Light Bulbs

[Miller 0]

Hi. I have 55w light bulbs in at the moment and i want to buy some of those arctic white bulbs. Some of them are 150w!. Does having 100w or 150w bulbs damage anything? Can i do it, or do i have to buy 55w bulbs again? Thanks

[jochen 4]

Be very cautious - the light bulbs in a late model BMW (E34/E36 and newer) are driven by the Light Control Module (LCM) which switches each and every bulb on using electronics and transistors.

So trippling the load by changing from 55W to 150W will very likely cause the LCM to burn out and fail

I wouldn't do it if I were you - stick to the original bulb wattages for safety.

Jochen

[MADBMA 0]

no they should be fine, if they fit theyll work just fine, just like you can put 100watt bulbs in place of 60 watt bulbs in your normal household light socket, just means there gonna be brighter

i put artic blue lights in mine, didnt even check the wattage but they work fine, blew out within 6 months thoe and had to replace with new ones but no damage to car.

Edited October 2, 2006 by MADBMA

[Miller 0]

Can someone else confim this? I realy dont want to blow something up. lol. Thanks

[DCEIVN 0]

more wattage = more heat. I'd be concerned about melting something as it is an enclosed space - but it depends on how much plastic is inside the enclosure.

[jpp 0]

If they are made for vechiles it won't cause any melting etc, thats just silly. As said above, if you are perpared to buy new ones every half year then go for the brighter look!

[MADBMA 0]

If they are made for vechiles it won't cause any melting etc, thats just silly. As said above, if you are perpared to buy new ones every half year then go for the brighter look!

i agree with jpp, go for it just be prepared to change the bulbs more frequently.

[kiwi535 538]

i have heard that on e 34s and e 32s that the wiring and reflectors!(which on some models are PLASTIC) can melt with the increased wattage.I would be wary with 100 w I wouldnrt even consider 150 watts!.The E34 at least has quite small diameter wiring smaller tham other cars I have had

My 2c,oops 10 c worth

[hotwire 352]

Jochen & co are quite correct in their info, 55w draws 4.5 amps, 150w draws 12.5 amps.

Modern headlights / control systems & wiring simply aren't designed for that extra load.

All modern headlights have a high plastic content & will distort with heat, if polycarbonate lamp fronts they will craze

Light control systems are designed to operate on a predetermined load.

Fuse / wiring connections can melt due to increased load.

Believe me I have seen all these things happen.

A few years ago zenon bulbs were released to give around 30% increase in light over the same wattage halogen -55w

This was to increase light output without altering current consumption so as to protect modern headlights from damage.

Certainly high wattage wasn't an issue years ago when tollerances within the systems were higher

Be VERY wary

Cheers Grant

[Jazzbass 1]

I put a set of the 100W blue lights in my E36 - they lasted fine. Mind you, I did upgrade the fuses accordingly.

[Miller 0]

What fuses did you replace? Thanks

[nz320i 0]

good idea jazzbass but does this effect wiring more stress??? as wiring is ony made to cope with certain current.. probably made to handle a little over but you know.

i wouldnt go 150W!!

[my_e36 43]

I don't think doubling or tripling the wattage will make the headlight twice/3x as bright. The beam certainly won't go 2x/3x as far. If you just want the colour, get the plain 55W artic white from Repco.

I said that before, Philips, GE & Osram are the only OEM approved brand as replacement bulbs. These brands make some pretty decent bulbs, high brightness (at 55W) or white colour. I reckon they are the safest choice.

[Jazzbass 1]

Miller, I can't remember which specific fuses, just the ones labelled as the headlights and fogs (I did all 6 lamps as a replacement). From memory, they were 5A and I replaced them with 10A.

IMO, as an Electrician and an Electrical Engineer, the wiring was able to cope adequately with the extra current. However, I really don't think that it made a huge impact upon illuminating the road ahead... I wouldn't bother doing it again, myself.