With genuine bulbs and proper xenon projectors you will be more than happy with a standard 35W system - trust me :)

yea I just did some quick research & it refreshed my mind with what could happen, I'll pass! last thing I need is an electrical issue or burned housing, I have a rear main seal leak to worry about more lol. 35w it is thanks!

They're nearly finished!
 

After the project stalled, the modified headlights spent a lot of time in a box while the car sat on jack stands. Now that the e53 is back on the road I am finishing up these mods, one is done and the other merely awaits the lens to be put back. I have to connect them to the car's electrical system. Couple of questions for those of you that did this AE mod on a pre-facelift e53.

The new projector will handle dipped and high beams. The power to the solenoid to activate the high beam can be tapped from the high beam wires as originally the inner reflectors were high beam. Easy enough I think?

Where do you tap 12V for the angel eyes? Using the indicator/parking signal is not an option I believe. I don't think the this car has DRL wiring or any other lights that are on with the position lights..... My rings are not DRLs and I want them to be on only when the lights are on in the first or second position.


Once I figure out the wiring I can drop the bumper slightly and install them. When I put the front back together last January, I made the mistake of putting the bumper on the car before installing the headlights. It was possible but not a happy experience.....not repeating that!

If not going for DRL's, use any parking light wire that is not also used as an indicator. Worst case scenario grab a rear parking light wire at the LKM in the passenger footwell.

Ready to install.
 

Got the headlights ready first thing today but still had to finish installing new seal rings on the separator banjo bolt. Then picked up an oil filter which I ordered yesterday. Filled the engine with 5w30. Yesterday had already installed the new timing chain tensioner.

Took it for a test drive around the neighborhood and washed it. It looks like the oil leak is under control at last. :-)

Tomorrow hope to install the headlights and complete the wiring.

And their installed!
 

Finally got them installed. I like the look of the AEs a lot. Precisely as I had hoped but also I realized that I need to do some more work on them.

1. Urgently have to paint the reflectors of the original high beams matte black. The inner shrouds look good in chrome but the whole of it looks "googly"
2. I need better AEs, knew that but it is worse than I hoped. I can use the ones that crystalworks uses but with a portion taped off. Hope it doesn't take too long to get a set sent over from China.....
3. Considering painting the indicator reflector dark silver, it goes better with the collor scheme I think.
4. Once painted dark silver maybe the original yellow bulbs work better than the stealth, can judge that once painted and easy to change.
5. The philips xenons are white rather than a tinge of blue, may try another set I have in reserve.
6. Still haven't figured out where to connect the AEs but hope to find a wire when I pull the cluster to fix the light bulbs in there.


So, glass half full. Like what I got so far but I am not quite there.... :-)

Nice work. Definitely a step up. I like that you're playing with painting the reflectors, black, gunmental, etc. Will help the "googly eye" thing a bunch I think. When I first looked at it they reminded me of Bentley headlights on their big sedans.

Did you not want to grab a parking light wire in the passenger footwell? From the description of your goal it would be ideal. Could trigger it with a relay if you did not want to add the new lights' draw to the circuit.

I think the parking light is a 2 wire affair so unusable as you mentioned. LKM switches the function from running light to indicator rather than dual filament 3 wire setup. BMW always has to make things difficult.

CW - You are right, Bentley has this “wide-eyed look”. Not sure why it only dawned on me now to make these changes but the inspiration came from your approach to the e70 headlight mod.

The Audi projectors seem brighter and is good to have the actuated baffle for high beam. As for wiring, just haven’t had time to dig around for a wire inside the cabin.

However, I Love to sneak it out for any shopping run I need to make, the e53 is running great! :)

Those are awesome! I am so wanting those on my 02!

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm not quite ready to move to mass production tho :-)


EDIT: The new AE rings shipped from China on May3rd. I am hoping they'll hit US shores sometime next week!