Home Forums Articles How To's FAQ Register
Go Back   Xoutpost.com > BMW SAV Forums > X5 (E53) Forum
Fluid Motor Union
User Name
Password
Member List Premier Membership Today's Posts New Posts

Xoutpost server transfer and maintenance is occurring....
Xoutpost is currently undergoing a planned server migration.... stay tuned for new developments.... sincerely, the management


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 08-08-2016, 08:38 PM
blktoptrvl's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Various
Posts: 1,232
blktoptrvl is on a distinguished road
Interior Headlamps

I've owned my X5 for close to ten years. Tonight I realized something I did not know about the vehicle. The interior headlamps are never used... unless you flash to pass. The high and low beams are the outer lamps.

Yet the inner lamps seem to be the brightest. (I think this may be an optical illusion though - maybe they are aimed higher than the high beams?)

Anyway, there seems to be absolutely no way to used this very bright lights in tandem with the high beams

Am I missing something? Is there anyway to turn these very bright and very expensive lamps on in normal driving on a dark, dark road? Or are they just for flash to pass?
__________________
2006 X5 Sport 4.4i
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links

  #2  
Old 08-08-2016, 09:47 PM
upallnight's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Cook County
Posts: 7,280
upallnight is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by blktoptrvl View Post
I've owned my X5 for close to ten years. Tonight I realized something I did not know about the vehicle. The interior headlamps are never used... unless you flash to pass. The high and low beams are the outer lamps.

Yet the inner lamps seem to be the brightest. (I think this may be an optical illusion though - maybe they are aimed higher than the high beams?)

Anyway, there seems to be absolutely no way to used this very bright lights in tandem with the high beams

Am I missing something? Is there anyway to turn these very bright and very expensive lamps on in normal driving on a dark, dark road? Or are they just for flash to pass?
The stalk that used to flash the head lights, push it forward instead of pulling it backward.
__________________
2006 Infiniti G35
2001 BMW 3.0I E53 X5 Build date 08/2000 SOLD
Lotus Europa 1970 Destroyed by fire
Lotus Europa 1970 S2 Renault Powered
Lotus Type 52 1970 Twincam Webers Powered
PORSCHE 911 Targa 1982 The Garage Queen
Audi Avant donated to Kars for Kids
BMW 525IT Sold
Audi 4000CS Quattro Sold
Jensen Healey Lotus Powered Sold
Opel 1900 Sold
Triumph Spitfire 1971 Sold
Triumph Spitfire 1968 Sold
Plymouth "Cuda" 340 Six pack SOLD
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-08-2016, 10:26 PM
blktoptrvl's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Various
Posts: 1,232
blktoptrvl is on a distinguished road
Yes, that turns on the high beams (outer lamps) not the FTP (inner lamps).
__________________
2006 X5 Sport 4.4i
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-08-2016, 10:52 PM
upallnight's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Cook County
Posts: 7,280
upallnight is on a distinguished road
On my X the low beams are on the outside and the high beams are in the center. My is a USA X5 with the xenon head lights. Pushing the stalk forward turn on the high beam and the low beams remains on. My X is coded so that the fog light work with either low beams or high beams. In the USA fog lights are not coded to work with the high beams on.
__________________
2006 Infiniti G35
2001 BMW 3.0I E53 X5 Build date 08/2000 SOLD
Lotus Europa 1970 Destroyed by fire
Lotus Europa 1970 S2 Renault Powered
Lotus Type 52 1970 Twincam Webers Powered
PORSCHE 911 Targa 1982 The Garage Queen
Audi Avant donated to Kars for Kids
BMW 525IT Sold
Audi 4000CS Quattro Sold
Jensen Healey Lotus Powered Sold
Opel 1900 Sold
Triumph Spitfire 1971 Sold
Triumph Spitfire 1968 Sold
Plymouth "Cuda" 340 Six pack SOLD
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-08-2016, 10:55 PM
OrangeFurious's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Renton, WA
Posts: 328
OrangeFurious is on a distinguished road
Are you referring to the DRLs as "inner" - halogens, closest to the kidneys?
__________________
2010 E93 M3 - Le Mans Blue
2010 E70 X5M - Alpine White
2016 F15 40e - Imperial Blue
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-08-2016, 11:04 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 2,650
80stech is on a distinguished road
I noticed the same thing and coded mine as daytime running lights to save the HID's. I just ordered some led bulbs for them as well
__________________
1988 325is (purchased new) sold
2004 X5 3.0 2005 X3 2.5
2008 X5 3.0 (new to me)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-08-2016, 11:37 PM
blktoptrvl's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Various
Posts: 1,232
blktoptrvl is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by upallnight View Post
On my X the low beams are on the outside and the high beams are in the center. My is a USA X5 with the xenon head lights. Pushing the stalk forward turn on the high beam and the low beams remains on. My X is coded so that the fog light work with either low beams or high beams. In the USA fog lights are not coded to work with the high beams on.
Mine is also US, Xenon, DLR not selected.
Attached Images
 
