Do Xenon HID healights dim over time?

[Markie93]

Hey Guys,

Have a 2005 Audi A6 with the stereoscopic (turns and dips) HID headlights.

Lately I have noticed my headlights seem kind of dim. Wondered if this was a sign the HID lights are getting worn out and if replacing them would be worth the money.

One is a little pink but the other isn't. I don't really want to replace them prematurely if they wont be noticeably bright but if they do get dimmer over time, it would be enough to get me free shipping on ECSTuning :)

Let me know your experiences.

Thanks,
Jake

[kocyk123]

If one of them is turning pink it means that it is time for a new set of bulbs. However, I also noticed that these headlights are not the greatest. I noticed that projector lens it really dirty/dusty for only 78k on the car. Taking them apart and cleaning projector lens plus new bulbs (Highly recommend Osram CBI's) would probably make a huge difference. I took apart my D2 01 A8L headlights to clean projector lenses and it did improve the performance plus it reduced the glare.

[ManyAudis]

If the bulb is pink that is a sign of age and the bulb will soon die. Get a new set. Here are the instructions to change the bulbs.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...eplacement.pdf

[Markie93]

Great Advice. Thank you!!!

[sun_dance]

BTW, when you are doing this it's a great time to also clean out the snow screen on the front of the car and change that air filter, if it's due. I put in new bulbs about 2 months ago and it made a big difference, I ended up going with the Morimoto 5500K and am quite pleased with the outcome. No idea how long they will last, but am expecting a few years of use.

Morimoto-D2S-5500K-Bulb-Pack

[Markie93]

Has anyone heard good/bad things about Ziza?

https://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-C6_A6...lbs/ES2836975/

[Markie93]

Sundance, How did you like the color of the 5500K?
Im looking at 5000K

[sun_dance]

Sundance, How did you like the color of the 5500K?
Im looking at 5000K

I like the look and def not Blue, and looks almost like OEM, but just a bit whiter.

[Markie93]

Awesome. That's exactly what I'm going for. The blue color is too much for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[sun_dance]

Awesome. That's exactly what I'm going for. The blue color is too much for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

I personally hate the blue color, hence why i'm pleased with the look of the bulbs I got.

[cal3thousand]

Bringing up a slightly old thread, but I want to chime on a couple things:

1) Yes, HID bulbs dim with age. In fact, most bulbs lose 15-20% within the first 200 hours of use. Good bulbs will lose less over that period, but still do.

2) I also second the Morimoto bulbs. They are very high quality bulbs and come a very close second to philips bulbs in terms of longevity and performance. But they cost much less. I'm going to use the Morimoto D3S in my 2009. At $70 for a pair, I could replace them after every 200 hours use and still come in under the price paid for a set of Ultinons.

3) The 3" Fresnel lens in our HIDs are not very clear, especially with age. I am looking into whether or not I can replace the lens without cutting the light housing. I've seen some videos where the whole HID projector was taken out, modded and then put back in from the back door. I believe the 3" ZKW-R lenses from TheRetrofitSource for $40 would be a huge improvement.

Anyone know about #3?

[AnTarbh]

Bringing up a slightly old thread, but I want to chime on a couple things:

1) Yes, HID bulbs dim with age. In fact, most bulbs lose 15-20% within the first 200 hours of use. Good bulbs will lose less over that period, but still do.

2) I also second the Morimoto bulbs. They are very high quality bulbs and come a very close second to philips bulbs in terms of longevity and performance. But they cost much less. I'm going to use the Morimoto D3S in my 2009. At $70 for a pair, I could replace them after every 200 hours use and still come in under the price paid for a set of Ultinons.

3) The 3" Fresnel lens in our HIDs are not very clear, especially with age. I am looking into whether or not I can replace the lens without cutting the light housing. I've seen some videos where the whole HID projector was taken out, modded and then put back in from the back door. I believe the 3" ZKW-R lenses from TheRetrofitSource for $40 would be a huge improvement.

Anyone know about #3?

Can't answer question three but I can testify for point #1.

I just did the first replacement on my 08 Q7 and the light emitted has improved massively - even before one of my lights went pink/violet there just wasn't a lot of light coming out. Granted I was comparing them to my LED headlights, but since installing new bulbs yesterday it has made a huge difference.

[OmaHahn]

I recommend Phillips Xtreme Vison HID bulbs - absolutely incredible! Also, do not go over 5000k! Anything over 5k gets into the blue range. Right at 5000k it's a pure white/daylight. 6000k is a blueish color. So as you see, the more you get closer to 6k, the more blue.

[kocyk123]

I also recently got Morimoto 5500k XB and they are great. Pure white color (no blue at all). Color is exactly the same as Osram CBI's.