11-19-2016, 02:06 PM | #1 |
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Halogen to LED headlights?
Hello fellow 2ers. I, like many others, regret not getting the lighting package on my 2 series. After being quoted $9000+ for transitioning to projector LEDs and also being told it's impossible to retrofit the headlights, I pretty much gave up on it.
However, recently I was looking through bimmian.com and saw WeissLicht LED headlights. As you can see they're installed on a car with the reflective halogen housing. I was wondering if anyone else knew about this or had it installed... The only thing I worry about is the light not being focused and shining all over the place, blinding oncoming traffic, etc. Any knowledge on these would be appreciated. |
11-23-2016, 01:54 PM | #3 | |
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Intriguing product -- especially with a braided belt as a heat sink (?!?!) -- but man that's an expensive (not to mention potentially dangerous, both to your vision and to the vehicle's electrics) experiment. EDIT: Hmmm. $130 per bulb for the Max (the one you're showing), $120 per bulb for the Flex (the one with the braids). Not too bad, actually. Still ...
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11-23-2016, 03:03 PM | #4 | ||
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11-25-2016, 12:54 PM | #5 | |
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What you need to ask yourself is if you're willing to spend $250 to $300 on an experiment. Important to note: - There are no brightness ratings stated for the bulbs. Ideally, you need a measure in lumens. Watts (which are also not given) is not a measure of brightness; it is a measure of current output, and watts are generally not comparable between incandescent bulbs and LED arrays. BAD, all around. - The LED chips are made by Philips. GOOD (but not great). - The LED chip array -- and most other chip arrays -- is monodirectional. Note the hash marks on the housing plate facing the chip array; that's so the user can rotate the array to work best with whatever reflector is being used because the chip array emits light best in one direction instead of all directions. BAD. - Weisslicht doesn't list this particular product on its own website. In fact, it defers to and relies on its retailers (Bimmian is one of four) to do that for it. No offense to the companies, but this is REALLY, REALLY BAD. - The 2 Series' headlights are already rated as subpar by the NHTSA. Do you really want to potentially make them worse? BAD. It's up to you. I'm automatically skeptical of ANY aftermarket auto lighting product because it's arguably the most shady accessories niche in the automotive world. There is literally no oversight, product claims are frequently false and illegal, and many products are imported via the gray market. Invest at your own risk.
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--Life is a journey made more exciting with a fast car.--
--Helmets are for closers.-- <<Current: "Blackened" '18 NBM Porsche 718 Cayman ... Gone (but not forgotten): "Blackened" MG '15 228i M Sport w/aFe filter/scoop, Hertz drivers, P3Cars multigauge, other goodies>> |
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11-25-2016, 01:28 PM | #6 | ||
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The only reasons I'd buy these were 1) better visibility because I'd go as far to say that the base 2's headlights are unsafe. 2) cosmetics. I'm absolutely desperate to do something about these standard yellow hideous reflector headlights. I don't really feel like I am looking at a BMW without their signature halos and projectors. womp womp |
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11-25-2016, 08:57 PM | #7 |
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I am still thinking about these: https://www.carid.com/2016-bmw-2-ser....html#warranty
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12-07-2016, 04:00 AM | #8 |
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I've been running OPT 7 LEDs instead of my halogens for the last few months, and they have been great. No electrical or blinding issues, and visibility has been much improved.
Granted they aren't angel eyes, but perform and look better than halogens. Install was pretty simple for someone who's never had to change a headlight before. Here's a link but I got mine on Amazon when they were running a sale for $79: http://www.opt-7.com/fluxbeam-led-headlights/ Still trying to find a solution to replace my DRLs though. |
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12-10-2016, 01:29 PM | #9 | |
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12-10-2016, 04:20 PM | #10 |
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I had a set of their illustro flex LED replacement bulbs (with the braided heatsink) in my truck and while they are probably a little better than halogen, they were no where near as good as HID. I wasn't expecting HID like brightness but I also wasn't impressed with what they offered for the price...
My truck had HID's in a projector housing and I was looking for a decent alternative to the unreliable HID kit I had installed and decided to go this route. They were ok but too dim for me so I had to switch back to HID. The max might be worth a shot though? |
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12-13-2016, 06:44 PM | #11 | |
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I would say maybe 2x the visibility and 1.5X the distance. They light up the road immediately in front of you pretty well, then dissipate as the beam goes further out. The only thing that sucks about them is there is no clear cutoff lines, and obviously they aren't angel eyes I don't know how the other brands stack up, but I would highly!! recommend something like this as a safety upgrade. The halogens are downright dangerous. As a bonus, they also make the car look much better. Here are some pics I posted on another thread: http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showt...1#post20278111 |
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12-13-2016, 08:37 PM | #12 | |
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12-13-2016, 10:40 PM | #13 | ||
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12-14-2016, 12:49 PM | #14 | |
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I did need a friend to help me with the first bulb because I couldn't figure our how to re-attach the wire looking clip which holds the bulb into the housing. Second light took a minute to install. I doubt a dealer would help because its an aftermarket part, but I'm sure a local shop would install for you. As far as coding, the bulbs don't throw any errors, but I noticed sometimes they would flicker on startup. I eventually coded that out, but it wasn't a big deal. Edit: I used this video as a guide. Pretty much identical process. Last edited by simsimma777; 12-14-2016 at 12:55 PM.. |
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12-14-2016, 12:53 PM | #15 | |
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You aren't gonna get much better than the factory Xenons, unless you want to retro-fit the OEM LED headlights (which is not the same as what I installed). From what I've read though, the difference between them and the Xenons is mainly cosmetic rather than performance, so its not worth the cost for a retrofit. |
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12-15-2016, 05:23 PM | #16 | |
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LED are great for short distance, (fog lamps ext) but to get far distance and coverage, you need a serious array. |
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12-15-2016, 05:57 PM | #17 | |
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11-16-2018, 08:17 AM | #18 | |
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Can you clarify on this?
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Other Details IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION: Fluxbeam H7 LED Kits will not fit a majority of European vehicles that utilize the H7 bulb for the low or high beams. Included Manufacturers: BMW, Mercedes, Audi, VW, Saab Are you sure these are the correct bulbs? If theres a specific warning that these do not fit my car id be weary to purchase... |
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07-27-2019, 05:01 PM | #19 |
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I did a bunch of searches on this forum but I can't seem to find an answer, does anybody know if the OEM Xenon headlights will work on a non-lighting package 228i? I have halogens and I know the adaptive portion of it won't work and I need all those sensors but will I be able to at least get light out of them & DRLs?
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08-19-2019, 09:24 AM | #20 | |
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https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1597101 You can also do this as a DIY for $600 if you have the skills. |
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08-20-2019, 10:31 AM | #21 | |
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Found a nice pair of Xenons on Ebay complete with ballasts, controller and LED modules for $1000 shipped. Snagged them up yesterday. Looking forward to getting rid of the yellow flashlights, will update when they are installed! |
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08-20-2019, 12:18 PM | #22 | |
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