Which xenon is better to put? Xenon Installation

Moving by car in the dark is a very serious test, even for experienced drivers. Safety of control depends on many factors, but the decisive role in the darkness is played by the quality of lighting. With the advent of gas-discharge (xenon) lamps, it became possible to approximate the heavy night driving conditions almost to daytime. But here there is also a reasonable question about which xenon is better to put, because there are many of its varieties.

To walk, so to walk? Or still save?

All the existing ignition blocks for xenon lamps can be conditionally divided into two groups:
1. Established, installed in the factory (Matsushita, Koito / Denso, Hella, AL).
2. Blocks of Korean and Chinese production, which are sold in stores.

Surely, many already had time to experience on personal experience what a factory unit is and what a Chinese counterfeit is. Low-quality Korean-Chinese devices can not provide normal illumination of the road, and their service life is several times less than that of the factory ones. Although the original blocks and are much more expensive, but in the end they are cheaper than their inexpensive Asian counterparts.

Price and cost

Such seemingly close concepts as price and cost have completely different meanings, and it is especially clear when a dilemma arises which xenon is better to put.

Price - this is the money that you immediately pay, but the cost - these are the amounts, Which run throughout the service life. Few of the car owners calculate the cost of maintenance of substandard automotive components, because it seems that 200-300 rubles a month - not so much money. However, in a couple of years, Chinese cheapies can punch huge holes in your budget. Compared with them, branded xenon, the price of which is much higher, will be much more profitable, because it can conscientiously serve more than one year.

Main differences between xenon installations

As already mentioned, Asian counterparts differ from factory settings in the quality of performance and light output, as well as the service life. The standard xenon (photo - in the article) shines noticeably brighter (by 20-30%) and is only available with D1R, D1S, D2R, D2S, D4R, D4S bulbs, and its color temperature is 4300 K. Such lamps require special optics, Designed exactly for their installation, so a simple replacement for them in the headlights in this case is indispensable.

Installation of a xenon of a standard sample will necessitate a thorough rework of the optics. The original lamps with the base D are used for more than four years with daily intensive use. If you correctly install the optical elements under the xenon, the bulbs will not dazzle the oncoming drivers, which will significantly increase traffic safety.

Korean and Chinese xenon is produced with any kind of socle and with a variety of color temperatures, ranging from 3000 K to 12,000 K. The maximum service life of these lamps is 1.5 years, but most often they cease to work after a couple of months, Also spoil the headlight reflector.

Benefits of regular xenon

- Time of firing of branded xenon lamps - 3-4 sec.
- High brightness due to high-quality manufacturing, as well as optimally selected parameters (ignition modes, power stabilization).
- Long service life.
- Presence of schemes of protection from short circuit and breakage in electric circuits of the device. If the lamp is out of order or there is none at all, the regular ignition blocks do not burn out, unlike the Chinese counterparts.

The factory unit constantly "monitors" the electrical parameters of the lamp, which With time change. After the xenon (lamp) has warmed up, the units maintain a stable power of 35 W, on which it is designed. If the current or voltage is outside the permissible limits, it turns off the lamp. If after switching on after some time the headlight will be switched off on its own, this will be a sign that it has served its time, and it needs to be replaced.

Remember that xenon lamps should always be replaced with a pair in order to avoid a difference in the color of the lighting, because in time they "turn blue" and the light of the new device will differ significantly from the light of the old one. Yes, and the same device, but from different parties, may have minor differences in color.

Disadvantages of Korean and Chinese counterparts

• Long time of ignition of light bulbs (20 seconds - 3 minutes).
• Short service life (1 month - 1.5 years).
• Original Osram and Philips lamps sometimes do not fit Korean and Chinese blocks due to other volt-ampere characteristics.
• Unscreened high-voltage wiring is partially located outside the headlamp housings (in the engine compartment), which can provoke electrical noise, and in case of insulation failure, electrical equipment may be damaged.
• Protection from the inclusion without a light bulb in the ignition unit is missing, so it breaks down with a burnt out lamp (the igniter burns).

The biggest problem with all xenon lamps with the H cap is that the bulb Is connected to it by means of silicone or composite glue. When it is heated, it evaporates and settles on the lens, the mirror of the reflector and the inner part of the glass in the form of a whitish coating that "kills" the headlamp for several months, because the sooty reflector can no longer reflect light, but only absorbs it, Very hot. Overheating causes the burning of the protective varnish layer and then the mirror itself. Such lights will very soon have to be changed, and this procedure is "rolled out" many times more expensive than buying a regular kit.

Installation of xenon with brand type D lamps is safe for headlights. Their flask is equipped with a metal bandage, which reliably keeps the device in the plinth of plastic. This design ensures compliance with the correct thermal conditions in the lamp and in the optical system. It is definitely not recommended to replace the regular halogen lamps with xenon devices with H socles or high power halogen lamps, since almost always such experiments result in the need to purchase new headlights. To improve lighting, it is necessary to replace the optical elements inside them, that is, to install the lenses.

