virkdoc

I was having some trouble with my Cayenne 2006 headlamps. It has a bixenon setup, the light was too dim.
I took out the D1S bulbs and found that the bulbs were a little hazt with a dark brown discoloration around the middle. They are Osram Xenarc 35W
Picture1 is of the bulb with the discoloration

Also I had some aiming issues with the head lamp. I found 2 adjustment screws, so my question is that is it possible to adjust the high beam and low beam seperately?
I thought there was only one screw we turned to adjust our headlamps.

Also I found a shutter inside the xenon projector housing which i pressed with a screw driver and it flipped down? What is this for? does it mean when we switch on the high beam the xenon shutter also falls? If so then why do we have a seperate high beam on the side?

virkdoc

Anyone?

grohgreg

Not that it will make much difference to your issue, but I don't believe that's a bi-Xenon unit. Pretty sure you've got the older HID Xenon projector system. That said, there is the ballast to consider as well. Are both sides dim, or just one? Cuz if it's just one, you could swap the good bulb to the bad side to test the bad side ballast

//greg//

virkdoc

Greg both bulbs are the same condition. Oh you mean the ballasts could be bad too?

grohgreg

Well my last three cars had advanced headlight systems; one halogen projector system and two bi-Xenon. In between was the HID Xenon projector (no bi-). The difference between a projector system and a bi-system is automation. The projector systems is manual adjust, the bi-system is auto-adjust (the headlights adjust themselves every time the car is started).

What's common among the three systems is the ballast. There's typically one per lighting unit. Two Hi/Lo headlights, two ballasts. Four headlights (two high/two low), four ballasts. I personally have never had a headlight issue in any of those three cars. But during those years it seems that more ballast issues have been reported than bulb issues.

Not saying this is the case with your Cayenne, just that you have to consider ballast in the overall troubleshooting process.

//greg//

virkdoc

Righto thanks greg and yes when I switch on the lights the xenons first move down and then up automatically so that means it should be a bi xenon?? also there is a shutter inside the xenon so does it mean when I switch on the high beam the shutter falls to let out more light?? Then why would they give another Halogen high beam when they already have a bi xenon set up??

grohgreg

Hmmm. I have no answer for the shutter question, but am now wondering if that's not a retrofitted headlight system. I'm not well versed in the earlier Cayenne, but I didn't think bi-Xenon was offered until MY2007. Also, my search engine seems to think the DS1 is a HID Xenon bulb. Bi-xenon bulbs have different designators. Just spit-balling here, but it might give you a little more food for thought

Afterthought: does your MY2006 have an automatic headlight washing system? I ask, because diffusion caused by dirty headlight covers on bi-Xenon systems caused the NHSTA to mandate auto-washing systems. If there's no factory washing system, that would be another indicator of an improperly retrofitted headlight assembly.

//greg//

virkdoc

http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/BA...adlights_c.pdf

Greg check this out, it says bi xenon for low and high beam and there is also an auxiliary high beam so I'm guessing when the high beam is switched on it flips the shutter down on the bi xenons and also switches on the auxiliary high beam.

XR4Tim

The shutter is for "flash to pass", when you pull the stalk toward you. The regular high beams are used when you push the stalk forward. At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works on the Cayenne.

virkdoc

But pushing the stalk forward also switches on the auxiliary high beam....the one with the halogen in it. So if you are saying the shutter falls on flashing it should not be cos usually xenons take time to reach full intensity and ideally are not used for flashing.
My beams are out otherwise I would have checked but I'm pretty sure flashing switches on the halogens.

grohgreg

Good find on that PDF. Clearly more authoritative than what I found. Good time for me to bow out before I confuse the issue further

//greg//

XR4Tim

No, I believe the shutter is normally closed, and it opens when you flash to pass. The intensity of the bulb doesn't change, but opening the shutter allows the light to be directed higher.

virkdoc

So you are saying the shutter function is just used as a flash to pass? I am pretty sure that when we flash the halogens flash....can anyone confirm this??
what i meant was that usually xenons have a start up time to reach full intensity...so are not usually used for flashing cos when we flash the xenon would switch on and then take time to reach full intensity

XR4Tim

Yes. I can't confirm at the moment, since I don't have a Cayenne in front of me, but this is the way my VW functioned: Xenon bulbs functioned as low beams (with DRL), with shutters activating the flash to pass; halogens functioned as high beams.

Toby Pennycuff

Bi-Xenon systems found in the Cayenne, from the very beginning, used the Xenon HID bulb for regular lighting situations as well as high-beams. The shutter found in the assembly is opened completely when one activates the high-beam and is partially closed when using the normal dipped beam. This is the factory setup. Flash to pass is simply a flash of the standard high-beam.

To asnwer some questions posed in this thread....
1. This is a factory setup. Bi-Xenon lights were an option in the early model years and the standard lighting offering was the halogen lighting package.
2. No, you cannot adjust the Bi-Xenon lights using any of what most of us would consider "normal" adjustment screws. The height adjustment is handled completely by the combination control unit/ballast located at the back of the headlight assembly. The control unit works in conjunction with level sensors located at the front and rear axles to control where the beam falls. This adjustment can only be performed by someone using the factory PIWIS or PST2 tester. Watching the adjustment process is actually pretty interesting as the car moves up and down if you have PASM.


Toby