My Mini is on order and I have a question regarding the headlamps. I didn't notice anything else in the light enclosure but the ellipsoid lamps and the turn signals, does that mean they are bi-xenon?

When you need to flash a car, does the high beams come on or is it the fog lamps that turn on?

 

The Xenons have a lense that shifts position, raising the cut-off point of the light.

Factory fog lights will turn off when high beams are activated.

MINI accessory driving lights (if you have them and the switch is turned "on") will come on with the high beams.

 

Is this lens shifting done pretty fast? so when i flash the lights and i have the low beams on, it will switch from low beam to high beam as fast as with a conventional halogen lights.

 

I was playing with this in my garage, and it is fast. A couple of tenths of a second.

 

There is really no delay in response....

 

is it possible to flash someone when your headlights are off? i ask this because they are HID lights and typically, you dont want to turn them on and off quickly.

 

Good question? since the headlamp design only has an ellipsoid lens and the turn signal. And as I understand, the Xenons turn on a little slower than the standard halogen bulbs.

 

well they take a few seconds to reach operating temps and brightness. but all the cars ive driven only had low beam xenons so highs were still halogens. I did get a ride in a new cadillac DTS with bixenon but i forgot to test out the high beams with the lights off.

 

Yes, you can "flash to pass" when the head lights are off. The HIDs come on and swivel up. I don't know about the DRLs yet.

(BTW ... ZOMG! I finally got my MINI!!!11!!1!)

 

Trouble with flashing is that the igniters take a hit everytime you do this--and they are mucho expensive!

 

Yes they are, but they are covered under the 36 month maintenance plan.

 

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Actually they are covered under the 4yr/50k warranty which is even better =)

 

True, but I keep cars long after warranty periods expire and I don't like to do anything that might affect the car down the road. My last car, a BMW, was still humming at 14 years and 190,000 miles...