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Mitsubishi Outlander Xenon HID headlamps

batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
Outlander Xenon HID headlamps
I can see in the Mitsubishi car web page and in the Mitsubishi brochure for the Outlander XLS a nice bright blue beam Xenon HID head lamps illustration. The situation is that I cannot see this bright blue beam emitting from my XLS car from any angle. I wonder if other XLS owners have noted this or has my Xenon system gone?

Comments

  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I think photographic film would be a little more sensitive to blue light than the human eye so a picture may look different from "real life." And then there is photoshop ...! :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • cool08outtiecool08outtie Member Posts: 3
    Hi all,

    I bought aftermarket HID kit to install on a 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander ES 4WD (Canadian model) and it won''t turn on.
    I tested the ballasts and bulbs in another car and they work just fine so it must be something with the car's way of handling the circuits..
    Any idea? Please help :) thank you
  • cool08outtiecool08outtie Member Posts: 3
    i guess consider this solved. i reversed the polarity on the hid harness. works fine now. i guess mitsu's harness is opposite of the majority of car makes
  • cool08outtiecool08outtie Member Posts: 3
    another update.. the reverse polarity has stopped working. i searched in some mitsu-specific websites and i guess with this outlander, mitsubishi made sure only they can install HID's and they will need to modify the wiring as well. oh well, so much for mitsubishi :(
  • comem47comem47 Member Posts: 399
    When I bought a Mitsubishi factory fog light kit there was an alternate user procedure to program it to be recognized by turning on your ignition and then opening and closing the driver's side door 5 times with the stalk control on. . It didn't work and the dealer programmed it with their scan tool.

    The HIDs might also have to be programmed. (whatever happened to just having only relays controlled directly by the stalk switches?)
  • ocuihsocuihs Member Posts: 138
    Note that the below information posted in 2006 on my webpage so the standard gas-discharge bulbs including BMW/Audi mentioned may be higher than 4100K now.

    Why do BMW & Audi lights appear blue when they use a white bulb?

    MISCONCEPTIONS

    There are many companies and private merchants out there that will advertise 7000K, 8000K, and even 12000K HID kits. Most of these vendors lurk around on ebay, online car forums, websites, and ricer accessory shops. 100% of the people that buy these kits do so because they are uninformed, uneducated, or misguided in the field of lighting, and will buy these junk kits thinking three things: that these bulbs are brighter, that these bulbs should cost more money, and/or that they will perform better. All three statements are completely false. Perhaps this misconception and frenzy for purple lights originates from BMW and Audi's infamous Hella projector HIDs.

    Philips is the number one manufacturer of HID bulbs. The Philips OEM D2S bulb is rated at 4100K at 12.8 volts and produces 3200 lumens of light. The Philips Ultinon D2S is 5800K at 12.8 volts and produces 2400 lumens of light. As you can see, with all other factors remaining constant, the brightness of an HID bulb declines the higher up the color index you go. Vision, a Korean bulb manufacturer, makes an 8000K bulb, which they used to advertise on Acura-Forums as 2000 lumens bright. This is barely a marked improvement over halogens, and will produce more glare and eye fatigue than it is beneficial. 4100K has been proven through tireless independent research by the Germans, Japanese, and Americans to be the most functional, truest white and thus the brightest possible color temperature.

    Every car manufacturer in the world (including BMW and Audi) uses none other than a standard 4100K gas-discharge bulb. No exceptions. The reason being is that 4100K is daylight white in color and produces the same color visible light as direct sunlight. This is least fatiguing functional color on the eyes and produces the most comfortable contrast on the road.

    So the million dollar question is now: Why do BMW & Audi lights appear blue when they use a white bulb?

