How long do Xenon's last and how much does it cost to get one replaced? Halogen light bulbs don't cost an arm and a leg and they last a long time - years and years unless you are unlucky. I have never had a Xenon car. I understand everyone who has it recommends it but I am curious...

 

HID bulbs last a LONG time. They don't have any filament to burn out. If the bulb does go, they're around $100 each to replace. But barring accidents I think they can last the life of the car.

My '03 Evo is still on its original bulbs.

--Dan
Mach V
FastMINI.net

 

Theoretically, they'll outlast the car. In practice, nobody knows.

How much they cost to replace depends on what fails. Bulb, ballast, entire assembly (which is expensive for any car) will vary greatly in price. I'd guess you're looking at a ballpark of $200-$500, depending on the particular part.

 

The Xenon lights on my 8-year old, 188K mile BMW are still going strong. I believe they last a very Loooong time.

 

Both of my Xenon lights on my 04' MCS went off in less than 2 years. Good the car was still under warranty.

 

Any reason why you think that might be so? I don't really know much about xenon lights but it seems like the consensus is that they last far longer than that. Do you think it was a flaw with the lights or are there any special conditions under which you drive and use the lights? Flick them on and off a lot any of that type of stuff?

 

Well, I only had the xenon went out on my Mini, so it could be defective xenon ballasts. My EVO is 4 years old and the xenon lights still work fine.

 

I can't speak for Mini xenons, but personal experience with other brands dictates that they should last quite a while. Neither I nor any of my xenon-equipped friends has had any problems to speak of over several years of use.

 

Xenons last a long, long time. Turning them on and off in rapid succession shortens lamp life...On my X5, I don't use the "auto" setting, because I have to pull out of my garage and back in a few times, in order to end up at a safe width from the CEO's car. In "auto" mode, the Xenons will turn on and off as I go from daylight to the dark garage, which is not good for the lamps or ballasts.

Shock to the lamps is also a factor, which is why I suspect BMW mounted the Xenons to the body on the R56, instead of the hood, as in the R53.

I was told by the dealer that Xenon lamps and ballasts are covered by the 48 month, 50k warranty.