Automotive Lighting

XENARC technology

Question

What is the difference between OSRAM XENARC and halogen lamps? 

Answer

OSRAM XENARC lamps are gas discharge lamps. In contrast to halogen lights, they have no wire filament. Light is created by means of an arc, in the form of a controlled plasma discharge between two electrodes: the gas discharge tube is filled with xenon gas, metal halide salts and other substances. The discharge arc is initiated by a pulse of high voltage. The arc of ionized xenon gas heats the tube to such a high temperature that the metal salts vaporize. This metal vapor enables the light to quickly achieve its full potential both in lumens and colour temperature.

The arc tube is surrounded by an outer glass jacket that filters out the ultraviolet part of the light spectrum. The system also consists of an electronic igniter and an electronic ballast unit. These electronic devices have been specifically designed to meet the environmental conditions within a vehicle. Also in contrast to halogen lamps XENARC lamps are always coupled to the control gear that starts and regulates the normal operation of the discharge arc.

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Retrofit

Question

My dealer said a retrofit with Xenon HID is not possible for my car, although there are a lot of cars with xenon lamps on the road which didn't have HID from the start. Is it possible that I replace the existing headlights by a xenon version myself?

Answer

It is not possible to replace a halogen headlight with a Xenon HID-system by yourself.

HID like OSRAM XENARC are approved for use in special xenon headlights only. In Europe, such headlights must be fitted with automatic levelling and cleaning systems.

To enable drivers to upgrade to xenon light, some car manufacturers offer headlight conversion kits which are installed by their garages. Current road traffic regulations demand that these kits be approved by the appropriate local authorities.
 
Some car manufacturers have not yet decided, whether they should offer this. The reason is, that this is a very complex and expensive integration that must be adapted to the total electrical system of the car. Further, you may have to change many parameters of the car electronic system. Finally, a large number of tests are necessary - to avoid abuse of the xenon light there are many regulations.

But on the other hand, nobody would like the airbag to open when he turns on the lights.

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XENARC advantages

Question

What is the advantage of a XENARC lighting system compared to halogen headlights?

Answer

OSRAM XENARC lamps generate twice as much light as modern halogen H7 lamps and require less energy to do so. The light efficiency is 300% higher than conventional halogen lights, and as 50% of all accidents occur in conditions of poor visibility this noticeable improvement in roadway illumination reduces traffic risks. Potential hazards can be recognized earlier, the driver is able to respond more rapidly to unexpected situations.

Since XENARC lamps operate in the range of 4100°K, in comparison to 3200°K (halogen light), the colour temperature of the light is much closer to that of natural daylight; it is whiter and perceived as being brighter, contrast is intensified. Xenon light can help drivers see hazards on both sides of the road and the good visibility helps maintain the driver's concentration, which contributes to greater safety.

The failure risk with XENARC is extremely low. These lamps are engineered for the lifetime of the vehicle.

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Hazards

Question

Which hazardous materials do these lamps contain?

Answer

HID (Xenon-lamps) contain less than one milligram of mercury and traces of thallium. Due to the very low quantities involved there is no risk to health or to environment even if several lamps break. Because of the high fill pressure, for the disposal the instructions for handling on the enclosed leaflet are to be followed.

With the XENARC D3 HID headlight system OSRAM is the world's first supplier of an entirely mercury-free HID system comprised of lamp and control gear.

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100W lamps

Question

Does the OSRAM range include "high-wattage" headlight lamps such as the H4 100 W?

Answer

Although OSRAM supplies all its standard halogen headlight lamps in high-wattage versions, they are not approved for use on public roads. They may be used only in off-road vehicles such as rally cars. Using them on public roads many cause the authorities to withdraw the licence for the vehicle and therefore its insurance coverage.

Drivers who want a little more light in their headlights should look for the OSRAM SILVERSTAR or even better OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER ranges. These lamps still comply with legal requirements, but offer up to 90% higher luminance on the road and an up to 35m longer beam (compared to standard lamps).

