Why doesn't Spyder make Xenon Headlights?

[StudioWizard]

I've noticed that pretty much all of the aftermarket headlight replacement companies don't make Xenon assemblies. ALL of them are halogen, although they make ones to replace Xenon assemblies, but then it's converting to halogen.

Does anyone know why this is so... why they don't make actual Xenon replacements? I'm guessing it's a cost issue... or...?

Do you think it's OK to go with these Xenon-Halogen conversion replacements or better to use OEM Xenons?

My 2005 2.5i shows that it was manufactured with Xenon lights. I've read that Xenons have leveling devices in them and/or have some kind of switch on the LCM. My LCM only has the cabin lights dimmer thumb dial... no headlight adjuster.

 

[StudioWizard]

Update: I believe the previous owner of my car installed the wrong set of Spyder headlights. My car was (allegedly) manufactured with Xenon headlights (that's what VIN lookup shows). If the Spyder headlights in them now are for factory Halogen replacements, would the lights still work somewhat, or would they not even light up at all?

I'm trying to get to the bottom of whether my car was really manufactured with Xenon or Halogen headlights and if the previous owner installed the correct Spyder headlights.

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[smorris_12]

For about the 8th time, yes your car came with bi-xenons and, yes, they've been replaced with unit designed to replace halogens.

 

[Zedebee]

Judging by smorris_12 response above, there are other threads, but for the avoidance of doubt:
Xenon were self-levelling. You should be able to see the self levelling hardware on your front suspension.
Xenon LCM has only one wheel. Halogen has the second wheel for manual levelling.

Finally, rather than getting hung up on the halogen/xenon terminology, check what technology the aftermarket units are using. BMW “halogens” are a conventional tungsten filament light source, whereas “xenons” are high-intensity discharge (HID), i.e. a mini arc-light. If your upgrades are HID then they are, in fact, “xenons”.

 

[StudioWizard]

For about the 8th time, yes your car came with bi-xenons and, yes, they've been replaced with unit designed to replace halogens.

I sincerely apologize if this is annoying for you. I come here because I've found incredibly useful responses and I'm trying to get to the bottom of this issue.

 

[StudioWizard]

Judging by smorris_12 response above, there are other threads, but for the avoidance of doubt:
Xenon were self-levelling. You should be able to see the self levelling hardware on your front suspension.
Xenon LCM has only one wheel. Halogen has the second wheel for manual levelling.

Finally, rather than getting hung up on the halogen/xenon terminology, check what technology the aftermarket units are using. BMW “halogens” are a conventional tungsten filament light source, whereas “xenons” are high-intensity discharge (HID), i.e. a mini arc-light. If your upgrades are HID then they are, in fact, “xenons”.

I appreciate the clarification. I've been searching threads and having trouble understanding these differences.

The upgrade that the previous owner had installed are not HID. And they're not Halogen conversions from factory Xenon either. According to the previous owner's receipt, they are Halogen replacements for OEM Halogen. He bought them himself and took them to the mechanic, who works at a gas station and simply plugged them in... no halos, no constant brights, low beams were not aimed correctly. Get the picture?

On the OEMassive and Spyder websites, it clearly states which units are replacements for factory Halogen and factory Xenon. My car is factory bi-Xenon (thank you smorris_12). The aftermarket units installed NOW are replacements for factory Halogen.

Given that the "upgraded" lights are for factory Halogen but my car is factory Xenon, should the upgraded ones be working at all?

That's why I'm confused... still.

 

[smorris_12]

The only difference between halogen and xenon is the shutter control line that gives you main beam from the bi-xenon unit instead of powering the inner H7 bulb.

Low beam power comes in and gets fed to either the outer H7 bulb (halogen) or the HID ignitor (mounted on the headlight) which strikes up the outer D2S burner.

Flash is identical on both and does use the inner H7 bulb (with a caveat that, if the headlights are on, flash might use the mechanical shutter instead of the bulb. I forget.)

 

[smorris_12]

Oh, and in answer to the original question, I've no idea on why this company doesn't make an HID version as bi-xenon units intended to drop into an existing headlight are readily available[1]. My main thought is that HID is old hat and just throwing LEDs into a halogen projector is a far easier proposition.


[1] This might be your easiest solution. Buy a bi-xenon HID projector insert, put it in the headlight and wire up the shutter to the correct pin on the connector.

