Main Beam Bulb
 

I thought the main beam bulb would be a H7 but on searching autobulbsdirect they say H1 :dunno: now I'm confused.

it's a 05 with xenon dip normal main

can anyone tell me?

H7- low beam
HB3(9005) high beam

H1 or H3- foglight.


*The only way to really be sure is to see what you have installed now. For example, autobulbsdirect.com has my foglight bulb listed as an H1 which, according to the OEM listing is right. However, when I went to change it the car was fitted to take an H3 bulb. I ordered the Philips Visionplus bulbs from autobulbsdirect. I can't recommend them enough. :thumbup:

Scottie,
Just checked autobulbsdirect site and I see what you mean. They have main/high beam listed as an H1, dipped/lowbeam-H7. Osram site says the same thing. This is most likely correct. Still, Philips site says the opposite but I could be misreading it. Only way to be positive is to see what you have now.

Fiona,

I bought some Philips performance bulbs from Powerbulbs.co.uk and their web site said the main beam was 9005 also. When I gave them to Dunedin to fit, they said it was the wrong bulb. :dunno:

Dunedin said the main beam bulb is a H7. I still have them in a box, waiting to go in and get them fitted (all looks too complicated for me).

AndyP

According to the 2005 manual, for non-HID systems (systems with halogen or filament xenon bulbs), the high beams are H1 and low beams are H7.

You say you have a xenon low beam. Did you change the bulbs previously from halogen to an aftermarket filament xenon bulb like a Silverstar? The H1 and H7 bulbs referred to in the manual and on the websites aren't HID Xenon bulbs (that's a different animal all together, and bulbs on factory installed HID systems are completely different than the H1 or H7 configuration or an aftermarket HID kit designed to fit H1 or H7 equipped lights).

nope i've got the adaptive headlights which means the dip/low beam are xenon facotry installed and the main/high beam are non xenon i.e. halogen factory installed.


I have the exact same set up in my other BMW which has the adaptive headlights.

So only looking to update the halogen bulb in the main beam.

Are you certain about that? In mine, the outboard HID lights are dual high and low beams, and the inboard halogens are strictly daytime running lights and for flashing high when passing. If you have it parked in a garage where it's dim, and turn the lights on auto, the HIDs will be on low and if you push the control stalk forward they will change to high. If you have the truck outside in the light, the halogens will come on instead of the HIDs, and if you pull back on the stalk the halogens will flash high for passing. I'm just wondering if it's done differently over where you are?

In any case, if you change the halogen bulb to something like an Osram Silverstar, you will get a brighter light that is close to matching the color of the HIDs due to the Xenon gas in the bulb. http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/pro...cat=253&page=1

If you want to change the halogens to HID, then you'll need to get a kit to convert them, which I believe means you might need to dismantle your lamps to accomodate the different style of bulb in addition to installing the necessary electronics unless there's such a thing as an HID bulb designed to fit an H1 plug (normally they're different, but there might be retrofit HID bulbs that fit that I'm not aware of - I'm not an expert in the retrofit department ). Last time I checked, the HID replacement bulbs for factory installed HIDs run around $125 U.S. each, plus the cost of the electronics to run them.

If you have the 2005 'X' with Adaptive HID's (as I do) then it may help all to know that there is a shutter on the low beam (HID) setting which gets moved to allow them to also work on High Beam, 'assisted' by a pair of spot beams (normal Halide lamps) in the high beam setting. This is where the term Bi-Xenon comes from (I think, but may be wrong). The HID lamps are therefore used for both Dip and Main beams. My main beam 'assist/spot' lamps are H7 type, not 9005 as some of the web sites have them.

A number of web sites have not made any allowance for the B-Xenon fit. I did discuss this with someone at Powerbulbs earlier in 2005 and even sent him a fax of the relevant page from the Owners Manual, but so far they've ignored it.

Hope this helps a bit

I spoke with Powerbulbs a couple of weeks ago because their web site tells you to order 9005's. When the 9005's arrived my dealer told me they were wrong and I needed H7's. I told Powerbulbs this and they were like "we :dunno: anything, only what the manufacturer tells us. So it's not our fault." I had to pay to post the bulbs back and get a refund. :thumbdown

your right just went out and checked that's how they work. still wanting bulb to replace the halogen bulb that comes on with high beam. so there H1???

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.

It could be that UK specs don't have BI-Xenon

your "daylight running/passing lights"

are over here in the UK they are used to supplement the High/Main beam.

but thanks for your help anyway. ta.

:confused: :yikes: :wtf: :banghead: After reading all this, I'm just going to the dealer :tsk:

I took pictures last night, but not really worth posting. Anyway, in the U.S. with bi-xenons the inner light is only used for flashing. Period. Case closed. End of story. Do I need to make a video? :dunno: :)

You're never gonna frikkin believe this..... Just went into our dealer with our "replacement" H7's to put in main beam. Only for a different technician this time to tell us H7's are the wrong bulb for main beam. :mad: :thumbdown :mad: :wtf: :tantrum: :tantrum: :tantrum: :explode:

Now we have to exchange our H7 bulbs for H1 bulbs to put in main beam. Starting to get a tad pi$$ed off with all this.

AndyP

oh dear that will be Dunedin fur yeh then :dunno: I've checked and there defo H1 :thumbup: fur main beam.

ROFLMAO :dunno: :thumbup: :) :mad: :dunno: :bustingup :bustingup :bustingup :dunno:

Fiona, thanks for making us laugh on an otherwise totally cr@p day.

Isn't it a shame NewMiniScotland doesn't have these fantastic smilies? They're great! :thumbup:

Crap day.http://www.websmileys.com/sm/sad/1.gif that's not good. I'd a thought "Sulley" would have been keeping you busy.

always a good smilies to be found on http://www.websmileys.com

Ouch :wtf: That's why I always pull the old bulb first to check it before buying a new one. I got caught once the same way due to poor wording in a manual. Bummer.

Listen to this blurb about Scots and the invention of golf. It should turn your frown upside down :D Scottish Golf