Thread: Buying Xenons from Germany

Bi-Xenon and Xenon are the same in this case, the former is just a marketing term.

The definition of it though is that when you go to high beam with these headlights the cutoff moves out of the way allowing the full amount of light from the low beam lens to fill the upper portion of your view along with the high beam.

There's probably a a youtube video of it.

A HID kit in the high beam lenses is a bad idea b/c of light temp and the time to ignite (i.e. you can't do "flash to pass"). That said I put those 66W bulbs in my highbeam it's it's a good improvement.

Originally Posted by Maverick

Not all have leveling motors inside when you buy them second hand and they're hard to source.

The ALWR fitment is important with the Bi-Xenons, there is a sensor in the front and rear wheel well and a controller that mounts under the dash. I have a wiring loom on it's way from Germany that I had made up for my car so will be retrofitting this in the next few weeks. Without this as soon as you load anything in the back or carry back seat passengers you risk blinding oncoming traffic.

That's news to me. I just assumed that if you had OEM Xenon Headlamps out of a car they would have come with the levelling motor from the factory.

Originally Posted by benough

That's news to me. I just assumed that if you had OEM Xenon Headlamps out of a car they would have come with the levelling motor from the factory.

They come with the leveling motor from the factory but people can remove them before sale so a used headlight may not come with them. Just like it's not uncommon to buy the headlights without ballast, igniter, bulb and even the bulb retention ring.

Originally Posted by benough

Bi-Xenon and Xenon are the same in this case, the former is just a marketing term.

The definition of it though is that when you go to high beam with these headlights the cutoff moves out of the way allowing the full amount of light from the low beam lens to fill the upper portion of your view along with the high beam.

There's probably a a youtube video of it.

A HID kit in the high beam lenses is a bad idea b/c of light temp and the time to ignite (i.e. you can't do "flash to pass"). That said I put those 66W bulbs in my highbeam it's it's a good improvement.

So the high beam is actually halogen and they call them Bi-Xenon because a shutter lifts on the low beam when high beam is activated?

Originally Posted by jazd

So the high beam is actually halogen and they call them Bi-Xenon because a shutter lifts on the low beam when high beam is activated?

No. The halogen is a flash to pass/DRL.

High Beam is the xenon, it has a shutter that enables it to be dipped or high beam.

You can code the lights so you can use the halogen as an additional high beam, by default it's a flash to pass and DRL use only.

Bi-Xenon = Xenon for high and dipped beam using a shutter in the projector housing.
Xenon = Xenon for dipped beam with a fixed shutter in the projector housing.
(Xenon is the type of technology but the above is what they equal on cars and in this case the MkV Golf)

The shutter is what gives the light it's pattern when dipped, for example the kick to the left or right.

So does the Golf come with two variants or are all Golf parts Bi-Xenon? I didn't know there were three bulbs.

I'm guessing your modifications you mentioned earlier include changing the shape of the shutter? Do you have a picture showing the shutter?

[edit] Just re-read and I think I understand you now. There are only two bulbs, inside is halogen, outside is Xenon. Low beam - halogen is off and xenon shuttered, high beam - the halogen is still off unless coding changed and Xenon is unshuttered.

Got it? haha that was confusing.

Originally Posted by jazd

So does the Golf come with two variants or are all Golf parts Bi-Xenon? I didn't know there were three bulbs.

All Mark V Golfs are Bi-Xenons.

List of all OEM lights for the Mark V are here - Volkswagen Golf Mark V Headlights - Halogen and Xenon - Part numbers will be put up as part of my Bi-Xenon pages.

I'm guessing your modifications you mentioned earlier include changing the shape of the shutter? Do you have a picture showing the shutter?

Yes and Yes. I can't post the photos yes as I have about 700 or so to sort out on the work done so far.

I bought a set of OEM Xenons for €595 delivered. Pretty good price I thought, works out to be AU$800. Complete set in good condition with ballasts, igniters and bulbs.

Original VW Golf 5 V Bi Xenon Scheinwerfer komplett | eBay

He agreed to post to me directly with DHL. I also signed up with Address Germany which seems to be a decent shipping forwarder but I didnt end up needing it.