In the previous article «What happens if... you install xenon in regular headlights?» we examined in detail the features of xenon lamps. Now let's focus on how they behave in headlights that are not designed for them.
Let us remind you that giants like Philips and Osram have never produced gas-discharge lamps with bases compatible with halogen ones. Their main specialization is supplying lighting systems to factory assembly lines. Everything sold in markets and stores is the product of Chinese and Korean manufacturers.
Here you can clearly see how the light beam from non-standard «xenon» is formed.
Production was quickly established: they agreed with well-known brands to purchase «semi-finished products» — bulbs with already built-in electrodes and gas. Adapting a base of the required format to them is a matter of technique. They make ignition units themselves, but using simplified circuits. The result was not long in coming: instead of branded devices for $1000, lamps for $150–300 appeared. Immediately there were those willing to install such light on their cars. At the same time, few thought about safety, and in vain — not everything is as rosy as the «specialists» in installation describe.
Owners of cars with «homemade» xenon assure that talk about its danger is the invention of envious people. However, they are mistaken, and this is easy to prove.
It is enough to drive up to the screen for adjusting headlights and check how effectively the lighting works.
Variants of the light beam allowed by the UNECE Rules (yellow and blue).
Diagram of control points and zones on the screen installed at a distance of 25 meters from the headlight. When certifying a headlight according to DSTU and UNECE Rules, a «reference» lamp with minimal deviations is installed in it. For production headlights, a deviation in illumination of up to 20 percent is allowed.
As can be seen in the diagram, low beam has clearly defined boundaries. This is necessary so as not to blind drivers of oncoming vehicles.
Each headlight is designed for a specific type of lamp and its characteristics. If you install a different one, the light beam will change. The Russian publication «Auto Review» conducted a series of tests on special equipment. The conclusions are unambiguous: using «foreign» lamps gives a negative effect.
The lighting diagrams of the screen show how different headlights behave.
The experiment was conducted on Ford Focus headlights.
Compared:
- standard headlight with halogen lamp
- factory headlight with xenon
- regular halogen headlight with installed xenon
The standard headlight with a halogen lamp gave a correct light pattern with a clear boundary between the light and dark zones. A minimum of light hits the eyes of an oncoming driver.
The factory headlight with xenon gives almost the same pattern, but the light zone is illuminated more intensely, and the boundary is more pronounced.
A regular halogen headlight with xenon showed a deplorable result: the non-standard lamp strongly blinds oncoming drivers.
Even worse were the headlights from the VAZ 2105.
With a standard lamp they give an exemplary pattern. But...
...with «bi-xenon» the VAZ shines in all directions, including directly into the eyes of oncoming drivers. At the same time, the overall illumination is only slightly higher than that of a halogen lamp.
A more or less acceptable result was obtained only with the projector headlight from the VAZ 2110. The light pattern almost met the standards. There were overexposures, but insignificant — not two or three times as with reflector headlights. This is due to the design: the cutoff boundary is cut off by a screen in front of the lens. True, no particular advantage of xenon over halogen was noticed — except that the space to the right of the roadside is illuminated better.
Standard projector headlight VAZ 2110
The same headlight, but with installed «xenon».
The conclusion is obvious: installing «homemade» xenon in reflector headlights is not worth it — it is dangerous for oncoming drivers, and therefore for yourself. They are brighter, but illuminate the sky more than the road. Lens headlights perform better, but require proper professional adjustment.
From our own experience
The experience of operating cars with factory xenon (test drives by AutoPortal) has shown that it also has disadvantages. Here's why...
The color temperature of gas-discharge lamps is higher than that of halogen ones (4300–6800 K versus 3000 K), which is why their efficiency drops in cloudy, foggy, and rainy weather. You have probably noticed: in fog, it is not the power of the beam that matters, but the color temperature. The lower it is (yellow tint), the better the headlights «penetrate» the fog. If the car is used in places where fogs and rains are common, it is worth using yellow filters and/or fog lights.
Another mandatory condition for xenon headlights is cleanliness and the presence of a washer. The fact is that the higher the intensity of the glow, the stronger the light scattering. If the headlight is dirty or covered with plaque, it turns into a glowing screen. Therefore, owners of cars with gas-discharge headlights should not skimp on «washer fluid».
