Sonar Lights Story So Far - Fitted Today!

[cj10jeeper]

The more I see these aftermarket lights fitted, the more I understand why people go to the trouble of doing cut & shut on their OEM's

They just look a bit cheap and don't suit the car

I agree and always advise folks to hang onto their OEM
In 5 years they may want to retrofit them.
That said it's individual choice on style and thankfully we're not all the same

[cj10jeeper]

Hia Jeeper - the headlight BEAM is significantly better - it's the dipped headlight that we use 99% of the time which is terrible like the OEM's but actually maybe a little worse. The garage did say he had aligned them correctly for the car!

What Brighter H7 Bulbs in your opinion, would be the best to give me a little more light ?

I was referencing dipped bean. Any fool can make a conical projector for the main beam. Imho the skill is to bend or diffuse a beam to light the road ahead and kerb when on dipped beam and without dazzle.

Think you've chosen some better bulbs.
Def try to crank the lights up a turn or so and see if it helps. If you get flashed you overdid it. If they have a beam setter even better

[tomoz4white]

The more I see these aftermarket lights fitted, the more I understand why people go to the trouble of doing cut & shut on their OEM's

They just look a bit cheap and don't suit the car

Personal choice fella - I think they look great and once I have them wired in as I want them, I will be more than happy. The candles are candles whatever the headlight unit (aftermarket or OEM) - The car was transformed yesterday and in my opinion looks far superior.

Will hold onto the OEM's of course in case I want the car to go back to the original look (2004) or when I sell the vehicle on.

Tomo

[tomoz4white]

Hia Jeeper - the headlight BEAM is significantly better - it's the dipped headlight that we use 99% of the time which is terrible like the OEM's but actually maybe a little worse. The garage did say he had aligned them correctly for the car!

What Brighter H7 Bulbs in your opinion, would be the best to give me a little more light ?

I was referencing dipped bean. Any fool can make a conical projector for the main beam. Imho the skill is to bend or diffuse a beam to light the road ahead and kerb when on dipped beam and without dazzle.

Think you've chosen some better bulbs.
Def try to crank the lights up a turn or so and see if it helps. If you get flashed you overdid it. If they have a beam setter even better

I read many threads Jeeper and the Osram's seemed to be the best choice (Marlon seemed to rate them).

[85genius]

actually think the Sonar ones look better than the OEM

[tomoz4white]

actually think the Sonar ones look better than the OEM

[MACK]

Just to clarify, I take it these Sonar lights and the 2xcite lights you see knocking around are actually one and the same thing and are not compatible with Xenon equipped vehicles.

[cj10jeeper]

Just to clarify, I take it these Sonar lights and the 2xcite lights you see knocking around are actually one and the same thing and are not compatible with Xenon equipped vehicles.

Halogen only

[85genius]

Just to clarify, I take it these Sonar lights and the 2xcite lights you see knocking around are actually one and the same thing and are not compatible with Xenon equipped vehicles.

AFAIK Sonar are the only aftermarket producer of E85/E86 headlights quite a few people 2xcite included re brand them as their own but they are all sonar ones

[kis]

Hia Jeeper - the headlight BEAM is significantly better - it's the dipped headlight that we use 99% of the time which is terrible like the OEM's but actually maybe a little worse. The garage did say he had aligned them correctly for the car!

What Brighter H7 Bulbs in your opinion, would be the best to give me a little more light ?

I was referencing dipped bean. Any fool can make a conical projector for the main beam. Imho the skill is to bend or diffuse a beam to light the road ahead and kerb when on dipped beam and without dazzle.

Think you've chosen some better bulbs.
Def try to crank the lights up a turn or so and see if it helps. If you get flashed you overdid it. If they have a beam setter even better

I found these with aftermarket angel eyes I got for my e46. Not as good at OEM. Not as well built and not comparable quality of light.

actually think the Sonar ones look better than the OEM

I think the only issue with the lights are the orange hockey stick (if you're on a pre-facelift). Otherwise I aesthetically they look fine. Nothing wrong and not even that much difference between the Sonar type and OEM. I wouldn't bother messing around with them if I could get my hands on some facelift ones. HOWEVER if you are, then might as well ad a double set of CCFL's or LED rings as well to give that Angel Eye look.

[JINGLE]

55 W is overkill (Jingle! ), 35 W gives good output and should keep the heat manageable inside.

It is overkill but the output is perfect, honestly not looked back since, I was flashed 3 times in the 1st week as beam was angled too high even when wheel was at is lowest setting.... a quick tweak under the bonnet to lower the overall height of the beam and then wheel set in middle (to allow any adjustments needed like when boot is full and kicks beam up) and I havnt been flashed a single time in the last 8 or so months!

If I ever have to get another Z that would be my 1st mod, driving at night was terrible with standard lights!

[goldbcfc]

I havent read the whole thread just skipped through but i had these Sonar lights they are not the best output untill you fit a HID kit aswell. It is very easy literally clips onto the old bmw connection and you use the new bulbs supplied. Mine were also with the halo rings too. I wouldnt worry to much about the warning light on dash that can be coded to tell the ecu etc. Did you get the self leveling ones which cost a little more?

Where do you live? South theres a guy Maruis on here/insta mods thes lights all sorts of varaitions with light strobe/flash etc. If your in the midlands try, Keep your car safe, again on istagram you will fiind examples of light mods

probably get cheaper ones for £25 was just first i seen

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8000K-H7-XENO ... SwepJXVuZP

[tomoz4white]

I havent read the whole thread just skipped through but i had these Sonar lights they are not the best output untill you fit a HID kit aswell. It is very easy literally clips onto the old bmw connection and you use the new bulbs supplied. Mine were also with the halo rings too. I wouldnt worry to much about the warning light on dash that can be coded to tell the ecu etc. Did you get the self leveling ones which cost a little more?

Where do you live? South theres a guy Maruis on here/insta mods thes lights all sorts of varaitions with light strobe/flash etc. If your in the midlands try, Keep your car safe, again on istagram you will fiind examples of light mods

probably get cheaper ones for £25 was just first i seen

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8000K-H7-XENO ... SwepJXVuZP

Thanks for the post fella, the car goes back in today mate so I will see what happens. I am not sure what the guy has planned. I got the resistors and I bought some nightbreaker's unlimited to see if that helps. I have asked him to raise the lights a little to see if that helps with the dipped head light performance also (as we know the OEM's are also shocking so I may be in the same place come the end and will then potentially consider an HID Kit which is not recommended of course).

The condensation has eased and not bothering me. Maybe it was an early fitting thing!

Not sure about coding etc. Im gonna leave that to the garage. All I know is the halo's are rigged to the same circuit as the top strip and I do NOT want to use the top strip. If he can achieve that and if at all possible have the halo's as DRL's then I will be happy - I will report back later!

Tomo

[tomoz4white]

Okay Dokey!,

Just picked up the Zed and the garage has now done the following:-

1) Fitted the Resistors to make the "horizontal top strip completely redundant (and bulbs removed)", this has cancelled out the dash warning light coming on and the side indicators are no longer lighting up (hooray!).

2) The Drl ECU function was activated but the halo's do not light up as Drl's

3) The Halo's are therefore only functional via the side light switch (the "manufactured intention" but they light up without the horizontal strip working as I wanted).

4) H7 Osram Nightbreakers Unlimited have been fitted and the headlight level slightly raised (I will find out later when night falls and see if there is any improvement).

I guess the question is....am I frustrated that the Halo's are not set up for DRL Function? Well, not really. On the way back home from the garage, I asked the Mrs to drive in front of me and observe the halo's as I switched them on and off via sidelight switch. She commented that they are not "DRL Bright" and in the winter sunshine, she had to look a second time to see if they were on. Someone else did say that they are not super bright (bulb changes not an option) so it's not a real biggy. I am quite happy to switch the sidelights on for the "halo look" - and it's not a deal breaker that my back lights are on at the same time - who cares!

Summary - "whether the halo lights are on or completely switched off" the Sonar's still make the car look so much better (in my opinion) and I am de-gingered at the same time. My ultimate goal was to:-

1) Enhance the car's appearance = Achieved
2) Cancel out the Side Light horizontal strip = Achieved
3) Increase dipped headlight performance = Probably not Achieved (tonight's test pending!),

As in 3), I am not exactly confident that the dipped headlights this evening will WOW me in the pitch darkness, but that's not a biggy either as the OEM's were also shocking as we know. The car is rarely used during darkness but I will certainly report back later for everyone's information.

P.S - with regards to condensation, this seems to have calmed and there has been no "misty misty" for the last 4 days or so.

So there you have it - am I pleased?. I think that's a Yes!

Tomo

[goldbcfc]

Id imagine to get it DRL you will need to tap into the interior lighting so when you press unlock on the key fob it triggers the DRL with interior thats how we do it on E46's for the halos as DRL. People tap the footwell light or the red/yellow stripey one inside engine bay. Google E46 halo DRL you will seee images of the wire. Theres a member on here Maruis i think your best speaking with him he does bmw lighting mods he will advise better.