Does any1 no whats involved with fitting Xenon head light units to a non Xenon car?
Retro Fit Xenon light units???
- Thread starter oliver.brace
- Start date
Yes - thanks Oliver.....
OK - they are phhysically a direct swap if you get prefacelift to prefacelift and post to post. Pre to post is near impossible.
You'll need the lights, their ballast, bulbs, etc.
Biggest challenge is to get the LCM unit reprogrammed by BMW or an Indy to make them work. Without they do not light up correctly.
To do the job correctly you should also add the self levelling kit (available retrofit kit from BMW), swap the LCM to a genuine xenon unit (no manual adjustment)
You should also have headlamp washers to be strictly UK legal, but noboby does that.
For these reasons people often take the shorcut and add the inferior HID bulb kits to existing headlights.
OK - they are phhysically a direct swap if you get prefacelift to prefacelift and post to post. Pre to post is near impossible.
You'll need the lights, their ballast, bulbs, etc.
Biggest challenge is to get the LCM unit reprogrammed by BMW or an Indy to make them work. Without they do not light up correctly.
To do the job correctly you should also add the self levelling kit (available retrofit kit from BMW), swap the LCM to a genuine xenon unit (no manual adjustment)
You should also have headlamp washers to be strictly UK legal, but noboby does that.
For these reasons people often take the shorcut and add the inferior HID bulb kits to existing headlights.
Thanks for that cj10jeeper,
Im not up 4 the aftermarket HID bulb kits so makes me think i will take the challenge on, I have the Headlight washers anyway as they are standard on the 3.0l so 1 thing less i need to worry about and I gathered that i wd need to change the lights units, their ballast and bulbs however after looking into costings i have noticed that the dashboard switches are different do you no if this means that the loom will need to be changed? + wd it be easier to change the LCM or is that not an option?
cheers for your advise on this 1 m8
Im not up 4 the aftermarket HID bulb kits so makes me think i will take the challenge on, I have the Headlight washers anyway as they are standard on the 3.0l so 1 thing less i need to worry about and I gathered that i wd need to change the lights units, their ballast and bulbs however after looking into costings i have noticed that the dashboard switches are different do you no if this means that the loom will need to be changed? + wd it be easier to change the LCM or is that not an option?
cheers for your advise on this 1 m8
Oliver,
I like people who take on these challenges
The wiring is standard but IMHO you'd be best to change the LCM. (In case you are not familiar the LCM is actually the light switch). Pull it out the dash and you'll see it way more than a switch, indeed a box of electronics about 6" long. You should be able to get one of a breaker easy enough.
I helped someone do a xenon conversion and he purchased a new LCM but then found an Indy and programmed his old one so I know it can be done either way.
Do you have the Xenon lights already? They will set you back over £2k from BMW.
I may be about to sell a pair of clear indicator, silver inner, pre facelift xenon lights.
I like people who take on these challenges
The wiring is standard but IMHO you'd be best to change the LCM. (In case you are not familiar the LCM is actually the light switch). Pull it out the dash and you'll see it way more than a switch, indeed a box of electronics about 6" long. You should be able to get one of a breaker easy enough.
I helped someone do a xenon conversion and he purchased a new LCM but then found an Indy and programmed his old one so I know it can be done either way.
Do you have the Xenon lights already? They will set you back over £2k from BMW.
I may be about to sell a pair of clear indicator, silver inner, pre facelift xenon lights.
Thanks again mate its all becoming clearer now,
if im honest i thought the LCM was separate from the switch so im glad uv set me right there. the way i wd go is getting the Xenon Switch hopefully that will mean i wont need to go to a garage full stop like to do things myself where ever possible + its as OME as it can be.
And yes i could be very interested in your lights mine is a pre face lift car however i have just retro fitted the face lift bumper and the orange indicators really give the game away so if you could pm me with a price i wd b much appreciated.
With that in mind while we r on the subject of all things lights and considering u seem very knowledgeable about my intended project i do want to change the rear clusters. I no the new 1ns arnt every1s taste but i do like then and wd finish the face lift project off quite nicely. i have been told that its not an easy 1 to do but any info on this wd b great.
