Xenon Headlights - Are They Poor Quality?

[Jukkeli]

I have factory xenons in my D-CAT and here in Finland they're always on when engine is running. At last winter, first problems occurred at 60000 km:s, first on driver's side (left side here) and then on passenger's side, bulbs shut off themselves without no visible reason. I went to local service at 64000 km and they changed both light assemblies, suspicious reason was ballast transformers which are fixed under those spectacular-sized assemblies. OK, then it helped. Last morning I left home, everything was normal, but after 100 kms I noticed, that right bulb had gone. 94000 kms. I switched off lights, turned them back on and right beam worked again. 1 minute. Same again and again, just one minute. Later in afternoon it was totally dead, When I switched lights on it just flashed once and shutted forever.

Luckily I have fog lights too, finnish police is very eager to remember you with a little ticket if one or both lights are off, but xenons are my life-issurance, they've saved me 2/3 of deer hits and that 1 was in daylight, by the way Auris took it like a man and only front bumper suffered, local service changed it in four hours including total polishing and waxing, felt like Formula 1 driver... (No visible faults, just tiny cracks. I heard fancy bloob from the front and that deer flew away, front bumper is like rubber)

When I bought Auris, I choosed xenons for better visibility and long lifetime (100 tkms or more). I decided to drive it 3 years and 250000 kms, but now it seems that xenons were wrong decision, they're cost 900 euros more and I think that's not worth of it. At next tuesday I'm gonna visit the T and hear the decision, are they changing whole assemblies or only bulbs. Toyota and Lexus are using somewhat exotic D4S system and light assemblies are made by Valeo, it sounds french in my ears and after 2 Renaults I don't trust french electricians...

By the way, my Auris is assembled in Britain and my wife owns jap-made Auris 1,6; my Auris is rattle-free but hers... Overall buid quality seems better in british version, too. I hope that my light problems are temporarily, Auris is very well designed car. Too good to be a Toyota, perhaps :-) ( I had a long row of Volvos before Auris)

Excuse of my english, I normally use finnish or swedish and third language feels sometimes difficult, been driven 600 kms today around beautiful Finland and I'm a bit tired.

[Aldridge Andy]

Firstly don't worry about your english, many people in the UK would love to have the ability to speak one other language, let alone two, or three that our neighbours in europe seem to manage with relative ease. You made a post on this forum, and took the effort to do it, that should be rewarded.

Anyway, over here we don't have the option of Xenons, we have to be happy with the Halogen fitments that come as standard across the whole range. The top end sporty model T180 or SR180 just have a slightly darkened assembly lens to make it appear different to the other models.

From what I've read the lifetime of a xenon fitment should be substantially greater than the Halogen equivalent, as well as having greater performance and clarity in the illuminated area, and the replacement cost relates to this. If you consider that the xenon fitments are not performing as you expected you need to start putting your concerns in writing to your local toyota dealer and also the headquarters for your country.

As we don't have daylight running lights (yet) in the UK our headlight's get a relatively easy life.

[Ogee]

I have the xenon as well. so far no problems but only 15TKM or so. My only disappointment was the xenon was dipped lights only, not sure if this is normal ir Mr T saving costs.

[Toscane]

I have the Xenon as well. so far no problems but only 15TKM or so. My only disappointment was the Xenon was dipped lights only, not sure if this is normal ir Mr T saving costs.

It has been discussed here before, but I will say it again.

You can not use xenon for your high-beams because xenon needs time to light up. If you insist on using, you can not flash and that might be a safety issue in some situations.

You need Bi-Xenon headlights to use the xenon technology effectively and safely with both your low&high beams. And that is...

Bi-Xenon Headlights refers to HID (High Intensity Discharge) Xenon headlights that offer both low (dipped) and high (main) beam lighting from a dual headlight system (as opposed to a quad headlight system).

A bi-xenon system eliminates the need for a separate halogen high beam bulb/lens by either moving the xenon bulb within the lens or by moving a shield up or down in front of the bulb (depending on the reflector design) to allow light to escape from the lens in a different pattern.

[Jukkeli]

Update... Same story again, they replaced whole headlight assembly but only to right side. I asked that why doesn't they change only the transformer, it sits under headlight with 4 torx-screws and is labelled "Headlight Computer" -no answer. That cigarette-box -sized thingy is made by Denso, sounds japanese in my ears, maybe some engineer is forced to harakiri because of my never-happened-before Auris. Only information they leaked about xenon-problems was sudden drop in efficiency in some Avensis's, but long after 100000 kms.

By the way, they finally installed new software in my D-CAT. Version number is some-thing-300 ( hell a lot of numbers ), that earlier and original was -100. I've been driven new version 1000 kms by now and car feels a lot smoothier. That familiar mole-kick is still there, but feels smoother and engine feels a lot more efficient under 2000, now I can use "next" gear ( 6th gear was practically useless under 100 km/h before, now it cruises as well from 85... ok, still not a rocket under 130 )

[Modena]

I want to put some after market xenon head lights into my halogen projectors.

[Aldridge Andy]

By the way, they finally installed new software in my D-CAT. Version number is some-thing-300 ( hell a lot of numbers ), that earlier and original was -100. I've been driven new version 1000 kms by now and car feels a lot smoothier. That familiar mole-kick is still there, but feels smoother and engine feels a lot more efficient under 2000, now I can use "next" gear ( 6th gear was practically useless under 100 km/h before, now it cruises as well from 85... ok, still not a rocket under 130 )

So there is new engine management software available, I wonder if it is installed as a matter of course at service time, or is only uploaded if a problem is reported by the owner.

Did the dealer advise what issues the update was to resolve?

Cheers,

Andy.

[beowulf]

Hmm must be odd to worry about deer. Here in Lisbon we only worry about ox and that's because it's what we call the really lousy drivers.

Sorry to hear about the Toyota xenon.. that's one of the things I think I wished I had it in my Auris D4D 1.4 (I've been in cars with xenon and visibility is a lot better at night). .. but couldn't buy it even as an optional. Now that I dumped the Auris, I miss it in my new car.. but I guess it's not all that critical if there are no deer around.