Replace standard headlight bulbs with LEDs

[Xabia]

Hi Gonville,

Very interested in the information in your post of today:

The light beam is shaped by elements in the lens. Can actually have main beam on a motorway road sign and dipped frame around vehicle in front which it tracks and dips separately the beam with oncoming vehicles. So at least three beam shaping pieces. There is a video on YouTube. Also the fog lamps turn on into direction of turn at low speed. Also the fog lamp points a pencil beam at pedestrians and tracks them. I have read the i8 will have this.

Can I ask if this information is specific to the i3. The reason I ask is that my son has a new 335d Xdrive with adaptive headlights which are absolutely fantastic. As you describe, they form a box around any vehicle in front, stop the beam from dazzling a car approaching on the opposite side of the road, and automatically dip the headlights when entering a section of road with street lights.

When I was speccing my i3 I specifically asked the dealer if the Adaptive Headlights on the car would operate in the same manner as my son's, I was assured that they would.

Subsequently, following information on this site, I reverted to the dealer who apologised that they had got it wrong and, no, they would not operate a 'box' would not dip automatically and did not react to streetlights.

I for one, am now rather confused about what they will do.

Mike

 

[Gonville]

I think if you have seen the 335 then that is the same as I have on the 535. Your question is right as to what the i3 will do?

I'll post the YouTube link so others can see what we mean.

I'm prepared to be disappointed but I would have thought in engineering terms the LED main beam light would be the same. Why make a different one? It uses the camera to do tracking and that is the same for the cruise assist and parking. So it has all the right kit to do it. Question is did they put it in? It does seem that if there is no auto dipping then we may be lost.

 

[Gonville]

This is the long YouTube video that shows how LED Adaptive headlights work. I hope it works like this. However it works in conjunction with high beam assist which I think we don't have. Also it has occurred to me that the light housing is much smaller so maybe they can't fit it in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dvPZ3H1Vm4

 

[AndyW]

Interesting video, but sadly none of that goes on in the i3 with adaptive LED headlights. In my car, it's actually difficult to see the beam pattern change at all as you go round corners, and there's definitely no high beam assist. Shame.

Bunter, glad you like the white full beams - they don't light up the road too well though, do they? But then neither did the original yellow ones, I found.

 

[Gonville]

And this shows the internals of how the new laser lights work. These will be on the i8. I read that they had made the generation box 4 times bigger than it needed to be to throw the opposition off the track and make them think it is not in production standard when it is.

The LED headlights work on the same principle. Looks like a system of mirrors to shape the beam.

Wish I could afford the i8 as this is going to be special.

http://youtu.be/h29SwJDXMBc

 

[Gonville]

Interesting video, but sadly none of that goes on in the i3 with adaptive LED headlights. In my car, it's actually difficult to see the beam pattern change at all as you go round corners, and there's definitely no high beam assist. Shame.

Shame indeed. This is what the i8 has.

http://youtu.be/KpMas6aV6ls

 

[Gonville]

I just checked my order and it does have "5A2 LED headlights" but it doesn't have the key word 'Adaptive'. The brochure does have the word 'Adaptive'. Nor do I see High Beam Assist.

Also I have "521 Rain sensor with auto headlight activation". Guess that doesn't do anything for us. £720 just for some different light bulbs seems a little steep!

 

[Jeremy]

Yup!

 

[Bunter]

Interesting video, but sadly none of that goes on in the i3 with adaptive LED headlights. In my car, it's actually difficult to see the beam pattern change at all as you go round corners, and there's definitely no high beam assist. Shame.

Bunter, glad you like the white full beams - they don't light up the road too well though, do they? But then neither did the original yellow ones, I found.

No main beams do not add as much light compared to other cars I've driven; maybe that's because the dipped beam LEDs are already doing a pretty good job of lighting the road. Not sure.

But the mix of white and orange was distracting for me and maybe other road users so these are definitely nicer.

Bill

 

[Gonville]

Sorry to bump this thread but I thought it was worth sharing. I have copied AndyW and fitted those bulbs to mine. Apologies if this is obvious but the access covers in the front wheel arches rotate opposite directions to release them. Left hand one rotates counter-clockwise, right hand one rotates clockwise.

Bill

As a matter of interest what was the manufacture of the OEM bulbs that were taken out? Bosch or Philips? Other?

 

[Bunter]

As a matter of interest what was the manufacture of the OEM bulbs that were taken out? Bosch or Philips? Other?

OSRAMs

Bill

 

[dvottero]

FYI - The lower high-beam assembly uses a H11 55w bulb per the below link. For those looking to upgrade to a 'whiter' bulb, that info should avoid having to pull everything apart twice.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1Z43&mospid=56091&btnr=63_1517&hg=63&fg=05

I can confirm that on the US demo units equipped with the LED headlamps, the 'lower' lights are used as high beams only and are considerably yellower than the LED headlamps.

The LED headlamps looked like they had a daylight color temperature, while the high beams were closer to tungsten.

 

[Gonville]

That's a great reference diagram. Is that the non LED main headlamp and signal assembly? I assume we can get an LED bulb for the turn indicator as well from after sales market? Unless that is the mainbeam housing?

 

[Gonville]

Silly me. That is the lower "main beam" mounting with indicator?

This picture shows the separate LED mounting headlight mounting. I am not sure there is enough detail to see the difference but it is a completely separate unit.

 

[Gonville]

OK so I've got a better picture. Here it is clear that in the parts list that goes with this for $79 there is a replacement unit for headlight vertical aim control. Item 5 in picture. So they must go up and down via motor item 4. Otherwise I can't see what would do left and right swivel as per the brochure unless it is part of the headlamp unit itself which sits under the cover 6 pointed to by the big arrow.



No. Description Supplement Qty From Up To Part Number Price Notes Photo
i For vehicles with
LED headlight
S5A2A=Yes
01 Control unit, front light electronics 2 03/2014 63117395527
02 LED module, left 1 63117385559
02 LED module, right 1 63117396332
03 Set, holder, headlight 1 63117367757
04 HEAD LIGHT VERTICAL AIM CONTROL 2 63117046049 $76.77
05 Repair kit, HVAC servomotor 1 63117367753
06 Headlight cover 2 63122993424
07 Torx screw with washer ISA M6X18 2 07146978618 $2.56
08 Hex Bolt with washer M6X35-U2-8.8 6 07119903001 $0.53
09 Compensating element 6 63127280779
10 Set, seals, left 1 63117396333
10 Set, seals, right 1 63117396334

 

[Gonville]

The turn signal bulb is a new type PWY24W. 24watt. There are some LED type replacements for that too.

http://www.retrofitlab.com/pwy24w-led-1.html

 

[Gonville]

So the parts diagrams show that there is a levelling motor for both headlamp types. Halogen is probably manual adjust from control wheel on dashboard. Based on loading. LED has automated control based on sensors attached to control rod arms front and rear. So if that is adaptive.......anyway that's the mechanical bits now to see how the left right beam bending works if at all...

 

[Ross]

I've just ordered some Osram Night Breaker bulbs for my dipped beam - only £14 from amazon.

The main beam bulbs are a bit pricier so I'm going to leave those for now.

 

[Bunter]

I've just ordered some Osram Night Breaker bulbs for my dipped beam - only £14 from amazon.

The main beam bulbs are a bit pricier so I'm going to leave those for now.

I bought the same as Andy did my main beams and they were £9.99 from Amazon.

http://tinyurl.com/mtpkqmz

Bill

 

[Ross]

I would prefer the night breakers but they're £30 so I will give those a go for my main beam at a tenner!