Xenon Headlights

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Dave

How do Volvo's Xenon headlights compare to the standard halogens? Are they
worth the extra $?

I read that a couple of years ago Xenon lights were a popular item for
thieves... Does anyone know if this problem still exists and if Volvo's in
particular are targets?

Thanks in advance,
Dave
 
Dave said:
How do Volvo's Xenon headlights compare to the standard halogens? Are they
worth the extra $?
Click to expand...

They are much brighter. MUCH brighter. I got a chance to play with them
at a dealer when looking into an XC70. The 70 series, and presumably
the others as well, don't use a separate lamp for high beams: the lights
are so bright that they just "tilt" the beams upward. I don't know the
exact mechanism there, but it looks like they just move the reflectors
up and down somehow to change the aim point. Hopefully, there isn't
a reliability issue here with moving parts. :)

Whether they are worth the extra $ is a matter of opinion. They are
awfully bright, which is grat for visibility, but some people find the
slightly bluish-purpleish tint to be ugly, and they can be a bit obnoxious
for other drivers on the road. That being said, Volvo's Xenon lamp design
is actually pretty tame color-wise and I don't think they look bad at all.
Most peoples' experiences with Xenons are the pimp treatments that are
given to Honda Civics with oversized spoilers and low-profile tires on
the aftermarket. ;) Volvo has done a good job in avoiding this look.
I read that a couple of years ago Xenon lights were a popular item for
thieves... Does anyone know if this problem still exists and if Volvo's in
particular are targets?
Click to expand...

The lamps are expensive and in demand, which always translates to an
attractive target. I have not heard much about how susceptible Volvo's
design is to theft, but I was told by the dealer that they were designed
with this concern in mind.


Cheers,
-+JLS
 
The lamps are expensive and in demand, which always translates to an
attractive target. I have not heard much about how susceptible Volvo's
design is to theft, but I was told by the dealer that they were designed
with this concern in mind.
Click to expand...

I would guess that this mainly applies to aftermarket setups which are
easily ripped off and installed in another vehicle. Most factory installs
are customized to the vehicle and convoluted enough that it'd be very
difficult to yank them quickly and install them in something else.
 
Well high beams in general don't constitute a huge wattage increase, Most
duel filament bulbs are 55/65W.... Our 960 is like this... The VW I drive
leaves its low beam on, and uses the high beam as a complimentary light,
running another 55W to cover the far reaches.... 110W total power compared
to 65W.... Midnight sun with that car, i'd love to see it with Xenon.... I
also can save money and use my high beam bulbs if my low beam bulbs burn
out.... if I am in a bind and have no money or something ;-).

I've driven a truck with Xenons, ohhh my god was that an experience, the
range was so good.
 
Perhaps it was Volvo, perhaps another OEM. Anyway - somebody had a
small drawing that showed a slotted shutter arrangement that moved up
and/or down to use the same reflector for the two functions, low and
high beams. The mechanism was so simple that reliability ought not to
be a concern.
The "bulb" was actually a tube that produces a relatively lengthy source
of light, so exposing one part or another should work just fine.

bob noble
Reno, NV, USA
 
Rob Guenther said:
Well high beams in general don't constitute a huge wattage increase, Most
duel filament bulbs are 55/65W.... Our 960 is like this... The VW I drive
leaves its low beam on, and uses the high beam as a complimentary light,
running another 55W to cover the far reaches.... 110W total power compared
to 65W.... Midnight sun with that car, i'd love to see it with Xenon.... I
also can save money and use my high beam bulbs if my low beam bulbs burn
out.... if I am in a bind and have no money or something ;-).
Click to expand...


Even with a standard light setup you can turn on the high beams and both
will generally work even when one low beam filament has burned out, still
there's no excuse to drive like that, it's unsafe and blinds other drivers.
 
Bob Noble said:
Perhaps it was Volvo, perhaps another OEM. Anyway - somebody had a
small drawing that showed a slotted shutter arrangement that moved up
and/or down to use the same reflector for the two functions, low and
high beams. The mechanism was so simple that reliability ought not to
be a concern.
The "bulb" was actually a tube that produces a relatively lengthy source
of light, so exposing one part or another should work just fine.
Click to expand...

