slicky rick

i wonder if anybody has noticed that it has always been advertised that the 2010 has bi xenon headlamps...mine is a 2010 has dynamic cornering lights and supposedl bi xenon...why is it that the high beams are halogens? should they not be xenon hid's too? has anybody upgraded these halogen bulbs to true HID units? im confused.

Bijan

Your bi-Xenons are for both high and low beam, it uses a baffle to block part of the beam at low beam, so one bulb is used for both purposes. The other (halogen) bulb in the dynamic cornering and non dynamic cornering models is used as a "fill in" at high beam and as a "flasher" to save the Xenons. Xenons are not only slower to warm up but preferrably should not be turned off and on too many times, this is their "wear" time. The Xenon bulbs have a much higher light output than halogens, are bluish in hue and the bulbs should last many years as there is no filament, it is discharge system between electrodes so a high voltage is required on starting them.
They require headlight washers to prevent dazzle if dirt builds up on the light surface.

GSIRM3

I don't think headlight washers are required by any law, at least US laws, for cars having xenon lights. I had three e46 M3s and none had washers unless they were ordered as part of the cold weather package. Corvettes have xenon lights also and no washers. I am sure there are other examples also.

kosmo

the BI Xenons are both. I kinda wish P would start using LED's in the Headlamps, considering its brighter and more efficient.

Bijan

Hi GSIRM3,
I was noteing in general, although it is law in this country and others. Many aftermarket HIDs are purchased on the internet and installed here without washers and they would be illegal.

ADias

I wonder how many times the headlight washers are activated. I never use mine. I can see a very rare occurrence during a rare major storm, where that might be needed, but it is probably 0.01% of the time. That requirement seems to come from make-work government bureaucrats.

Bijan

ADias, absolutely correct. Took me a while to discover where the button was.
Although I believe it can operate 1 per 10 windscreen washes, probably if set on the PCM personal memory function.

Minok

LED headlamps are not drop in ready for headlights. To get the same light output as form xenon or halogen lamp, you need a pretty big cluster of high-power LED's, which then require a lot of current (not so much voltage though), and they produce a LOT of heat as a result. Also, the bigger cluster of LEDs makes focusing the light more interesting, so reflector designs need to be optimized to get all of the light going out in the right direction.

Folks are working on them and some car makes have them, but LED headlamps are not yet ready for wide-spread deployment in my book. Once they get proven, then Porsche will use them.... You know Porsche, adoption and change of technology is at a geologic pace... which is OK for me as I don't want unproven technology in my car if I can avoid it.

Hella LED Headlamp Study PR - 2008

Hella LED - getting close article

LED Headlights in Cadillac Escalade

simsgw

Actually, I still don't know where it might be and I thought I'd found all the buttons and switches until you said this.

I wasn't concerned though, because the manual does say that the headlight washers activate once for every ten sweeps of the windshield wipers. I just noted that in passing as I scanned the manual looking for text tucked in the interstices between warnings. I don't remember it being a programmable feature, but I'll have to check it now.

Gary

Bijan

Simsgw,
Don't have my car handy in my office but from memory it is a little oval button on the wiper/spray stalk, near where the thinner stalk part begins.
The headlights must be on (recommend windows up) to operate

brendo

headlamp washers are required under european law for HID headlamps but not in the US

Edgy01

The headlight washers operate on their own if you (1) have the headlights on and (2) you have squirted the windshield 9 times already. On the tenth squirt of the windshield the headlights get a bath. Otherwise you can get them to operate on their own if the (1) headlights are on and (2) you press (push up) the button on the bottom surface of the wiper control stalk.

It's a bit of overkill, but it can add excitement to someone in a crosswalk on a rainy day...!

P.S. For brendorenn, I like the look of the script on the side of your particular car--doesn't work for all!

brendo

thanks! i bought it with 1800mi on it (CPO) and couldn't decide on whether i liked them or not. i have some fuchs on the way from germany so i'm waiting for them to arrive to see if they'll all tie in with the retro look.

90% of the comments from people who see the car are about the yellow seat belts tho. people, did you see those sport bucket seats and the PCCBs?

simsgw

Yes, I found it. And the page in the owners manual as well. As Edgy and others say, it is not once per every ten swipes of the wipers as I had remembered, but once every ten uses of the windshield washer.

My first thought was "My God! I'll be out of warranty before it gets in a single squirt." That's probably true here in Southern California, but then I remembered what Spring was like in Duluth Minnesota. When daytime temps got above twenty degrees, the streets were slush from side to side. I would have gone through a headlight rinse cycle three times on the way from home to campus. I can see why a European car would have this feature and I can see its value in at least a third of the United States.

Gary
Who still doesn't expect to see a
squirt unless he uses that button

MLindgren

Can't wait to see the Fuchs. Have you seen the ducktail spoiler from Getty Designs? They have a version like the Carrera Sport that includes the CHMSL at the top-looks good IMO. You'll love the PCCBs if you don't already. I also have the script on the side but after a year in matte black the the color is becoming lighter so they may come off but your car looks great!