    Well, this coloration is the result of the light projectors; the lenses: it's transparency, it's curvature, the tiny grooves etched into it; the projector assembly, the shield, and the reflector bowl. All these components work together to produce a signature of light unique to that particular optic's design. On the Audi and BMW projectors, the lens curvature at the edge bends the white light producing a "prism effect". White light is broken down to it's fundemental colors. Since blue lights is high energy, it is absorbed last and thus travels farther. So with this prism effect, you'll notice that BMW HIDs are only purple and blue from the sides, the top, and the bottom edges, but are always daylight white on the road and in the beam pattern. This phenomenon can be demonstrated when you watch an oncoming BMW hit a pot hole or speed bump in the road and the car's nose pitches up and down. The headlights will flicker and "throw colors off", but returns to a solid white beam pattern directly on the road.

    Trying to emulate this color-flickering effect with a solid-state blue or purple bulb is only detrimental to lighting performance, it doesn't fool anyone, but most importantly it endangers other motorists around you. Blue light has what we call a very high diffuse density, which causes it to radiate outwards as opposed to forwards. What results is a wide glow of light outside the beam pattern that is blinding to motorists you share the road with. A blue HID bulb will produce color bleed around the headlight, around the objects it lights up, outside of the beam pattern, and around the cut off line. This is effect is known as "glare", and these illegal and improperly installed HID kits are the reason why HIDs get a bad wrap. As common evidence of glare, observe a traffic light at night in a dimly lit area. There is red light and green light. Red is opposite blue and green is next to blue, thus we can substitute green for blue. If you observe the aura, or glow, of light around a red light and compare it to that of a green light, you'll notice that the green light produces much more glare than red. Blue is even worse. Purple, the worst.

    Pictures worth a thousand words, for pictures comparsion on blue versus white bulbs, go to my page at http://www.cardomain.com/ride/612165/4
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    Hi,

    Just a question before I get involved in this project in changing the halogen headlamps of a 2009 SE Outlander AWD for a Xenon lamp combination.

    The idea is to buy the headlamp assemblage of the Xenon light that comes with the XLS AWD (Package P2, $1650), taking away the halogen headlamps (as a unit) of the SE and replacing by the Xenon lamps assemblage. This experiment will possible require just to replace the standard halogen headlamp fuse by one of 25A in the SE.

    Can I do this experiment so I will have my SE with Xenon lights at a cost of $600? Each xenon lamp/light costs $300.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    I am interested to know how the auto-leveling Xenon mechanism works. The Google search engine give hundreds of hits with owners frustrating with the Xenon mechanism having a mind in its own. Some said that there is a motor in each Xenon lamp that is activated by sensors near the suspension/wheels area. Others recommend cutting some wires and forgetting all together about the auto-leveling operation. Few have done this to be mortified with a permanent message in the Instrument cluster. Perhaps some members could explain the operation of this auto-leveling mechanism.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    In Europe the Xenon HID in the Outlander (as any other car with Xenon) requires to have a washer mechanism in order to water spray the lamp when mud or dust dirty the lamps. This is a compulsory regulation in Europe. Majority of European cars sold in the US have this washer mechanism. The European Agency justifies this requirement by advocating physics light laws. They said that mud or dust on the HID lamps may blind oncoming drivers.

