The ZKW Burnt Bowls Thread

Steve,

They should fit. I swapped out the OEM M3 Bosh AL lens with my ZKW lens and they were a perfect fit. :thumbsup

I would be surprised to find out that the ZKWs on your car did not fit the AL projectors...:) To me, the way to go in your case is to swap out the AL lens with the ZKWs from your current headlights....FTW in my opinion :thumbsup

When you do this be sure to take pics of your burnt projector bowls so I can see just how bad yours are...:p You see how bad mine were - pics in my DIY :)

So my project today was to swap out my passengers side bowl with a new one I was lucky enough to come across. The light output now is amazing...Except the Drivers side (which used to be the "good" one) is now TERRIBLE! I'm still looking for one more bowl.....

Pics included:
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/8c95b479.jpg

Mine actually burned off the chrome finish and the bowls became CLEAR!! You can see my hand right through the reflector!
http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/5ab4fc25.jpg

http://i849.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/4d012ae6.jpg

The way the reflector should look NEW is chrome inside the bowl and the outside part of the reflector still has an orangey tint.

You swapped out for new zkw bowl?

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

yeah, it was the cheapest option for right now. And I always like to maintain stock as much as possible.

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Originally Posted by 808ZHP

yeah, it was the cheapest option for right now. And I always like to maintain stock as much as possible.

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Hehe....even if stock has design issues?

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

Sadly, yes. The original ZKW light is superb when fully functioning so swapping the bowls every couple years doesn't seem that big a deal for me....if I can find them that is.

I just ordered a pair of E90 ZKW projectors and bowls. When they arrive, I'll do a write up, but from what I gather, it is a fairly easy retrofit.

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Originally Posted by edlvrt

I just ordered a pair of E90 ZKW projectors and bowls. When they arrive, I'll do a write up, but from what I gather, it is a fairly easy retrofit.

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I've read that they're a direct replacement. Just pop the old ones out and pop the new ones in!

Not so much. Be aware that this is nowhere near a direct replacement type activity. E90s use D1S bulbs, not D2S so you're totally on your own for bulb retention. Also you have to remove the adaptive lighting hinges, drill holes, remove tabs, etc. My first one took me probably 3 hours of fabbing and adjusting with hand tools.

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Originally Posted by zj96sc

Not so much. Be aware that this is nowhere near a direct replacement type activity. E90s use D1S bulbs, not D2S so you're totally on your own for bulb retention. Also you have to remove the adaptive lighting hinges, drill holes, remove tabs, etc. My first one took me probably 3 hours of fabbing and adjusting with hand tools.

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As far as bulb retention goes, that is a simple matter of getting D1S bulbs, no?