How can I tell if my Mini has Xenon headlights? I have only had this car for about 5 days now and love it already. I'm hooked. It is an 03 produced on 8/03 if that helps. It isn't an "s" though.

The reason I'm asking is my friend has a set of H& 8500K HID Xenon-Krypton blue tint bulbs he wants to give me.

 

The Xenons are much brighter and have a white light compared with the more yellow of regular headlights. Also, when driving the Xenons have a sharp cut-off of light on the road.

 

nm

 

Deleted

 

Hey chow, why did you delete your message?

 

Check out the chrome ring around the headlights. If there is a small D shaped piece then you have HID headlights. The small piece is where the headlight washes pop out.

 

Non-xenons look like this. I'm pretty sure the xenons look different

 

Prior to 2005 cars with Xenon, will say Xenon on one of the bulbs and i'm pretty sure it will have the headlight washers.

 

Because I was going to say forget about 8500K lamps but some ppl like them for bling.

Its your personal choice.

 

When you turn on your headlights, do you get a FLASH that makes you think something just blew up? If yes, you have Xenons.

Oh yeah, 8500K is way too dark. Want to make a fashion statement? Do it somewhere else. Headlights are for seeing, not being seen.

 

I deleted my post because I accidentally responded to the wrong thread! I had a senior moment--duh!

 

the picture that Valcom111t posted does not apply to your '03 MINI. On the '03's the Xenon and halogen headlights looked the same, except for the "D" shaped spray nozzle on the inboard side of the chrome ring that surronds the headlamp assembly.

 

also it actually says xenon inside the assembly

 

The 8500k is too dark. The 7500k (with uprated wattage), however, gives good light AND bling. Add to that the dealer option driving lamps with the 7500k bulbs and you'll turn night into day with the high-beams on.

 

Should auto level also. On my 04 if I open the hood and turn on the key to the run position, then turn on the headlights the autolevelers go crazy trying to level from a 90 degree angle. :D
I was trying to figure out if the autoleveling mototrs were still working when I tried that. On my Lexus the headlights cycle down then back up to level when you turn themon. I've neer noticed the Mini headlight do anything, but they sure do move when the hood is up and I turn them on. LOL.
As 3coconas indicated, a bright flash happens when you first turn on xenons, Normal light just turn on with a yawn, HID pops like a light in a high school gym! WHAM!

 

That is exactly why I deleted my original post.

I'm not going to try to convince you or anyone else not to go with anything higher than 4200K because some ppl like bling and dont care about function. If you want to read the physics, read here.

Functionally, they are poor but people dont want to hear that because its "cool"

Best of luck ... the only thing that matters is what makes you happy.

 

... one of the xenon headlights.

Hope it's of use to somebody.

 

Hey Chows,
It has taken me a couple hundred posts to realize that regardless the intent, some posts are destined for endless debate (sometimes pretty heated). That's a pretty interesting study on blue light & Xenons.

Ok, this question is off topic, but what the heck: On the other end of the spectrum, I still see a few cars with yellow headlamps in Europe and Carribean isles. What's the purpose of yellow lenses? Vintage bling?

 

I know. That's why I originally decided to delete my post. Some people like Bling ... some people want function. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone is different. In this case, there is scientific evidence that supports the function but it dont matter to some ppl and that is OK.

That is most likely selective yellow. Until the mid-1990s it was the law in France. Read here. You will see them in racing cars because the slower cars are required to use yellow and the prototypes white.

 

I think this post got off to a bad start. Let me first say that I'm not a "bling" guy. I'm 32 with 2 kids, I'm way past that stuff. I was just wondering if they would work. And now I'm glad I asked the question, because I don't want my lights to be any darker! If anything, I want the kind that are super powerful that people think you have your brights on and flash you because of it. I live out in the rural part of Jacksonville and come home at around midnight from work and can't count how many times I have seen deer on the side of the road. I want more light if anything!

 

If you want the "see", then stick with Xenons around 4200K. The higher you go, the less you will see

 

If you have xenons, you won't need more light. They are very bright and clear. If you have hedlight washers, you have xenons... and they will not look like the picture posted above, those are from an 05 or 06 car.

If you just bought the car, you may want to call MINI and give them your VIN and ask what all options were puchased with your car. You may have more goodies than you think.

 

This '03 car has Xenons - usefully you have an "on" and an "off" pic in one shot

(click for bigger)

(the picture posted earlier is of 05'+ Xenon, a very different design to the pre-'05s!)

 

It's worth mentioning that if you install H anything lights in your car, they're halogen. Xenon bulbs have the designation D2S. 8500k Xenon wanna be halogens are going to be bright purple and put out about 1/4 the light of any comparable halogen bulb.

It's also worth mentioning that installing a Xenon retrofit kit to your car is not only illegal but extremely dangerous. There have been many posts on the forums about light scatter when using HID bulbs in a Halogen housing. To oncoming traffic your car will have an incredible amount of glare, to the point that it may be blinding.

If you have halogens, stick to halogen bulbs, if you need more light, invest in a set of driving lights mounted low to the ground. If you're that set on HID's, save up and invest in the OEM HID's, they're expensive, but that's the only safe way to do it .

 

Actually, Sylvania SilverStar halogens are much brighter than others. They aren't "bling" lights, but they are very white, almost HID looking. I have these on my Volvo and they work great. Make sure you turn off the daytime running lights though! Otherwise they will burn out in about 3 months.

On a different note, the easy way to see if you have xenons is to pop open the hood and look for the light ballasts, which only xenons need. Happy motoring!