[Jasonskitchen]

So I didn't go for the xenons - does anyone know of good alternatives post purchase?

[Beyu]

I don't know any good aftermarket brands but have seen tons of threads comparing different brands and DIY projects. I realize that $900 for xenons is pretty expensive but it seems a lot of the problems people experienced in the threads were that the aftermarket lights either weren't very bright/low visibility during the day or burnout quickly.

Although I have seen some really cool aftermarket headlights. Last week on campus I saw a silver 3 series with the outer coronas removed and the inner coronas fitted with a bluish almost purple light, it looked so awesome and unique.

[coiken]

Here in Europ this is almost not possible, you'll need to have washers intalled on your lights, meaning you'll not only have to change your lights but also some parts of the body, etc...

[mole7374]

I've heard of more bad experiences than good ones on this aftermarket project so unless you are absolutely set on these, consider skipping. Unlike a stereo or somethign like that, the Xeons are just one of those things that unless you get them at the factory or are prepared to spend whatever it takes will just not look/perform the same way.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by mole7374

I've heard of more bad experiences than good ones on this aftermarket project so unless you are absolutely set on these, consider skipping. Unlike a stereo or somethign like that, the Xeons are just one of those things that unless you get them at the factory or are prepared to spend whatever it takes will just not look/perform the same way.

and it cheapens the car for they always look so fake!

[bekind]

HID lights in reflector housing always look poor. Reason being the HID bulb is about a half inch longer than the std halogen resulting in hot spots in the light output and the light cutoff gets much higher and annoying for oncoming traffic. I'll try to snap a picture of the size diff at lunch.

With that being said you can pickup a 35w kit for about $40 from ddmtuning.com. Kit usually includes a slim ballast all wiring and bulbs. Can take less than an hour to install and is all plug and play. Sometimes a special error code eliminator is required but I haven't run across that yet.

In cars with OEM projectors that use halogens you can get away with it and it looks OEM. I have installed about 5 DDM kits over the years in friends and family vehicles and have never had one fail. I've had the 35w kit in my Legacy GT for about 3 years now. Another added bonus of HIDs is the life of the bulb. They will probably never burn out compared to halogens (especially bulbs like sylvania silverstars which are simply a coated halogen bulb that burn hot and tend to burn out very very quickly and at ~$50 a pop non the less!!)

If you do try it (and why not it is a cheap investment and the new F25 reflectors MAY turn out ok) there are a few things to keep in mind:

1 - Be absolutely certain to adjust your headlights. I promise you you will need to aim them down. There is nothing worse then being blinded by some idiot that thinks they can just slap them in and drive off.

2 - Go with 35W over the 55W option. 55Ws just get too hot and you run a real risk of damaging your housing. The 35w bulb will be something like 3 times brighter than the comparible halogen bulb.

3 - DO NOT get anything over 5000k. This is what measures the color of the light. The OEM Xenons run at 4300k (slight yellowish tint to them). My favorites are 5000k, they output a beautiful solid white light but do appear slightly bluish to oncoming traffic. As you go up in color temperature you start getting more blue and less light is generated. 6000k and up is just not that good looking IMHO. Folks running upwards of 10,000k are just not that bright. The light is solid blue and don't have much light output at all.

[bekind]

Hid on the left halogen on the right...

[crisart]

i am more than sure that the depo light that **********s sells for the e82 and e90 will soon be available for the f25 !! that will be the ultimate solution

[guycashmore]

I had exactly the same dilemma recently when ordering my new X3..

I do a lot of long distance night driving, my last car (a Merc) had xenons, but my car previous (Range Rover) didn't.

My first impressions of the Merc xenons were really good, but after a few months I noticed that the intense white light and very sharp focus of the lights was causing me to get really tired eyes after a long night drive, I even started getting headaches which I blame on the xenons..

With Range Rover, I had always complained about the headlamps, until a friend recommended PIAA headlamp bulbs, wow what a difference! This was only a few months before the Range Rover left me, but IMO they were then the best headlamps I'd ever used.

When I ordered my X3, I deliberately chose halogen headlamps with the intention of fitting PIAA lamps, the car is being delivered next week so I'll let everyone know how I get on..

Going this route also saved me about £ 850, but I actually think it's a better option even if the price was no different.

[clivem2]

Interesting! Definitely let us know how well they work in the X3 and how easy they are to fit....should be a simple job but getting at headlamps isn't always as easy as you'd hope!

Like you I couldn't bring myself to pay for the Xenons, particularly as they are not that special on my current car.

[guycashmore]

Replacement bulbs are really very easy to fit, the whole job took less than 5 minutes, access is good.

Headlamps are definitely brighter and whiter with the PIAA bulbs, I've not yet been on a night drive, but this will happen Sat-Sun night this weekend.

I'll update after the weekend.

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by guycashmore

Replacement bulbs are really very easy to fit, the whole job took less than 5 minutes, access is good.

Headlamps are definitely brighter and whiter with the PIAA bulbs, I've not yet been on a night drive, but this will happen Sat-Sun night this weekend.

I'll update after the weekend.

Tell me about the performance too! Mine goes into build 1st week in August.

Do you need 2 or 4 bulbs?

[LEDZEP]

Trade your X3 in for one that has Xenon headlights. Anything else you do will be rice.

[xDrive35i]

Given you've already bought the car, you don't have much of an option other than to retrofit different bulbs. The right thing to do would have been to consult the forum or your dealership as to whether it was worth the $900. In my opinion, I've never driven a car with better headlights than a BMW. They are always so bright that you don't even need the hi-beams, and they're completely unobtrusive to other drivers. I have a 2005 Audi A6 and the xenons are nowhere near as bright and the adaptive turning variable is so small it's as if it doesn't have the function at all. I don't really have an option for you, but this serves as a reminder to future buyers that it might be worth footing the bill for the adaptive xenons because the process of retrofitting leaves you with much to be desired on the road.

Maybe save up and buy the xenons from realOEM?

[clivem2]

Trouble is that in the UK Xenons are £920 which is $1,500 - which is 3% of the cost of the base UK X3. I think the blanket recommendation for xenons around here needs to be tempered with a qualification around the type of driving people do. I used to drive a lot at night (in the winter) but when I started working from home a mostly, which is not unusual in the UK, my night time driving dropped off massively with my long trips now being by plane or train.

[guycashmore]

I did a couple of hours night driving at the weekend with the PIAA headlamp bulbs fitted.

Obviously these things are subjective and I haven't driven an X3 with Xenon fitted, but I have owned and driven a 2008 Mercedes with xenon for the past 2 years.

I am absolutely happy with the PIAA option, they are IMO, far more 'comfortable' to drive with than the very white, very sharp focus zenon's. The light level is more than ample for my driving style.

I'm very happy with my decision to save my £ 900 and spend just £ 60 on PIAA bulbs

[tank531]

Originally Posted by guycashmore

I did a couple of hours night driving at the weekend with the PIAA headlamp bulbs fitted.

Obviously these things are subjective and I haven't driven an X3 with Xenon fitted, but I have owned and driven a 2008 Mercedes with xenon for the past 2 years.

I am absolutely happy with the PIAA option, they are IMO, far more 'comfortable' to drive with than the very white, very sharp focus zenon's. The light level is more than ample for my driving style.

I'm very happy with my decision to save my £ 900 and spend just £ 60 on PIAA bulbs

I bought some PIAA H7's for my std F25 halogen lights and can confirm they are a big improvement, The whiteness and range is improved noticably - thanks for the low price tip.

That said I agree the corona rings lift the cars looks way above std LED lights bars found on all other mftrs. However, to pay 3% of the base car price just to improve the looks was one to many options for me.

[troggy1969]

Originally Posted by clivem2

Trouble is that in the UK Xenons are £920 which is $1,500 - which is 3% of the cost of the base UK X3. I think the blanket recommendation for xenons around here needs to be tempered with a qualification around the type of driving people do. I used to drive a lot at night (in the winter) but when I started working from home a mostly, which is not unusual in the UK, my night time driving dropped off massively with my long trips now being by plane or train.

I agree. I don't do enough night driving to justify Xenons. I'm also looking at upgrading the bulbs, plenty out there for around £20 a set.
Philips X-Treme vision just won a recent test in Autoexpress

[Bill S]

Are aftermarket kits legal or illegal?
Are you properly insured if you fit them?
Will they result in an automatic fail of the UK MOT?

[tank531]

Originally Posted by Bill S

Are aftermarket kits legal or illegal?
Are you properly insured if you fit them?
Will they result in an automatic fail of the UK MOT?

The ones I fitted are EU legal - no mods required. Even fitting them only took 5 mins each - access has been designed well!

[troggy1969]

Originally Posted by tank531

The ones I fitted are EU legal - no mods required. Even fitting them only took 5 mins each - access has been designed well!

If they are CE marked and no more than 60w then they are legal.

If you fit 100w bulbs they melt your wiring harness, I know from experience.....bright though!

[TogMogX3]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Trade your X3 in for one that has Xenon headlights. Anything else you do will be rice.

"If there is only one thing which I have learned in my life it is this: "There is no such thing as a stupid question - only stupid answers!"