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Nominal voltage and statutory test voltage

Question

What is the difference between nominal voltage and the statutory test voltage?

Answer

The nominal voltage, also known as the rated voltage, is the value that has to be stamped on the lamp in accordance with the provisions of ECE R37; in this case 12V or 24V.
 
The test voltage, which is also defined in ECE R37, is the voltage for which the lamp is designed and at which all the values prescribed by the relevant standards have to be met.
 
For example, the test voltage is 13.2V for headlight lamps, 13.5V for auxiliary lamps and 28.0V for lamps in 24 Volt systems.

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Disposal

Question

How do you dispose of defective car bulbs during production?
Do you dispose of halogen and discharge lamps (as they are hazardous waste) separately?

Answer

Depending on the stage of production we separate genuine glass from metal for recycling. If possible complete bulbs are recycled as a mixture of metal and glass and are processed afterwards, otherwise they are disposed of as industrial waste. Only mercurial discharge lamps have to be disposed of as a supervised waste when they come up as defective goods after the Hg-Refilling (EWC Code 060404- mercurial waste).

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Recycling

Question

Do OSRAM automotive lamps have to be recycled?

Answer

Conventional automotive lamps such as those for indicators, brake lights, tail lights and interior lights, do not contain any substances that will harm the environment, so no special waste disposal measures need to be taken. The same applies to halogen headlight bulbs.
 
HID (gas discharge lamps) and miniature fluorescent lamps (e.g. in busses, dashboard lighting) contain mercury (about one thousandth of a gram per lamp), so they have to be taken for recycling.
 
In the case of "electronic light" the electronic components such as control gears have to be disposed off as electronic waste.
 
In Germany, OSRAM takes part in the Dual System. The packaging for OSRAM products is therefore labelled with the "Grüner Punkt" (Green Dot) symbol. These products are disposed of in Dual System containers.

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B3 and Tc Life span

Question

What do B3 and Tc mean in connection with the service life of bulbs?

Answer

If we consider the service lives of products that are designed to last a certain time, we can see that they all have the same or similar failure characteristics.
If we plot the service lives of the individual bulbs on special logarithmic graph paper, the graph produced is called a "Weibull distribution curve".
 
In a stable production process we obtain a straight line for the service life on which we can read off various life values. For its products in the automotive sector OSRAM specifies a B3 value, which indicates the time at which 3% of the tested bulbs have failed. OSRAM also specifies the Tc value (characteristic Weibull value), which indicates the time at which 63.2% of the bulbs have failed.
 
In former times only the average value was specified (the average life), which in this system would correspond to a B50 value (i.e. the time at which 50% of the bulbs have failed). By specifying both the B3 value and the Tc value it is possible to get an idea of the spread of the product's service life and hence the quality of the product.
 
In America B10 is also given. This value can be calculated from the B3 and Tc values.

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Abbreviations on the bulb

Question

What do the informations on the bulb mean?

Answer

OSRAM automotive lamps have the following information on them:

• OSRAM or OS indicates the manufacturer, in this case OSRAM.
• 12 or 12V, 24 or 24V indicates the rated voltage according to ECE Regulation 37.
• H1, H4, P21W etc. are the standard international categories for ECE standardized bulbs, e.g. 55W stands for a rated wattage of 55W.
• E1 indicates the country in which the bulb has been tested and approved ("1" for Germany).
• If DOT appears on a bulb it means that it's approved for the US market (necessary only for main headlight bulbs - low and high beam).
• The uppercase "U" indicates a UV-reduced bulb in accordance with ECE requirements (e.g. for use in plastic headlights). All OSRAM halogen automotive bulbs meet these requirements.
• The approval mark issued by the relevant authority (the Federal Road Traffic Office in Flensburg in the case of E1) is also displayed and is either 37R (E1) a 5-digit number or just (E1) a 3-digit number (which may comprise alphanumeric characters).
  Almost all bulbs carry the manufacturer's own code so that the manufacturer can trace the production batches

Because of the size of some light sources it may not always be possible to show all the information. By law, approved bulbs must show the manufacturer, rated voltage, wattage, test marks (e.g. E1) and approval marks.

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Lamp life

Question

Is there an incandescent (halogen) bulb that will last forever?

Answer

No.
The laws of physics dictate that there is no such thing as an incandescent (halogen) bulb that can last forever. When current flows through a filament some of the filament inevitably vaporizes. After a while this results in the filament burning out.
 
It is possible to design an incandescent bulb so that it lasts a long time. However, there is always a compromise involved because the luminous efficacy is reduced (i.e. the amount of light that can be generated from a particular input power). The filament can be operated at a lower temperature, or a thicker filament can be used, so that it takes longer for the filament to vaporize and burn out.
 
An important consideration is safety. Bulbs with an extremely long life would not meet current requirements for headlights. Because they would not generate sufficient light output to make a satisfactory beam pattern.

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UV Filter

Question

Why do headlight bulbs have to have reduced UV emission?

Answer

More and more headlights are now being manufactured with plastic components to save on weight and cost.
Especially, almost all the clear headlight covers on new cars these days are made of plastic.
The effect of UV radiation from light sources or from the sun on transparent plastics is well documented; over a lengthy period of time the plastic turns yellow and brittle, and this process is speeded up by high material temperatures.
OSRAM UV-Filter bulbs comply with the statutory regulations of ECE Standard R37 (except off-road lamps) with regard to UV thresholds and can therefore be used without restriction in plastic headlights.
This property is indicated on the packaging by the "UV FILTER" symbol. On the bulb itself you will see the letter "U".
 
All OSRAM halogen headlight bulbs are UV-Filter lamps.

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More light on the road

Question

How can I legally get more light on the road?

Answer

The simplest and most cost-effective way is to replace standard halogen headlight bulbs by the corresponding SILVERSTAR or even better the NIGHT BREAKER version. OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER provide up to 90% more light on the road and an up to 35m longer beam (compared to standard bulbs). 

Another way is to replace the complete headlight with a new headlight system designed for OSRAM XENARC HID (gas discharge lamps). This option offers maximum light for every driver. Ask your dealer whether your car can be fitted with these headlights.

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MSCP

Question

What is MSCP?

Answer

Different information is provided for American automotive bulbs than for European lamps. In the American market, for example, they specify the current that the lamp draws, in amps, rather than the lamp wattage. Likewise, the luminous flux of the lamp is not given in lumen but in MSCP, which stands for "mean spherical candle power".
 
For converting from MSCP to luminous flux, the rule of thumb is average luminous intensity in MSCP * 4 *  = luminous flux in lumen.

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Auxiliary lamps

Question

Do auxiliary lamps for the automotive sector have to be standardized?

Answer

In general, replaceable bulbs on the outside of the vehicle must be approved. In addition to the headlights, these include the signal lights such as indicators, brake lights, taillights, fog lights, parking lights, reversing lights and registration plate lights. They are standardized in ECE Regulations 37 and 99 (Economic Commission for Europe). One of the benefits of standardization is that the bulbs can be replaced by the same bulbs from other manufacturers.
Another benefit is that they cannot be confused with other lamps, which means that traffic safety is not impaired.
 
Light sources inside the vehicle do not need to be standardized but in most cases they comply with standard lamp and base specifications.

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Fault mechanisms

Question

Which fault mechanisms affect the life of miniature incandescent (halogen) bulbs in automotive applications (lamps with small filament diameters)?

Answer

• Vibration and shock
• The ambient temperature in the headlight or luminaire
• The power supply
• Corrosion in socket leading to poor contact between the socket connectors and the bulb
• Other factors, including inadequate quality or poor handling during the production process by the lamp manufacturer, the setmaker or the car manufacturer.

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SILVERSTAR

Question

Which are the outstanding features of SILVERSTAR headlight lamps?

