Main Beam Bulb

[Scottie]

I thought the main beam bulb would be a H7 but on searching autobulbsdirect they say H1 now I'm confused.

it's a 05 with xenon dip normal main

can anyone tell me?

[laserneedle]

H7- low beam
HB3(9005) high beam

H1 or H3- foglight.


*The only way to really be sure is to see what you have installed now. For example, autobulbsdirect.com has my foglight bulb listed as an H1 which, according to the OEM listing is right. However, when I went to change it the car was fitted to take an H3 bulb. I ordered the Philips Visionplus bulbs from autobulbsdirect. I can't recommend them enough.

[laserneedle]

Scottie,
Just checked autobulbsdirect site and I see what you mean. They have main/high beam listed as an H1, dipped/lowbeam-H7. Osram site says the same thing. This is most likely correct. Still, Philips site says the opposite but I could be misreading it. Only way to be positive is to see what you have now.

[AndyP]

Fiona,

I bought some Philips performance bulbs from Powerbulbs.co.uk and their web site said the main beam was 9005 also. When I gave them to Dunedin to fit, they said it was the wrong bulb.

Dunedin said the main beam bulb is a H7. I still have them in a box, waiting to go in and get them fitted (all looks too complicated for me).

AndyP

[B&DCalgary]

Originally Posted by Scottie

I thought the main beam bulb would be a H7 but on searching autobulbsdirect they say H1 now I'm confused.

it's a 05 with xenon dip normal main

can anyone tell me?

According to the 2005 manual, for non-HID systems (systems with halogen or filament xenon bulbs), the high beams are H1 and low beams are H7.

You say you have a xenon low beam. Did you change the bulbs previously from halogen to an aftermarket filament xenon bulb like a Silverstar? The H1 and H7 bulbs referred to in the manual and on the websites aren't HID Xenon bulbs (that's a different animal all together, and bulbs on factory installed HID systems are completely different than the H1 or H7 configuration or an aftermarket HID kit designed to fit H1 or H7 equipped lights).

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by B&DCalgary

According to the 2005 manual, for non-HID systems (systems with halogen or filament xenon bulbs), the high beams are H1 and low beams are H7.

You say you have a xenon low beam. Did you change the bulbs previously from halogen to an aftermarket filament xenon bulb like a Silverstar? The H1 and H7 bulbs referred to in the manual and on the websites aren't HID Xenon bulbs (that's a different animal all together, and bulbs on factory installed HID systems are completely different than the H1 or H7 configuration or an aftermarket HID kit designed to fit H1 or H7 equipped lights).

nope i've got the adaptive headlights which means the dip/low beam are xenon facotry installed and the main/high beam are non xenon i.e. halogen factory installed.


I have the exact same set up in my other BMW which has the adaptive headlights.

So only looking to update the halogen bulb in the main beam.

[B&DCalgary]

Originally Posted by Scottie

nope i've got the adaptive headlights which means the dip/low beam are xenon facotry installed and the main/high beam are non xenon i.e. halogen factory installed.


I have the exact same set up in my other BMW which has the adaptive headlights.

So only looking to update the halogen bulb in the main beam.

Are you certain about that? In mine, the outboard HID lights are dual high and low beams, and the inboard halogens are strictly daytime running lights and for flashing high when passing. If you have it parked in a garage where it's dim, and turn the lights on auto, the HIDs will be on low and if you push the control stalk forward they will change to high. If you have the truck outside in the light, the halogens will come on instead of the HIDs, and if you pull back on the stalk the halogens will flash high for passing. I'm just wondering if it's done differently over where you are?

In any case, if you change the halogen bulb to something like an Osram Silverstar, you will get a brighter light that is close to matching the color of the HIDs due to the Xenon gas in the bulb. http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/pro...cat=253&page=1

If you want to change the halogens to HID, then you'll need to get a kit to convert them, which I believe means you might need to dismantle your lamps to accomodate the different style of bulb in addition to installing the necessary electronics unless there's such a thing as an HID bulb designed to fit an H1 plug (normally they're different, but there might be retrofit HID bulbs that fit that I'm not aware of - I'm not an expert in the retrofit department ). Last time I checked, the HID replacement bulbs for factory installed HIDs run around $125 U.S. each, plus the cost of the electronics to run them.

[X5Sport]

If you have the 2005 'X' with Adaptive HID's (as I do) then it may help all to know that there is a shutter on the low beam (HID) setting which gets moved to allow them to also work on High Beam, 'assisted' by a pair of spot beams (normal Halide lamps) in the high beam setting. This is where the term Bi-Xenon comes from (I think, but may be wrong). The HID lamps are therefore used for both Dip and Main beams. My main beam 'assist/spot' lamps are H7 type, not 9005 as some of the web sites have them.

A number of web sites have not made any allowance for the B-Xenon fit. I did discuss this with someone at Powerbulbs earlier in 2005 and even sent him a fax of the relevant page from the Owners Manual, but so far they've ignored it.

Hope this helps a bit

[AndyP]

Originally Posted by X5Sport

If you have the 2005 'X' with Adaptive HID's (as I do) then it may help all to know that there is a shutter on the low beam (HID) setting which gets moved to allow them to also work on High Beam, 'assisted' by a pair of spot beams (normal Halide lamps) in the high beam setting. This is where the term Bi-Xenon comes from (I think, but may be wrong). The HID lamps are therefore used for both Dip and Main beams. My main beam 'assist/spot' lamps are H7 type, not 9005 as some of the web sites have them.

A number of web sites have not made any allowance for the B-Xenon fit. I did discuss this with someone at Powerbulbs earlier in 2005 and even sent him a fax of the relevant page from the Owners Manual, but so far they've ignored it.

Hope this helps a bit

I spoke with Powerbulbs a couple of weeks ago because their web site tells you to order 9005's. When the 9005's arrived my dealer told me they were wrong and I needed H7's. I told Powerbulbs this and they were like "we anything, only what the manufacturer tells us. So it's not our fault." I had to pay to post the bulbs back and get a refund.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by B&DCalgary

Are you certain about that? In mine, the outboard HID lights are dual high and low beams, and the inboard halogens are strictly daytime running lights and for flashing high when passing. If you have it parked in a garage where it's dim, and turn the lights on auto, the HIDs will be on low and if you push the control stalk forward they will change to high. If you have the truck outside in the light, the halogens will come on instead of the HIDs, and if you pull back on the stalk the halogens will flash high for passing. I'm just wondering if it's done differently over where you are?

In any case, if you change the halogen bulb to something like an Osram Silverstar, you will get a brighter light that is close to matching the color of the HIDs due to the Xenon gas in the bulb. http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/pro...cat=253&page=1

If you want to change the halogens to HID, then you'll need to get a kit to convert them, which I believe means you might need to dismantle your lamps to accomodate the different style of bulb in addition to installing the necessary electronics unless there's such a thing as an HID bulb designed to fit an H1 plug (normally they're different, but there might be retrofit HID bulbs that fit that I'm not aware of - I'm not an expert in the retrofit department ). Last time I checked, the HID replacement bulbs for factory installed HIDs run around $125 U.S. each, plus the cost of the electronics to run them.

your right just went out and checked that's how they work. still wanting bulb to replace the halogen bulb that comes on with high beam. so there H1???