Just an FYI post...
I had a xenon go out the other day and when checking the part I noticed my SL had Philips 85123 lamps in it. I don't believe these would have come with the car but more likely Philips 85122 or 85122+ lamps. The 85123s are certainly more blue and listed as a 6000k lamp while the 85122 are 5300k. I would have replaced them with 85123s but I couldn't find them anywhere. I don't think they are made anymore. I replaced the blown lamp and took a photo for a side-by-side comparison. Many pics are out there on the web but usually just show one lamp and can be altered very easily. The 85122 is on the left and the 85123 is on the right.
More info from my research... If you have a blown 85122 you will have to replace both lamp because they change color over time and will not match. The 85122+ is supposed to not change color over its life and you might be able to just change one blown lamp at a time. The 85123 is popular with the tuner crowd because it is an unfiltered lamp. Many of the blue or purple lamps use a filter and reduce light output by 30%. Finding a replacement 85123 was not possible unless I bought a used one from ebay. The dealer wanted $206 for a single lamp. I purchased 2 85122 lamps brand new from hidbulbzrus on ebay for less than $80.
12-01-2009, 10:59 PM
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