angel eyes
 

does anyone have photos of their e70 (with xenons) headlamps turned on? during the day and at night?

i saw a range rover the other day and the light had such a beatiful blue-ish tinge to it. it looked amazing. just hope the x5 will be like the range rover

thanks in advance!

while i cannot locate any in the moment, i can confirm that the x5's will be like the range rovers but BETTER :thumbup:

by that i mean they're supplemented by BMW's signature angel eyes

I agree, the Angel Eyes that function as Daytime Running Lights are one of the best styling features of the X5, and set it apart from the rest. I actually prefer the look with just the Angel Eyes illuminated compared to when the Xenons are on.

I'll post some pictures soon.. I have replaced the stock bulbs with Mitecs on the Angel Eyes (H8) and Fogs (H11)...

do you have those pics mate? thanks

In daytime ... probably not the best .. I'll try and take some later tonight..

BMW xenons are much whiter than other manufacturers, you're not going to get the same blueish tone that you get out of the range/audis and mercedes.

I used to have an 01 BMW 325Ci with xenons and they were so bright that oncoming drivers used to flash me alot - as for the latest models of BMWs with factory installed xenons I don't think they're as bright but if anybody can shed some 'light' on whether BMW have changed or sourced an new xenon bulb distributor i would be interested to know. The E Class Merc xenons are blueish bright. The new 3 series xenons - sometimes I can't tell the difference if they're halogens or xenons.

One thing to note on my pictures.. I am running Mitecs rather than the stock bulbs for angel eyes and fogs.. they are not golden like the stock bulbs.

those mitecs look great. i'm sure even better at night? how much did those cost you james?

It has to do with the projector housing. You will notice Acura TSX's have a nice purplish cutoff and flicker effect because of their housings. The bulb temperature is exactly the same as DOT requires 4300k for all factory HID setups. I believe the X5's have a pretty nice cut off too but it's all in the projector design.

Cost around $70 AUD. They are Mitec Cosmos Blue White bulbs (4750K).

Mitec or MTEC ? Also, sometimes pics aren't always as they seem so I have to ask, those lights do not look stock yellowish is that the case? If not they look good.

Sorry Mtecs... I noticed that in particular the fogs when active as turning lights are not yellow at all which I noticed with the stock ones.. they a nice cool blue/white...Definitely a nice coool blue rather than the stock.. unfortunately I realised after install that a before and after shot would have been a good idea !!

No Problem. Looks good. I would like to cut out that yellow hue from my lights. Nice to see someone take the plunge and report back.

Cheers.

I am thinking of the same upgrade but I fear it would give the car an aftermarket look with that bluish tinge. Isnt there a white light angel eyes upgrade instead of the golden OEM. James can you take some night time fotos of the angel eyes alone and post them. p.s. Is it a straightforward swap or are there any mods required?

Here you go.. best I can do ...sorry couldn't get the width to take both lights at once... this is a straight bulb replacement , you access the bulbs from the engine bay...Thanks to member watrob for initiating my upgrade !!!

It looks more white than blue on the photos, inner eye still brighter. I just might have to go for it.

I've replaced my fogs as well , bulb replacement is pretty easy for these as well by removeing the lower grill pieces.. I have also got the Bimmian interior light kit to install which includes the rear number plate lights...

Do you notice a significant difference in the white interior bulbs?

Yet to install but the Bimmian site has some before and after shots.... although i think I'll get some decrease in intensity so may leave reading lamps as stock.. will have to check on that at install time hopefully this weekend...

great man. nuff said. is this something a novice can do at home? does it require a lot of technical knowledge? tools?

i love those, and i will ask my bro to by them from the US and bring them to india. let me know if it is easy to install myself, and more importantly, doing it without voiding the warranty!

thanks jamesboags

Changing out the bulbs is a super easy job. Have a loook at your X5 manual and it shows you how. If you want to change the fog lamps as well, have a look at the following link:

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/l...mw-x5-e70.html

how come i can't seem to open the photos?

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I'm heading to Orlando, Florida in a couple of weeks. Where can I purchase these lights and what are the part numbers I require for an E70 with xenons?

As you can see I'm from Scotland so it's not like I'll be able to return them if I get the wrong ones!!!

I got my MTec's off of ebay. Ironically they were shipped from Taiwan.
The bulbs are H11 and H8.

MTEC MT-474 COSMOS BLUE WHITE H11 100W 4750k for Fog Lamps
MTEC MT-471 COSMOS BLUE WHITE H8 65W 4750K for Angel Eyes

I believe the H11 and H8 are standard naming convention for H.I.D globes.

The install is fairly easy, however for the Angel eyes BMW could have added about an inch to the wires to make it easier to change !! Remember not to touch the globe and be careful taking the globe out and putting it back in ...Also when transporting the globes ensure the globes are seated in the plastic retainer properly, I had them shipped to me and one globe was loose in the packaging when it arrived ,which damaged the grey painted end a slight bit.

As far as warranty it shouldn't void warranty as they are standard H8 and H11 globes.. putting a higher wattage in would probably void warranty as well as make the lights more than probably non compliant with road regulations etc.;)

Thanks for the info... Does that cover both of the lightbulbs on the headlight (both round parts / eyes / total of 4) as well as the fog lights?

This listing affects the round part, which tends to be yellowish on the E70 and I'm wondering if this is corrected with the bulbs you listed http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E...QQcmdZViewItem

The headlight low/high beam is a separate bulb which you do not need to replace .. it is quite white already.. the bulbs mentioned replace the stock bulb for the angel eyes (one each side) and the lower fog lights...

The only thing I will say about the Mtec is that they are not as visible during the day since the colour is so much whiter. In the twilight, the white colour stands out more. Any one know how the GP Thunder bulbs compare to the Mtec's?

Some people seem to prefer the GP Thunder.. there was a poll on here some time back... I couldn't source them and got the both sets of MTECS for around $70 AUD (about $58 USD)..

I ordered the lights but am having trouble installing both the headlight and the fog lights!! I can't pull the grey cover from the bumper off to access the fog lights. I also couldn't find how to change the headlights in the manual. Any tips would be appreciated!

Changing the angel eyes is shown on page 237 of the manual, at least it is on the US manual. Under the section called "parking and daytime running lamps".

As for changing the fog lights, it took a little muscle to get the covers off. They are secured by like 6-8 clips. Start from the edge closest to the center and work your way out.

For the fogs gently push the silver / grey piece that sits on the front of the grilles up, you can remove this piece entirely, but I found when doing this the grill also came out which then allowed me to reach to the fog light then turn the connector , I think it was clockwise but just try either way with gentle pressure and it will move a 1/4 turn then pull out the socket and bulb carefully.

For the headlamps just turn the grey cover in the engine bay then you can get at the connector, again twist the connector and carefully take it out from the headlight assembly, note that the wires are very short and you need to be very careful replacing and reinserting the bulb and socket. The headlights replacement is in the manual on this site if you want the official instructions.

Many thanks! Yeah after applying a little extra pressure, they came right off and the rest was a piece of cake (as for the fog lights). Now I'm off to attempt changing the angel eyes without breaking anything! Here is a comparison of the fog lights w/ (on left) and w/o (on right) the MTec.



http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/793/img1253be6.th.jpg

Thanks... I got the connector out but unfortunately when I opened the tightly glued MTec package, one of the bulbs flew out and broke. I wasn't kidding when I said "...without breaking anything"! Oh well, I'll have to wait for a replacement!

MTEC on the passenger side I assume you mean?

Yes