Xenon light???

[GlynRS2]

So Martyn what is the difference between the HID Extreme and the standard HID kit I have fitted? The results look impressive.
Even more intrigue with regard to the bi-xenon
Are you willing to enlighten us yet? Or is it still top secret work in progress

[NoNonsense]

I have HIDs on both dipped beam and high beam. I am considering going back to regular bulbs on the hi-beam though. When I first ignite the HIDs, they are blue-ish and turn WHITE as they warm up. Mine are both 4500K, which is about as bright white you can get until they start turning blue and loosing lumen power. If I need the HI-beams fast, they aren't bright enough for about 5 seconds....

[jeroen]

glyn you selling you're HID set for a nice price by then..??? :mischeif:

[GlynRS2]

glyn you selling you're HID set for a nice price by then..??? :mischeif:

Not at present as very pleased with them. Interested to see what the upgrade Extreme kit would bring though & price etc.

[Martynf]

Glyn not decided yet as I am running around with them installed for a good while to see if anything arises! The difference? ok, well a new bulb SPECIFICALLY for the S2 kit!! and new ballasts running more wattage.

Basically its a whole new kit - just new ballasts could be used to keep costs down for an upgrade route but the bulbs will not last as long as they should if you do that, also the main power for these new HID's *should* be taken direct from the battery now. I am NOT running power from the battery as I am experiementing to see if the cars wiring and fusebox can handle the extra initial current drain ok, so far so good.

I've put a LOT of time and work (over a year!) into making some S2 headlamps that you can see with! Here's the bottom line with what's been tested and what's in the future:

First kit was the H1 HID which a lot of us have now. They were a good improvement over stock, no question what so ever and looked stunning!

The next step was to find a better projector as I feel the S2 projector is what lets down the headlamps. A better one had to be found and it has been. The A3 H7 projector from the 2001>2003 A3. BUT, this needs an adapter plate made to fit it to the S2 headlamp shell. The adapter can be made pretty simple from aircraft grade materials.

Next step is to use the bi xenon projectors from the new V8 S4. Make up an adapter for those and re wire the headlamp internals.

The A3 projectors and the S4 bi xenons are the best routes, but each comes with a huge price tag which I don't think any one will be prepared to go to, also, there is a lot of custom work and fabrication needed for both installs, how many people are going to be willing to do this....?? To fit either A3 or S4 parts, then you will need to buy the headlamps from that car! breakers!! or new, then strip your own S2 headlamps to component level and build up your hybrids making adapters and re-wiring them. As if that isn't enough, I now know from exeprience that when you start to take apart the S2 ellipsoids, the adjusters can break due to age, if you break those, you cannot buy them, it's a whole headlamp only. These are the problems preventing the A3 or S4 bi xenons route. A pair of headlamps from the A3 or S4 cost:££, the xenon parts: ££, maybe... a new pair of ellipsoids if the originals get damaged: ££ it's going to be too much for anyone to pay I feel...

So.... all these experiments brought forth the extreme S2 H1 kit I have fitted currently. Its the most cost effective route to headlamps that work that most people can fit them selves with no trouble.....

How good are they? well, I like to drive up along side another car on the motorway and compare his headlamp beam to my current beam. So far my S2 headlamps have out performed just about anything I come up against except a new Merc, some big fat thing no dobt with a £100K price tag! that had greater range than mine. Not often you could say S2 headlamps outperform anything other than a candle huh!!!

So there we have it. The 'ultimate' bi-xenon set up may just be too expensive (low and high beam from ONE BULB Joe!!! ;-) ) to warrant doing.

Hope this helps and aspires!!

[Martynf]

The problem with buying two HID sets so you have HID high beam is that it takes a xenon bulb about 3-5 seconds to start up and reach operation. So every time you switch to high beam, you have almost no headlamps at all!! until the xenon bulb ignites properly. HID does not like being flashed either!! it won't. The only true way to get xenon high beam is with the use of a bi-xenon projector, so you have one xenon bulb that is always lit, and the projector does the work to divert the light from low to high beam. That is the only real route to take. This is a very expensive route unless you can find the parts used.

Is it any problem to install bi-xenon on the S2? Is it only to buy two sets??

