According to the manual, the inboard daytime running/passing halogens are considered the low beams, therefore you need the H7 bulbs (as AndyP's dealer said). They aren't high beams. On a standard vehicle, the high beams (H1) would be where your adaptive HID lamps are.

Here are some good options for you for Xenon charged, non-HID bulbs, that you can swap directly for the halogen bulbs and get brighter output that is also closer to the color of your HID lamps.

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/pro...cat=256&page=1

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/pro...cat=256&page=1

Also, here's a good little article on the tradeoffs between halogen, xenon, and xenon HID lamps.
http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Xenon-bulb...00000000088042

this is a pic of my car. The light next to the grills is the bulb I want to change. These only come on when flashing or when high/main beam is on and there defo not H7

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0121.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0136.jpg

No, you're incorrect. The inside lamps use H7 bulbs. They are low beams that flash at their full 55 watts for passing, but run on reduced wattage for daytime running (when your light switch is set on auto).

When the outside HIDs are on (used as high/low beams), the inside halogens turn off unless you're flashing them for passing. They do not come on as your high beams, and in fact don't come on at all when the HIDs are running, except to flash.

Oh no they don't.... Oh yes they do..... Oh no they don't..... Oh yes th...... You can see where this is going.... :bustingup :bustingup :bustingup

OK, here's the deal on the light in question...
On X5's with the adaptive bi-Xenon lights, the inner light (closest to the grill) is used as the daytime running light (if programmed as such) and the light to flash when passing. It is an H1 per the Phillips website.
This light is not used as the "driving" high beam. When you turn on your high-beams, it uses a different setting in the Xenon itself. I believe the correct term is shutter setting but I'm not sure on that.
If there is any doubt, park your X near a wall, turn on the high-beams and see if the inner lights are active. Then, have someone flash the high-beams.:thumbup:

To recap:
Inner light closest to grill: Flashing and DRL only
Outer light, Xenon: Low and High beam for driving.

guys guys. both Allan and I have went out in the dark and I can assure you over here in the UK my car the one in the pic the lights next to the grill comes ON when we flick the stalk in the car to the high/main beam on postion. Also comes on when we flash do you want a photo of this I can go out and take one.

Like I said.... Yest it is... No it's not... Yes....No.. YESNOYESNOYESNO YNYNYNYNYNYNYNYNYN

I love a good panto. :thumbup: :)

Sorry. I know I'm not contributing much to the conversation, per se. But I only have poor wee non xenon bulbs, so I don't have anything of substance to contribute. :mad:

I'm going to check it out as soon as I get a chance.....

right been out took some pics. photo taken from our passenger your drivers side

low/dip beam

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0180.jpg

high/main beam

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0181.jpg

and my other beemer has the same setup

low/dip beam

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0183.jpg

high/main beam

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96...p/DSC_0184.jpg

I don't see your high beams on; the HIDs look pretty much the same in all the photos (but it just occured to me that the camera may have simply adjusted the exposure). The only noticable difference seems to be your passing lights being flashed on. Were you pulling back on the stalk in your high beam photos or pushing it forward? Just so we're clear on nomenclature (in case the terms are different on your side of the pond), pulling back on the stalk to activate the the passing lights is not considered "hi-beam". High beam is when you push forward on the stalk and the HIDs change from low to high brightness (the inside pair should not come on when you do this). On mine, when the high beams are on, the HIDs are so bright you can't look at them (and the inside lights don't come on). I can't imagine the setup would be different for the UK, but if they are that would mean your HIDs would go to their bright setting as well as the halogens coming on - mucho brightness (and illegal over here).

The manual is a bit vague when referring to which light is which, but the daytime running/passing lights are referred to in the low-beam section, and on the bulb spec page it clearly states the low-beam bulbs are H7. The Philips website that ekaz referred is wrong (it has the bulbs reversed - it says low beams are H1, the opposite of the manual). X5Sport said his DTR/passing bulbs are H7, and AndyP said his dealer told him the bulbs were H7. If you want to see for yourself, take 30 seconds to open up the back of the lamp and look at what's stamped on the collar of the bulb, then you'll know for sure.