Answer

OSRAM has consequently improved the successful technology of the SUPER lamps. Thanks to their specially developed filament SILVERSTAR headlight lamps illuminate the road with an up to 50% brighter light in the crucial zone 50m - 75m in front of the car than a corresponding standard lamp. The up to 20m longer beam offers even more safety; although in the mean time the illumination with OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER lamps is even brighter (up to 90% more light on the road).

More and more car manufacturers are upgrading their cars with complex shape headlights featuring clear unstructured lenses. Car owners can improve the looks of their cars by equipping these headlights with silver-capped SILVERSTAR (completed by OSRAM DIADEM indicator lamps) that are colour-matched to the reflector, instead of the usual black-capped lamps.  

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SUPER

Question

What does SUPER mean in connection with headlight lamps?

Answer

SUPER is the name OSRAM gives to its range of headlight lamps that have been developed specifically as replacements lamps. The dimensions of the filaments have been reduced to increase the luminance of the lamps. This in turn leads to an increase in light on the road of up to 30%, particularly in the crucial area between 50m and 75m ahead of the vehicle. Obstacles can be seen sooner and more easily. This is a real contribution to road safety.

SUPER versions were the first to use the advances in headlight technology. In the mean time even higher luminances are available and also approved without restrictions for use throughout Europe: the OSRAM SILVERSTAR, and especially the NIGHT BREAKER range of headlight lamps (up to 90% more light on the road). 

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NIGHT BREAKER advantages

Question

What does it mean: Up to 90% more light and up to 10% whiter light?

Answer

With the NIGHT BREAKER range OSRAM offers the probably brightest approved halogen headlight lamp the world has ever seen: Compared to standard lamps, they shine up to 90% more light on the road. I.e. particularly in the "safety-zone" between 50m - 75m ahead of the vehicle, the luminance is nearly twice as high in comparison to standard lamps. These benefits are achieved with a new developed high-performance filament and the two blue coating rings for a whiter, glare-reduced light.

Nearly 50% of all fatal traffic accidents happen at night. Inadequate lighting is one of the most common causes of nighttime accidents, often also involving pedestrians and cyclists who are not recognized in time. Many of these accidents could be avoided. NIGHT BREAKER lamps - with their better road illumination and the up to 35m longer beam - offer a much better view ahead, improved reaction times and maximum safety for all weather conditions.

Additional benefits are the relieved eye strain with the 10% whiter light for comfortable, stress-free driving at night, and the striking design with the partial blue coating and the silver caps (H4, H7, H11).

Of course, NIGHT BREAKER lamps are fully ECE approved (E1) without restrictions for use on roads throughout Europe.

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NIGHT BREAKER, SILVERSTAR or COOL BLUE

Question

Which is better, NIGHT BREAKER or SILVERSTAR or COOL BLUE?

Answer

This all depends on personal requirements and preferences. Safety-conscious drivers who are looking for maximum performance and as much light as possible on the road ahead tend to choose OSRAM SILVERSTAR lamps with up to 50% more light than a standard lamp - or even better the NIGHT BREAKER range of headlight lamps.
OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER are the best possible choice at present for halogen headlights, because they offer the highest light output with up to 90% more light on the road an an up to 35m longer beam.
 
Drivers who prefer good performance, high visibility and something a little different tend to choose lamps from the OSRAM COOL BLUE range.
The idea is that you are safer in a car that is noticed.

Of course, all these product ranges are fully ECE approved without restrictions for use on roads throughout Europe.

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Universal use

Question

Can the OSRAM TRUCKSTAR lamps be used universally, and are they ECE approved?

Answer

Yes, of course all products of the TRUCKSTAR range fully meet ECE R37 requirements, and have been approved for all uses. So you can replace your 24V standard lamps now with the appropriate TRUCKSTAR bulb of the same category, and immediately enjoy the improved light and extended service life.

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Light and service life

Question

How was it technically possible to combine 100% more light with a 100% extended service life, all in one lamp?

Answer

OSRAM single-coil technology is the secret of the TRUCKSTAR range. Up to now, physical limitations have meant that 24 Volt lamps were always equipped with a double coil. Double-coil lamps have major disadvantages when it comes to homogenous light density and even heat distribution throughout the coil. This leads to significant reductions in light distribution and service life.
 
After intensive research and development, OSRAM is proud to become the first manufacturer in the world to offer single-coil technology for both 12V (car segment) and 24V lamps. This breakthrough has effectively done away with the disadvantages of conventional lamps in terms of service life and light distribution. It represents a quantum leap in light technology and operating life. The result is a significant increase in safety and improved efficiency by TRUCKSTAR for the trucking industry and its drivers.

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DIADEM

Question

What does DIADEM mean regarding design and service life?

Answer

The DIADEM is an innovative signal lamp with an interference coating in order to produce yellow light.
Due to the interference coating the DIADEM features an opalescent white surface and produces an amber colour only when lit - without the "fried egg effect" that standard yellow signal lamps produce in modern clear-glass headlights.
 
The DIADEM "clearly" supports the cool and stylish look which car designers desire to produce with modern, transparent headlight modules.
 
The DIADEM is interchangeable with other yellow signal lamps (in front and in the back of the car) and it is approved for use throughout Europe.

Besides, the DIADEM offers twice the lifetime of a standard yellow signal lamp.

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Yellow flash

Question

Why does the OSRAM DIADEM flash yellow even though it looks opalescent white?

Answer

By applying several interference layers to the bulb, the light emitted by the filament is refracted and only the yellow component in the light passes through the coating and is therefore visible.

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ALLSEASON

Question

What does ALLSEASON mean?

Answer

ALLSEASON is the name given by OSRAM to its yellow-coated range of headlight lamps. The yellow impression is provided by interference filter coatings that are applied to the bulb in sequence of consecutive operations. This enables an extremely precise and virtually loss-free change to be achieved in the colour location (<1% loss of luminous flux). From certain angles reflection headlights equipped with these lamps also appear bluish. The colour location of the ALLSEASON coating lies within the standardized ECE white field and - in contrast to the selectively yellow-coated "French yellow" lamps - it can be used without restriction in all headlights. An ALLSEASON or ALLSEASON SUPER lamp can replace any clear lamp.

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COOL BLUE range

Question

Which lamp types does OSRAM offer in a COOL BLUE version?

Answer

A COOL BLUE version is available for:

• Headlight lamps: H1, H3, H4, H7, HB3, HB4
• Auxiliary lamps: H6W, W5W, T4W 

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COOL BLUE for auxiliary lights

Question

What is the advantage of OSRAM COOL BLUE lamps in parking lights?

Answer

These lamps have special coatings so they produce a higher colour temperature and therefore the impression of blue light.
COOL BLUE sidelight lamps are a sensible addition to OSRAM XENARC HID (gas discharge lamps), COOL BLUE headlight lamps and halogen headlight lamps to underline the bluish impression.

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Inside the car

Question

What is the advantage of OSRAM COOL BLUE lamps inside the car (e.g. for reading lights)?

Answer

COOL BLUE lamps provide brilliant white light that is ideal for reading maps and other interior lighting functions, because they produce a better contrast than ordinary lamps.

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COOL BLUE advantages

Question

What is the advantage of OSRAM COOL BLUE lamps?

Answer

Apart from the special visual appeal of a COOL BLUE lamp in the headlight, a look that so many car drivers favour, the lamp offers photometric improvements over standard lamps.
However not to the same extent as the lamps in the SILVERSTAR range which provide up to 50% more light, or even better the OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER lamps with up to 90% more light on the road.
The daylight colour of the COOL BLUE lamp helps counter fatigue at the wheel.
To achieve a uniform bluish light colour at the front of the vehicle, OSRAM offers various COOL BLUE parking light lamps.
 
A COOL BLUE version is available for:

• Headlight lamps: H1, H3, H4, H7, HB3, HB4
• Auxiliary lamps: H6W, W5W, T4W.

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