Low Beam Headlights

mthexuma · #1 03-12-2009, 08:26 AM

My driver side low beam headlight went out. Do I need to purchase a set and replace both at the same time? Or do I just replace one?

This is for my 2004 3.0 X5 with halogen lights. I see BavAuto has a set of PIAA xtreme for $75. Is that too much? Are they better than stock lights or the Silvania superstar?

The more research I do the more confused I get. Some people talk about Xenons, can those go in?

mrbmwx5 · #2 03-12-2009, 09:17 AM

you just need one bulb.
Piaa xtreme or silvania superstar bulbs not doing any good if you have projectors headlamps.
The best way to get more lights out of it, is upgrade it to Xenons conversion kit.

mthexuma · #3 03-12-2009, 09:35 AM

Is this ebay one a decent one? It says you don't get a warning message. I'm a beginner with this stuff and would like to do it myself. Does it really only take 30-60 minutes like it says? Are there any special tools needed?

eBay Motors: MTEC XENON HID CONVERSION KIT BMW E53 X5 3.0i 4.4i 4.8 (item 380109870255 end time Mar-17-09 22:10:55 PDT)

Also, the 4500k is the brightest? I'm afraid of the 6000k or 8000k because I don't want a ricer appearance on my car, just brighter and nicer lights.

Does anyone know if the Mtec installation guide is on the internet? None of the sellers link it.

Thanks.

primetime · #4 03-12-2009, 09:48 AM

75 is way too much. Plus these PIAA extreme white plus look exactly like the stock halogens..no difference despite what they say about it... Especailly since you can get a 6000k HID kit for 100 bucks with everything included. 6000k is white with barely any blue in it. Its basically white. Trust me..you want 6000k. Get to hidny.com Get the digital HID kit. Problem solved...

HIDNY.COM 646-662-5221 HID light & Auto Accessories wholesaler importer : HID-102S > HID Single Beam Digital Ballast Kit

mthexuma · #5 03-12-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primetime

75 is way too much. Plus these PIAA extreme white plus look exactly like the stock halogens..no difference despite what they say about it... Especailly since you can get a 6000k HID kit for 100 bucks with everything included. 6000k is white with barely any blue in it. Its basically white. Trust me..you want 6000k. Get to hidny.com Get the digital HID kit. Problem solved...

HIDNY.COM 646-662-5221 HID light & Auto Accessories wholesaler importer : HID-102S > HID Single Beam Digital Ballast Kit

That single beam digital ballast kit includes all necessary items? Is there a reason it is so much cheaper than the mtec on ebay? They also have a dual beam, whats the difference?

You guys are amazing! Thanks!

mthexuma · #6 03-12-2009, 09:59 AM

HIDNY is on my way home from work, I might just stop in and see if I can buy the product directly without waiting for shipping. I just worry about the 6000k color temperature. I would much prefer a 4500k. Isn't 6000k blueish?

skiboats · #7 03-12-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mthexuma

HIDNY is on my way home from work, I might just stop in and see if I can buy the product directly without waiting for shipping. I just worry about the 6000k color temperature. I would much prefer a 4500k. Isn't 6000k blueish?

I bought their kit to upgrade my fog lights. They work great and were easy to install. They might be ever so slightly bluer than my stock HID headlights. I mean you have to have a special spectrum eyeball to notice.

The dual beam is for cars that have high and low beams in one light, if you know what I mean. E53's have two separate lights. A dedicated high beam.

primetime · #8 03-12-2009, 10:05 AM

HIDNY has all the necessary stuff in that kit. There really isn't much difference between the one on ebay and the others. The ebay one just simply is trying to make more money. HIDny is a reputable company and has good product. Several members have bought from them. Yeah you should check it out if its close by. Trust me 6000k is more white then blue, hardly any blue in it at all. Ask one of the guys in the store to show you what 6000k looks like on one of their cars. Plus I believe some BMW's use 6000k as stock color if I'm not mistaken..

mthexuma · #9 03-12-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primetime

HIDNY has all the necessary stuff in that kit. There really isn't much difference between the one on ebay and the others. The ebay one just simply is trying to make more money. HIDny is a reputable company and has good product. Several members have bought from them. Yeah you should check it out if its close by. Trust me 6000k is more white then blue, hardly any blue in it at all. Ask one of the guys in the store to show you what 6000k looks like on one of their cars. Plus I believe some BMW's use 6000k as stock color if I'm not mistaken..

The HIDNY website says that it has automatic warning light cancellation but then under accessories they sell an item to cancel the warning light. Do you need both pieces or just the one kit?

faz · #10 03-12-2009, 02:02 PM

Thanks for the inputs to these questions everyone... I am also potentially looking at this upgrade, but only if the projector headlights will not be as offensive as the regular lenses out there with a HID kits in them.

Saturday night coming back from a friends house, we were being followed by an idiot in a ford truck who had an HID kit in his regular headlight housings... while he was enjoying the extreme bright environment ahead of him - basically no cut out, light spreading indefinitely vertically and horizontally it seemed - .... all of us that were ahead of him were being blinded by his setup. I sure as hell do not want to be doing that.

It seems like some of you have upgraded your fog lights only with this kit. I can see them not being offensive as they are tilted down by design. Anyone installed these kits in the actual low-beam projectors and can give some candid feedback on how offensive the end result might be?