Tsilnner

My 997.2 came with dynamic cornering lights. An interesting feature, but one that I seldom use.

However, I noticed when I switched on the high beams the "Bi Xenon" lights brighten just a bit and a yellowish high beam comes on. In my other cars with Bi Xenon lights the lights move up in the high beam setting.

My question is: Do you get less of a true Xenon high beam when you pay for $690 for dynamic cornering lights?

Thanx.
TS

Minok

The description from Porsche on the BiXenon lights is that there is a mechanical mask that is in place to create the low beam. When one switches to high beam, that mask is lifted, to allow the xenon light to illuminate further up, and a halogen lamp is also turned on to fill in more distance illumination.

The dynamic cornering light component just moves the low beam direction of projection to match the direction of steering. I don't think having dynamic cornering lights changes how the high beam works with the bi-xenons.

You use the cornering lights whenever you drive with the lights on and are taking a corner, whether its obviously useful or not is debatable.. but dynamic cornering lights are being touted as significant game changing technology in cars in terms of safety (akin to the impact airbags made decades ago)

dhud

I believe the description given by Minok on how the lights work is correct. I notice that Tsilnner lives in California and the driving conditions in his area may not emphasize the advantages of the Dynamic Cornering lights. When I bought my car that already had Dynamic Cornering lights, I didn't really notice a difference at first either. However, one night when I was on a real curvy road through the woods and it was pitch black, I REALLY noticed the difference. It blew me away. As I now can't live without Xenon lights, I will probably always go for the Dynamic lights in the future. Once you experience them on windy mountain roads and through heavily wooded areas, it is amazing how they light up the road.

EvilBoffin

I know what you mean about that yellowish cast and associated Halogen bulb!! That threw me off when I first heard that the 997S came standard with BI-Xenon's - I didn't like seeing a traditional bulb in there, and thought that my car had been somehow screwed out of the Bi-Xenon feature!!

As it turns out, the extra halogen lamp is only there to provide 'fill in' illumination in the short-distance area below the main bulb when the Xenon has been raised into the hi-beam position. Otherwise, there would be a dark void just in front of the car when you use the hi-beams.

Minok's description of dynamic lights is pretty much exactly what my sales rep explained when I was trying to decide between a new '09 that had them and the CPO'ed 2007 S that didn't (I eventually bought the '07 last month).

In any case, I find the Bi-Xenon's to be fantastic headlights - especially on hi-beam, even without Dynamic Cornering. They are MUCH better then the Litronics that I had on my previous '00 Boxster S.
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ADias

For some reason I have a hard time accepting that. But then again I do not value airbags as much as I value seatbelts.

GreggT

They were on a 31 Packard last night on Barrett Jackson.....no doubt they are the on the verge of changing all we know about exterior illumination.

ADias

The Citroen ID19 and DS21 had those in the 60s. Nothing new. Just another gizmo for the rolling living room.

Tsilnner

[QUOTE=EvilBoffin;7023507]I know what you mean about that yellowish cast and associated Halogen bulb!! That threw me off when I first heard that the 997S came standard with BI-Xenon's - I didn't like seeing a traditional bulb in there, and thought that my car had been somehow screwed out of the Bi-Xenon feature!!

As it turns out, the extra halogen lamp is only there to provide 'fill in' illumination in the short-distance area below the main bulb when the Xenon has been raised into the hi-beam position. Otherwise, there would be a dark void just in front of the car when you use the hi-beams.]


Thank you for your comments re the halogen lamps.

So, it sounds like the Porsche Bi-Xenon are, unlike the Xenon lights in many other cars, Xenon on low beam and halogen/Xenon on the high beam.

EvilBoffin

Yeah, I can see why you'd refer to it that way.

But since the single Xenon bulb truly acts as the primary illumination in both low- AND hi-beam modes, it's probably still accurate to call it 'Full Xenon low and high beam headlights, with halogen backfill on high beam'.

... How's that for splitting hairs, eh?

Tom N

Another reason for the halogen bulb is to provide instant light when the headlight flasher is activated by pulling on the left hand lever.

This is the same setup in every car I have had that has Xexon lights. I don't really see the halogen lamp filling in that much, since when the Bi-xenon shield is up, you get pretty full coverage from the xenon bulb.

It is distracting to have the more yellow shade of light tossed in.

verboten

[QUOTE=Tsilnner;7033539]Has anyone switched out the halogen bulb with a LED or HID (H11)? I think you would want a LED for instant on when flashing lights.

Bruce In Philly

Xenon is only an "igniter" gas and not the source of illumination. It is to get the temp up fast. The only reason we refer to these lamps as Xenon is because it sounds cool and marketers know that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp

"Automotive HID may be called "xenon headlamps", though they are actually metal-halide lamps that contain xenon gas. The xenon gas allows the lamps to produce minimally adequate light immediately upon start, and shortens the run-up time."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal-halide_lamp

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Dennis C

Good post. They should really be called High Intensity Discharge or HID lights. There are halogen bulbs that contain xenon gas too; another marketing trick.

nwGTS

In Panorama they mentioned the high beams are Halogen because (at the time of production) it reaches full illumination faster than the HID low beams. So if you flashed your high beams it would be more noticeable.

With LEDs in headlight structures now this is obviously obsolete.

verboten

[QUOTE=verboten;13558485]What bulb will match color intensity of HID beam and can it be replaced. Also, I'm still trying to find out if can adjust the direction of the halogen bulb (lower projector).