Things have been slow on the DIY front this winter. The club DIY events don’t kick back in until March. I’m lucky that I don’t have to daily drive either of my cars in bad weather. In the meantime I’ve been researching BMW M Lighting options for both of my cars.
Like many BMW topics the volume of info seems inexhaustible. Some background – both of my cars came with HID headlights stock so the output isn’t terrible. The M5 came with Xenon low beams and the M3 has Bi-Xenon – i.e. the same headlight projector is used for low beams and high beams. Both designs are roughly 20 years old and current technology is superior.
Regular readers may remember I took some steps down this road back in 2018 when I retrofitted Bi-Xenon projectors into my existing M5 headlights. I was pleased with the results, but then last year I took advantage of a discounted group buy for the Euro-design headlights with clear corner lenses. I really like how they look but I actually went backward in technology and performance.
So I was interested when I read about another owner who found a way to upgrade the power of the ballast unit (aka ignitor) of the E39 Xenon projector. The stock ballasts are 35W, and he can refurbish all the way up to 55W. Another BMW cottage industry to the rescue! I did some due diligence and the price was reasonable, and bought a set of 48W that I have not installed yet. (Will update when I do).
I’m also thinking of upgrading the fog lights. TheRetroFitSource sells a set of Morimoto LED fog lights that get good reviews. They are custom-made for the E46 and E39 so could fit either car. I ordered a set and plan to install it on the M5 but need to learn a computer coding program called NCS Expert first so I don’t get an error message. This wasn’t clearly explained on their web site and unfortunately their customer service has not been good.
I hadn’t focused on the M3 headlights until recently. They had just been replaced when I bought the car in 2014. Initially I was just going to purchase new, high-quality bulbs for the Bi-Xenon and call it a day. When I removed the headlights to replace the bulbs I noticed a couple of things. One, removal is not as easy as on the M5. Two, the upper rain guards had deteriorated over time. So I ordered a replacement pair.
I found out something surprising about the M3 lights. The headlight maker, Bosch AL, used a headlight lenses that was deliberately slightly hazy to reduce output. Of course the aftermarket has a solution, a clear lens that with no other changes increased the light output. The kit is not expensive so I ordered it from RetroFit. However, total disassembly of the headlights is required to replace the lenses is required, again not explained clearly on the site. (But then what was I expecting?)
Right now I’m leaning towards returning them. The process seems too difficult for the reward and I could easily damage the headlights in the process. That would be a disaster since the passage of time and obsolescence have done nothing to lower the cost of replacements. They are about $1,200 – each. I might get a new set of the plastic covers that are not hard to remove and call it a day.
As you might guess at this point, there is always something new to learn with BMW M lighting. Or you might call it “going down the rat hole.” Understanding how to code basic functions on my cars will be a lot of fun and the LED fogs give me an immediate need to learn. That will be worth a post of its own. When I get the M5 done I’ll update here with some pictures.
UPDATE 2/8/23 – Installed the boosted ballast units. I’m pleased with the results. The lights look brighter and ignition is instantaneous. Plus now I have a set of ballasts to go with my old headlights with the Evo 2.0 projectors if I ever decide to sell them.