__________________
2006 X5 Sport 4.4i
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-09-2016, 02:16 AM
wpoll's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Posts: 4,921
wpoll will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeFurious View Post
Are you referring to the DRLs as "inner" - halogens, closest to the kidneys?
DRL's are different in different markets - what you are calling DRLs, I call high beams.

In fact, I have no DRL of any kind. Indicators are just that (they don't double as "running lights"), the Xenon HID low beam at the outer lamp position run at all times (well, as long as the lights are on) and the inner lamps flash if the stalk is pulled and come on full time when the stalk is pushed (H1 Halogens, I think).

Like upallnight, I can also turn on fog lights with full (high) beam - coded like this from the factory.

Man, does this thing throw some light with all six front lamps running - 2x Xenon HIDs, 2x H1 high beams and 2x H11 fogs.

Plus AEs.

To blktoptrvl - I guess you might be able to change the LCM coding to run the lights pretty much how you like - with the exception of AEs as DRLs, which requires some hard wiring changes. YMMV, as will your local laws!
__________________
Wayne
2005 BMW X5 3.0d (b 02/05)
2001 BMW F650GS Dakar (b 06/01)
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-09-2016, 02:17 AM
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,715
g300d is on a distinguished road
Yes those are one of the defaults on facelifts. Some have them as DRLs.

You can code them to stay on with the high beams with the stalk pushed forward.

Some early facelifts dont have this option though. I tried and dont have it, another member here too. We both have 04s. Most have been able to do it though.
__________________
04 X5 3.0i auto
03 X5 4.6is
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-09-2016, 05:35 PM
Qsilver7's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Indiana, USA
Posts: 3,526
Qsilver7 is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by g300d View Post

Some early facelifts dont have this option though. I tried and dont have it, another member here too. We both have 04s. Most have been able to do it though.
Do you (and possibly the other forum member) have the bi-xenon HID headlamps? Or do you have regular xenon lights or perhaps halogen headlamps?

If not, that may be the reason. The facelifts imported to North America with the adaptive bi-xenon headlamps use the inner bulbs (nearest the kidneys) for F-T-P...or can have them turned on (or in Canada...they ARE turned on) for DRL (daytime driving lights).
__________________
Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.
  • 2015 f06 650ix GC (Moonstone exterior/Cohiba brown Merino Leather interior)
  • 2014 f15 X5 50i (Space Gray exterior/Mocha Nappa Leather interior)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:18 AM.
vBulletin, Copyright 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2017 Xoutpost.com. All rights reserved. Xoutpost.com is a private enthusiast site not associated with BMW AG.
The BMW name, marks, M stripe logo, and Roundel logo as well as X3, X5 and X6 designations used in the pages of this Web Site are the property of BMW AG.
This web site is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with BMW AG or any of its subsidiaries.