OEM Xenon Headlight Differences for Facelift Models (US vs UK vs EUR)

[3002 tii]

I've seen past threads on this topic but I'm hoping to get a definitive answer by knowledgeable folks. Please no speculating as I'd like to keep the clutter to a minimum. The part numbers for 2006-2008 facelift bi-xenon headlights (Left | Right) found on the 3.0si and M models are:

What I Know

1. Part Numbers
- USA (LHD) - 63127162721 | 63127162722
- EUR (LHD) - 63127162717 | 63127162718
- UK* (RHD) - 63127162719 | 63127162720 (note: UK RHD is same P/N as Japan RHD)

2. Appearance
All headlights listed above come with chrome housings.

3. Beam Pattern
UK headlights come equipped with a lever on the projector that allows UK drivers to 'flatten' the beam pattern to avoid blinding on-coming drivers when driving in continental Europe. This of course is a temporary adjustment, and anyone wishing to import their RHD will need to replace with EUR LHD headlights (or swap to LHD projectors). See here for more info:

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6150&start=15


Could Use Fact Checking

1. Turn Signals
Both EUR and USA LHD headlights emit amber turn signals. However, the bulbs inside are clear and what affects the yellow output is the presence of amber glass inside the strips. See cj10jeeper's thread where he goes into details on the headlight innards:
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2953

2. Side Marker
My understanding is USA LHD have side marker bulbs in the upper corner which serve as 3rd indicator (i.e., flashing bulb). And when the indicators are not used, the corner bulb remains lit as a [permanent] parking light. This differs from UK and EUR headlights in which this 3rd corner bulb is only used as part of the turn signals.


My Questions

1. The above 2 observations would lead me to believe the USA LHD and EUR LHD headlights are physically the same, and the difference in behavior is attributable to coding. However, they clearly have different part numbers so what am I missing?

Edit - In speaking with more knowledgeable folks, the difference may be attributable to beam patterns (i.e., DOT vs ECE), which is a function of the projectors. That makes sense since the projectors themselves do not have dedicated part numbers as they were not intended to be serviced/replaced.

2. Are EUR and USA LHD headlights are interchangeable? Will a US LCM recognize a EUR headlight and vice versa, or is coding required?

 

[3002 tii]

As an aside, though not the focus I'll just throw this in here in case others find it helpful but again, someone should factcheck me. But other feature variances among Z4 headlights include:

1. Low Beam Type (Halogen vs Bi-xenon) - My understanding is bi-xenons were only standard on the M models
2. Indicator Strip (Orange vs Clear) - BMW switched to clear for post-facelift models
3. Headlight Housing (Chrome vs Black) - Chrome was standard for the ‘higher output’ 3.0si and M models; all other models

 

[Straba]

What I Know

1. Part Numbers
- USA (LHD) - 63127162721 | 63127162722
- EUR (LHD) - 63127162717

Could Use Fact Checking

1. Turn Signals
Both EUR and USA LHD headlights emit amber turn signals. However, the bulbs inside are clear and what affects the yellow output is the presence of amber glass inside the strips. See cj10jeeper's thread where he goes into details on the headlight innards:
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2953

2. Side Marker
My understanding is USA LHD have side marker bulbs in the upper corner which serve as 3rd indicator (i.e., flashing bulb). And when the indicators are not used, the corner bulb remains lit as a [permanent] parking light. This differs from UK and EUR headlights in which this 3rd corner bulb is only used as part of the turn signals.


My Questions

1. The above 2 observations would lead me to believe the USA LHD and EUR LHD headlights are physically the same, and the difference in behavior is attributable to coding. However, they clearly have different part numbers so what am I missing?

Edit - In speaking with more knowledgeable folks, the difference may be attributable to beam patterns (i.e., DOT vs ECE), which is a function of the projectors. That makes sense since the projectors themselves do not have dedicated part numbers as they were not intended to be serviced/replaced.

2. Are EUR and USA LHD headlights are interchangeable? Will a US LCM recognize a EUR headlight and vice versa, or is coding required?

The US headlights have 3 amber bulb housings in the hockey stick, hence a separate part number. Two for the turn signal and one in the upper corner for the sidemarker light, which ECE do not have.
For the sidemarker a separate pin on the headlight connector is used which the car wiring must support all the way to the light module. So, an US headlight could run in a ECE car, but without upper sidemarker and you would need to check the existence of ECE codes on the clear cover for the beam pattern conformance.

 

[elfer]

Not specific to the E85/86, ECE (Euro) and DOT (US) headlight regulations differ in beam patterns. They don't have a "kick" along the kerbside that we do, their dipped pattern is more flat. So, for example, if you're importing a used car from the US to Germany you still need to change the headlights to pass TuV inspection and register it, even though they're both LHD countries.

The front indicators as sidemarkers is done in coding though.

 

[Hyperion.uk]

The front indicators as sidemarkers is done in coding though.

I've recently seen a few BMWs running their indicators permanently on, is it all in the coding or would they have had to install this additional bulb?

 

[Straba]

The outer turn signal indicator bulb can be activated via coding entry SIDEMARKER_US on any type of headlight. The US spec headlight has another dedicated sidemarker bulb in the upper corner that is hard wired to the light module.

The „daydriving“ behavior of the turn signal bulbs on ECE headlights can be coded as follows:
1) Both turn indicator bulbs are lit when engine on (coding entries like DRL_BLK_VORN_GEDIMMT, DRL_BLK_VORN2_GEDIMMT are active, but SIDEMARKER_US must stay inactive) OR
2) Only the outer turn indicator bulb is lit with engine on (SIDEMARKER_US is active).

