Headlights upgrade

[DFR]

Long post, here we go!
I've never had to replace a light bulb on any of the cars I've owned and my knowledge in the matter is limited. Just to make it more difficult for me, BMW decided to equip some of the E85 with halogens and some with xenons.
I have the height adjustment thing and I can't see s**t at night, so I guess I have the halogen headlights. I've used a headlight restoration kit, but can't restore candles I guess.
Now that that is out of the way, I would like to upgrade the headlights to something brighter. I have seen a few posts here with halogen to xenon conversion but the posts are a bit old. There are also some of you that have added angle eyes to your headlights - looking cool!

The confusing bit now:
Section 4.1.4 of the current MOT inspection manuals states ‘Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp.’
I've just seen this today and does that mean that I have to stick to halogens? Surely there are loads of new cars out there running on xenons and LED that seem to be passing MOTs. That makes me think it is not about the source of light/intensity but the construction of the headlight unit.
I've noticed that the headlight has various markings - D2S, H7 and a bunch of other ones. D2S - xenon, H7 - halogen, mostly.
Does this mean that the headlight unit is build for both halogen and xenon and it is ok to make the conversion?

Questions:
1. Is it ok to make the conversion from halogens to xenon without MOT fail issues?
2. What conversion kits can you recommend?
3. If I want angel eyes, will that be separate investment from the conversion kit?
4. Are there any kits that have angel eyes included?
5. Angel eyes are LED, will that be ok with MOT inspection?
6. Are the angel eyes wired with the sidelights or with the dipped lights?

Phew, thank you!

 

[Scooba_Steve]

Is it ok to make the conversion from halogens to xenon

If you do it properly, yes. If you put HID burners in then no.

without MOT fail issues

OE headlamps are marked H7 and D2S for all types. MOT testers are not allowed to dismantle anything, so if the beam pattern passes with HIDs benefit of the doubt should be given.

You may have some luck taking out the lens and giving it a clean/polish.

 

[Mr Tidy]

I'm not sure it's possible to fit Xenons in a Halogen headlight unit as the OE Bi-Xenons are self levelling, and the Halogen fittings probably don't have that feature.

My 2nd E86 had Halogens and I looked into some sort of improvement, but as I didn't use it much at night on unlit roads I never made any changes. :roll:

But I think they can be improved with clear lenses, polished reflectors and better Halogen bulbs - Osram Nightbreakers seem to be a popular choice. Then maybe use the adjusters to tweak them up a bit, but be prepared to tweak them back down at MOT time!

 

[Scooba_Steve]

By "doing it properly" i.e. retrofitting OE Xenons would need both complete headlights, ballasts, the levelling arms (probably compete/not bold on) possibly loom and a new LCM (in theory it should be codable but practically probably not).

£££££££

When I say HID burners I mean a HID kit in Halogen headlamps.

 

[DFR]

I'm not sure it's possible to fit Xenons in a Halogen headlight.

I've seen some posts/videos of people using conversion kits, but as you said, the levelling arms are missing so the legality of it is questionable.

clear lenses, polished reflectors and better Halogen bulbs - Osram Nightbreakers

Thank you, I might do this rather soon then. How do I access the leveling mechanism?

 

[DFR]

By "doing it properly" i.e. retrofitting OE Xenons would need both complete headlights, ballasts, the levelling arms (probably compete/not bold on) possibly loom and a new LCM (in theory it should be codable but practically probably not).

So if I get a used xenon headlight set (link below), will it have all the parts mentioned and it is just a swap job?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255271174585?hash=item3b6f5901b9:g:k8UAAOSwoVBhs1YR

When I say HID burners I mean a HID kit in Halogen headlamps.

You've read my mind, I was just about to ask what's a HID burner.
Cheers

 

[Scooba_Steve]

So if I get a used xenon headlight set (link below), will it have all the parts mentioned and it is just a swap job?

No, it won't. You won't have the levelling mechanisms and at best will need to code your current LCM but I am not sure if anyone has done this. It may not be possible. Swapping the LCM would be a more likely route to work but that will also need coding to remove the mileage tamper dot. Might be just as complicated - BMW won't flash an old LCM, only a 'blank' one, and if there isn't an official retrofit option then wouldn't be able to code it anyway.

 

[LittleZ4]

Also I believe the looms are different between the two types of headlights. The pin outs are different.
It's a fair bit of work if you want it to be "factory"

 

[DFR]

No, it won't.

Right, I think I need to open up the bumper and headlights to really understand what's going on there or at least read the service manual. I've read that the LCM can be swapped and programed but to be honest, I won't sell the Z as I like it too much and the tamper dot won't bother me too much.

 

[DFR]

It's a fair bit of work if you want it to be "factory"

I don't really care about being factory. All I want is to properly see at night and to pass MOTs. With my current headlights i think I can see 20m ahead, at best. I'll probably set with polishing the reflectors and new bulbs for now.

