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Halogen headlights need to go away. In this day in age LED/Xenon should be the standard. The new trend We've seen in the last 15 years is halogen lights in a projector housing, and it has gotten worse nowadays. This is stupid because the projector lens actually severely diminishes the already poor light output from the halogen bulb. I'm glad Audi is Xenon/LED across the board (In USA)
Vehicles like the BMW 3 Series w/halogen reflector lens headlights are a perfect example of this, BMW is getting away with having cheap headlights because they can. I think if the IIHS really pushes this issue, you'll see halogen headlights sieze to exist. There are far superior lighting methods out there. Hopefully we'll see them in the USA.
The D1S Osram CBI's in my Q7 are extremely bright at night, but the thing that brings them down is the crappy projector. there is a lot of glare and there doesn't seem to be a definite cut off line while driving. I've been searching on eBay.de for E-Codes. Do you know what the part numbers for prefacelift E-Code AFS LHD Xenons is? I cannot seem to find the correct PN's anywhere.
I have them somewhere but not off-hand. I would have to dig it up in my notes from when I installed them back in the day. When I get back from our trip remind me and I'll see if I can find them.
Thanks! Will do. There are so many different kinds of lights it's impossible to be sure without a part number. I've searched everywhere. I've only found US spec Non-AFS part numbers and they're no use.
Lower photograph is the Q7.
Considering the design and age the Q7 holds it's own very well when upgrading the headlights from the stock NAR/US version.
The company is OE245 on Ebay and sold the headlight pair as a set, there are a few other companies too. I found a coupon on their website (Cars245.com) last month for 15% off, and decided it was time to get the headlights. They took about a week, week and a half to arrive from Latvia. They were in perfect condition (brand new, condition for shipment across the world), all I had to do was transfer over the modules from my old US adaptive Tri-Xenons. Quick 30 minute change and presto, instant new car feeling driving at night.
Those are nice; Valeo is the OEM, and those are top-of-the-line housings. Looks to be same housing as on our '15, and those do have better projectors with less dispersion and a much sharper cutoff compared to the HID projectors on our '10 (also bi-xenon, but only has self-leveling; no swiveling or corner lighting functions like on the '15, which has the 'adaptive lighting'...meaning they do swivel with steering, and also have corner lighting bulb in the curved reflector, etc.). These will be a nice upgrade. Since you reused the old HID power controllers/ballasts, just remember those get weaker over time too, thus limiting the output of the bulbs, just like the HID bulbs get weaker gradually until they die. Easy to forget about the HID ballasts.
On my last car with HIDs, I didn't replace the HID ballasts until they finally shut down completely (they lasted a long time), but I should have replaced them much sooner, as by then the HIDs light quality/output was incredibly weak, even with new bulbs/igniters, cleaned lenses, etc. Don't forget those HID ballasts for the next go-round of lighting improvements/HID system maintenance.
Congrats on the new housings! Now my '10 wants a set, LOL!
03-31-2016, 01:22 PM
