real one to oncoming vehicles in the right circumstances, were I to drive the vehicle in the UK with the current beam pattern it would be an accident waiting to happen.

If you want to mask the kick up I would stick an appropriately shaped bit of self adhesive aluminium foil on the outside of the glass (plastic)

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-aluminium-foil-tape-silver-75mm-x-45m/4415v

 

Trial and error lit against a wall to find right position, size and shape to stick.

 

It should peel off easily and any residue is easily removed with brake cleaner on some kitchen roll.