    The European Association of US car import has presented a complaint to fight this regulation due to American car makers don’t install lamp washer in the front bumper on cars with Xenon.
  • cheech73cheech73 Member Posts: 14
    hi, i have a 2007 outlander XLS awd and i love the car. i traded in a gmc envoy for it. the envoy had the HID lights on it, my outlander does not. I know theres a HID oem HID kit for the outlander but 1,600 is a bit steep. my question is can i pick up a after market HID kit for the outlander? also a problem comes up the outlander has day time running lights, can this be turned off in some way.
  • comem47comem47 Member Posts: 399
    I have a 2007 LS that I added the factory fog light kit later myself. I seem to remember the HID option and fog lights are mutually exclusive. Something to consider if you want to go the HID route.
  • 1989wrxsti1989wrxsti Member Posts: 1
    Hi ,
    i would like to ask you some professional questions about XENON HID lighting:
    I know that the projector lenses are verifying the proper beam cutting-off ,and prevent light glaring.
    1)whether existing some types of projectors lenses which specially designed for HID housing ,or all those projector lenses are the same,and suitable both Halogen and HID?
    1)whether every car who is equipped with projector lenses suitable for hid kits?
    In other words , whether the light beam will be cut off properly(without glare)?
    2)Iv'e got a Citron C5 2001 without projector lenses ,it equipped with H7 bulb low beam and H4 high beam which function also as fog lights. if i want to upgrade my lighting to HID -may i replace the H7 bulbs with H7 xenon bulbs without glaring other cars?
    3)If i upgrade the lighting with HID, should i replace my battery with overpowering one?(because of the high voltage)
    4)In addition , iv'e got a Fiat marea 2001 which is equipped with projector lenses H1 bulb for the low beam(projector), and H1 for the high beam(reflector).may i upgrade the lighting with H1 Xenon HID bulbs?
    *Leave the law reference behind us.
    *leave the accompanying components which included with original systems like:Water sprinkles,beam stabilized system
    I will be very pleased if someone return me a message to my email
    raviv1ms1@walla.co.il
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    return me a message to my email

    Let's keep the discussion here so everyone will benefit. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    Hi,
    I am not an expert in HID lights/lamps; however by using some common sense I may answer your questions.

    The xenon lamp in every car with this facility has: (1) special lenses, (2) special electrical circuits to trigger the initial high voltage needed to light the HID assemblage and (3) special bulbs. Changing just the bulbs will not make your halogen lamps behave like proper xenon lights. Changing just the lenses and the bulbs may not make your lamps behave as proper xenon lamps either (due to the need of a special electrical trigger circuit).

    If the same models of the cars you have are sold with xenon light presently, then if the shape of the lamps themselves hasn’t changed then the solution could be that you buy the complete xenon assemblage and replace the halogen lamps with the xenon assemblage. I don’t think there is another way to do this to have proper xenon lights in your cars. Any other approach will just render a partial solution. There is a lot of information in the Web of people who got unexpected problems after installing xenon kits from third parties.

    In the case of the Outlander V6 XLS you may order with the xenon light option or not. This means that the technician just replaces the halogen assemblage with the xenon assemblage. Both lamps look the same on the surface but they are different indeed in the inside.

    By the way the Association of American cars importer in Europe won its claim about the Xenon lamp washer. The European has ruled that a car is Xenon legal (without a spray washer) if and only if the distance between the centers of the xenon lamp to the floor is not greater than 850 mm. Fortunately if you are exporting an xenon Outlander V6 to Europe it will be legal for your Outlander. However, it appears that this ruling will eliminate the big American SUV from being legal. A way to solve this impasse is to swap the xenon for halogen in order to obtain a European number plate and then swap again to xenon after you got the European number plate. If you don’t swap your lamps, the technician that is converting your car to European specification will damage your xenon lamps internally (circuit and bulb) and you may not have xenon at all after you have got your European number plate.

