On my recently acquired MY-7 Scout the Xenon headlamps are quite poor.  I can't see anything obviously wrong but was wondering if the bulbs (or the HID controllers) fade over time?

 

Also, even though the car has auto-levelling for the lights the top of the beam seems too high.  Are the units adjustable?

 

Yes they can 'fade' over time.

21 minutes ago, john999boy said:

Yes they can 'fade' over time.

 

Cheers.

 

I have a couple of sets of hid bulb+controller from Ali that I was going to use on a previous Octy. Any issues in using those bulbs (as long as they match, of course)?

Just make sure you don't leave any grease marks when handling the bulbs.

5 minutes ago, john999boy said:

Just make sure you don't leave any grease marks when handling the bulbs.

 

I knew those disposable plastic gloves would come in handy sometime

 

Any thoughts on whether the beams are adjustable and if so, how?

You could find the insides of the lenses quite dirty too, Micky. 

 

This is a picture of mine with a torch shining through it from the inside before cleaning, just touched inside to show how dirty it was.

 

 

Edited 30 August, 20205 yr by Tilt

17 minutes ago, Tilt said:

This is a picture of mine with a torch shining through it from the inside before cleaning, just touched inside to show how dirty it was.

 

How did you get the units apart? Or did you take a proctological approach to the problem?

The reflectors inside the projector units can also get mucky or burnt over time which will reduce output.

What could be the cost of a set of headlamps only the reflectors /housing not bulbs /ballasts...

And I fancy only genuine from Hella is the best quality solution.

5 hours ago, StickyMicky said:

 

How did you get the units apart? Or did you take a proctological approach to the problem?

 

Cleaned it through the bulb hole Mick. (no euphemism, Lol) As the units are so easily removable from the car, quite easy really.

Just a thick stick (even back end of a pencil) with a few pieces of soft cloth wrapped around it. Worth doing.

 

The reflectors would be considerably more difficult but mine looked clean.... but yes, logically they must have some crap on if the lenses have.

 

I will have to look up proctological, Lol. 

I adapted the headlight to LHD on my MK1 by rotating the bulbs, it did a good job but the cut off line became a bit blurred & the kick up was reduced and undefined.

 

When my eyes deteriorated and my night vision suffered I bit the bullet and bough new Hella LHD units and suddenly I had bright white light ahead of me, more than double the illumination and it was nothing to do with the beam cut off angle, it was even more impressive on full beam.

 

My old clear lenses still looked perfectly clear, untarnished & unscratched but it was the micro scratching that was diffsuing the light and even more so the reflector that looked silver and shiny until compared to the new one, I tried the new and old side by side and the difference blew me away, I even swopped the bulbs as I had read they deteriorated but there was no difference, it was all in the micro scratches and tarnishing of the reflectors.

 

The MK2 even with brand new LHD halogen projector units was appalling by comparison, a dim yellow light thanks to PWM reduction of the bulb voltage, I fitted an HID conversion kit immediately.

1 hour ago, Tilt said:

I will have to look up proctological

 

Think gynaecological but 1/2" back