 

[Z4Mariner]

Hi StudioWizard - I think the "why only halogen replacements?" question is $$. It's far cheaper to make and sell only one product. Thus the halogen units with wiring that is a bit simpler (even though the lights which you have seem to have come miss-wired in many cases).

A friend of mine here in the US has had these lights on his 2006 roadster for several years - with some continuing issues. He recently contacted Spyder (sorry, I don't have that contact). They were very responsive, sending him a very inexpensive wiring upgrade kit - and it worked wonders for him. I will ask him for the contact info and update on this thread.

 

[Z4Mariner]

Update on my friend's Spyder headlights. My friend may have had the Spyder headlights a bit shorter time than I thought, but long enough to be past warranty - none the less, he has recently received support form Pro Tuning Lab, and an update that made him happy.

He purchased the Spyder headlights through Pro Tuning Lab (Google "ProTuningLab"). His lights had been sold to him with an HID adapter kit, and his symptom was that one of the lights would turn itself off on bumps. The other light not usually affected. Turning lights off and back on restarted them. The person who helped him out arranged a reduced price on an LED H7 kit to replace the HID's because he thought the most likely issue was a ballast with internal problems. The LED kit worked, and my friend is happy.

Note that the help my friend received was via ProTuningLab, not Spyder, so . . . I would reach out to the PTL folks and see what options they can offer you.

 

[StudioWizard]

Hi StudioWizard - I think the "why only halogen replacements?" question is $$. It's far cheaper to make and sell only one product. Thus the halogen units with wiring that is a bit simpler (even though the lights which you have seem to have come miss-wired in many cases).

I think you're right. After talking to some folks at FCP, they told me the control units, ballasts, etc are expensive... it's a lot cheaper to convert to Halogens. I guess I'm fine with converting as long as I get the proper performance out of them.

A friend of mine here in the US has had these lights on his 2006 roadster for several years - with some continuing issues. He recently contacted Spyder (sorry, I don't have that contact). They were very responsive, sending him a very inexpensive wiring upgrade kit - and it worked wonders for him. I will ask him for the contact info and update on this thread.

That would be great!!

 

[StudioWizard]

I would reach out to the PTL folks and see what options they can offer you.

Will do! Thanks a bunch!

 

[smorris_12]

Well, here's my good deed for the day. It looks like whoever swapped the headlights did half a job, probably because they didn't know what they were doing[1], and didn't order a converter harness. From the thread:

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2008143#p2008143

I've recently taken a punt buying some Spyder replacement lights from the US which are Halogen, but with a plug in and play adaptor for Xenon equipped cars.

So a nice and easy solution should be available with a bit of digging.



[1] I'm convinced that many American mechanics haven't got a single clue about anything that doesn't have a ladder chassis, leaf springs and live axles. I have watched so many videos of people doing BMW repairs where they are endlessly amazed that they need something more complicated than a hammer. In their rants about the insanity of the metric system[2] and how a 1959 Plymouth is a superior car to anything Europe had ever produced, they get onto the unfairness of needing NASA grade special tools. This list seems to include hub pullers, torx bits and, in extreme cases, actual spanners as being unobtainable trinkets only available to the elite.

[2] Because America actually going metric completely passed them by

 

[StudioWizard]

Well, here's my good deed for the day. It looks like whoever swapped the headlights did half a job, probably because they didn't know what they were doing[1], and didn't order a converter harness.

Your good deed is much appreciated!

Also, I know the mechanic in question actually drilled holes in the OEM units to stop the internal condensation "problem" (smh). Then, he may have tossed them. Arrrgh!! Later, he installed the OEMassive factory Halogen version (should have been factory Xenon to Halogen conversion) and may have made some wiring mods that I'm afraid to look at.

So a nice and easy solution should be available with a bit of digging.

I'm going to reach out to Spyder. They're actually located in my neck of the woods here in CA.

 

[StudioWizard]

To pick up on this thread, I did reach out to Spyder recently. He said that since BMW owns a patent on the Bi-Xenon assemblies, Spyder can't make a good OEM-quality replacement, so the best they can do is conversion to halogen kits. He said this is really only a problem with the Z4s. He strongly recommended NOT buying the Spyder headlights (imagine that) and instead either getting some old ones to clean/refurbish or drop some real money on Hella or actual BMW replacements. He thought it would ultimately be worth it.