    I hope this will answer your questions.
  • cheech04cheech04 Member Posts: 1
    Hi i am very interested in putting on an HID kit on my 07 outlander XLS v6. the only thing is i have day time running lights and i am afraid that my HID will stay on as if they were day time also... My question is, is there a way around this, can the day time running lamps be shut off or can you have them run on the fog lamps instead... why i ask fog lights, i have seen some models during the day of outlander where there day time running lamps were there fog lights... can something be done... i really don't want to spend 1650 for the manufacturers HID kit.
  • cheech73cheech73 Member Posts: 14
    I know i asked this already but i am very interested in putting on an HID kit on my 07 outlander XLS v6. the only thing is i have day time running lights and i am afraid that my HID will stay on as if they were day time also... My question is, is there a way around this, can the day time running lamps be shut off or can you have them run on the fog lamps instead... why i ask fog lights, i have seen some models during the day of outlander where there day time running lamps were there fog lights... can something be done... i really don't want to spend 1650 for the manufacturers HID kit.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    I think the HID in an Outlander XLS 2007 is an option. The day time running light (DTRL) is on after you switch on the engine. The front fog light assemblage is used as a mean to this functionality. When you buy a fog light kit the bulbs of the DTRL are replaced by fog light bulbs (e.g. 55 watts, I think) and the stalk switch original is changed by a new stalk switch (comes with the kit) which will come with a fog light icon on it. The fog light is operated by the new stalk switch. You will lose the DTRL in the 2007 model. If you replace the original front light assemblage lamps by a genuine Mitsubishi HID kit then the new stalk switch will light the HID when you position the stalk switch (circular movement) to headlight. If you use the old stalk switch the DTRL will be on after you switch the engine on. The HID will be on when you switch on to headlight. However check first if the stalks switches of the XLS with and without HID to see if they are the same. The stalk switch is responsible (control) the light operation, otherwise confirm with a Mitsubishi dealership.
  • iamks2iamks2 Member Posts: 1
    I am trying to order an HID kit for Mazda CX-7, but am stuck on what type of bulb to order in the kit. Options range from H1 to H13, DSRs and 9004 to 9007. I know I will need both low and high beam, but nothing on the site is giving me a clue as to what type of bulb I will need
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    I'm not sure if it'll help but I saw these guys at the Chicago Auto Show: http://www.uniqueautostore.com/. Check their HID Replacement Bulbs section & look at the details for each bulb type to see pics and more info.

    I've not bought from them and don't know if they're a good company to deal with, but maybe if you call them they can help you find what you're after.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    Better is to order complete HID kit from the same make of the car included the lamps. Bulbs alone is not the solution.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    HID headlight

    The Outlander GT 2013 (2WD or 4WD) now has HID self-leveler. This piece of technology is a great thing to have, unfortunately, my Outlander GT 2012 does not have any. I would like to know if something can be done with my present HID setting so I could adapt something (sensors and servo motor) to the present setting and as result to implement a self-leveler in my car. Preliminary queries about this new technology resulted in me being told that I would need a new set of HID lamps (2013 or late 2012), which is out of the question (very expensive)
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    You're talking about an automatic leveler? My 2010 GT has a 4 position manual leveler.

    I don't know why new lamps would be necessary unless the lamp housing contains the sensors used by the automatic leveler. Though I'd think they'd be able to tie in to the vehicle geometry data from the crash sense (airbag) sensors instead as they can tell when the vehicle nosedives due to full braking.

    I use my manual leveler but not every day; I don't think it'd be worth any expense on my part to implement an automatic system. Then again, your prior posts show you're more adventurous than most crossover owners.

    I'd suggest sticking with it and just trading your '12 on a '14 when they're released. Better fuel economy and overall design (though the body does look more bland).
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    even though the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander body appears bland to some the SUV has some great AWD technology to it as well as some regenerative technology and other electronic updates that make it a very, very interesting choice to contemplate.

    Our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS continues to run flawlessly and look great. It would take quite a rig to get me to switch. Then again, I don't have ta have a rig as big as a SUV to drive, a compact sedan like the Lancer GTS is big enough and fast enough both for me.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    My 2012 GT does not have what is called headlight auto self-leveling mechanism and also it does not have a washer jet to clean the headlight lamps. This automatic self leveling mechanism controls the direction (up/down) of the xenon lights in the car. This is a safety measured imported from the ECE and it is mandatory in Europe and other countries (185 countries in total).

    Expensive models in the USA provide this functionality. Xenon headlights glare/dazzle oncoming drivers (Evening). When the car hits a road bump the xenon beam is not horizontal and points directly onto the oncoming drivers, blinding them temporarily. It is said that the headlight auto self-leveling functionality prevents this phenomena to occur by keeping the xenon beams stuck to the road all the time.