Vegard M

[Martynf]

You'd nee to buy new headlamps and remove the projectors unless you can get the used. A3's are about £350 UK for a pair and the bi-xenon's about £660 a pair! The bi-xenon projected in the S4's is made by valeo, so i am wondering if its used in any other cars? and can be got for less. Quite often bi-xenon projectors come up on e-bay, that is probably a good source

Thenx Martyn, how much for the A3 and S4 projectors btw ?

[Martynf]

New about 350 GBP for a pair. The A3 projectors are a good improvement over standard S2 headlamps yes. So if you fitted xenon into the A3 projector, then fitted them inside the S2 headlamp shells, that would be a superb set up! I am beginning to think that the extreme S2 HID kit is actually better than the A3 projectors now that I have been using them for some time now!! Without having all the options lined up and tested, it's hard to be exact. I'd need four cars with each set up in it!


Martyn

so is an complete A3 projector in S2 headlamp worht the extra money??(any pics of that rebuild?)
or is the difference next to nothing??(like the lenses)

and what would a set of A3 projectors cost??

thanks jeroen.


p.s any info about x treme h.i.d kitt?

[Martynf]

bad boy!!! yes its possible, but not advised using the 4 bulbs route. For the reasons I listed above Graham. How about HID low beam, high beam and fogs then? you'd need for sure!

So is it possible to have a HID on dipped beam and a HID on full beam? (4 bulbs in all, on the episiods) So daylight will always be in front of you and the anoying 4ucker, who refuses to dip his lights on the other side of the road, gets blinded. I know this would be expensive but if its to be done you may aswell go the whole hogg.

[NoNonsense]

So there we have it. The 'ultimate' bi-xenon set up may just be too expensive (low and high beam from ONE BULB Joe!!! ;-) ) to warrant doing.

HEY...what's that supposed to mean!? hehe

[Martynf]

yuk yuk yuk

[jeroen]

good info martyn!

can you give us a rough estimate on the price?? would 100 euro's on top of the normal HID kitt be reasonable?
since i want to buy xenon for my s2 and was thinking on getting complete new headlights so the difference is even bigger(must say that my original S2 lamps dont give very much light but the definition between light and dark is really sharp! sharper than on say a 2002 model A3!)

so if price stays reasonable than i will wait for the x treme kitt.

thanks for all the interesting info!

P.s a nice amount of pictures showing the x kitt would be very nice indeed :-)

Jeroen.

[Sweeper]

Martyn: I want to be a test laboratory monkey. I want a kit even of it's not completed yet .

THe only thing that warms me up now , then if you won't complete your project quickly I will find A3 brakers lamps for cheap around here.

How much for a full kit , aprox ?

P.S. I have a pair of xenon fog lamps to be installed )) .

[Martynf]

Thanks Jeroen,

It's so hard to say a price as so far the only parts that exust are one off fitted to my S2, If I say to my manufacturer make 100kits or 10 kits the price will go with qty. Yes, maybe 100 Euros is a fair guess yes. I have to pay for the tooling and production costs and they have not been finilased yet. I will be trying to finalise these details this month and have kits ready, available by the end of Feb I hope at the latest. Yes, assume 100 Euros extra will be pretty close. Wait for the extreme kit to be signed off ok. It's worth it trust me! Pictures? wil have soon, not much more to look at really than what is already on my site about the kits: http://www.vagparts.com/pages/H1_install.htm

Martyn

good info martyn!

can you give us a rough estimate on the price?? would 100 euro's on top of the normal HID kitt be reasonable?
since i want to buy xenon for my s2 and was thinking on getting complete new headlights so the difference is even bigger(must say that my original S2 lamps dont give very much light but the definition between light and dark is really sharp! sharper than on say a 2002 model A3!)

so if price stays reasonable than i will wait for the x treme kitt.

thanks for all the interesting info!

P.s a nice amount of pictures showing the x kitt would be very nice indeed :-)

Jeroen.

[Martynf]

Vadim, is your car on the road? are you using it? price as per post above, 100 euros more than a standard kit.

Martyn

Martyn: I want to be a test laboratory monkey. I want a kit even of it's not completed yet .

THe only thing that warms me up now , then if you won't complete your project quickly I will find A3 brakers lamps for cheap around here.

How much for a full kit , aprox ?

P.S. I have a pair of xenon fog lamps to be installed )) .