Oli
if im honest i thought the LCM was separate from the switch so im glad uv set me right there.
the way i wd go is getting the Xenon Switch hopefully that will mean i wont need to go to a garage full stop like to do things myself where ever possible + its as OME as it can be. And yes i could be very interested in your lights mine is a pre face lift car however i have just retro fitted the face lift bumper and the orange indicators really give the game away so if you could pm me with a price i wd b much appreciated.
With that in mind while we r on the subject of all things lights and considering u seem very knowledgeable about my intended project i do want to change the rear clusters. I no the new 1ns arnt every1s taste but i do like then and wd finish the face lift project off quite nicely. i have been told that its not an easy 1 to do but any info on this wd b great.
Oli
Oli,
If you've done the facelift you certainly want to go with the clear indicator lights if you can source them. I'll have to think about the set I have and would auction them to board members if there is interest.
Buying the new LCM - I think it still needs coding once fitted, so a trip to BMW/Indy is inevitable as the other electronics will not recognise it. Also consider the self levelling kit. Someone did a write up and all the wires are in place
Rear lights - big project. Needs a new rear bumper cover as it's a different profile, extra wires and specialist coding to make the lights work. Never done it but it has been done. I opted to keep my original rears and build a complete custome rear end, quad set up, but tjhat's another story.
I have a day at Silverstone with Lotus so will PM tonight or Monday with details of lights
If you've done the facelift you certainly want to go with the clear indicator lights if you can source them. I'll have to think about the set I have and would auction them to board members if there is interest.
Buying the new LCM - I think it still needs coding once fitted, so a trip to BMW/Indy is inevitable as the other electronics will not recognise it. Also consider the self levelling kit. Someone did a write up and all the wires are in place
Rear lights - big project. Needs a new rear bumper cover as it's a different profile, extra wires and specialist coding to make the lights work. Never done it but it has been done. I opted to keep my original rears and build a complete custome rear end, quad set up, but tjhat's another story.
I have a day at Silverstone with Lotus so will PM tonight or Monday with details of lights
cj10jeeper,
Thanks for all advise on this 1 saves muddling though it in the dark and wasting lodes of money to boot!!
And yer i need to change the light units cos they look pants with the orange strips so its a must do mod haha. I don't no anything about the self leveling kit so its something im gunna have to look into but seems like a good idea, u say there's a write up on it?
the rear lights will have to wait.
Oli.
Thanks for all advise on this 1 saves muddling though it in the dark
and wasting lodes of money to boot!!And yer i need to change the light units cos they look pants with the orange strips so its a must do mod haha. I don't no anything about the self leveling kit so its something im gunna have to look into but seems like a good idea, u say there's a write up on it?
the rear lights will have to wait.
Oli.
Here you go chap...
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8672&p=142101#p142101
Much the same thinking as me... H7 lights are pants and the orange indicators look pants. if i'm going to improve the lights i might aswell change the idicators aswell.
i did the complete retrofit including sensors. the car is exactly as is would have been if it came with xenon's as standard.
personally the level sensors are worth doing for the legal issues they're not tricky.
infact none of the retro fit is tricky it's just either expencive or requires patience for the parts to show up second hand.
Tom
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8672&p=142101#p142101
Much the same thinking as me... H7 lights are pants and the orange indicators look pants. if i'm going to improve the lights i might aswell change the idicators aswell.
i did the complete retrofit including sensors. the car is exactly as is would have been if it came with xenon's as standard.
personally the level sensors are worth doing for the legal issues they're not tricky.
infact none of the retro fit is tricky it's just either expencive or requires patience for the parts to show up second hand.
Tom
Hi Tom,
yer thats what im hoping to achieve on my zed i want it to be as if it rolled of the production line with them haha. ok im sold is will do the self leveling thing too so now to source the bits
yer thats what im hoping to achieve on my zed i want it to be as if it rolled of the production line with them haha. ok im sold is will do the self leveling thing too so now to source the bits