Do H4 Xenon bulbs contain any Xenon gas?

contributed by Ian Simpson

There seems to be some mis-selling going on.

I recently purchased some new H4 headlight bulbs and the website and label on the packaging gave the impression they were "Xenon" bulbs but then I found they are not Xenon at all but Halogen, made by GEC, and I already had a pair of the GEC Halogen Superblue, nearly the same as the GEC MegaLight ones I'd just bought. On the road the Megalights do seem to be making a bit more light. So that's good. And I remember that the SuperBlue (which are not blue like the Xenon blue lookalikes) were a fair bit brighter and whiter than the previous halogens I changed from in 2003. So that's double good for the Megalights then. So I'm happy. But not with the claim that they were Xenon bulbs.


From the GEC website:

6. What is the difference between "xenon" and your blue lamps Euroblue?

Blue halogen lamps are based on halogen technology, while "xenon" bulb is a high intensity discharge lamp. GE Euroblue lamps with their bluish-white colour are the nearest to discharge lighting. Link to Euroblue sell sheet.

12. Do you manufacture the so called *xenon* lamps?

*Xenon* bulb is a high intensity discharge lamp. We offer XensationTM D2 S and D2 R types, they are not interchangeable with halogen lamps, discharge lamps can be used only in reflectors, originally designed for such kind of lamps.

http://www.gelighting.com/eu/product_portfolio/automotive/faqs.htm

http://www.gelighting.com/eu/product_portfolio/automotive/faqs.htm


From the Osram website:

Question:
Can "xenon lamps" be installed in any vehicle?

Answer:
"Xenon light" works on a completely different principle from conventional halogen headlight lamps. They need electronic control gear in order to operate, and since the geometry of the lamps is different from that of other headlight lamps, they also need special reflectors.

"Xenon lamps" can only be installed if the entire headlight is replaced. Please ask your dealer whether "xenon light" is available for your vehicle as an option.


Question:
My dealer said there is no retrofit with Xenon-Lamps possible for my car, although there are a lot of cars with Xenon-Lamps on the road that didn't have Xenon from the start.Is it possible to replace the existing luminaries by a Xenon-version by myself?

Answer:
It is not possible to replace a halogen lighting system with a Xenon lamp by yourself. Some car manufacturers offer a special conversion which is done by the their garages (VW, BMW).

Some car manufacturers have not yet decided, whether they should offer this possibility. The reason is that this is a very complex and expensive integration that must be adapted to the total electrical system of the car. Further, a large number of tests are necessary. To avoid abuse of the Xenon light there are many regulations. E.g. an automatic levelling system is needed in some markets to reduce glare for the oncoming traffic.

In addition to this, a headlamp-washing device is also required in certain European markets. Finally you may have to change many parameters of the car electronic system.

Nobody would like the airbag to open when you turn on the lights.

So we recommend that you avoid modifications that do not come original from the car manufacturer.


Question:
Which is better, SUPER or COOL BLUE or Silverstar?

Answer:
This all depends on personal requirements and preferences.Safety-conscious drivers who are looking for maximum performance and as much light as possible on the road ahead tend to choose OSRAM SUPER or better the OSRAM SILVERSTAR.
The OSRAM SILVERSTAR is the best possible choice at present for halogen headlights because it offers the highest light output.

Drivers who prefer good performance, high visibility and something a little different tend to choose lamps from the OSRAM COOL BLUE range.
The idea is that you are safer in a car that is noticed.


Question:
Which materials do halogen and discharge headlamps contain?

Answer:
The bulb of halogen lamps is made of hard glass or quartz glass, the socket is mostly made of steel and/or plastics. The filament is made of tungsten. The filling gas is mostly a mixture of rare gases containing less than 1% parts of halogen mostly bromine rarely chlorine or iodine. The electrodes of a gas discharge lamps are made of tungsten with 0,7% of thoriumoxid.


Question:
Which hazardous materials do these lamps contain?

Answer:
Discharge lamps (Xenon-lamps) contain less than one milligram of mercury and traces of thallium. Due to the very low quantities involved there is no risk to health or to environment even if several lamps break. Because of the high fill pressure the instructions on the enclosed leaflet are to be followed.

Question:
How can I legally get more light on the road?

Answer:
The simplest and most cost-effective way is to replace standard halogen headlight lamps with corresponding OSRAM SUPER or better the SILVERSTAR version. These lamps provide up to 50% more light on the road ahead at a distance of 50 to 100 m and longer illumination up to 20 m.Another way is to replace the complete headlight fixture with complete headlights designed for OSRAM XENARC gas discharge lamps.This option offers maximum light for every driver.Ask your dealer whether your car can be fitted with these headlights.The third way is to install additional auxiliary headlights to improve the full beam function.


Question:
Is there an incandescent lamp that will last forever?

Answer:
No.
The laws of physics dictate that there is no such thing as an incandescent lamp that can last forever. When current flows through a filament some of the filament inevitably vaporises. After a while this results in the filament burning through.

It is possible to design an incandescent lamp so that it lasts a long time. However, there is always a compromise involved because the luminous efficacy is reduced (i.e. the amount of light that can be generated from a particular input power. The filament can be operated at a lower temperature or a thicker filament can be used so that it takes longer for sufficient material to vaporise before it burns through.

An important consideration is safety. Lamps with an extremely long life would not meet current requirements for headlights. Because they would not generate sufficient output to make a satisfactory beam pattern.


Question:
What is electronic light?

Answer:
OSRAM makes a distinction between electrical light (this category includes incandescent lamps and halogen lamps) and electronic light (in other words, products that generate light with the aid of discharge lamps and electronic control gear)."Electronic light " has the advantage that more efficient ways of generating light are used and that the process of generating light can be controlled by the electronic circuitry independently of the operating voltage. What's more, these light sources usually have long service lives.OSRAM designs its electronic lighting components so that they last nearly as long as the vehicles in which they are installed. "Electronic lighting products" in the automotive sector include the following:
XENARC TM: the gas discharge lamp for headlights
Luminonv TM: neon discharge lamps in red and yellow
Luminescent TM: miniature fluorescent lamp, generally in white
LEDs: light emitting diodes in red, yellow, blue, green and white


http://www.osram.com/service_corner/...tiv.html#faq5x






I think that answers it.

No Xenon gas in these H4 type so called Xenon bulbs.






Ian S RTOC Profile

H4 headlight bulb