MK5 Golf GTI

All Things Mk5 => Mk5 General Area => Topic started by: pudding on November 16, 2016, 11:23:01 am

Title: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 16, 2016, 11:23:01 am
One of mine is flickering and switching off, so needs replacement.  Cars always break in winter don't they!

I was about to pull the trigger on some Osrams or Philips but I don't understand the 4300K, 4800K, 6000K bit.  What does that mean, and what number does OEM fall under?

Cheers!
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: Shoduchi on November 16, 2016, 11:59:17 am
The OEM bulbs are 4300K, so anything higher will be whiter and above 5000K will look too bluish in my opinion. Yellowish white lights give better vision with rain and fog, hence the 4300K temp of the OEM lights. :smiley:

When I need I'll go with Osram Xenarc NB Unlimited. :wink:
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 16, 2016, 12:12:30 pm
The OEM bulbs are 4300K, so anything higher will be whiter and above 5000K will look too bluish in my opinion. Yellowish white lights give better vision with rain and fog, hence the 4300K temp of the OEM lights. :smiley:

When I need I'll go with Osram Xenarc NB Unlimited. :wink:

Nice one, some of those ordered  :happy2:

Thanks mate!
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: Shoduchi on November 16, 2016, 12:41:12 pm
 :happy2:
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 16, 2016, 01:49:37 pm
They're pretty cheap! £84 for a pair on Amazon, compared to about £55 each for a decent Philips!
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: Shoduchi on November 16, 2016, 02:05:07 pm
Yeah, just beware of fakes. Unfortunately there a lot on the market. :fighting:
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 16, 2016, 02:43:38 pm
Yeah, just beware of fakes. Unfortunately there a lot on the market. :fighting:

Should be OK on Amazon Prime (sold by themselves, not a reseller).  Ebay I'd be wary of for sure!
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: Shoduchi on November 16, 2016, 04:18:07 pm
All good! :happy2:
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: fab5freddy on November 16, 2016, 06:02:41 pm
One of mine is flickering and switching off, so needs replacement.  Cars always break in winter don't they!

I was about to pull the trigger on some Osrams or Philips but I don't understand the 4300K, 4800K, 6000K bit.  What does that mean, and what number does OEM fall under?

Cheers!

Might be worth swapping the bulbs around first, just too be sure?, a failing ballast has been known to cause flickering @Pudding (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=10733)
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: martinEd30 on November 16, 2016, 08:38:33 pm
One of mine failed not too long ago too :( defo worth changing the parts over first. I swapped the bulbs first and the fault followed so ended up purchasing a set of OSRAM Xenarc Night Breaker Unlimited from powerbulbs (£79.99 for the pair), the colour isnt as white as my previous osram cool blue intense, but they are a much brighter bulb. :)
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 17, 2016, 10:02:09 am
Cheers guys

The back story is, the driver's bulb did fail completely a few weeks back (I think it was an OEM Philips).  I could tell because the little globe in the middle where the 'filament' is was all grey/black and burnt looking.

I had a couple of original Osram Nightbreakers in my toolbox from one of my old R32s, so I bunged them both in (I always replace things in pairs, don't ask why, OCD I think!) and all was good for a week, and now the passenger one is flickering occasionally, sometimes cutting out completely.   Turning them off / on seems to bring it back online.

I suppose it could be a ballast, but thought I'd try the bulbs first.   Is the ballast the red plastic box that twists on the bulb?  Are they expensive?
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: fab5freddy on November 17, 2016, 10:38:28 am
Cheers guys

The back story is, the driver's bulb did fail completely a few weeks back (I think it was an OEM Philips).  I could tell because the little globe in the middle where the 'filament' is was all grey/black and burnt looking.

I had a couple of original Osram Nightbreakers in my toolbox from one of my old R32s, so I bunged them both in (I always replace things in pairs, don't ask why, OCD I think!) and all was good for a week, and now the passenger one is flickering occasionally, sometimes cutting out completely.   Turning them off / on seems to bring it back online.

I suppose it could be a ballast, but thought I'd try the bulbs first.   Is the ballast the red plastic box that twists on the bulb?  Are they expensive?

Red twisty on the bulb is the igniter, look in the for sale section @Pashka (http://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=5723) is selling a used ballast, new from VW is big bucks, about £200 from memory
Title: Re: D2S xenon bulb help
Post by: pudding on November 17, 2016, 11:01:11 am
Cheers mate.  I'll see how it goes with the bulbs and if the problem persists, ballast time it is!