m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Wooo - Finally got around to getting a Xenon kit, and omg why didn't I do it sooner >.< Daytime in the carport and their Still epicly white (6k) (This is before I tidied up all the wiring, looks practically stock... And at night - HOLY COW BATMAN, no need for highbeams is all I can say... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
polley 916 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Cool, another person with xenons to blind oncoming traffic. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Cool, another person with xenons to blind oncoming traffic. Damn right, but at least I know how my level adjuster works, its near my tilt adjust :-P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 (edited) Short of going for a xenon kit, which besides from being costly are pretty harsh on oncoming drivers what options do I have to increase the headlamp brightness? Am guessing due to age the standard H1 (?) globes have lost the bulk of their intensity, but before I shell out the hundred - odd bucks to replace them with equivalent units are there any other options that will increase brightness? I'm not keen on going for a higher wattage bulb as I suspect the temp will go up as a result, leading to a melted heap of plastic where my headlight used to be Any useful suggestions? OP, what did the kit cost you? Edited May 27, 2012 by Ahmedsinc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
antil33t 90 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Damn right, but at least I know how my level adjuster works, its near my tilt adjust :-P It's still Illegal. I have some Narva Platinum's in my E30, they are extremely white! but not blue white. Biggest problem now is I'd say the aging lenses and plastic reflectors and pitted glass. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
euroriffic 609 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 (edited) I converted my sedan about 2 years ago and only just got picked up on them on the last wof. The main problem is because of the exposed bowl around the lens throughs out a weird light pattern with hids as the halogens went really strong enough to be noticeable. I found a guy in the uk that makes like a shield so the light can only go through the lens which controls the light better and 'should' make the light pattern acceptable. Going to try get some ordered or just get them made up here and see how we go. FYI the wof guy said if I could get BMW to ok hids it would be fine but they couldn't really tell Me anything Edited May 27, 2012 by euroriffic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Looks like your engine is dirty? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Looks like your engine is dirty? Its Clean now I got sick of looking at the dirty engine cover too lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 27, 2012 Short of going for a xenon kit, which besides from being costly are pretty harsh on oncoming drivers what options do I have to increase the headlamp brightness? Am guessing due to age the standard H1 (?) globes have lost the bulk of their intensity, but before I shell out the hundred - odd bucks to replace them with equivalent units are there any other options that will increase brightness? I'm not keen on going for a higher wattage bulb as I suspect the temp will go up as a result, leading to a melted heap of plastic where my headlight used to be Any useful suggestions? OP, what did the kit cost you? I got the kit from Jaycar, $149 for the two H1 kits. Piece of cake to install. I used to have some Phillips "Xenon blue" style bulbs, but they were still so standard looking with the colour of the light. This is how things look now from the drivers seat parked in my car port with just the lowbeam (the xenons on) And this is with the addition of the Highbeam (which are also phillips xenon blue bulbs) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Short of going for a xenon kit, which besides from being costly are pretty harsh on oncoming drivers what options do I have to increase the headlamp brightness? Am guessing due to age the standard H1 (?) globes have lost the bulk of their intensity, but before I shell out the hundred - odd bucks to replace them with equivalent units are there any other options that will increase brightness? I'm not keen on going for a higher wattage bulb as I suspect the temp will go up as a result, leading to a melted heap of plastic where my headlight used to be Any useful suggestions? Excellent question. You should only use H1 bulbs in an H1 headlamp, and higher wattage is bad juju's due to the heat melting things as you mention. HID retrofit kits are illegal for good reason. A couple of the halogen bulb manufacturers offer modified colours to be whiter, and also +30%, +50% & +90% brightness. This is the same wattage bulb, but has a much shorter lifetime. Get some good standard white bulbs (Philips or Osram - sometimes rebranded as Hella or Narva) and make sure your lenses are clean (inside & out), and the reflectors are in good condition. Apart from that, fit a set of driving lights (wired to the high beam - you are only permitted one set of low beams by law). I converted my sedan about 2 years ago and only just got picked up on them on the last wof. The main problem is because of the exposed bowl around the lens throughs out a weird light pattern with hids as the halogens went really strong enough to be noticeable. I found a guy in the uk that makes like a shield so the light can only go through the lens which controls the light better and 'should' make the light pattern acceptable. Going to try get some ordered or just get them made up here and see how we go. FYI the wof guy said if I could get BMW to ok hids it would be fine but they couldn't really tell Me anything The reason the photometric output pattern is all screwed up is because the filament position is wrong and has a reflector behind it. They are designed for a very specific filament position - even putting the bulb in upside down will mess up the output pattern. Genuine HID lights don't normally have a reflector behind them, and do have a projector lens in front to control the light. They also have automatic levelling and wash systems to minimise the chance that you will blind an oncoming driver and cause an accident. BMW will never endorse halogen replacement/retrofit kits as they are illegal for use on the road in pretty much every country that uses the ECE regulations (so pretty much all of them...). I got the kit from Jaycar, $149 for the two H1 kits. Piece of cake to install. I used to have some Phillips "Xenon blue" style bulbs, but they were still so standard looking with the colour of the light. So are they standard halogen H1's or an HID retrofit kit? Xenon (confusingly) is also used in the H1 globes marketing - which you can get in brighter and slightly whiter varieties - which aren't the same as the Xenon HID (or gas discharge) lamps. The Philips BlueVision ("xenon effect") are a good example and are completely legal (and are actually bloody good bulbs). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smac01 12 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 I installed HIDs into my E36 years ago, and thought the same thing. Unfortunately, not only were they still blinding, you also had worse visibility than OEM halogen bulbs because you had to aim them so low. Sorry OP - not trying to rain on your parade, but they are illegal for a reason. I certainly wouldn't want to try claiming insurance after a crash with those installed... Damn right, but at least I know how my level adjuster works, its near my tilt adjust :-P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matt45 1 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 +1 illegal for a reason. there is a reason they cost considerably more than standard when optioned new. A. they are a totally different headlight b. it has other extra systems inc auto leveling and washers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Excellent question. You should only use H1 bulbs .................. Exactly the sort of answer I was looking for - thanks man! Now, where the hell do ya find the Philips BlueVision globes you made mention of? How does one tell if the reflectors are in poor nick? Obvious dull patches on the polished surfaces or is it a little more subtle than that? I'm adamant to find fault with the quality of light coming from the headlamps - easier and cheaper than admitting I'm turning into a blind old fart! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Very well put Elmarco, Simon & Matt - my thoughts exactly!! Me not wanting to sound like kill joy either but I wish to hell these aftemarket HID lights got pinged by ALL WOF inspectors. They are illegal for a specifice reason, & rightly so - they do NOT project light at the correct controlled pattern (for reasons stated above) but project a dangerous bright glare to oncoming traffic. A factory option HID, (or "complete" aftermarket lamp) while bright & white, is a specifcally controlled beam pattern, which does not create a blinding effect on oncoming vehicles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Well I have Glass lenses so i'm no worried about melting Plus the bulbs are only 35w.. This week should be interesting to see if i get pulled up on em when I go for my WOF on wednesday. I got 2x http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID...mp;form=KEYWORD I've used "aftermarket" bulbs for ever, but this is my 1st Xenon kit and so far I love it... I've always used Phillips such bulbs because they are good, but meh - felt like a change. So far, mine don't seem too glarey, i've yet to have anyone flash me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
k.gen04 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Cool e34. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Cool e34. Shutup foo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hotwire 352 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Well I have Glass lenses so i'm no worried about melting Plus the bulbs are only 35w.. This week should be interesting to see if i get pulled up on em when I go for my WOF on wednesday. I got 2x http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID...mp;form=KEYWORD I've used "aftermarket" bulbs for ever, but this is my 1st Xenon kit and so far I love it... I've always used Phillips such bulbs because they are good, but meh - felt like a change. So far, mine don't seem too glarey, i've yet to have anyone flash me. Not meaning to be a smartass, but as has been mentioned - these retrofits are NOT correct, are illegal & should be policed as such. I have seen them coming towards me - they are a major distraction. They could easily cause an accident to an inexperienced or inconfident driver 35w has no bearing - the HID rating differs from standard bulbs. The projected pattern is the issue. Put them on a beamsetter & compare pattern against the correct version - they are miles off. As Simon mentioned above - to have them so the glare is not too excessive - they need to be set low - meaning the range is crap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Not meaning to be a smartass, but as has been mentioned - these retrofits are NOT correct, are illegal & should be policed as such. I have seen them coming towards me - they are a major distraction. They could easily cause an accident to an inexperienced or inconfident driver 35w has no bearing - the HID rating differs from standard bulbs. The projected pattern is the issue. Put them on a beamsetter & compare pattern against the correct version - they are miles off. As Simon mentioned above - to have them so the glare is not too excessive - they need to be set low - meaning the range is crap. I have the Projector lenses if that makes a difference? Its a Japanese spec/imported car, even has matching/correct beamforms. Will be interesting to see what happens on Wednesday with WOF day to see if it passes, if it doesn't I guess I'll have to fasttrack my lens upgrade lol. I've planning on a Tasteful/OE looking headlight upgrade to some nice European ones with angeleye DRLs. Won't ever do the "Altezza" taillight deal - pinkypromise - IMO their satins lovebaby >< Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nizalb70 0 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Have them in my car. They are excellent. Just need some in the fogs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Have them in my car. They are excellent. Just need some in the fogs Hehe - IKR... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Well took the car for its WOF this morning. Passed - Clear and without warnings, no mention about the Xenon.. The guy said the beamform was spot on and level was fine, I asked the specifically to check for that. Yay me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Have them in my car. They are excellent. Just need some in the fogs Seen these before? I am thinking bout getting some and rewiring so they run as DRLs http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=478907220 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smac01 12 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Had those in my car a few years ago (in the fogs). They look cool when it's dark, but aren't very bright. Can't really see them in the daylight from memory. They also can trigger 'check bulb' faults which are highly irritating. Won't comment on the HIDs passing the WOF - already expressed my views. Seen these before? I am thinking bout getting some and rewiring so they run as DRLs http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=478907220 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
m2geek 4 Report post Posted May 28, 2012 Had those in my car a few years ago (in the fogs). They look cool when it's dark, but aren't very bright. Can't really see them in the daylight from memory. They also can trigger 'check bulb' faults which are highly irritating. Won't comment on the HIDs passing the WOF - already expressed my views. With the Xenons the foglights are almost totally drowned out so putting H1 LEDs in the foglights is just gonna purely be a cosmetic thing. Have LEDs on the way for my park lights. I get warnings about lights from the OBC anyway - its full of sh*t cos they all work - the guy at the testing station asked if I was using Genuine bulbs in the tail lights which I am, and said the control thingy is likely buggered. TBH I just mash "check" until the warnings go away, if i get sick of it - i'll just take the dash check bulb out LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