    The new xenon lamps setting in 2013 GT appears to have inside the xenon lamp housing something (very small motor) that is operated by RF from a transmitter in the rear suspension (and front) via the ETAC-ECU when the car departs from being horizontal. This servo mechanism moves the Xenon bulbs (up/down) when the RF signal, from the rear suspension sensor, has been decoded. The above is my interpretation and indeed something can be done to modify the present Xenon light installed in GT previous to spring 2012. This may be reached just by knowing what parts are needed and a willing Mitsubishi parts department employee to cooperate.
  • batman47batman47 Member Posts: 606
    Outlanders with halogen ((HB4), 2006, 12V, 51W) are weak and do not light the road properly. The normal solution to this problem is to install HID/xenon headlamps as a replacement to the halogen headlamps. HID kits that upgrade from halogen to xenon are not the solution. Glare to oncoming drivers is the main problem with these kits.

    The problem of HID kits is that xenon bulbs are used in headlamp housings designed for halogen bulbs and the majority of halogen headlamps obey the reflector technology. Most of the HID/xenon kits are oriented for headlamps with projector technology and this technology uses HID/xenon bulbs with specifications D1S, or D2S, or D4S. For example my Outlander GT 2012 has projector headlamps and uses a xenon bulb with specification D2S. On the other hand Outlanders with halogen headlamps ought to order a HID/xenon kit with bulb D1R, or D2R, or D4R. So the advice may be if you want to upgrade from halogen to xenon: (1) Headlamps with reflector technology use a xenon kit that provides xenon bulbs, D1R, D2R or D4R. (2) Headlamp with projector technology should use a xenon kit that provides xenon bulbs D1S, D2S, or D4S.

    Strict USA and European regulation on bulb design has pushed bulb manufactures to design bulbs that cannot go above 12V, 51W for passenger, and SUV cars. Luminosity (Lumen) is the bulb parameter that illuminates the road at night. For example a HID/xenon bulb its luminosity is greater than 2500 lumen. There are bulbs made in China and Japan that may use halogen bulbs that may approach the xenon bulb luminosity. However, these bulbs release a lot of heat that can damage the bulb housing plastic mirror, and worse the lifespan of these bulbs is reported to be 100 hours or less. These bulbs are illegal in the USA

    I have helped a friend, the owner of an Outlander, with halogen headlamps to replace its OEM halogen Sylvania 9006 (part#: AB009006), 12V, 51W with Philips 9012 (HIR2) 12V 55W. The latest bulb is manufactured by Philips (Germany) that in spite of being 55W, it releases heat as if it were a 51W bulb. It is DOT approved, and it is legal. Philips is the only company in the world that manufactures this type of bulb. I have seen these bulbs in operation in my friend’s Outlander, and I am telling you, I was very impressed. The light is extremely white and very powerful that it could easily be mistaken for HID/xenon bulb.

    These bulbs came onto the market in 2011 at a price of $50-$60 each bulb. However, it appears, that demand for this bulb is increasing and nowadays each bulb can be bought at $20. Each bulb releases a luminosity of 1875 lumens, and has an average lifespan of 1000 hours.
    So the Philips bulb is a cheap alternative to buying a HID/xenon kit for upgrading your halogen low/dip headlamps
  • flhgsflhgs Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2013

    Our Outlander XLS 2007 2WD (3.0L V-6 6-speed Shiftable Automatic Transmission.)
    It did came with automatic self-leveler technology. This piece of technology came with the HID/xenon headlamps we had the factory install when we ordered ours 2007 Outlander XLS. The High** Intensity **Discharge or HID/xenon headlamps does not have a washer jet to clean the headlight lamps. This automatic self leveling mechanism controls the direction (up/down) of the xenon lights in the car. AS in other post here is a safety measured imported from the ECE and it is mandatory in Europe and other countries. There is a diagnostic for the automatic self leveling mechanism in the vehicles diagnostics section of screens built into the Navigation Controls and Info.section. You may preform diagnostics on the automatic self leveling mechanism if you feel it may be out of it's specification or just not working right some how. Though which it runs and displays it's current operating data to
    you. You then can decide if you should do a factory reset on the automatic self leveling mechanism. Now, I do not remember off hand our headlamps specifications D1S, or D2S, or D4S. Or the reflectors specifications, I will see if I can locate them and post later. I know this is a older vehicle and I'm mentioning it because of the technology that came in the Mitsubishi Outlander's in 2007. But there were many things of technology ahead of what was on the market then you could get in the 2007 Outlander XLS, but you had to almost always get it as a factory option installed when you ordered your SUV new from the Dealer. We got every option offered by Mitsubishi but two we had no need for 4wd. We live in Florida and do not go off roads, it would have just been more weight to tote around and eventually even if not used to break and that's just another coast. Number two we did not get was the Entertainment center in the headliner from Mitsubishi. Only because this was in 2007 when the USA was changing TV signals from analog to digital signals. We could not find at the time a converter box for that and work in a 12v dc environment. So we bought a ****JVC**** unit and had it installed in same mounting bracket in the ceiling. It is a larger fold down screen being it's a 14" and not a &" 10" or 12". It is a HD/digital TV and has wireless dual headphones that can be used at the same tie, a DVD, CD, player or recorder, fully controlled by remote or buttons on base unit. It has input jacks that you can use with a wireless remote that's in a separate small hub you plug into and what your input I and comes with a docking station where you can then use it by battery, D/C or 110 volts. So no cords are hanging from the headliner and can be anywhere inside the SUV or near (within 30') the docking station playing to the unit .. It also can be taken out of the headliner it also is a digital radio tuner also which means good FM and you can get Sirius Satellite Radio or others like that. and still recv. AM radio too. It come with a 12 D/C or 110v powered antenna booster for Radio Satellite or TV reception! And we saved $1,2??.?? from the factory model and that was installed by Circuit City too. This is a GREAT little unit by JVC it also has external 6" stereo speakers and a very nice carrying bag the docking station and alll goes into One other thing it does have is all displays are digital and it has a alarm clock you can setup to 6 alarms per hour for each hour per day..
    Most of all the creature comfort technology (gadgets) were extra options you paid dearly for then. We did get in ours with Bluetooth cell phone integration and the premium stereo, is a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate system with nine speakers in all counting the massive 10-inch sub-woofer in rear and two of these nine are neat little tweeters next to or in the front windshield-pillars. It plays MP3 CDs and satellite radio analog with Hd/DVD's for palying movies etc. in the front entertainment center in the dash it is only 7" but the location makes it fine for front or rear viewing and has auxiliary audio & video input. The system has the added feature of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) which allows for various sound profiles. Although settings like "Rock," "Pop" and "Jazz" work well, "Hall" and "Live," which add an extra dimension to the sound. Along with a built in equalizer too. The system has hard-drive-based navigation system with a music server with a 30-gigabyte hard drive (most used for navigation system) is shared by Navigation and the Music Server etc. .. Navigation System very accurate (For Florida where we are at least) speed is great while driving at any speeds updates to the screen are so fast you could drive the SUV by it if you could just watch the screen and not for people etc. .. The AC/DC power outlet (for small devices) is in the Outlander's center console?
    So sorry people I did not mean to get off topic I started to delete the other stuff and figured it might interest someone and if your reading down and do not like reading about that you will
    do what I do and leave it. ,
    Being it is Dec.24th 2013 as I type this Merry Christmas!
    Take Care HA,, Happy and Safe 2014! Wish it better for us all to see!!
    HGS Florida..

  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704

    flhgs - I have the 650-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo in my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, too, and I love it. I like ta change the settings to "Hall" and "Live" and "Stage" but leave the setting just before that to "Rock" since that is the format I listen to the most. I love my '08 Lancer GTS and am always looking at new Mitsubishi Automotive products. I'm researching the little '14 Mirage but it is probably too small for my wife and I to fully enjoy. Our Lancer GTS is just about the right fit but I like their new Outlander Sport and even the '14 Outlander is an interesting rig, especially the new "hybrid" Outlander coming out later this year.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

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