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Author Topic: Upgrading to Xenon  (Read 2434 times)

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Stige

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Upgrading to Xenon
« on: 05 October 2017, 11:05:12 »

Looking to upgrade the headlights on my Omega, when was the first year that Xenon was available? What would I need other than the headlight units themselves to do this conversion?
Or just go with some cheap chinese xenon kit?

Or just go with some +120% bulbs? Are they actually good? I have never tried any myself as they are rather expensive in here atleast.
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biggriffin

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #1 on: 05 October 2017, 12:16:13 »

Xenons were available from 1987. It's a simple matter of, swooping the complete units over, cut as much of the loom off with the xenons as you can. So you have plenty of,wire to join.
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Entwood

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #2 on: 05 October 2017, 12:30:23 »

Looking to upgrade the headlights on my Omega, when was the first year that Xenon was available? What would I need other than the headlight units themselves to do this conversion?
Or just go with some cheap chinese xenon kit?

Or just go with some +120% bulbs? Are they actually good? I have never tried any myself as they are rather expensive in here atleast.

Do you mean Xenon (an inert gas) or HID ??

Xenon bulbs have been available for some while, and would be a simple straight swap.

If you really mean HID (High Energy Discharge) lights then you will need a lot more than just a loom, ballast and headlight. You also need a continually levelling system and a decent washing system.

Some folks will tell you that there is no requirement, in law, for levellers and washers, but if you DON'T fit them you are, IMHO, a prat you cares not about others, as without a continually levelling system and a washing system you WILL dazzle/blind oncoming drivers, as that is the nature of the HID system .. it needs clean, continually level lights to work as designed, and the levelling system MUST be active, so self levelling suspension is no where near accurate enough.
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TheBoy

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #3 on: 05 October 2017, 19:16:18 »

MFL MV6 and Elites were the first to get, so 1998.

Technically you need the complete automatic headlight levelling system and the headlight washing system.


Based on that, I'd just get Osram Nightbreakers or Philips VisionPlus bulbs. Fit, forget, no issues.  Only downside of these is the life of the bulbs isn't great.

(not that life of HIDs is great either ;D)
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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #4 on: 06 October 2017, 11:08:00 »

Let's remember that we are basing comments on U.K. Regulations. The OP is in Finland so would need to check local laws/regulations  ;)
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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #5 on: 06 October 2017, 11:20:35 »

Let's remember that we are basing comments on U.K. Regulations. The OP is in Finland so would need to check local laws/regulations  ;)

IMHO regulations are bye-the-bye, if not fitted with active self levelling and washers then oncoming drivers WILL be blinded/dazzled, which is both selfish and dangerous.

:(
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Stige

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #6 on: 06 October 2017, 15:33:55 »

Let's remember that we are basing comments on U.K. Regulations. The OP is in Finland so would need to check local laws/regulations  ;)

IMHO regulations are bye-the-bye, if not fitted with active self levelling and washers then oncoming drivers WILL be blinded/dazzled, which is both selfish and dangerous.

:(

But why would the blind more than normal lights? There are so many "illegal" cars here on the road with these HID kits and I dont feel like they are blinding me at all atleast.
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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #7 on: 06 October 2017, 15:49:24 »

The hids only blind oncoming drivers if they are not in the projector lenses, the beam cut off in the projector is perfectly straight, with the young boys that put hids in reflector headlights causes the problem

The light emmited from a gas discharge and a halogen lamp is very different, not talking about the brightness.
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Stige

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #8 on: 07 October 2017, 06:18:35 »

The hids only blind oncoming drivers if they are not in the projector lenses, the beam cut off in the projector is perfectly straight, with the young boys that put hids in reflector headlights causes the problem

The light emmited from a gas discharge and a halogen lamp is very different, not talking about the brightness.


Arent the newer kind Omega headlights projector type? Only the first few years had reflector?
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Stige

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #9 on: 07 October 2017, 13:09:42 »

Bought myself a pair of some +130% Philips bulbs for the high beams and some 110% ones for the low beams.

Will see tonight if there is a meaningful difference. Also gave the headlights a quick polish aswell, was a bit smudgy, clear as new now.
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Jan Suhr

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #10 on: 07 October 2017, 13:18:29 »

I have put in LED's in my Omega. Both for high beam and low beam. It is easier than to convert to HID/Xenon.

They give even whiter lights than Xenon and are very strong.

Swedish inspection don't like them because they give too sharp edges on the light pattern. So I have to change the bulbs for the inspection to normal H7 & H1.

https://www.diodhuset.se/en/led-xenon-lights-for-cars/high-and-dipped-beam/led/led-kit

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Stige

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #11 on: 07 October 2017, 14:10:41 »

I have put in LED's in my Omega. Both for high beam and low beam. It is easier than to convert to HID/Xenon.

They give even whiter lights than Xenon and are very strong.

Swedish inspection don't like them because they give too sharp edges on the light pattern. So I have to change the bulbs for the inspection to normal H7 & H1.

https://www.diodhuset.se/en/led-xenon-lights-for-cars/high-and-dipped-beam/led/led-kit

LEDs are apparently were umm whats the word here really.. like they  need to be EXACTLY at the position they should be or the light is all over the place. Like some cheap chinese LED bulbs you need to shim to get the depth right so you see further than your bonnet.
Those you linked seem pretty expensive so they must be good?
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Jan Suhr

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #12 on: 08 October 2017, 16:21:13 »

Quote
LEDs are apparently were umm whats the word here really.. like they  need to be EXACTLY at the position they should be or the light is all over the place. Like some cheap chinese LED bulbs you need to shim to get the depth right so you see further than your bonnet.
Those you linked seem pretty expensive so they must be good?

Yes, they are not cheap. About £200.00 for the two H7 and H1 kits. But they are of good quality and are just plug and play.
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Jan Suhr
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TheBoy

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Re: Upgrading to Xenon
« Reply #13 on: 08 October 2017, 18:56:40 »

Let's remember that we are basing comments on U.K. Regulations. The OP is in Finland so would need to check local laws/regulations  ;)
UK doesn't have regulations, so its EU regs.
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Grumpy old man
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