The bulb is a small arc tube, but the actual arc is only a few mm long, the
rest of the quartz tube is for holding the electrodes and wire feed ins.
"Xenon" headlights are actually a small metal halide lamp that uses a xenon
gas fill with halide salts to produce the desired color of light. It's
actually possible to make them a much more natural white, but people seem to
like the rice boy blue.
 
I meant since I have two seperate bulbs (both work in conjunction to give me
high beam) I can swap my high beam bulb into my low beam, if needed... as
99.9% of driving is done with the low beams, and where I am highbeams aren't
needed, unless you are taking the back roads home at night, between town
(there is always a more properly lit route tho).
 
Rob Guenther said:
I meant since I have two seperate bulbs (both work in conjunction to give me
high beam) I can swap my high beam bulb into my low beam, if needed... as
99.9% of driving is done with the low beams, and where I am highbeams aren't
needed, unless you are taking the back roads home at night, between town
(there is always a more properly lit route tho).
Click to expand...


Are they the same bulb? I have the four lamp setup on my 240, and it uses an
H4 bulb in the outer low/high lamps and I think H7 in the inner high only
lamps. The old sealed beams used a high/low for the outer and high only for
the inner.
 
Both are 55W H7, checked in the Canadian Tire light guide. The high beam
lamps are very specifically aimed to cover exactly where the low beams leave
off... Clever design.

I wish my families 93' 960 had something similar... When I switch the high
beam on, the low beams kick off (as they should) but at only 65W they just
don't seem powerful compared to those in mine and my dad's Golfs (99.5 and a
2003)... I tried to push for euro lights, but the consensus is that we would
wait until a front light gets smashed by a rock/vandalism before changing
anything.
 
The Xenon lights are worth the cost, and there is a thriving business in
stolen parts in California and I suppose the same holds true where you live.
Regards
Neil
 
Don't the Bi-Xenon lights in the V70 and S80 have separate elements for the
high and low beams? I thought that was to what the "Bi" referred.....?
 
So I guess here in the New York City area I'm at risk of having my lights
pilfered.....
 
My friend's wife got rid of her Acura after someone tore up her hood and
fender
attempting to grab the lights. They didn't get the lights, but the car spent
time in
a body shop replacing the damage, and they figured it wasn't worth a couple
of
times with that.

den
=====================================================
 
Dave said:
Don't the Bi-Xenon lights in the V70 and S80 have separate elements for the
high and low beams? I thought that was to what the "Bi" referred.....?
Click to expand...
As far as I understand it, the same tube is used for hi and lo beams, with
the light being diverted by a shutter. A second tube is used only for
flashing the headlights. I think this is wht the "bi" refers to.
 
The (non xenon) headlights on our 2002.5 S80 are decent, but I'd certainly
prefer HID's. Are they not a standard equipment item by now?

How much extra do they cost? Seems to me they ought to be standard at the
prices Volvo is asking for the cars, especially considering how many other
brands give them to you standard.

Xenon came standard on our 02 Nissan Maxima SE, and they are much, much better
than the halogens on the Volvo.
 
MACampbel said:
The (non xenon) headlights on our 2002.5 S80 are decent, but I'd certainly
prefer HID's. Are they not a standard equipment item by now?

How much extra do they cost? Seems to me they ought to be standard at the
prices Volvo is asking for the cars, especially considering how many other
brands give them to you standard.

Xenon came standard on our 02 Nissan Maxima SE, and they are much, much better
than the halogens on the Volvo.
Click to expand...

Xenons can cost upwards of $2000 for elements, wiring harness and power
pack. This is why they are so much in demand by car thieves. They are whiter
and brighter than halogen but the entire system has to be installed, you
cant just buy bulbs. And they look good coming at you :-).

steve
 
The Xenon lamps on my XC 70 do a great job of lighting up the night and when
they are dipped they are less obnoxious than most other cars on the road. I
must say you are not familiar with the current Volvo system.

Cheers
NDS
 
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