Xenon Headlights?

A 530d that I test drove yesterday had Xenon headlights fitted as an extra.

When asked the salesman couldn't really tell me much about them other than they are just brighter.  I had explained that they were new to me and that I had noticed high voltage warning signs on the lights under the bonnet.  There was a grey sealed box next to the headlights that connected the headlights to the wiring loom.

As the salesman couldn't answer my questions....can you lot?

What exactly are they?  Are they just like more powerful headlights?  Aren't they supposed last the life time of the car?  Do they need a specialist to change the bulbs?  Are they worth looking for on a second hand E39?

Andrew

would not own a car without them now i have used them

really to put it in the most easy to understand the difference is;

you use normal light ok they are a kind of yellow colour.
xenon bulbs give out light at the same wavelenght as the sun so you see
the road etc. infront of you as clear as day without the yellow tint.

they go from about 2000kw all the way to 12000kw

the lower the wattage the closer to yellow they are but they are still white

I think a 4000kw bulb has the same intensity as 2000 candles if that
helps. if you really wana know about them give me a pm and ill forward
you on all the details i have on them along with graphs and pictures
compairing!

the daft thing is they fit bi-xenons on the e39 - the driving lights are xenon but the main beams are halogen - looks strange with stark white lights next to yellow so i've got some hb3 philips blue visions at home waiting to be fitted at the weekend, i'll take some before and after pics

stephenperry wrote: the daft thing is they fit bi-xenons on the e39 - the driving lights are xenon but the main beams are halogen - looks strange with stark white lights next to yellow so i've got some hb3 philips blue visions at home waiting to be fitted at the weekend, i'll take some before and after pics

Bi-xenons would be both main and dip as HID.

I've got a HID kit for the dip beam with normal halogen for the main
beam.

The reason I don't have HID main beam is because unlike normal halogen
bulbs, the HID bulbs wear each time they are switched on (although very
little wear when left on), halogen bulbs don't care how many times they
go on/off as they just have a short lifespan anyway.

If you use HIDs for the main beam, you'll ruin them in less than a year as
you are constantly switching them on/off to flash people and when night
driving.

Although I do agree the colour difference looks pants.