Headlights: advice needed on xenon dipped & halogen main beam bulbs + sidelights

[mjennings23]

It would seem there are as many versions on our cars as hairs on a dogs arse........... top quote :rofl:

Anyway thought I would hijack this thread to request some advice before I shell out the £67 that Halfords are asking for their Xenon bulb - or I should say £134 as their advice is only to fit in pairs

When I ran the VIN Decoder the information I got back regarding lights was S522A Xenon Light - does this mean I have to go with the above option or can I fit the alternatives suggested which are less than £20?

I assume a bulb isn't lighting up?

The only issue with xenons is there are 3 parts that can fail. There's the Ballast, located on the bottom of the headlight housing, the ignitor which attaches to the bulb and the bulb itself. To check you'll effectively have to take the bulbs out and swap them over. If the fault moves the bulb is dead, if it stays in the same headlight it's one of the other two elements, so next step is swap ignitors.

You'll know if you have xenons when you open the bonnet, they have a yellow high voltage warning sticker near the top of the light.

 

[Gwest44]

Looks like the engine bay is devoid of any warning stickers so reckon I can get away with the non-Xenon option

 

[Gwest44]

Meant to attach photo of engine bay :headbang:

 

[Gwest44]

What do we reckon then - one of these?

 

[mjennings23]

Now I missed that you had an M. They came with Xenon lights as standard kit, in the UK at least. Have a look at the light control switch next to the steering, is there 1 or 2 adjustment wheels?

 

[Gwest44]

Just the one

 

[mjennings23]

Typically means you have xenons then. Strange about no stickers, perhaps they weren't used on the M as they all had the xenon lights.

So yeah, D2S bulbs you'll need. Honestly they're expensive but you're best off going for the known brands, so Osram Night breaker or Philips Extreme. As I said previously though, best to check if it is in fact the bulbs first as the other parts can fail

 

[Gwest44]

Contacted Sytner in Sheffield and the good news is that they can order a bulb and get me booked in via the service department for an emergency bulb fitting today.

The bad news is that the bulb costs £191 and with fitting would be £286.

Looks like I will be ordering these off Amazon as an early Christmas present :rofl:

 

[mjennings23]

Sounds about right for BMW pricing, god knows where they get that figure for fitting!

Yeah they're the ones I use and they're good bulbs.

 

[MACK]

Sounds about right for BMW pricing, god knows where they get that figure for fitting!

Yeah they're the ones I use and they're good bulbs.

+1
Even for BMW that's astounding! Once its on the ramp it's all of a ten minute job. You dont even need the ramp really!
I know its easy to say in hindsight but I would of loved to know what their labour rate is and how long they say this will take.
It reminds we of Manchester Audi charging 45 mins to change two wiper blades on one of our company cars when it went in for a service. Fortunately that one was on a fully maintained lease.

 

[rally-chris]

I was going to start a new thread on this but thought it prudent to add to this one instead.

So it appears that I may have the same issue.
Z4 OSFH.jpg

The picture shows the front off-side cluster. The RHS light is a xenon and functions as dip and full beam. The inside light has the early days angle-eye, but does nothing more. On auto, manual, full beam and flash, the inside lights do nothing. Have a 2006 3.0Si and presumed I was running 'bi-xenons'.

This may be useful (or not), and indicates the inside light is a 'dummy'.
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2965458&postcount=27

Any ideas?

Not sure your post has been answered, so...

That is correct, facelift E85 (and all E86) xenons are Bi-Xenon on the outer light and the inner one does nothing except house the angel eye and look pretty. Earlier BMW Bi Xenons (e.g. pre facelift E85) have an H7 halogen bulb in the inner light that comes on with high beam as well as the full beam Xenon from the outer light (but might only be when you operate the flasher, can't remember!).

For all models with Bi Xenon, the outer light has a single D2S Xenon bulb, then there is a solenoid operated shutter that rotates down to lower (cut off) the beam for the dipped beam setting.

Chris