Brighter angel eyes (halos) CREE LED suggestions...

[DillonInCO]

Non-facelift for me, but I'm not going the baking route because my lenses are to the point where they yellow every month if I don't clean them. I also want to upgrade to projectors, so a bolt-on solution would be nice. I think you answered my question by mentioning DEPO housings though

[Ricky Bobby]

Ah I gotcha Dillon, yes if you are halogen equipped pre-facelift I would say the Depo headlights would probably be your best route although expensive, these include a xenon conversion kit and LED angel eyes:

4 Halogen Model 00 03 BMW E53 x5 V2 LED Angel Xenon Projector Headlight Depo | eBay

If you prefer non-xenon conversion and regular halogen rings, they are $350:

00 03 BMW E53 x5 Angel Eye Projector Headlights Black | eBay

[DillonInCO]

Thanks! Prefer xenon, but am hesitant to spend that much on something I won't get any money back on if I ever sell my X (currently thinking about switching to a newer one). I assume the halogen ones can be upgraded to LED AE? Are there any DIY guides for such a thing?

[Ricky Bobby]

Yes the halogen ones can be upgraded to LED AE, but the ring kit for the Depo's is proprietary sizing and clips in place of the stock rings, it will run you $130 shipped, you would have to email the distributor Lee ([email protected]), as he runs the "fishcake321" store on ebay.

Plenty of past postings about retrofitting headlights and installing angel eyes, there are a few members who are more knowledgeable than I as well.

Shoot me a PM if you need any help with your project, but unfortunately doing a xenon and LED angel eye conversion on a vehicle factory equipped with halogen will not be the cheapest endeavor. You're better off buying the stock set of xenon's with CCFL rings in the classifieds from Ldiggs910 and just throwing those on your X. I think he wanted like $150 shipped

[Jungerishere]

I realize AE won't be bright enough to be daytime running lights but if I can get them brighter than what I currently have now then I'll give 32W a try.

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

But guys, listen to tmv above, THE OPTICS OF THE RINGS ONLY ALLOW FOR SO MUCH BRIGHTNESS, no matter how much you spend on 20w, 25w, 30w, 32w, etc AE bulbs.

Honestly the 10w versions for 60 bucks or whatever they are now, are going to be on the same level as the ones you pay $200 for, just to say they are the "newest and highest wattage/brightness"

[Ricky Bobby]

Hi Jungerishere,

If you have the 10W versions, unless you feel like pissing money away you are not going to see 3x the brightness with the 32w versions, is all I am saying.


With the optics of the rings being so limited you would be lucky to see 25% brighter than what you have now, and that is being hopeful.


I'd say stick with the 10W versions you have, and get yourself a fresh set of D2S bulbs, for some useful added brightness to the front end.

[THE VEIN]

I bought a 10w version on ebay I didn't know if they were 10w each or 5w each totaling 10w buy they were no where near as bright as my 25w

[THE VEIN]

the 25w are around $35

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by THE VEIN

the 25w are around $35

At that price its worth a shot, I know that the highest wattage ones used to sell around 150-200 bucks so I was saying not to spend that kind of money on it

[THE VEIN]

I bought the 1's that are from the 25w thread I got and paid around $90 and were from Poland but now when I look on ebay I see the same exact ones for $35-$40 from California