Bixenon lenses: what they are, how they work, applications

The quality of the car's head optics is crucial for safety and comfort at night, in bad weather and in low light. In recent years, more and more car owners pay attention to bi-xenon lamps, but not always there is an opportunity to install them on the car for various reasons. Bi-xenon lenses can become a full-fledged alternative to bi-xenon.

Peculiarities of xenon lighting

Before we talk about bi-xenon, it is necessary to take a closer look at the technology of xenon lighting in general. As the name suggests, we are talking about xenon gas - 54 element of the Mendeleev table. If you fill the lamp bulb with an inert gas, the tungsten filament will last much longer, but in the case of xenon headlights, the substance itself is the source of light, not the metal element.

An electric arc is formed between the electrodes inside each such lamp as soon as the high-voltage pulse arrives. The light is very bright.

For all its advantages xenon in its pure form is only suitable for dipped beam, because the high beam dazzles the drivers of oncoming vehicles. Constructors had to combine xenon lamps with halogen ones, but the real breakthrough in the evolution of auto-optics was the advent of bi-xenon lights.

What is bi-xenon?

Engineers have set a goal - to provide near and far light with a single light source. If xenon gives a constant flow of identical power, the design of bixenon included a screen lamp. It is located directly in the bulb with gas. The principle of operation is as follows:

• When switching from dipped to high beam, the bulb moves due to the electromagnetic field;
• Light at a different angle falls on the reflector, which changes the level of illumination of the track;
• When you return to high beam, the reverse process occurs, i.e. the bulb returns to its original starting position.

What are bi-xenon lenses

Installing bi-xenon lights is not possible in all cases, but only when the design of the headlights allows it. In other words, replacing the old halogens with the new technology simply will not work. As an option, you can buy xenon lights and equip them with bi-xenon lenses.

Modules are equipped with special metal «curtains». They serve to form a directional light flux with delineated boundaries for dipped light. When switching to high beam «curtain» its position changes.

Before installing the lenses, note that the headlight glass should be completely transparent and smooth. As for the installation itself, and here there are difficulties. First you need to disassemble the head optics, insert the lens and reassemble the construction using sealant. If the sealing is broken, condensation will appear in the headlight.

Disadvantages of bixenon lenses

• Replacing the factory headlights in the car with alternatives is prohibited in many countries.
• Xenon lamps cost an order of magnitude more than halogen ones, and breakdowns are fraught with significant costs.
• It takes a long time for the ice frozen on the headlights to thaw in winter, since xenon lights are poorly heated, and even slower in the lenses.
• Modules lose their properties over time, a layer of dust forms on them, the quality of light deteriorates markedly.