Replacing xenon bulbs
02-20-2014, 12:43 PM
#21
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Agreed that Xenons are expensive.... That said, they should last *many* hours longer than the conventional halogen bulbs, which is why I would expect them to be fully covered under warranty.
So back to the OP:
Is there a reason as to why you want to change the Xenons in your '13Q5?
Aesthetics? Or do you have an issue that the dealer or Ao(x) isn't willing to repair?
So back to the OP:
Is there a reason as to why you want to change the Xenons in your '13Q5?
Aesthetics? Or do you have an issue that the dealer or Ao(x) isn't willing to repair?
I know it's cover under warranty, but I used the opportunity to switch to 5000K capsules, which the dealership most likely want approve of. So yes, it was for aesthetic too. It bothers me to have my lights shine on a white car or white wall, and it projects a yellow tint.
02-21-2014, 04:08 AM
#22
02-21-2014, 02:10 PM
#23
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
02-22-2014, 05:46 AM
#24
Offhand and without checking:
Tungsten bulbs, filament bulbs, have a typical lifetime of 2000 hours. Although I recently had one fail in under 200, I'll put that down to it being made in a country with no name.
I don't think I've ever had a headlight burn out in under five years, but then again I'm not running cross country every night.
HID capsules, supposed to last at least 10x longer, vaguely 20,000 hours.
And prime quality LEDs are industry-standard rated to retain 50% of their brightness at 50,000 hours, which may be only half of their lifetime but "time to replace". I haven't heard any comments about LED headlights but would expect they are over-driver to get the brightness, which would cut their life down significantly if true.
By the time any new LED headlights do burn out, I'd expect repair/rebuild options to be available. The actual LEDs aren't commonly available yet--but that always changes. With the rate of technology change in LEDs, it is possible the current ones will be totally obsoleted and have to be replaced as a whole unit, sure.
Tungsten bulbs, filament bulbs, have a typical lifetime of 2000 hours. Although I recently had one fail in under 200, I'll put that down to it being made in a country with no name.
I don't think I've ever had a headlight burn out in under five years, but then again I'm not running cross country every night.
HID capsules, supposed to last at least 10x longer, vaguely 20,000 hours.
And prime quality LEDs are industry-standard rated to retain 50% of their brightness at 50,000 hours, which may be only half of their lifetime but "time to replace". I haven't heard any comments about LED headlights but would expect they are over-driver to get the brightness, which would cut their life down significantly if true.
By the time any new LED headlights do burn out, I'd expect repair/rebuild options to be available. The actual LEDs aren't commonly available yet--but that always changes. With the rate of technology change in LEDs, it is possible the current ones will be totally obsoleted and have to be replaced as a whole unit, sure.
To change the HID lamps on a Q5, it is actually easier to just remove the entire headlight (its only 3 bolts).
02-22-2014, 08:53 AM
#25
AudiWorld Super User
AFAIK the life-length ratings are from the manufacturers, for "properly engineered parameters" regardless of the application. So as long as the LED is being used according to the manufacturer's engineering notes, proper temperature compensation, proper power, the life-hours ratings apply.
Automakers or anyone else can of course run the LEDs at the point of highest brightness instead of the optimum ratings, but automakers also generally start with the most expensive LEDs, sorted, sold, and selected for close color matching (i.e. there are typically 9 grades of "white" in any production run) and brightness, which can also vary 8x-16x in any one production run.
You may have seen busses and trucks with round LED tail light "panels" with a dozen or so LEDs in each? Those are $10~ assemblies, they're still legal half burnt out and not missed if they're stolen, so they just swap 'em out every year during depot service. In comparison the LEDs in auto taillights used to run $7-10 per LED, $400-800 per assembly, because of the better (color & brightness matched, prime supplier) LEDs used.
I expect "full" lifetime from the LED arrays in a car, they're priced for it.
Automakers or anyone else can of course run the LEDs at the point of highest brightness instead of the optimum ratings, but automakers also generally start with the most expensive LEDs, sorted, sold, and selected for close color matching (i.e. there are typically 9 grades of "white" in any production run) and brightness, which can also vary 8x-16x in any one production run.
You may have seen busses and trucks with round LED tail light "panels" with a dozen or so LEDs in each? Those are $10~ assemblies, they're still legal half burnt out and not missed if they're stolen, so they just swap 'em out every year during depot service. In comparison the LEDs in auto taillights used to run $7-10 per LED, $400-800 per assembly, because of the better (color & brightness matched, prime supplier) LEDs used.
I expect "full" lifetime from the LED arrays in a car, they're priced for it.
03-12-2017, 06:41 AM
#26
AudiWorld Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can someone clarify where the "black ring/tab" is?
03-12-2017, 06:56 AM
#27
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
Now look at the picture with no bulb. See those funny looking metallic fingers? See the black part(ring) wrapped around those metal fingers? To the right of it (left if you're facing the car) is the tab that extends from the ring. It's large enough for you to press or lift up on.
Good luck.
03-12-2017, 08:33 AM
#28
AudiWorld Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Look at the last two pictures. One has the bulb still install. You can see my thumb pressing on it.
Now look at the picture with no bulb. See those funny looking metallic fingers? See the black part(ring) wrapped around those metal fingers? To the right of it (left if you're facing the car) is the tab that extends from the ring. It's large enough for you to press or lift up on.
Good luck.
Now look at the picture with no bulb. See those funny looking metallic fingers? See the black part(ring) wrapped around those metal fingers? To the right of it (left if you're facing the car) is the tab that extends from the ring. It's large enough for you to press or lift up on.
Good luck.
03-12-2017, 09:54 AM
#29
AudiWorld Super User
03-12-2017, 12:08 PM
#30
AudiWorld Super User
Mass-
A bulb has a filament, which eventually breaks. Sometimes that filament jiggles back and forth, sometimes literally welding itself back together for a time, so the light can get blinky or intermittent before it fails altogether.
An HID capsule has no filament wire. It is a capsule full of gas, and when high voltage electricity from the ballast is passed through, that gas glows fiercely. Pretty much an "all or nothing" thing in the capsule. On the other hand, the ballasts are infamous for being stressed and having many ways to fail. The old kind used transformers, which can be shaken apart by vibrations. Lots of thin wire, just insulated by a thin varnish coating, which is also fragile. The newer kind use small transformers but need fairly robust electronics to power them.
So the odds are, the ballast fails before the capsule does. I'm seen some comments that they are designed to last for 10 years of typical use, which would be about what the typical capsules are designed for. In theory you can test the ballast with a simple multimeter, but it is designed to put out roughly 20,000-30,000 volts to the capsule--which would fry most multimeters. Be careful with those wires.
A bulb has a filament, which eventually breaks. Sometimes that filament jiggles back and forth, sometimes literally welding itself back together for a time, so the light can get blinky or intermittent before it fails altogether.
An HID capsule has no filament wire. It is a capsule full of gas, and when high voltage electricity from the ballast is passed through, that gas glows fiercely. Pretty much an "all or nothing" thing in the capsule. On the other hand, the ballasts are infamous for being stressed and having many ways to fail. The old kind used transformers, which can be shaken apart by vibrations. Lots of thin wire, just insulated by a thin varnish coating, which is also fragile. The newer kind use small transformers but need fairly robust electronics to power them.
So the odds are, the ballast fails before the capsule does. I'm seen some comments that they are designed to last for 10 years of typical use, which would be about what the typical capsules are designed for. In theory you can test the ballast with a simple multimeter, but it is designed to put out roughly 20,000-30,000 volts to the capsule--which would fry most multimeters. Be careful with those wires.