[nikg736]

Reviving an old thread because I just joined forum last night, just got a used 2009 328i 4dr sedan yesterday. In great shape, 190k miles, paid under $5k.

So...yes I am part of the "those golden headlights look like candles, and I want mine to look whiter" club. But seeing as I paid less than $5k for the car and will likely only have it for a few years, I am also part of the "I don't want to pay $500-$700 for headlights" club.

Robust conversations earlier in this thread. Here's my thoughts.

*HID - in reflectors?...no. Just no.

*Halogen - any attempt to get whiter color typically results in two things. First, less lifespan of the bulb. They maybe last half as long. Second, reduced output due to the blue film they put on the bulbs. The whiter the color, the worse the output. Bulbs at 4k (give or take) have 5-15% less output. Get up towards 5k color and we are talking significant drop in output (30-40%).

*LED - Those who oppose this option claim reduced output (and maybe wrong cutoff thus blinding others) and maybe also lower lifespan depending on brand. Hmmmm...lower output and less lifespan? Where have I heard this before? (for those who have not had their coffee yet please move your eyeballs up one paragraph)

By now I think folks may be picking up on my point. A billion different brands, prices, claims etc. for LEDs. But I have to believe there are members here who have tried some and had acceptable results. I recognize they were never meant for halogen housings, but would they be any worse than a set of Diamond Vision bulbs?

Please reply with any success stories of reasonably priced LED bulbs that worked for you as high, low and angels. Thanks

[smatanovic]

Originally Posted by nikg736

Reviving an old thread because I just joined forum last night, just got a used 2009 328i 4dr sedan yesterday. In great shape, 190k miles, paid under $5k.

So...yes I am part of the "those golden headlights look like candles, and I want mine to look whiter" club. But seeing as I paid less than $5k for the car and will likely only have it for a few years, I am also part of the "I don't want to pay $500-$700 for headlights" club.

Robust conversations earlier in this thread. Here's my thoughts.

*HID - in reflectors?...no. Just no.

*Halogen - any attempt to get whiter color typically results in two things. First, less lifespan of the bulb. They maybe last half as long. Second, reduced output due to the blue film they put on the bulbs. The whiter the color, the worse the output. Bulbs at 4k (give or take) have 5-15% less output. Get up towards 5k color and we are talking significant drop in output (30-40%).

*LED - Those who oppose this option claim reduced output (and maybe wrong cutoff thus blinding others) and maybe also lower lifespan depending on brand. Hmmmm...lower output and less lifespan? Where have I heard this before? (for those who have not had their coffee yet please move your eyeballs up one paragraph)

By now I think folks may be picking up on my point. A billion different brands, prices, claims etc. for LEDs. But I have to believe there are members here who have tried some and had acceptable results. I recognize they were never meant for halogen housings, but would they be any worse than a set of Diamond Vision bulbs?

Please reply with any success stories of reasonably priced LED bulbs that worked for you as high, low and angels. Thanks

I also bought my car, a 2006 325xi Touring, as a stopgap, after my Saab 9-5 got wrecked in a hit and run. It's my first BMW, and I love it.

I currently run Morimoto 2stroke 3.0 H7 bulbs in my halogen low beams. The beam pattern matches the halogen pattern exactly and preserves the cutoff (which is surprisingly sharp for a halogen). I am very happy with the color temperature and light output. They're not cheap, but so far I am very satisfied. I bought them from the Retrofit Source. I also needed to buy and install the GTR PWM modules since my car, a 2006, uses PWM. I do not know about 2009's. Installation required me to cut a hole in the headlight dust covers and add an extension, which I did using JB weld. The PWM modules are fully potted and waterproof, so they are mounted to the exterior of the covering with the cables running into the housing.

Next up, I plan to buy another set of the same bulbs and modules and match my high beams/DRLs. The 2stroke 3.0's are unique among LED bulbs in that they can run at reduced voltage (as they do when used as DRL) without flickering. I will probably do that when it's warmer, since working on the car when the temp is in the 20's is unpleasant.

My car does not have angel eyes, but I understand that there are several options to add LED to those, with Lux Angel Eyes being the solution is see most here in the forums.

[nthnthnthnth]

Just get Silverstar halogens or the equivalent from Osram if you are looking for something slightly brighter and whiter. Don't get anything overly gimmicky/blue-tinted as you're just reducing the overall light output. Use gloves when you install them, as the oil from your fingers can cause them to burn out faster than they normally would (and they already will have a shorter life than a standard halogen).

Most LED bulbs in a reflector housing are going to throw light unevenly on the road. This is because the reflector housing wasn't designed for LED bulbs, which -- like the photo earlier in the thread -- have a CSP on each side and don't project light all the way around. The CSP may also not be the same length out from the base of the bulb from where a halogen filament would be. So while the bulb itself will be brighter than a halogen, what it means for you is it is brighter, say, 5 feet in front of you but less bright 25 feet in front of you compared to a halogen. You are also likely going to blind oncoming traffic running an LED in a reflector housing, as it is shooting light out everywhere but where you actually want it (again, because the reflector wasn't designed for that type of bulb). There are some exceptions to this, but finding an LED bulb that doesn't have these issues in a reflector is mostly luck.