Installed the LUX H8 160s (PICS)
 

Installed the Lux H8 160s today and it's a major upgrade from the stock lights. They were a breeze to install just plug and play.

I took a picture when I got home but it was already nearing dusk so the lights are a bit overexposed and flooded in picture. The inside ring is very defined in person.


http://i58.tinypic.com/34hwcpf.jpg

I will try again tomorrow and see if I can get a better picture to do the inside ring justice. I just took a drive around the neighborhood and the visibility has dramatically increased. The brighter lights light up the road more and most noticeably the illumination is wider reaching further onto the sides of the road.

Great job Lux!

That's sweet! About to pull the trigger on this and your pic just substantiated this. looking forward to seeing more pics

Thanks for the recommendation! These are the first aftermarket modifications that I have really considered. And great before sale support.

http://i60.tinypic.com/1zb9wdf.jpg

They look really sharp and are super bright, even in direct sunlight.

This is a must upgrade for me, makes the truck look so much better.

Sweet...! Thanks, i've seen these on other models but not on the X's. I've also understood that the angel eye design itself is not the greatest on our cars. Hence, the net effect isn't so WOW! Guess they were wrong! :)

Where did you order those from? They look great! :thumbup: your truck is just like mine!

I have the LUX H8 V4's on mine, which I'm totally happy with but I suffer from newer model envy! :) Anyone know if these are much different?

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

BMW LED Angel Eyes replacement products

LUX H8 160

I think the 160's are a bit brighter and the rings are a bit more defined (less fuzzy). This is what I gathered from a lot of internet and message board research comparing pictures. Not a night and day difference, just slight improvement. Hope this helps

Thanks a bunch! Checking the web site now!!

I just bought some $40 LEDs on Amazon and it looks just like you posted in these pictures. No need to spend a fortune

You can't base the look off pictures when it comes to lighting. So many components to the photo....lighting, shutter, etc. I doubt very much that the $40 Amazon specials look the same but I'd be willing to test if enough people were interested and you posted a link to what you purchased on Amazon.

^^^^^^^As would I.^^^^^^^^

These guys here. There are certain angles where yes, the outer ring looks dimmer, but most of the time, whenever I see them from outside the car or in a reflection off the bumper in front of me, they look perfect.

Amazon.com : 2×20W H8 CREE R4 LED Angel Eye Halo Bulb Light 6500K for BMW E92 E93 E90 X5 White Error Free about 1200Lm (each) : Automotive Electronic Security Products : Car Electronics

Reading reviews on xbimmers.com, many have said that the LUX H8 V3 were the best made so far only because somehow they spread the light most evenly between BOTH rings vs most sets nowadays where the inner is always the brightest...a design flaw that they fixed in 2011.

These have half the amount of LED's, but seeing everything nowadays is just relabeled stuff made in China, there's no guarantee that more bulbs will mean more light. Neverthless, you should try to post duplicate pics. I personally want them to be a little more blueish than what's been posted by either of you.

Odd Question with changing over to the LED's...Will they fade in and out like the halogen bulbs or are they like an instant on/off?

I'm sorry to be the asshole to tell you that looks nothing like the OE corona rings

I figured that with the cheapos but even with the LUX lights?

Yes, and it has nothing to do with the bulbs themselves, but more with the headlight design. The OE corona rings have two led drivers, one for each ring. The pre-LCI headlight has only one bulb on the inner ring, with a much longer distance for the light to travel to the outside ring. The result of this is the inside is always brighter than the outside. No bulb will change that.

^^^ yeah the OEM LEDs can't be beat but I'm not going to throw down $2k for a retrofit. I'll settle for my Lux 160s which I think look pretty good for just a bulb.

I know it, which I why I bought the cheap LEDs.

Why buy LED, even cheap LED when HID can be bought for even less and still be brighter than any LED out there? The housings don't melt like people mention from rumors, and H8 is a very common bulb.

https://youtu.be/kmINLRDf4tk

has anyone ever tried to replace the fog lamps/turning lights with LEDs?

I wanted to get HID fogs but then I realized that the foglights turn like you mentioned. Wonder if you can still install HIDs in that turning housing?

I would not consider HID fogs for the E70 with the way the adaptive lighting works when turning and backing up.

I have a set of LED fogs out from an F15 X5. I am have an extra set of E70 fogs that I want to modify and install the F15 LED modules in.

Just when I will get around to it.

Exactly right.

