My drivers side main headlight bulb has gone. I've looked for a replacement but they seem to range in power from 4300k - 8000k. What power are the standard bulbs please? as I only really want to change the one for now and would like them to match
What power D3S Xenon bulb?
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Steveredman
Registered User
Hello, the numbers you are quoting are not the power, they are the colour temperature. Lower is warmer (so yellower) and higher is cooler (so bluer). Somewhere in the middle (about 5000K) is what most people would call white.
I just replaced mine with Osram Nightbreakers which are 4300K, they appear just off white. It's all down to personal preference.
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I just replaced mine with Osram Nightbreakers which are 4300K, they appear just off white. It's all down to personal preference.
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Zafi
Registered User
One of mine went at about 2 years old, second one went a few weeks later. Same as wheel bearings.
dpaz
Registered User
It will be difficult to get a perfect colour match. Xenon bulbs and their colour temperature degrade over time. So if the bulb that's working is pretty old it likely won't be operating at OEM colour temp.
Also, the colour temperatures advertised by non-OEM manufacturers are typically very inaccurate. Don't even get me started on eBay xenon bulbs!
Also, the colour temperatures advertised by non-OEM manufacturers are typically very inaccurate. Don't even get me started on eBay xenon bulbs!
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Did you buy a pair, if so it would be worth changing both bulbs, as already mentioned the colour match will more than likely be somewhat off due to the age of the original one.
Where did you get them from too, you do know that we have a site sponsor @t8ups who is the lighting guru!!
Where did you get them from too, you do know that we have a site sponsor @t8ups who is the lighting guru!!
After spotting this thread I started looking around a bit and ended up swapping my (perfectly fine) ones for these Osram Nightbreakers:
Amazon product
Have to say that they are way, way better than my OEM (philips xenecostart in mine), and I've not even driven at full night yet!
A worthwhile upgrade in my book, and easy to do aswell (I removed both my headlights so I didn't risk touching the filament.
Amazon product
Have to say that they are way, way better than my OEM (philips xenecostart in mine), and I've not even driven at full night yet!
A worthwhile upgrade in my book, and easy to do aswell (I removed both my headlights so I didn't risk touching the filament.
My car is a 2009, bought it on 38k miles so I guess they were the original ones which is why i thought it was worth having a look at replacing them.
Obviously milage doesn't affect light output, its to do with hours of use, but unless it had spent alot of its life in traffic jams they probabily hadn't seen too much use. I guess they just degrade over time anyway
Obviously milage doesn't affect light output, its to do with hours of use, but unless it had spent alot of its life in traffic jams they probabily hadn't seen too much use. I guess they just degrade over time anyway
I bought them from Amazon because my plan was to fit one, and go for a night drive to see if I could spot a difference - if not I would have returned them to amazon.
In reality I fitted one, turned the lights on and could instantly see an improvement so fitted the other one and am keeping the originals as spares just in case.
In reality I fitted one, turned the lights on and could instantly see an improvement so fitted the other one and am keeping the originals as spares just in case.
Thanks for the info @LukeyC Its a difficult one to quantify, in terms of the burn time on the bulbs, especially with a vehicle before your ownership.
With the auto lights on mine, they have a tendancy to be quite pessimistic, in that thay turn on at the slightest hint of the approach of dusk and then stay on after I would have turned them off, if wasnt being a lazy b****r and using the auto mode!
(btw - The MMI setting for the lights is set on 'later' )
With the auto lights on mine, they have a tendancy to be quite pessimistic, in that thay turn on at the slightest hint of the approach of dusk and then stay on after I would have turned them off, if wasnt being a lazy b****r and using the auto mode!
(btw - The MMI setting for the lights is set on 'later' )
Steveredman
Registered User
Did you need to remove the bumper cover to remove the headlights?
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Hi guys, sorry for late reply only just picked this up.
Yes they were easy to replace - 5 minutes per side, with no removal of the bumper or anything like that - just take the back of the headlight off, twist and they pull out. Very simple
Yes they were easy to replace - 5 minutes per side, with no removal of the bumper or anything like that - just take the back of the headlight off, twist and they pull out. Very simple
GjrBartlett
Registered User
I'm in a similar scenario to the OP, my drivers side D3S went last week, so took the plunge & treated myself to Trups D3S Headlight Bulb/Ballast Upgrade Kit. (Link - http://emtuning.co.uk/d3s-headlight-bulbballast-upgrade-kit/)
Looking forward to getting this fitted next week!
Looking forward to getting this fitted next week!
I can't grasp why you would spend 300 to get that kit, instead of just buying a new pair of good d3s. Money in the trash can, if you ask me.
You can't see the pictures on the site as they are on the photobucket site but there is a very noticeable improvement in light output with the kit compared to OE results. You wouldn't get the same light output just replacing the bulbs.
Yeah I've seen the pics. There are significant differences between xenon bulbs, and the change is clearly not showing the difference between a good d3s and the kit. They wouldn't be selling any conversion kits then.
GjrBartlett
Registered User
Why....
Well, as posted I've already had a D3S bulb blow, so as advised above its better to change the pair as opposed to just one.
So a decent pair of D3S is going to set me back somewhere approaching £100 - £150, so for at the same again, I can get a significant improvement over a decent D3S set-up & what price do you put on having a top notch headlight set-up on a dark twisty back road with the family in the car, if it saves me a potential accident, that's priceless.
Oh, you can keep your trash can!!
@GjrBartlett - look forward to seeing the results, I saw the pics before the Photobucket debarcle , out on the road, there was a strong improvement in range and illumination within the beam pattern.
Correctly focussed and powerful illumination within the beam pattern area are a real safety improvement for both the driver & passengers in the car they are fitted to and other road users alike.
Correctly focussed and powerful illumination within the beam pattern area are a real safety improvement for both the driver & passengers in the car they are fitted to and other road users alike.
GjrBartlett
Registered User
The initial pics looked very impressive..
I'll post some pics up in my project thread hopefully by mid next week.
I'll post some pics up in my project thread hopefully by mid next week.
I already fitted this kit, you can see my results in the photos in my post........
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/d3s-to-d1s-headlight-conversion.355877/
The difference is that the bulbs are running 50W instead of 35W.
Also D3S runs at 42V and D1S runs at 84V
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/d3s-to-d1s-headlight-conversion.355877/
The difference is that the bulbs are running 50W instead of 35W.
Also D3S runs at 42V and D1S runs at 84V
Look at my photos Link above.........
D1S at 50W in LH side OE D3S at 35W in RH side
GjrBartlett
Registered User
