OEM Bi-Xenons and Install Guidance

[das boots]

I did a search and there was nothing close enough related to what I am involved. I would be reference a couple of threads from E46fs and BFs.

I just 'acquired' a set of OEM Bi-Xenons from Brian Crane. Technically, it is a plug and play install proceedure. Evidently, it is but not easy. Also, there are several of the Goombas have done this before. So, need guidance to get this going. The wiring from a temporary Hi Beams (Flashing use) and permanent Hi Beams. Please expand on the wirings for both drivers and passenger. And also HIDs. I thought they are Xenons. So, where does the HIDs come in? Thanks.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=924288

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...hlight=Bixenon

[Hornung418]

HIDs and Xenons are one in the same.

As far as wiring goes, have your LCM coded by a forum member and avoid any messy underhood wiring.

Share some pics of your haul and I'll give you more details. Running errands all afternoon. I'll get back to you later tonight.

[zj96sc]

HID = high intensity discharge, this is the technical classification of the lamp type. works by passing an arc through a gas/metal salts mixture, creates plasma, makes teh brights. in our case, this gas is xenon. referred to equivalently.

concur, you need to re-code your LCM to get the car to play nice with the voltage/amperage demands of the ballasts, this part is "plug and play" if you include software coding in that label. probably easiest to just reprogram the whole car with that option code.

what I do not know is if non-bixenon cars got the wiring for the bi-xenon shutter solenoids. if so, should be good to go.

[das boots]

I will post pics when I get the Bi-Xenons. I could probably get someone to do the re-code. I would rather not deal with re-wiring and stuff. Installing AEs would proabaly be messy enough for me if I decide to install AEs. How easy is it to remove the present set up of headlights and replace with the Bi-Xenons? Hopefully I have the wiring set up for bi-xenons......

[Hornung418]

Unscrew, remove and unplug the corner light, unclip the headlight harness, unclip the lower headlight trim from the corner light side, four 8mm sheet metal screws hold each lamp in place and then its an easy pull. I was an have my lights out in 10 minutes. First time will probably take you around 20 a side.

Sent from my P.O.S. DroidX

[das boots]

Got it. Thanks. Will keep all updated.

[Hermes]

Glad to hear you got the lights, it confused me a little the first time I noticed the halogens on your car

[das boots]

If they come on time before the weekend, then I can install them and take them to Vince to have LCM re-coded......if not, then some other time. No biggie. Life goes on....

[das boots]

Update: Still waiting for my package. However, I did find somebody who had the same set-up. Correct me if I'm wrong on my observation. During low, the Xenons (looks like bright white) have low intensity. During high, the Xenons are now brighter. But the inner halogen remain to be Off. The only time the inner halogen comes on is during flashing only. And this set up is without the messy wiring. Correct so far? Coding requires some time to be done. I was thinking of only a few minutes. And he can do the coding since he has the set up

And he has AL as his lens. Any difference between AL and ZKW? Or are they the same but different manufacturer?

[nike001]

Update: Still waiting for my package. However, I did find somebody who had the same set-up. Correct me if I'm wrong on my observation. During low, the Xenons (looks like bright white) have low intensity. During high, the Xenons are now brighter. But the inner halogen remain to be Off. The only time the inner halogen comes on is during flashing only. And this set up is without the messy wiring. Correct so far? Coding requires some time to be done. I was thinking of only a few minutes. And he can do the coding since he has the set up

And he has AL as his lens. Any difference between AL and ZKW? Or are they the same but different manufacturer?

The bulb remains at the same light intensity no matter what. The difference between low beams and high beams is the shudder/cutoff shield. What makes these lights "bi-xenon" is the shudder that flips up when you turn your high beams on, thus allowing more light out.

US-Spec is also set that when you flip on your high beams, the shudder moves up and the inner halogen bulb does nothing. It is strictly for the 'flash to pass' feature. Though you can enable it to come on when you turn your high beams on (with coding) and then when you turn your highs on, you have your bi-xenons and aso the inner halogen bulb on.

As per the ZKW VS AL lens, I'm not sure on the technical differences between them, but the ZKW lens will give you a sharper cutoff. Also, if you modify your cutoff shield where the step is (theres another piece of thin metal behind it that you can cut off) your cutoff will be full of blue, instead of that yellow cutoff