These LUX look very nice in person and the both the inside and outside halo rings are super sharp and defined, even in sunlight

I could not stand the stock piss yellow tinted angel eyes that you could barely see

they cannot fade. they flicker a couple times before cutting out. you have to code it to remove the flicker

i would't recommend HIDs for on-demand purposes. i was clever enough to install HID full beams in my E36 once. useless, they take too long to reach brightness (were wayyy too bright too, the reflective surface of traffic signs used to blind me) and chances are you have to switch them off again before they warmed up. you're just gonna wear out your burners. since the fogs on the E70 also come on while turning & reversing i'd only ever choose LEDs. i just wondered if anyone has done it (i think they're H11 on the pre-LCI models). there are plenty of units available at a vast range of price points on amazon. i'd just like to know which ones (if any) are worth going for. some claim 7200lm.

Frankly I think those HID angel eyes in the video above look like crap. Way too bright, so much so that you can't even see the rings. Aside from the OEM LED coronas on later models, the Lux are the next best thing.

These are pretty good. Mine is a few versions older than this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Newest-Xtreme-...ords=gp+xtreme

Much better than what I had earlier.

I like how accurate (not washed out), and bright the light is.

Which did you get? What did you have before?

Great Question.
I should have been more specific.

I initially bought these at ECS Tuning (back in early 2013):
https://www.ecstuning.com/ES1831952/
My observation: Brighter than regular bulb but a little washed out in the center reflector (one closest to grill)

After looking at this post (I've seen others like this product before) I decided to give these a shot, and also got them at ECS Tuning:
https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E70-X5...LED/ES2984676/

The light is brighter, the pattern of light appears to be more accurate as well.

Do you have any links to these LED fogs you are talking about? I'd be willing to give it a try. I have clear reflectors that I want to switch with the stock ambers. Would be nice to get that all done at once

I also installed the Weisslicht Spektrum LED amber turn signals. I'd recommend the upgrade as the parking lights and blinkers look much cleaner and quite a bit brighter. Another cool effect is that the housing is clear, not amber tinted like in stock. So with the stock setup, you can see a bit of an amber tint in the headlight housing when the lights are off. With this Spektrum, the housing is entirely clear.

There are si many variables as to why you didn't like HID in your E36...using a HID in a non-projector housing, ballast wattage of 35 or 55, bulb color, quality of ballast since you keep saying it took forever, etc. Your statement is so generalized and without detail.

You do realize that's because it's a camera, not a real eye? I've taken countless pics of LED, CCFL and HID Angel eyes...completely different in person, yet always washed out with a camera.

Agreed to a certain point but this was video not a picture. Exposure setting on a camera can definitely alter the brightness but the video clearly shows the LED and stock setup having a more refined ring vs the xenon and since its video the setting remain the same making a good comparison. Guess I'd have to see in person but

Camera/video camera...same thing. I'm guessing they might have even played with settings on their video to enhance the brightness. Nevertheless looking at these in pics is like listening to exhaust in videos...it's best in person

i just googled H11 LED and plenty came up. check amazon. but since the back of the 'bulbs' are all different sizes and you need to stick the drivers somewhere i was just wondering if anyone else attempted it and if it's worth doing.

granted, it was cheapo 55W 6000K kits that i just slung in there and the headlight units themselves were depos - i.e. rubbish - even the OEM 35W in my E46 and my E70 take a fair few seconds to warm up. if you drive around bendy forest roads back home from work at night you often end up switching your full beams on and off a whole lot and sometimes don't get to keep them on for any useful length of time. you'd still be better off with halogens or LEDs, if there are any on the market that would actually do the job. obviously the technology exists, whether it's being sold in a useful aftermarket kit that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is what i'd like to know.
as for the E36, i eventually put the OEM headlights back in and ran 4300K (55W) in the dipped beams and 80W halogens in the full beams. much more useful configuration and obviously much more desirable beam pattern.
(although i always wondered what HIRs would actually have been like but i never managed to get my hands on a pair of those)

I think you are really reaching there. Why would they change the settings when they are comparing stock and LED in one film then LED and xenon on another....it would only make both comparisons brighter.

Either way I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this particular situation but also agree that photos can be deceptive unless exposure settings are the same.

Here's an example of my swap. Both images using same settings and taken within 5 minutes of each other

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...psy6h8a3cb.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...psshphnffs.jpg

Seeing how the x5 uses one bulb to illuminate both rings, if you look inside the lens you can see two holes that the light goes in from and illuminates the ring. Wouldn't these bulbs work better since they can reach the opening closer unlike a standard bulb can and in turn illuminate both rings the same intensity?

Anyone have this split style bulb installed?

Try it out for us!:thumbup:

I most likely will, just trying to see if anyone has already before i get them.

Any updates?

Ozer...

I didn't buy them yet but I will soon and update

So far so good.
I like the brightness.