In the first case the brightness can be adjusted in 4 steps. In the latter I am not sure the brightness can be adjusted.
In the first case when the main beam is switched on (either man switch or auto sensor) the indicator bulbs go off and car looks ECE stock. In the latter case the outer indicator bulb stays on together with main beam and looks US spec at night.

 

[3002 tii]

The US headlights have 3 amber bulb housings in the hockey stick, hence a separate part number. Two for the turn signal and one in the upper corner for the sidemarker light, which ECE do not have.
For the sidemarker a separate pin on the headlight connector is used which the car wiring must support all the way to the light module. So, an US headlight could run in a ECE car, but without upper sidemarker and you would need to check the existence of ECE codes on the clear cover for the beam pattern conformance.

This was very helpful. So for ECE, is it just that there is no 3rd bulb but the socket is still present? In other words, it’s the same as a US headlight in this regard but it just doesn’t come with a bulb and the harness doesn’t have a pin to recognize it?

Also with regard to the other 2 bulbs, I’ve read that European makes can run clear or amber turn signals. That would lead me to believe it’s just dependent on the bulb color you choose. If so, does that mean there is no amber glass inside indicator strip like US cars?

 

[elfer]

This was very helpful. So for ECE, is it just that there is no 3rd bulb but the socket is still present? In other words, it’s the same as a US headlight in this regard but it just doesn’t come with a bulb and the harness doesn’t have a pin to recognize it?

Also with regard to the other 2 bulbs, I’ve read that European makes can run clear or amber turn signals. That would lead me to believe it’s just dependent on the bulb color you choose. If so, does that mean there is no amber glass inside indicator strip like US cars?

The US headlight won't have the 5W sidelight bulb in the main beam bowl that we have for side lights, side lights not being a DOT thing. According to the parts catalogue, the third bulb they got in the hockey stick instead as part of their corner marker requirement is also a 5W bulb, additional to the the two 21W bulbs both markets got (and we use only for indicators).

 

[3002 tii]

This was very helpful. So for ECE, is it just that there is no 3rd bulb but the socket is still present? In other words, it’s the same as a US headlight in this regard but it just doesn’t come with a bulb and the harness doesn’t have a pin to recognize it?

Also with regard to the other 2 bulbs, I’ve read that European makes can run clear or amber turn signals. That would lead me to believe it’s just dependent on the bulb color you choose. If so, does that mean there is no amber glass inside indicator strip like US cars?

The US headlight won't have the 5W sidelight bulb in the main beam bowl that we have for side lights, side lights not being a DOT thing. According to the parts catalogue, the third bulb they got in the hockey stick instead as part of their corner marker requirement is also a 5W bulb, additional to the the two 21W bulbs both markets got and we use only for indicators.

Correct, the US xenons come with this 5w amber sidemarker bulb as the 3rd bulb in the hockey stick. So it sounds like ECE version doesn’t have this black bulb holder at all?

Would you happen to have a pic of what the 5w bulb in the “main beam bowl” looks like?

 

[Straba]

The xenons from 01/2006, regardless US or not, have the inner light ring illuminated by a 10w bulb that is posing as ECE „position or side light“ and wired for the left side from pin 3 on headlight to light module pin 35.
The outer turn signal bulb is 21w and wired from pin 6 to pin 20 on light module.
The inner turn signal 21w bulb is wired from pin 5 to pin 50.
And in case of US headlight there is this additional black socket for 5w bulb acting as US sidelight in upper corner wired from pin 4 to pin 45 on light module.
Hence you can control the behaviour of each bulb separately by coding, although no one documented the impact of the different coding values on the third US bulb, since not present in ECE headlights.

Prior to facelift (-12/2005) and facelift non-xenon the ECE position light is a 5w bulb in the main beam reflector housing and apparently does not exist on US spec headlights as not required by DOT, but it is wired differently than xenon, as it is using the light module pin 45 for regular side light, the same pin US spec uses for the third upper sidelight bulb. So, yes, non xenon headlights use the same pin on the light module to act as ECE sidelight in reflector housing or US amber third bulb in hockey stick.

 

[3002 tii]

The xenons from 01/2006, regardless US or not, have the inner light ring illuminated by a 10w bulb that is posing as ECE „position or side light“ and wired for the left side from pin 3 on headlight to light module pin 35.
The outer turn signal bulb is 21w and wired from pin 6 to pin 20 on light module.
The inner turn signal 21w bulb is wired from pin 5 to pin 50.
And in case of US headlight there is this additional black socket for 5w bulb acting as US sidelight in upper corner wired from pin 4 to pin 45 on light module.
Hence you can control the behaviour of each bulb separately by coding, although no one documented the impact of the different coding values on the third US bulb, since not present in ECE headlights.

Prior to facelift (-12/2005) and facelift non-xenon the ECE position light is a 5w bulb in the main beam reflector housing and apparently does not exist on US spec headlights as not required by DOT, but it is wired differently than xenon, as it is using the light module pin 45 for regular side light, the same pin US spec uses for the third upper sidelight bulb. So, yes, non xenon headlights use the same pin on the light module to act as ECE sidelight in reflector housing or US amber third bulb in hockey stick.

Got it, yes I’m aware of the dummy bayonet bulb in the inner halo. I thought for a moment you were saying in lieu of the US 3rd sidemarker bulb, ECE headlights has another bulb elsewhere. So it’s confirmed, ECE don’t have that 3rd bulb socket at all. Thanks a bunch!!!

 

[x-driver]

When I was replacing the xenon projectors in my ECE headlights, I definitely didn't see that US sidemarker bulb holder, it sticks out very clearly on the photo above. And of course it wouldn't be there, there is no hole in the hockey stick for it to be mounted in.

You asked for a photo of the ECE sidemarker bulb in the main beam reflector housing:
Turned off, the main beam is turned on as DRL:


Turned on along with xenons: