# Xenon in rain?



## eelnoraa (Oct 13, 2003)

Hi

Today, big storm hit bay area. While siting in my friends car, I have a concern about xenon headlight. He has a after market retrofit xenon for his Forester. I found that I can absolutely see nothing in rain at night. I later conclude that the reason is his xenon is too "blue". Under normal weather, it is perfect, very bright, but once in rain, all the light seem to be reflected by the wet surface, and lot of shadow. My concern is that will xenon in my new bmw be the same? I don't know if I will regret ordering xenon.

Can your oem xenon owner out there comment on this issue?

eel


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## Patrick330i (Sep 30, 2002)

eelnoraa said:


> Hi
> 
> Today, big storm hit bay area. While siting in my friends car, I have a concern about xenon headlight. He has a after market retrofit xenon for his Forester. I found that I can absolutely see nothing in rain at night. I later conclude that the reason is his xenon is too "blue". Under normal weather, it is perfect, very bright, but once in rain, all the light seem to be reflected by the wet surface, and lot of shadow. My concern is that will xenon in my new bmw be the same? I don't know if I will regret ordering xenon.
> 
> ...


Never had a problem, but I haven't driven all that much in the rain at night with my lights on. But when I have driven in the rain at night, I have noticed ZERO problem like the one you describe above.


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## Cliff (Apr 19, 2002)

Some of the aftermarket kits have color temperatures in the 6000-8000° kelvin range because some folks think blue, ineffective, high glare headlights are cool or something. I believe most OEM xenons are more in the 4100-4500k range, and daylight is 5250k.

It sucked driving through that storm to work yesterday morning before dawn, but my primary problem was moving mass quantities of water off my windshield and not my headlights.


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## racerdave (Sep 15, 2003)

Plus, a lot of the aftermarket lights just use the standard halogen reflectors... which is not the way to go with HIDs. 

The BMWs use a projector, which is far more precise and puts out a cleaner light.

I've been in a Xenon BMW at night. They're superior lights in any condition. (well haven't been in a big snowstorm with them...)


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## mallards (Oct 30, 2003)

ive never had a problem with my xenons in the rain at night ... 

trust me, you will like them ... :thumbup: 

Ben


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## cruztopless (Sep 23, 2002)

It has been raining A LOT over here in the last couple of days. The xenon lights work great and I have better visability at night in all conditions.


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## LouT (Jun 11, 2003)

eelnoraa said:


> Can your oem xenon owner out there comment on this issue?


On both of the BMWs I've owned recently (an '02 325 and the ZHP), the xenons have been great in rain and fog. Both have razor sharp cutoffs: the 325's was straight, the ZHP's a backwards 'z' that really illuminates the edge of the road as well as road signs.


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## tgravo2 (Dec 7, 2002)

I love mine. They work great in all conditions. I wouldn't get another BMW without them. After having them for a while, go drive a car with halogens, it's amazing how much of a difference they make. :thumbup:


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

mallards said:


> ive never had a problem with my xenons in the rain at night ...
> 
> trust me, you will like them ... :thumbup:
> 
> Ben


Exactly! :thumbup:


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## Bavarian (Jun 15, 2002)

eelnoraa said:


> Hi
> 
> Today, big storm hit bay area. While siting in my friends car, I have a concern about xenon headlight. He has a after market retrofit xenon for his Forester. I found that I can absolutely see nothing in rain at night. I later conclude that the reason is his xenon is too "blue". Under normal weather, it is perfect, very bright, but once in rain, all the light seem to be reflected by the wet surface, and lot of shadow. My concern is that will xenon in my new bmw be the same? I don't know if I will regret ordering xenon.
> 
> ...


Well, on a POS car (forester), he put POS aftermarket xenons. Obviously, they are no-where near a good representation of what OEM systems are like, let alone on a Forester.

There is no problem at all with the xenons in rain. In fact, I find that the actual beam doesn't reflect at you off the road in front like with halogens.

Imitations like that Forester has might sway you not to look upon the xenons with great delight. However, his aftermarket ones probably aren't even the proper type. They are probably that cheap $70 type that is still all reflected like the OEM halogens from the headlight housing. Sad, sad sight.


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## HFPST5 (Dec 24, 2003)

BlackChrome said:


> Exactly! :thumbup:


and coming from a man that lives in seattle, that says a lot! :thumbup:

xenons is a must.


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## Soupcan325i (Sep 17, 2003)

Disparaging the BMW xenons is tantamount to blasphemy. Never before has a noble gas shone so brightly.


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

HFPST5 said:


> and coming from a man that lives in seattle, that says a lot! :thumbup:


 :rofl:

Over here, we got nothing but rain in winter!


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