One thing that I do not like is:
- if you drive the car with the lights on, turn off ignition followed by lights, when you restart the car the lights will strobe until discharged or turned on

Before and after pics, stock in drivers side and aftermarket in passenger for a side-by-side, etc?

Edit - that updates question was meant for Ozer and the $25 bulbs vs the $200 LUX H8 bulbs we've already seen. For 1/4 the price I'll just buy an HID kit instead of the LUX.

Bump

I bought them and tried to install but the LED didnt match up with the holes for the rings so i took them off and didnt have time to mess with it again. I did take the screws out that hold the LED to the base and turned them 1/4 so hopefully they line up now. Car is in the shop so cant install now but i have Friday off, planning on doing it then.

Thanks for the update, hopefully you'll get good results.

Here are some pics, i had to adjust the bulbs a 1/8 turn so that they will line up with the holes. Not too bad, i like it better than stock. It's no LUX but it just cost me $20 from ebay.

They're $25 now, but even then they're still at least a better color than the stock yellow. Do they appear to be any brighter? Did you do a side-by-side like pics above?

Just so everyone knows don't buy the LUX H8 V5 adjustable color bulbs. The bulb uses two different LEDs to create the adjustable color. It causes a striped effect within the halos. So the only setting that won't cause an issue is the 5.1k I purchased the LUX 7k 160 instead and used the V5 in my fog lights.

The first pic is stock right and led left.
I increased the intensity of them with Carly app so i don't know how bring they are versus stock. My stocks were also increased.

I've never used iCarly app...I'm sure it varies between user, but I've heard of way too many fried FRM3 modules from voltage issue. Either way I'd hope the LED was brighter than a halogen bulb and the LED color is better regardless, so hopefully I win the bid. Thanks for finding out for us.

Update:
Well here we are 4 months till install and just this morning one of the LED bulbs burned out. That didnt last long lol. I will be getting something different.

Anyone tried different color, like red maybe?

Before you jump off and buy noe bulbs, make sure to inspect that when you were installing the last set you did not damage the wires and the bulbs or ballasts are not shorting out.

Just a thought.

Does anyone have any good/reliable recomndations (or experience) replacing their fog light bulbs with LEDs that match up closely (color & quality wise) with the LUX H8 160's? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks for your time and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Yeah i will be looking at them when i get some free time, one of the two bulbs working but very faint, it may be something fixable.
I also had the idea of maybe soldering a new CREE LED on them. I was thinking of putting a say 10w on the one that illuminates the inner ring and put a 20w for the one that illuminates the outer ring to get a more consistent glow out of both rings. Not sure if this is possible, i just thought about it and didnt do any research. If anyone knows anything about it please chime in.
If it works, it could be a cheaper solution to eliminate the inner ring brightness over the outer ring.:dunno:

I was able to solder in new SMD bulbs onto the V bulb assembly, works for now. Its not pretty looking but cant see it so whatever :) The new ones are dimmer but its ok for now, until i get different bulbs. Im thinking of going with amber ones possibly.

EDIT 2: The new "fix" lasted a day so im not sure what happened there but i put the stock H8 bulbs in last night. I forgot how bright they were, holly cow! :thumbup: Im keeping the stock yellow look for a while, i kind of like it again.

Hello! First post on the forum:thumbup:

Sorry for being a newbie, but will any H8 spec bulbs you buy online fit into the compartment, or are there certain restrictions on the X5? If you search online for H8 HID or LED bulbs, thousands come up...

Also, what's so special about the LUX brand that they cost $200 for two bulbs?

Thanks in advance!

H8 bulbs are all the same, the fitting at least. If you want a bright looking ring spend the money now and be happy. I had few ebay kits and bulbs which none of them really worked good or lasted long. Im probably close to $100 on all that junk.
Heard and seen nothing but good things about LUX.

Thanks!

So, with this recent topic of replacing/upgrading the lighting for the Halo Rings on the e70, I also came across these:
https://beyonddrivenauto.com/bmw-angel-eye
They appear to be of LUX quality and come with a lifetime warranty. That, IMO could be a good and/or a bad thing. However, they make similar claims in quality, durability, etc to the LUX brand and they are about $50 less. Has anyone tried these? In comparison to the LUX brand, I haven't seen much on the forums about these. Contacted the company a little while back, said they stand by the lifetime replacement for any reason. I asked him how often do they have to replace them for customers? He said not very often. He claimed it was usually "installer error" but that they replaced them without question.
I hope someone on here has tried them before I decide between these and the LUX.
Thanks all!
JC Dillon
2008 X5 4.8