[s-cars] ecode Xenons

[Bob Rossato]

Simply to add more light to the side of the road to be better able to
see pedestrians, animals, etc.  The Z beam (actually more like a
backwards Z) is a compromise between a completely flat beam and the
typical Euro beam that is angled up on the right side (or left for the
UK).  Audi may be using that on the Xenons to reduce the possibility of
blinding on-coming traffic, or traffic to your right on a multi lane
road, as anything below the cutoff is extremely bright.  Which is also
why they have the automatic levelers.

Bob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com 
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of 
> calvinlc at earthlink.net
> Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 1:38 AM
> To: Bob Rossato; 'Igor Kessel'
> Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: RE: [s-cars] ecode Xenons
> 
> 
> Bob,
> 
> That makes me ask the question why the beam looks like 
> this...why isn't it
> the same all the way across?
> 
> --Calvin (apparently headlight challenged)
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Rossato [mailto:bob.rossato at att.net]
> Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 5:40 PM
> To: 'Igor Kessel'; calvinlc at earthlink.net
> Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: RE: [s-cars] ecode Xenons
> 
> 
> > calvinlc at earthlink.net wrote:
> > > I have an '01 A6 and I am wondering why you guys are 
> replacing your
> Xenons.
> > > So far, my only problem, is the stupid "adjustment" that happens
> while
> > > driving where sometimes my lights wind up pointing only 25 feet in
> front of
> > > the car and sometimes they are great.  Do the European 
> ones do away
> with
> > > this innane feature that was never needed on headlights 
> for the last
> 100
> > > years?  Thanks.
> > >
> >
> > Calvin,
> > once you have experienced the added benefit of the European
> asymmetrical
> > beam, flaring the right side of the wooded road where the deer often
> > lurks you'd realise that there's no coming back to the flat American
> > beam cut-out.
> >
> > --
> > Igor Kessel
> > two turbo quattros
> 
> Igor,
> 
> I retrofitted Xe projectors from a '00 or '01 Euro A6 in my '95 and I
> was surprised that the pattern was no different than that of 
> the US DoT
> projectors.  Both have what Cibie used to call a Z beam.  
> Looks sort of
> like this.
>               ________
> _______/
> 
> The only difference between the Euro C5 A6 Xe and US C4 S6 
> halogen beam
> pattern was that the Euro version had the capability, as you are well
> aware of, to completely flatten the beam by means of a manual 
> shield for
> traveling between the continent and the UK.
> 
> I know the typical Euro halogen beam angles up to the right at about
> 30deg, but the Euro C5 A6 Xe, at least the ones I got, do not 
> have this
> feature.  Not that it can't be cut into the existing shield by some
> slight work with a file.
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> 
> 
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