Lamp Conversion

[wglee]

Originally posted by valkryie@Mar 21 2006, 02:32 AM
Facelifted E46 318 2.0 liter 4 door sedan does not come with projector lights as standard unless it is the newline edition from Auto Bavaria.

But just retrofitting a HID into your original reflector headlights is not recommended.

1. Dangerous for oncoming traffic
2. Like what was posted earlier, the light projection is really bad. You get an uneven and short light throw.

If you travel fast along the highway or go to cameron highlands you won't see far enough to spot the dangers. The projector lights can project light up to 300 meters. You can see father and wider (about 2 lanes wide). You can see the leftmost lane if you are at the right most lane in a 3 lane highway.

Best to install projector lights and you can change original ~4300K HID bulbs that comes with it to a 6000K DS2 bulb (for that white light effect) but at the expense of decrease lumens (brightness). I.e. cannot see as well in the rain.

For E46 pre face lifted there are taiwanese replicas that comes with angel eyes if you do not want to spend $$$ to get the Bosch OEM.

Please don't change the fog lights to white. They are yellow for a reason.

just my 2 cents and experience from my trials and errors before finding the correct solution.

All models of the E46 BMW 318is sold in Malaysia do not have Xenon/HID lights (different name, same thing). I saw quite a few of those E46 BMW 318i Newline Editions and noticed that these non-Xenon cars have normal non-projector type headlights. I might have erred in my observations, so next time I'll have another good look when I see another E46 BMW 318i Newline Edition.

Anyway, I was loaned an E60 530d recently. It came with Xenons and I didn't experience any problem when I drove the car in heavy rain at night. I did not suffer the "white-wall effect" (if I may describe it as such).

 

[valkryie]

Hi Wglee,

I have not seen a newline edition in person but the Xenon information is obtained from advertisement in major newspaper and article write up some time ago when AB launches the new line edition before the arrival of the E90.

Here is the link to one of the write up albeit for the 325 newline edition.

This is what I remember. The new line edition for E46 318i 2.0 litre comes with electronic adjustable seat, sliver or chrome (dun remember exactly) triming for the VDO, tachometer, etc, and Xenon Lights. Well maybe AB decide to make more money and take out the xenon. Not sure since I never saw one in real life.

Original Xenon does not have that effect . This problem only happens when you change the bulb to a higher Kelvin bulb such as 7000K for that blueish white effect. The lumens is low and that is why you cannot see as well as an original 4300K bulb that comes with a original projector.

There is a graph that gives the inverse relationship between kelvin and lumens. I seen it somewhere. I post it if I find it in the future.

 

[wglee]

Originally posted by valkryie@Mar 25 2006, 07:21 PM
Hi Wglee,

I have not seen a newline edition in person but the Xenon information is obtained from advertisement in major newspaper and article write up some time ago when AB launches the new line edition before the arrival of the E90.

Here is the link to one of the write up albeit for the 325 newline edition.

This is what I remember. The new line edition for E46 318i 2.0 litre comes with electronic adjustable seat, sliver or chrome (dun remember exactly) triming for the VDO, tachometer, etc, and Xenon Lights. Well maybe AB decide to make more money and take out the xenon. Not sure since I never saw one in real life.

Original Xenon does not have that effect . This problem only happens when you change the bulb to a higher Kelvin bulb such as 7000K for that blueish white effect. The lumens is low and that is why you cannot see as well as an original 4300K bulb that comes with a original projector.

There is a graph that gives the inverse relationship between kelvin and lumens. I seen it somewhere. I post it if I find it in the future.

For the fully-loaded E46 318is, AB called them "New Line Edition".

For the fully-loaded E46 325is, AB called them "Exclusive Edition" (luxury theme) and "Sport Edition" (sporty theme).

From what I can recall, only the "Exclusive Edition" and "Sport Edition" had Xenons; the "New Line Edition" did not have them.

Maybe owners of the "New Line Edition" could clarify...

 

[skar19]

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