Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Palm Beach County, FL
    Posts
    397

    Full HID Kit Options?

    Because of the neighborhood I'm in and my eyes are not what they used to be, I have decided I want the same HID that I had for my old 328i which were amazing, I don't think any halogen, xenon or LED can compare still.

    Anyone know of the lowest cost HID Kit to replace on my 2003 4dr sedan? I don't need premium quality with all the bells and whistles but something you approve can be used reliably. I'm pretty sure mine are xenon. A link or website would be great, it was confusing last time going through all the different options, I'm no light expert. I would like to replace the whole assembly/bulb/case etc...

    I think I also want to add HID fog lights, mine are pretty useless and getting ugly, and I get fog here about three times a year so... Would rather add more lumens to the road.
    Last edited by Dathaeus; 03-31-2021 at 09:17 PM.
    __________________________________________________ ____
    2003 ZHP 4dr | 145,000 miles (ACTUAL before RIP) | BBS 17"
    Hankook Ventus V12
    Front: 225/45ZR
    Rear: 255/40ZR-17 Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 XL
    [ Staggered on square (17x8.5 +38) ]

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    If you have Xenons, an HID kit isn't going to do anything for you - you already have what you need.
    If you have a problem with light output, then you probably have burnt ZKW projector bowls, which is a problem that has been extensively covered. The cheapest solution that doesn't require modification of your headlights is to buy a set of AL headlights and swap them in. Other options are to retrofit different projectors, which is cheaper but only if you do the work yourself. Paying someone else to do it will be more expensive than a set of ALs.

    To ensure a nice, crisp light output with the ALs, make sure the headlight lenses aren't clouded, and make sure the bulb you're using isn't original to the car (18 years old).

    As for fog lights - you can do HID, but that will likely be blinding to oncoming traffic. There aren't any standard bulb upgrades that will get you any more usable light without blinding others. The best option is to either get HID with projector fog lights (swapping the fog lights out) or something like the Morimoto LED fog lights, which are designed with a nice, sharp LED light that has a good cutoff to prevent blinding other drivers. If you're worried about cost, don't bother doing anything with the fog lights because honestly, they really don't do jack compared to your headlights. A good set of headlights will do just fine for you.
    BP
    2005 330i ZHP / 6MT
    Imolarot / Naturbraun
    2003 330iT / 6MT
    Orientblau / Naturbraun




    It's not the car you drive, it's how you drive it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Independence KY
    Posts
    2,832
    I can back the above post as being correct and accurate. I also can personally attest to the Morimoto LED fogs lights, I have them and they are fantastic for their light output and give a more updated look/feel to the front end.
    2005 BMW 330i ZHP - BMWP brakes/intake/strut bar/shifter, Coby wraps interior, BBS CHs, Eagle Eye LED tails, LED fog lights, GC coilovers, Sprint Booster/sport button mod, 4.5 LCM w/ programming, Xtrons 9inch HU, BSW stg1, dynamat, M3 sedan dead pedal, oCarbon CF interior trim, CF seat backs, 2x2 CF MTECH2 diffuser, CF cabin filter cover



  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Palm Beach County, FL
    Posts
    397
    So before I buy anything, I wonder if just cleaning and clear coating is a legit solution to the brightness issue.... take a look at my lights and see if that might be the best solution right now... I think its worth a try for much lower cost. Hard to even tell how bad the lights are here right? (these were taken late in the daytime about an hour before sunset)Name:  IMG_20210426_191037.jpg
Views: 992
Size:  1.98 MB
    __________________________________________________ ____
    2003 ZHP 4dr | 145,000 miles (ACTUAL before RIP) | BBS 17"
    Hankook Ventus V12
    Front: 225/45ZR
    Rear: 255/40ZR-17 Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 XL
    [ Staggered on square (17x8.5 +38) ]

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Palm Beach County, FL
    Posts
    397
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191105.jpg
Views: 866
Size:  1.79 MB
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191113.jpg
Views: 940
Size:  1.95 MB
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191157.jpg
Views: 950
Size:  1.92 MB
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191203.jpg
Views: 857
Size:  1.90 MB
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191211.jpg
Views: 906
Size:  1.92 MB
    Name:  IMG_20210426_191215.jpg
Views: 792
Size:  1.93 MB
    __________________________________________________ ____
    2003 ZHP 4dr | 145,000 miles (ACTUAL before RIP) | BBS 17"
    Hankook Ventus V12
    Front: 225/45ZR
    Rear: 255/40ZR-17 Hankook Ventus V12 evo2 XL
    [ Staggered on square (17x8.5 +38) ]

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Branford, CT
    Posts
    16,055
    Doing anything with the lenses isn't going to correct your burned projector bowl issue. Please reference my previous post in this thread for more information.

    Replacing the lenses would only very marginally help, but the root cause of the issue is your projectors if you barely have any light output.

    Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
    BP
    2005 330i ZHP / 6MT
    Imolarot / Naturbraun
    2003 330iT / 6MT
    Orientblau / Naturbraun




    It's not the car you drive, it's how you drive it.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by az3579 View Post
    Doing anything with the lenses isn't going to correct your burned projector bowl issue. Please reference my previous post in this thread for more information.

    Replacing the lenses would only very marginally help, but the root cause of the issue is your projectors if you barely have any light output.
    If you have OE ZKW headlight assemblies on your car then everything Botond has posted is accurate. There is no debate on this. Also, the lens on your car is totally unsatisfactory, you should have replaced them with fresh new ones a long time ago. They will also contribute to poor lighting however with that said, if you have ZKW projectors then you need to replace them as well. There is more than enough information in this web site to find the answers you need as it has been thoroughly discussed.

    edit: Is that moss I see on your bumper???????
    Last edited by cakM3; 04-28-2021 at 05:02 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Atlanta/Macon, Georgia
    Posts
    573
    Like the others have mentioned, we're luck in that you can by replacement headlight cover is pretty easily. I think the current going price is about $90 a piece or so. Ultimately though, You either need to retrofit a xenon assembly to replace the burnt bulbs or find a good deal on AL xenon housings.

    I was lucky enough to find a brand new set of magneti marelli (same as AL) for about $900 which completely resolved all my lighting woes.

    2004 Titansilber Metallic BMW 330i ZHP

Similar Threads

  1. Hood options?
    By usinjin in forum General -- ZHP Related
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 05-18-2018, 08:46 AM
  2. What are my options for Bluetooth?
    By Storz in forum Audio | In Car Entertainment (ICE)
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-27-2014, 06:38 AM
  3. Clutch Options
    By bshovers in forum Mechanical | Troubleshooting
    Replies: 24
    Last Post: 05-19-2014, 04:07 AM
  4. Replies: 9
    Last Post: 05-15-2012, 02:39 PM
  5. Opinions on fog options?
    By cparker in forum Lighting
    Replies: 31
    Last Post: 07-27-2011, 05:57 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •