B6 (R36) Projector Issues

[Passat R36]

5000k will be perfect, 4300k isn't too bad.

[snerlo]

Snerio

I went down this path awhile back and the bad news is that to upgrade the HID globes from 35w to a 50w output will require completely changing both ballasts to a 50w version and then upgrading the cabling to the actual lamp head...and then you'll have to try to convince the CANBUS system that all is well.

And yes, that will require most of the front of the car to be removed.

Not worth the hassle or the expense.

Regarding the foggy lenses, that will definitely have an effect on total light output and size/shape of the light beam. If it were me, and it was really annoying me, I'd just replace both lamp assemblies with new ones. Try JKU in QLD, they sell OEM parts quite a bit cheaper than dealing with VW.

The other option is to install some driving lights...

Good luck!


AT

Yeah, sweet Timlin. Thanks for the headsup. Not worth the effort i agree. I'll just stick with what ive got. Not keen on spending lots of money on them if that's what is involved

[pologti18t]

YOu should be able to replace the lenses

The Retrofit Source | Innovative Headlight Upgrades

[Jakeys]

YOu should be able to replace the lenses

The Retrofit Source | Innovative Headlight Upgrades

The problem is opening up the headlight assembly to do it!

[Felixrising]

Jesus! You really have to take off the whole front?! Thats nuts.. thanks VW for the not to klever thinking!

So, I'm having new front and rear bumpers put on my new (second hand) R36 (both bumbers had a small amount of damage - a small tear front and back).. should I be getting some maintenance done on the headlights whilst the front bumper is off??? I didn't notice whether the lights were murkey or discoloured - only test drove it the once at night and it seemed okay to me at the time...

Cheers

[snerlo]

It depends on how anal you are about having perfect headlights. If the lens looks like it has a small frosty looking discolouration and you feel like ripping the headlight apart, then go for it, but from the sounds of it, it really isn't worth worrying about in my honest opinion. I'm pretty anal about having things perfect but a line has to be drawn somewhere!!

[Felixrising]

I was having a look at my xenon HIDs and also noted they are very cloudy too... Is this just UV bleaching or by design? I can't see it being the later... the retrofit source lenses look great, but what size are the correct ones? If the instructions on pulling those lamp assemblies apart are correct, I don't think I'm up for it.. the one I saw had the guy sticking the whole thing in the oven! :S

Please correct me if I'm wrong, the stock Xenon HID globes are 4300k? I would have though they are 5000k at least, they look super white/blueish compared to the cornering lamps and parking lights (is that what the inner smaller lamps are called?) which both look less than 4300k, more like 3000k or something down into the yellow spectrum. I'd like to get both cornering and driving lights similar to the xenons, I'm guessing either 4300 or 5000k, but totally happy to stick with halogen/conventional incandescent bulbs where possible (price and staying close to stock being the driving factors here).

[Jakeys]

I think the clouding is wear/grime on the lenses. From factory the lenses have a golf ball kinda bumpy design on them rather than flat, but they should be clear. I am guessing it is common as everyone I have asked has had the clouding, although it tends only to be visible at night when they are on. It affects the output quality, unfortunately, so it is a flaw.

Yes, heating the lenses to separate them is not uncommon, and yes it is a ****ty job I'd rather not do either. Plus, I don't think it will be as easy as just replacing the lenses with aftermarket, I expect some modding would be involved.

Yes, stock are 4300k. Your parkers and cornering/bend lighting are incandescent aka "yellow" light, which is why your projectors appear white by comparison. If you replace your parkers with LED you will notice they are considerably whiter than the factory HID lights, refer to my first photo in the original post for an example. The camera makes the LED look blueish but it is a proper white LED, and the HID looks yellower next to it. This is because LED at a guess is probably around 5000k.

You are unlikely to find LED lights easily that are a matching 4300k, you will either want to swap your HID's to 5000k (Expensive and prick of a job, front bar off) or accept your LED lighting being a bit whiter than your headlights. I've done the latter, the difference is very minor, significantly less than incandescent vs 4300k. Your parkers, mirror puddles and license plate lights can all be swapped out easily for LED variants. DO NOT buy LED for your cornering/bend lighting though, even CANBUS compatible lighting will throw an error there as they fade out rather than turn off when you complete your turn, which doesn't work with LED. I was going to get Phillips BlueVision globes for mine for this reason, but everything else is LED.

If you do decide to upgrade your HID globes to 5000k, while you have the lights out, you could try cleaning inside your lenses with a stick with some microfibre on the end or something, but I have no idea how much clearance there is in there for that.

[Passat R36]

re the Xenon, some case is the the Xenon bulb heated up the reflector in the unit causing the crap light output

[Felixrising]

Hmmm... Thanks @Jakeys for your very informative post! In considering all of the HID upgrades and LED upgrades, I've decided to go for traditional Halogen H7 globes, I think from a pure visibility perspective the Philips WhiteVision (4100k) would offer the best mixture of purer white light whilst maintaining good visible lighting, with the Philips CrystalVision (4300k) offering less visibility but a closer match to the 4300k HIDs - which also meets my *need* to get ride of that yellow light which bugs me *every time* those cornering lights come on. As for the parkers... no idea, but blingwork automotive lighting seem to have a CrystalVision kit that includes "matching" T10 parkers (with zero info on what they are) which I assume 'll be plug-n-play.

I kind of expected there'd be a TSB about the Xenon projector lens cloudiness... but there is only a dead url to "customer reports moisture in HID/Xenon assembly"... Meh... the search for a lazy solution continues... I might have a crack at that stick+cloth idea..

EDIT: What are the fog lamps again? H11? I'm guessing, being for foggy conditions, by rights they should remain very yellow temperature lamps...

Cornering lamps: H7 55W
Parkers: T10 W5W
Fog Lamps: H11 55W?