Question about bi-xenons

[tomwac]

What is so "bi" about it ? As far I can see, my 05 X5 driving lights are xenon, but high beams are halogen. Can someone explain to me what the difference is between the pre-facelift xenons and the current bi-xenons ?

Thanks

[Wagner]

Actually the high beams are NOT halogen, the flash to pass high beams are the halogen ones. Meaning if you flash your brights, the halogens come on with the regular HID's...however, if you put on hi-beams only the HID's are on at a high beam level (basically done by changing the shutter window on the HID lamp).

[tomwac]

Originally Posted by WagnerX5

Actually the high beams are NOT halogen, the flash to pass high beams are the halogen ones. Meaning if you flash your brights, the halogens come on with the regular HID's...however, if you put on hi-beams only the HID's are on at a high beam level (basically done by changing the shutter window on the HID lamp).

Thanks for the explanation. Just went outside, tested it and you're right. What confused me, is the fact that the halogens also come on when you push the stalk to activate high beams.

[SuaveX5]

Originally Posted by tomwac

Thanks for the explanation. Just went outside, tested it and you're right. What confused me, is the fact that the halogens also come on when you push the stalk to activate high beams.

so does your halogen and the xenons come on high when you hit hi beams ?

and can you post your lights part number if you can !

[dkl]

Originally Posted by SuaveX5

so does your halogen and the xenons come on high when you hit hi beams ?

and can you post your lights part number if you can !

I don't think so...it's only either the halogen or Xenon (in high beam), not both (I just verified it on my '04). In order to turn on the bi-Xenon highs, you need to push the stalk away from you, which actives the shutters, as Wagner pointed out. But when you pull the stalk towards you, only the halogen highs will light.

[SuaveX5]

humm next week i`ll have to look into it, when i did the face lift they told me that the head light are by-xenon but since at the moment my low bean ( xenon are not working i have to way for the dealer to remplace the light control module to test this. but right now if i turn the high beans on , they halogen light are the ones that come on.

so i`ll have to veryfied that i do have bi-xenons and if i do , i`ll vahe to see if i can wire it so that the high beams work of the xenon if possible.

[dkl]

Did you NOT replace the LCM when you did the face lift? if you have an older X to begin with, the older LCM won't know that you got the newer bi-xenon since previous gen X only have xenon on low beams, where high beams are still going through the halogens.

[SuaveX5]

Originally Posted by dkl

Did you NOT replace the LCM when you did the face lift? if you have an older X to begin with, the older LCM won't know that you got the newer bi-xenon since previous gen X only have xenon on low beams, where high beams are still going through the halogens.

I didn`t remplaced it, i didn`t know i had to and i guess the other members that have done the face lift didn`t do it, because they did not mention anything about the LCM to me.

well on monday the dealer is putting in a new LCM i`ll find out if re-wiring it and puting a LCM from a newer X will fix that.

[tomwac]

Originally Posted by dkl

I don't think so...it's only either the halogen or Xenon (in high beam), not both (I just verified it on my '04). In order to turn on the bi-Xenon highs, you need to push the stalk away from you, which actives the shutters, as Wagner pointed out. But when you pull the stalk towards you, only the halogen highs will light.

Well, I have bi-xenon adaptive headlights and when I push the stalk away from me, both the high xenons and high beam halogens are on.

[dkl]

Originally Posted by tomwac

Well, I have bi-xenon adaptive headlights and when I push the stalk away from me, both the high xenons and high beam halogens are on.

It could very well be just the difference between a Euro Spec and a US Spec car My US Spec car never have the halogens on at the same time as the bi-xenons.