 

[Motionblurrr]

The halogen E85/E86 BMW Z4s use an H7 halogen bulb in a 'E55 Hella' projector. Technically, both the halogen H7 and xenon D2S projectors are different. In some projectors, if you put an HID kit inside a halogen projector you get a terrible beam pattern, tons of glare, fuzzy cut off and overall you're in worst shape than where you started.

HOWEVER & LUCKILY, the E55 Hella H7 halogen projector can take HID kits pretty decently. Search on HIDplanet if you want more info (amongst a lot of arguments) but the E55 Hella projector can give a decent beam pattern, cut off, distance vision and more light to the sides without resorting to using your fog lights all the time. Keep in mind, there will be some glare since you are stuffing an HID kit where it doesn't belong but it isn't world-ending amounts of glare like some people online would have you believe. Just aim your headlights correctly or take it to a specialist that can aim them for you. It won't match an HID bulb inside a proper HID projector though. Still, the gains are very good and it's exactly what you're looking for.

Get an H7 HID CANBUS slim kit, with the color temperature in the 4300K-5000K range and you'll get a nice crisp white light. People who want a more cold white color (think like a modern LED white color) go for 6000K. However, you see less at night due to the colder color temp and it gets worse the higher you go. Although 6000K can be a sexy look, when it's pouring rain at night you'll probably not be much of a fan since the colder white light will be absorbed by the dark wet pavement and you'll have a slightly harder time seeing--although you can use your foglights to mitigate that issue lol.

Make sure to buy an H7 HID bulb that has the return wire (long wire that runs across the bulb) facing on the bottom of the projector. If you can't find one, you can dremel out a notch that matches on the opposite side of the bulb.

The entire HID kit can be fitted and stuffed inside the headlight housing so you wouldn't have to drill anything, so your water seal wouldn't be compromised.

Good luck!

 

[DFR]

Good luck!

Thank you, your reply is really helpful.
I definitely prefer the 4300K-5000K colour temperature range. Questions about the ballast, if I may:
Will they not overheat if tucked inside the headlight housing?
I've seen ballasts that come in 35W, 42W and 55W canbus, how come there are so many options and which one should i go for?

 

[DFR]

Also, I've seen HID kits that come with speciffic projectors, more expensive though. Are they worth it vs the E55 Hella?

 

[Motionblurrr]

oops! double post

 

[Motionblurrr]

Good luck!

Thank you, your reply is really helpful.
I definitely prefer the 4300K-5000K colour temperature range. Questions about the ballast, if I may:
Will they not overheat if tucked inside the headlight housing?
I've seen ballasts that come in 35W, 42W and 55W canbus, how come there are so many options and which one should i go for?

I highly suggest to only get the 35W kit. It’s plenty bright, around 2.5-3x brighter than halogen if you get a good quality bulb and ballast. OEMs only come with 35W anyway (and a few 25W). You’re probably wondering: why not go 42W or 55W since they’re brighter? The 42/55W ballasts will end up frying the reflective surface inside your projectors due to the increased amount of UV rays emitted by overdriving an aftermarket HID bulb. Most aftermarket HID bulbs don’t have adequate UV blockers built-in within the bulb glass like an OEM brand like Osram or Philip HID bulbs, so you’ll be essentially burning off the reflective surface inside the projector, making your output even dimmer and dimmer as time goes by AND it’s irreversible. 35W is the sweet spot where you don’t have to really worry about any of that. Not to mention, there’s such a thing as too much foreground light—where the amount of light directly in front of your car greatly impacts your distance vision due to your pupils constricting from too much light. Think of it like you standing inside your house, with all the lights on in the room, trying to look outside when it’s night time. Can’t see anything! Lol

About stuffing it inside the housing and heat: No, you’ll be alright, it won’t overheat. Halogen bulbs emit more heat than those ballasts & igniters can emit. I’ve ran them in the sweltering U.S. Summer nights and in the freezing cold winter temperatures and they’ve kept on ticking! If you want some piece of mind, I have been running an HID kit in my housings for nearly 10 years LOL and I always check inside once in a while to make sure everything is good and so far so good! It’s my daily driver and I drive at night occasionally so reliability is very important to me!

Also, I've seen HID kits that come with speciffic projectors, more expensive though. Are they worth it vs the E55 Hella?

If you can easily swap the projectors yourself, then it’s definitely worth it. The job isn’t hard at all, front bumper off, unbolt headlights, unbolt projectors and then do everything in reverse! You’ll get better output, distance, focus and width since it’ll be a projector designed for HID. However for me, since it’s my daily driver—if one bulb or ballast were to fail at random while driving at night, for example—I couldn’t easily just swap in my spare halogen bulbs so I have two functioning lights. I’d end up having only one side working since the projector would be for HID only. I have a spare pair of halogen bulbs in the trunk (sorry, boot ) and a pair of old H7 HID bulbs. If it wasn’t my daily car I’d probably do HID projectors!

 

[Tom2207]

The halogen E85/E86 BMW Z4s use an H7 halogen bulb in a 'E55 Hella' projector. Technically, both the halogen H7 and xenon D2S projectors are different. In some projectors, if you put an HID kit inside a halogen projector you get a terrible beam pattern, tons of glare, fuzzy cut off and overall you're in worst shape than where you started.

HOWEVER & LUCKILY, the E55 Hella H7 halogen projector can take HID kits pretty decently. Search on HIDplanet if you want more info (amongst a lot of arguments) but the E55 Hella projector can give a decent beam pattern, cut off, distance vision and more light to the sides without resorting to using your fog lights all the time. Keep in mind, there will be some glare since you are stuffing an HID kit where it doesn't belong but it isn't world-ending amounts of glare like some people online would have you believe. Just aim your headlights correctly or take it to a specialist that can aim them for you. It won't match an HID bulb inside a proper HID projector though. Still, the gains are very good and it's exactly what you're looking for.

Get an H7 HID CANBUS slim kit, with the color temperature in the 4300K-5000K range and you'll get a nice crisp white light. People who want a more cold white color (think like a modern LED white color) go for 6000K. However, you see less at night due to the colder color temp and it gets worse the higher you go. Although 6000K can be a sexy look, when it's pouring rain at night you'll probably not be much of a fan since the colder white light will be absorbed by the dark wet pavement and you'll have a slightly harder time seeing--although you can use your foglights to mitigate that issue lol.

Make sure to buy an H7 HID bulb that has the return wire (long wire that runs across the bulb) facing on the bottom of the projector. If you can't find one, you can dremel out a notch that matches on the opposite side of the bulb.

The entire HID kit can be fitted and stuffed inside the headlight housing so you wouldn't have to drill anything, so your water seal wouldn't be compromised.

Good luck!

Thats the best answer Ive ever seen to the hid swap out question , I have an hid swap on one of my bikes and its great , but I also have a halogen bulb swap on another for blue ish bulbs and for the work involved and messing about the blue bulb swap is well worth the low cost and low effort for the relatively big gain.

 

[DFR]

I agree dude! I was too tired when I replied but should have given [ref]Motionblurrr[/ref] more praise. Then man is a gold mine and his answer made me truly consider the HID conversion as I almost gave up on the idea.

 

[Tom2207]

I agree dude! I was too tired when I replied but should have given [ref]Motionblurrr[/ref] more praise. Then man is a gold mine and his answer made me truly consider the HID conversion as I almost gave up on the idea.

 

[Motionblurrr]

I agree dude! I was too tired when I replied but should have given [ref]Motionblurrr[/ref] more praise. Then man is a gold mine and his answer made me truly consider the HID conversion as I almost gave up on the idea.

Thanks guys! I just ended up being a headlight nerd from so much troubleshooting and wanting to get the best lighting out of this car since it was one of it's weaknesses IMO when I came from a previous car with HID.

If you do do the HID conversion, make sure to aim your headlight properly! Massive difference in how well you see.

 

[HGoward]

The halogen E85/E86 BMW Z4s use an H7 halogen bulb in a 'E55 Hella' projector. Technically, both the halogen H7 and xenon D2S projectors are different. In some projectors, if you put an HID kit inside a halogen projector you get a terrible beam pattern, tons of glare, fuzzy cut off and overall you're in worst shape than where you started.

HOWEVER & LUCKILY, the E55 Hella H7 halogen projector can take HID kits pretty decently. Search on HIDplanet if you want more info (amongst a lot of arguments) but the E55 Hella projector can give a decent beam pattern, cut off, distance vision and more light to the sides without resorting to using your fog lights all the time. Keep in mind, there will be some glare since you are stuffing an HID kit where it doesn't belong but it isn't world-ending amounts of glare like some people online would have you believe. Just aim your headlights correctly or take it to a specialist that can aim them for you. It won't match an HID bulb inside a proper HID projector though. Still, the gains are very good and it's exactly what you're looking for.

Get an H7 HID CANBUS slim kit, with the color temperature in the 4300K-5000K range and you'll get a nice crisp white light. People who want a more cold white color (think like a modern LED white color) go for 6000K. However, you see less at night due to the colder color temp and it gets worse the higher you go. Although 6000K can be a sexy look, when it's pouring rain at night you'll probably not be much of a fan since the colder white light will be absorbed by the dark wet pavement and you'll have a slightly harder time seeing--although you can use your foglights to mitigate that issue lol.

Make sure to buy an H7 HID bulb that has the return wire (long wire that runs across the bulb) facing on the bottom of the projector. If you can't find one, you can dremel out a notch that matches on the opposite side of the bulb.

The entire HID kit can be fitted and stuffed inside the headlight housing so you wouldn't have to drill anything, so your water seal wouldn't be compromised.

Good luck!

I know your talking about HID Kits, but do you have any experience with LED conversions which don't need a ballast like HID kits do. Such as this kit https://www.ledperf.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=11939{76822a58a8b118bcc06b293686fb4e36} as well as others such as Phillips LED kits. The LED kits just seem a bit easier to do than the HID ones.