CCFL AE Light-up question...

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by Ojai5

Sorry for the thread jack, Kind of on topic
I searched and could not find an answer to - can AE be added to stock 2003 lights?
It looks like everyone upgrades to projectors?

A very qualified yes. Your headlights are 'permanently' sealed. I just upgraded my existing headlights on my 2002. One headlight was the type that can be baked and opens fairly easy. The other must have been a replacement under warranty that I didn't remember because it was the 'permanently' sealed type. I opened the headlight but it took me about 6 hours to get it open and clean off the glue so I would be able to reseal it. In your case, I would certainly have gone to aftermarket headlights. It was a b*$th of a job.

[bcredliner]

Per Ricky Bobby recommendation I installed the Morimoto LED rings in my 2002. Very bright. I have a direct connection to the battery and they are triggered by both the ignition switch and when the interior lights come on. Very happy with the results.

[Ojai5]

Thanks bcredliner. Sounds like you have a nice set up now

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by mam4.6

I'm finally back again. Been crazy busy at work, don't have much time for anything much except browse every now and then. I ordered 4 new ccfl ballasts, none of them lit up both of my AE's, each side only lit the lowbeam ring, no high beam ring. Anyway, I think it's my rings, I'm tired of messing with these, so I'm gonna be installing led rings. From tbe research I did, looks like I need 120 and 140mm rings. Are the Morimoto xb's from trs the best out there right now, or what should I get? I'm looking to stay as close to the color of my ccfl's as I can. Suggestions, please...

Hey Matt, sorry to hear about it but I think in the long run you'd be happier with the LED rings, for reliability, etc.

This is the thread from mrbmwx5 where he upgraded your housings to LED rings:

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...king-back.html

If you are using a fully circular ring, you can use 120mm and 140mm rings.

They can easily be found here, at about $82 shipped for both sets:

6000K Xenon White Universal Fit Halo Angel Eye LED Projector Ring Version 2 V2 | eBay



However, you will have to fab up your own relay harness, or purchase one from ebay such as this:

BMW E46 3 Series Remote on CCFL LED Angel Eye Headlight Wiring Kit | eBay

Chances are since its designed for an E46 however you will have to lengthen some wires and such.

Best of luck and if you need my assistance let me know, I'm still pissed that I can't get a set of your housings for myself!

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

A very qualified yes. Your headlights are 'permanently' sealed. I just upgraded my existing headlights on my 2002. One headlight was the type that can be baked and opens fairly easy. The other must have been a replacement under warranty that I didn't remember because it was the 'permanently' sealed type. I opened the headlight but it took me about 6 hours to get it open and clean off the glue so I would be able to reseal it. In your case, I would certainly have gone to aftermarket headlights. It was a b*$th of a job.

What BC said. You have to check the build date on the back of your housings before beginning to know if yours are sealed with butyl or not. 9/2002 was the cutoff date and going forward they were all perma-sealed, has nothing to do with the build date of the car as your 2003 could be put together with older stock headlights and vice versa as in BC's case where one of his headlights were newer.

Finding bakeable headlights is not easy nowadays either.

[Zulu95]

Bet I can find some!

[mam4.6]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

I have a direct connection to the battery and they are triggered by both the ignition switch and when the interior lights come on. Very happy with the results.

So if I understand you correctly, you have to trigger wires, one to ignition switch, and one to courtesy lights. Correct? That's pretty much the way I want to wire mine up, once I get there...

[Ricky Bobby]

Yes Matt that's basically it. The relay harness has a power and ground wire to the battery, you have your inputs (the ae's), and then a trigger wire, or in the case above, two triggers, one to an interior light for remote dimming and one to ecu/ignition

[beamertruck]

I wanna see this

[Zulu95]

I like my new Depos. Swapped out my (April, '02 build) Xenons for an updated look with LED AEs.