What is the true definition of Bi Xenon?
Does this mean Xenon high and low beams?
I could have sworn that my 997S has halogen high beams.

 

Bi-Xenon highs and lows are significantly brighter than halogen (gas) bulbs. We're talking about 80% brighter with the low beams and about 150% with the highs. It's a different technology. (They are using less energy doing it).

 

I know that Xenon is brighter than Halogen...but what does the bi stand for?
Does the 997S have halogen high beams?

 

You're on the right track. Two lights in one. Both the high and low beams are Xenon. Technically they use one bulb projector unit but a mechanical shutter electronically slewed changes the beam pattern. The shutter is lowered for high beam usage. There is a 'flash' bulb for flashing others but you will notice that the color temperature is substantially warmer than the 4200K of the Bi-Xenons. What of course makes the Bi-Xenon better than the Xenon is the Bi aspect of it. Most of the cheaper Xenon systems out there today produce their low beam from a Xenon bulb and use a Halogon bulb for the high beam side of things. Bi-Xenons use about 1/3 the power of Halogens.

Several days ago someone showed several spy shots of a future 998 model on Rennlist which shows an unusual arrangement inside the front Bi-Xenon lights. I'm guessing that they will be controllers that will allow the beams to track with the road,--common already on several high end Mercedes sedans.

I believe that the Carrera base-models come with Halogen lights. Use caution in the south Florida region with Bi-Xenon equipped Porsches,--they are targeted for theft. It only takes a pro about 3 minutes to pull your headlights from the car and they don't damage the body either.

 

I thought I read somewhere that they weigh less than halogens. ?

 

They don't weigh less than halogen, infact if you factor in the ignitor and ballast, they are quite heavy.

 

Front weight is okay in a 911

 

FWIW, I think the bi-Xenons in the 997 are the best headlights I have ever driven behind. Nice, white light with no hot spots and incredibly bright. They put my previous Lexus and M-B Xenon's to shame.

 

Bi-Xenon = HID highs/lows.

I've had some really good xenons - S2000, S4, and now the Carrera S. My Evo's HIDs weren't very "blue" but were still very good. After having had Xenons for the last 6 years or so, I can't imagine going back to halogens.

 

Bi-Xenon means that the HID Xenon filled bulb is used for both the high beam and the low beam. The actual intensity of the Xenon bulb is much higher (almost twice) what a Litronic bulb can put out. In a Litronic head light, a separate halogen is used for the high beam. The Xenon light is rotated upward to add additional fill in high beam mode. With Bi-Xenons a shutter is used to restrict and redirect light in low-beam mode. When the shutter is opened in high-beam mode, light is focused and directly directly ahead. A separate halogen is also used in high-beam mode with Bi-Xenons. The halogen is used to provide additional fill directly in front and to the side when the high beams are engaged.

I don't know if the same is try for Litronics, but the beam patterns are different between the left and right headlights on Bi-Xenons. With the shutters close the passenger headlight illuminates higher and more to the right side of the road to illuminate better the side of the road.

If you really want to see something neat, get a 99-01' Litronic and a 02-04' Bi-Xenon cars and put them side to side. Remove the headlight assemblies, disconnect the halogen and reinstall them. This will take less than 5 minutes as the light assemblies are 1 quick turn of a ratchet to remove. Then turn on the high beams and see what happens. The Litronic will be hard to distinguish any difference in high beam or low beam. The Bi-Xenon on the other hand loses all the side and front fill. It just shows a very bright single spot directly in front of the car at a distance.

 

bi xenon still uses halogen in addition to xenon for hi beam. basically, xenon is used for low beam and when you have high beam turned on, there is a halogen bulb turned on in addition. earlier litronic would use halogen only for high beam i believe.

 

FWIW, most DRLs are halogen - my GTI was a pleasant exception (HID DRLs).

 

djantlive -
That's exactly what I thought as well. When i left work last night in my 997S I played with them a bit because I was facing a concrete wall in my parking garage. Low beams were definitely a white color. When I clicked on the highs the low beam whites stayed the same and I got a yellowish light above the white light. I'm assuming that was the high beam halogen.

Therefore I'm thinking that the bi xenons ARE NOT high and low beam xenons.

 

bi xenon when in high beam is not 100% xenon. it uses xenon for close up and halogen to fill outer areas. they call it bi xenon since xenon is used in high beam mode. this is confusing to many though.

xenon cannot be used for high beam since it's it too bright and the light disperses too wide. i doubt there is any car maker that uses only xenon in high beam but i cannot be 100% sure.

either way, i think the light works well and looks nice. it's a must have in a modern car IMO.

 

Amazing how the answers in this post differ...
Most of the time Rennlist provides pretty consistant technical answers.
Why the variation in this case?