From all of the above, one conclusion follows: the best xenon is a regular one. However, many car owners trust and analogues. On what criteria should be chosen light for your car, let's talk further.

Bixenone or xenon?

If one bulb is responsible for the near and far light, then you need a bixenone, and if Different, then xenon. In the first from the near to the main beam and vice versa, switching occurs by moving the bulb or by moving the shutter.

Lamp base

The plinth is the metal part of the lamp, which is connected to the wiring of the car. To properly choose xenon optics, you need to know what it should be. Information about this can be found in the service book or simply by looking at the "native" lamp.

Lamp Temperature

Asking about which xenon is better to put, car owners also mean the color of the glow. This characteristic depends on the temperature of the xenon itself:

• 3000 K creates a yellowish tinge. This is xenon in the fog.
• 4300 K - golden glow. These lamps are used in cars with a regular xenon. They have the highest rate of flow.
• 5000 K - traditional white light.
• 6000 K - white and blue shade.
• 8000 K - bluish glow.
• 10000 K - connects two shades - manganese and violet.
• 12000 K - purple-violet light.

Remember that as you use the light of xenon will change, gradually shifting to a blue hue.

The principle of xenon operation

Xenon installations HID (English abbr., Meaning "high-intensity discharge")
Provide high comfort and safety when driving. The source of light in such headlamps are gas-discharge lamps. Their flasks are filled with a mixture of different inert gases, including xenon. The ionized substance is exposed to a high voltage (several thousand volts), resulting in a gas-discharge arc. However, as you know, the car battery can only give 12 volts, and the ignition unit, which is also called a "pulsed ignitor", simulates the current necessary for ignition. This device is a kind of a starter for starting a lamp, as well as an adapter that converts 12 watts into several thousand.

The main advantage of xenon is its ability to give even lighting, which has a great contrast and a powerful light beam. The light of the xenon headlights is more intense than twice as compared with the halogen lighting, so any obstacles on the road or pedestrians walking along the roadside can be noticed by the driver in advance.

In addition to the head light, also put xenon in the fog lights.

The xenon unit includes a complete set, which includes lamps, start-ignition units, fasteners for them and high-voltage wires.

Pros of xenon lighting

• High luminous efficiency (luminous flux is 2-3 times higher than the power consumed).
• Long service life (up to four years for original lamps).
• Stable luminous flux, independent of changes in the voltage of the network.
• High energy efficiency (35 watts replace 60-100-watt lamps).

Is it legal to put xenon in the fog lights?

To understand which lamps are allowed to be installed in the fog-lights, one should immediately understand the peculiarities of the PTF itself.

The fog lamps are the same external vehicle lighting device as the main ones, despite the fact that they play the role of additional lighting. Consequently, they also have a designation of the type of lamps used. For example, if the letter "H" is present on them, this means that only halogen lamps should be used for this type of headlight. If there is a letter D, the car owner should know that there are gas discharge lamps, that is, xenon lamps, for lighting.

Therefore, xenon in the fog lights, which are intended for the use of halogen lamps, put illegally. This violation may entail the punishment of deprivation of rights for six months or more. By the way, this rule also applies to headlights.

However, those car owners who have equipped their own PTF vehicle specifically designed for xenon, or purchased a car with such headlights, may not worry.

The fog lamps with which foreign cars are fitted at the plant belong to class D. The difference is the absence of a reflector in them and the presence of a special lens that collects scattered light into the beam, thereby ensuring smooth illumination of the roadway in front of the machine.

Xenon installation rules

The process of installing xenon lamps is practically the same as installing a halogen. The only difference is that they "feed" the latter directly from the automotive on-board network. And the xenon lamps supply power through the ignition unit.

The main problem with the installation of xenon is the withdrawal of high-voltage wires through the rear cover of the headlamp. To do this, it is necessary to drill a hole in it, the size of which will correspond to the size of the anther that comes with the lamp. Wire is drawn through the hole. After that, it is closed by an anther, which keeps the headlights tight.

Tips for choosing xenon

When choosing new lighting for your car, always remember the golden rule: "miser pays twice", so do not be fooled by low prices, bright packaging and advice from sellers about which xenon is better to put. First of all, ask the manufacturer, the detailed technical characteristics of the product, as well as the warranty period and whether it is provided for this product at all.

In addition, please note that for a truly branded xenon the price will be significantly higher than for a fake. For example, high-quality Philips products deserved worldwide popularity, but some unscrupulous manufacturers use it, shamelessly forging the devices of this brand. Low cost, inaccurately manufactured product, poor-quality packaging or words with errors on it - all these are signs of fake xenon.