after i got his PM i figured out the issue. its impossible for it to be the ballasts..since we both had issues after changing the bulbs. therefore it led me to believe the bulbs were the issue. my buddy and i changed the bulbs today to some OEM 4300k i had lying around and the issue is GONE. after a year i finally found the issue! aftermarket bulbs/ballasts = no go for the X unless you put in a new wiring harness (i guess not on ALL X5s but for mine and anas for now)...

the 8000k bulbs also might require more than 35 watts..which could be another issue. i'm doing some research to see if there are other bulbs out there. i really liked the 8000k look with the LED AEs.. the 4300k is too yellow for me..but at least i finally have working headlights! and right on time..inspection is due end of this month haha

Color temperature, such as 8000K, shouldnt have any effect on operation.

Anything higher then 6000K is a waste of time anyhow. So do yourself a favor ;)

i didn't say anything about color temperature having an effect. i said and meant that the bulbs that were shipped with the headlights which happened to be 8000k bulbs are what had an effect on operation. when i switched them to the OEM bulbs the issue was gone.

Lightwerkz your a pro with this stuff, is there a chance the 8000k bulbs shipped with the headlights are a higher wattage bulb? thats the only thing i can think of, as the bulbs have no markings on them what so ever. the box does say D2C bulbs though..

You wouldn't happen to have some 8000k 35 watt bulbs for a really good price for us, would you? :D

and about 6000k..i was a fan of them with the CCFLs.. but with these LEDs they have a slight blue tint that looks better with 8000k. i have 6000k fogs to make up for the lost visibility. :thumbup:

Interesting to know. I was rather skeptical when Simon offered the 8000k bulbs and turn signal bulbs for a measly $30 more....I thought to myself "man, those must be pretty cheap Xenon bulbs!".... I guess we know they were :)

Chris

AWESOME detective work Moh!!! Glad you got them working! :thumbup:

You know, I'm using the original xenon bulbs that came with my X, and they honestly look much more blue with these aftermarket housings than they did with my stock housings. I'm not exactly sure of the color temp, but knock on wood, I havn't had any issues!!

Chris- i was thinking that too. could it be just because they were cheap? so how much do i need to spend for 'high quality' xenons lol. ahh..oem will do for now..i only really need them in the rain anyway. HID fogs are great.

RPX5- i know right! it only took a year and some crazy theories haha.

as for the OEM bulbs your using..i had a question to you or anyone else. I noticed other X5s on the road with OEM xenons are very blue. the ones i have are yellowish. I remember back in the day when i had my OEM headlights they got yellower as the bulbs got older. these oem bulbs i put in are used/old. should i get some new ones? :dunno: wheres the best deal on a set?

Mine are 6 years old and nice and blue. They're Sylvannia (sp?), not sure where you can find them, Lightwerkz can prob help.. no?

thanks mtx5 , i appreciate your help , so i should switch to the factory bulbs ?
oh yeah i forgot , when i got the lights put on the guy said your factory bulbs wont fit on the new headlights :dunno:
i hope we can figure out a fix cause i like the look of the 8000k

no dude they will fit. its a d2s projector..the factory ones are d2s as well. and plus i have them in now. but the issue was 100% the bulbs because i am having no startup issues at all. and today in the morning temp was below 37 degrees (bulb never started up in the cold for me especially).

I think it comes down to finding a high quality 8000k bulb, unless lightwerkz or someone else thinks it might be a wattage issue rather than a cheap bulb.

let me know if you find anything, and i will do the same. :thumbup:

ok yesterday it was 70 degrees & around 60 @ night , bulb started right away !! , so i guess just when its cold it wont start up right away .
i sent simon (fishcake) an email telling him about the issue , he said try switching the bulbs around & see if issue would go away ! but i was thinking since me & you having the same problem & we both got the bulbs from him then we should both contact him & ask for a better bulb ?
what do you think ?