A8 Parts Forum  

Go Back   A8 Parts Forum > A8 D2 > D2 - Lights

D2 - Lights Headlights, xenons, foglights. Everything outside the car that glows

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 6th September 2012, 10:54 PM
wiingg wiingg is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Surrey
Posts: 17
Default Bi-Xenon Cleaning

Are they Bi-Xenons sealed? Some people say they are and some say they aren't.

Also if they are sealed and are opened up for cleaning could issues arise further down the like like condensations etc?

I need to clean some on the chrome as there are some water marks in there which doesn't look great :s
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 6th September 2012, 10:59 PM
47p2's Avatar
47p2 47p2 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,666
Default

Touching the reflector part of the headlamp with even the softest of clothes will result in marking it.
__________________
.





Nite Blue 3.0L SE Quattro
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 6th September 2012, 11:43 PM
wiingg wiingg is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Surrey
Posts: 17
Default

It's just the area within the red line i need to clean - is that the reflector?

Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 7th September 2012, 07:55 AM
47p2's Avatar
47p2 47p2 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,666
Default

It is and will mark but shouldn't make much difference to the light beam pattern. Worth a try using a microfibre cloth. The chrome is sprayed on and very fragile and marks easily.
__________________
.





Nite Blue 3.0L SE Quattro
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 7th September 2012, 02:12 PM
mannyo mannyo is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Blandford, Dorset
Posts: 1,974
Default

I think it happens to all of them, my Bi-Xenons are pretty bad on both sides.
__________________
Manny
2004 A4 1.8T Sport Cabriolet, 89K Miles
Past
2004 D3 A8 3.7 Quattro, Xenon, Bose, Blinds, Solar Sunroof, TV, ACC, phone and almost every option. 168K miles rising slowly
with retrofit AMI and DVB-T in place of Analogue
2003 Volvo S60 D5 SE Manual, 197K miles.
2001 D2 A8 3.7 QS, Bi-Xenon, Bose, Blinds, Electric Everything, retrofitted RNS-D, 191K Miles
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 7th September 2012, 02:28 PM
ainarssems ainarssems is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Rushden, Northants
Posts: 3,799
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 47p2 View Post
It is and will mark but shouldn't make much difference to the light beam pattern. Worth a try using a microfibre cloth. The chrome is sprayed on and very fragile and marks easily.
I am not 100% sure but as far as I know it is not chrome but aluminium. Chrome is much harder and do not scratch so easily and is normally electroplated. On old cars with metal reflectors they were using chrome. But on newer cars with plastic and metal reflectors and reflectors in general not just car lights (anything shiny including mirrors)aluminium is used as it is cheap, have good reflection for visible light spectrum and is more ecologically friendly then chroming. Aluminium is very soft that's why you will leave marks and scratches on when you touch it. High end reflectors use silver coating which is harder and reflect even more of visible spectrum but it is more expensive and I do not know if any cars use silver coatings, maybe in projector type bulbs where reflector is smaller.

PS. Aluminium coating is probably treated in some way to prevent premature oxidation, if you try to polish/clean it you will not just leave marks but remove protective coating and it will oxidise and go dull pretty soon I would think.

PS 2 Did some search online, here is interesting info about reflector coatings http://www.molalla.com/members/leeper/refcoat.pdf
__________________
Currently 8less
2011 Q7 S Line 3.0TDI, 2016 Tesla Model S 90D

8 history:
2006 A8 Sport 4.2TDI quattro SOLD,
1997 S8, reached end of life with gearbox failure

Last edited by ainarssems; 7th September 2012 at 02:39 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:30 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.