OEM Bi Xenon HID and Halogen

[X5LeMans]

Was just reading on forums for other BMWs that the bi Xenons are not always setup the same. Just wondered if the e53 was the same. Also that some people have said the oem xenon isn't bright enough etc.

Mine is oem 35w bi xenon with halogen assist on main beam. If I flash the main beams only the halogens light but on real main beam the xenon shutters open up lighting up a wide circle of light that lights up signs, trees and tunnels etc, but additionally the halogens punch a bright spot focused more or less centrally giving a very good bright forward light one the road.

I don't find the dips too bad. Compared to old halogen dips they are great. And the mains with halogen assist are fantastic . Anyone who things the 35w Xenons are bad should try driving a 1980's ford sierra with corroded lenses and mirrors.  >:D

Reason for poll. Curiosity. If halogen assist is a coded option it might be worth getting it turned on .

[jaynana]

by-xenon - are u sure? i thought on the E53 only the low beam was xenon and the high beam is halogen.

[kkodal78]

[quote="jaynana"]
by-xenon - are u sure? i thought on the E53 only the low beam was xenon and the high beam is halogen.
[/quote]
I believe there might have been an option on facelift E53 for bi-xenon

[X5LeMans]

Yeah I'm sure. If I park facing a wall and out the dip beam up and the use the main beam flash you can see te halogen spots. Then flick over to full mains and set the sky on fire .

Although it seems I don't have the adaptive version. It doesn't steer the lights in the turns. Plus I had BMW print out the option list for the car. Bi xenon yes adaptive no.

Mostly just curious how many cars were coded with bi xenon plus halogen assist as on later cars it seems almost random .

[X5Sport]

The 'Bi-Xenon' bit is just a mechanical shutter that moves the dip beam constraining filter out of the way on some cars and on others it means the dip beam lights stay on in High Beam mode.

On the E70 & 71 it's a shutter as there is only one lamp each side that works (the inner one is a fake).

On the E53 the dip beam stays on and I think there might be a shutter buried in the projector unit but I'm not 100% certain.

Richard

[Don Coffey]

[quote="jaynana"]
by-xenon - are u sure? i thought on the E53 only the low beam was xenon and the high beam is halogen.
[/quote]

The original E53 xenons were dipped only, however as part of the E53 facelift of 2004, the xenon's option was for the bi-xenon, ie. they worked both dipped and main beam, however they still used the halogen main beam as well.

Don

[jaynana]

mine's an 04 facelift with oem xenon.

behaviour is consistant with what you're saying below. ie,
- dipped beam - xenon.
- high beam - xenon stays on, additionally the halogen comes on
- no shutter mechanisms..

i didn't think that's referred to as by-xenon though.. is my point really..

[X5LeMans]

Jaynana,

You sure about that? It's not an obvious shutter, its just the metal piece that "shapes" the dip beam. During high beam its supposed to move out of the way using a solenoid, changing the beam pattern to main beam.

Even if you remove the halogen bulbs, you should still have a main beam. The halogens just boost a spot in the center of the beam.

I wonder if they "improved" the Xenon on the E70/71. Is the fake light used for flashing, or do they light up the Xenon every time you flash someone?

If the HID's are non OEM, and are just kits fitted into a halogen projector, there will be no shutter. (And the main beam halogen will be the only "extra" lighting)

The spec sheets for the Facelift only give the option 522 for Xenon, which according to the spec sheet is a full bi-xenon/shutter unit. Biggest giveaway is you can hear the solenoid when you switch to mains, if you have someone else flick them on and off. (Or just park up and compare full main beam with the flash mode) That's assuming you flash by pulling the stalk and push for full main beam.

[X5LeMans]

[quote="Don Coffey"]
[quote="jaynana"]
by-xenon - are u sure? i thought on the E53 only the low beam was xenon and the high beam is halogen.
[/quote]

The original E53 xenons were dipped only, however as part of the E53 facelift of 2004, the xenon's option was for the bi-xenon, ie. they worked both dipped and main beam, however they still used the halogen main beam as well.

Don
[/quote]

I had the same dip only Xenons in my E39.. Still thought they were good compared to my previous E34 though.. My X5's definitely got Bi-Xenon   Not adaptive though... the original purchaser never took that option.

[X5Sport]

The inboard light on the E70/71 is there to maintain the BMW design cues.  It has a projector lens but the only thing inside it is the bulb holder for the angel eye system, nothing else and certainly no twin lamp.

Flashing the lights fires up the outboard pair.....so that fires up the HIDs.

I think the HIDs on the X6 are a little worse than those on the E53.  When main beam is selected both lamps swivel to move the beam and generate a longer throw pattern - as long as you have adaptives.  The LED lights now available are much clever though, especially with High Beam Assist.

Richard

[jaynana]

[quote="X5LeMans"]
Jaynana,

You sure about that? It's not an obvious shutter, its just the metal piece that "shapes" the dip beam. During high beam its supposed to move out of the way using a solenoid, changing the beam pattern to main beam.

The spec sheets for the Facelift only give the option 522 for Xenon, which according to the spec sheet is a full bi-xenon/shutter unit. Biggest giveaway is you can hear the solenoid when you switch to mains, if you have someone else flick them on and off.
[/quote]

now that makes me wonder.. i'll check this out and let u know.. anyways i'm pretty sure that there's just one xenon and one halogen on each side. plus the xenon stays on even in highbeam position.

i'll see if i can figure if there's some shutter mechanism as well on the xenon, when switching from dipped to mains.

so what shoudl i look out for? the noise of the solonoid? thats hard to judge by right -because a solonoid could make contact simply to power the halogen? ie not necessarily for the shutter..

[quote="X5LeMans"]
(Or just park up and compare full main beam with the flash mode) That's assuming you flash by pulling the stalk and push for full main beam.[/quote]

what would this test prove?

in flash mode i suppose only the halogen would come up (i think.. because xenon would take time to charge so no point messing around with it.. i will check this..)
in full beam mode both xenon and halogen would come up.

so obviously there would be a difference between teh 2.

[X5Sport]

Screen the high beams and see if the dip beam pattern changes on main beam would be the easiest - stick a bit of cardboard in the way of the inner pair, or just one of the lamps.

'Flashing' only brings the halogen spot lights on.

R

[X5LeMans]

Yep, exactly, the beam pattern of dip + halogen (flashing) is totally different to the xenon main pattern + halogen. So you can easy see the difference on a wall.

The xenons don't bother flicking the solenoid when flashing. Perhaps the early bi xenon designers didn't want to put unnecessary extra work on the shutter mechanisms?

As a side note.. If someone dazzles you, and you flash them.. and they still keep their mains on.. flick to real main beam and burn their eyes out! (For road safety sake I'm not actually recommending this.. but it is tempting sometimes. there are some brain dead drivers out there sometimes)

I'm pretty sure that when I was playing around with the lights and had the bonnet up and windows down, I could hear the mechanical movement inside the xenon making the change.. It's only one bulb/burner in the Xenon light, but the beam pattern is changed mechanically when you switch to full beam. You should be able to hear it... But not from inside the car, with the windows up.. The X's are pretty well noise insulated, don't get much outside world coming in when the windows are up

[jaynana]

did some tests with a mate to give a hand..

observations are exactly as i knew before.

flash - halogen fires, no xenon
dipped beam - xenon
flash or high beam whilst on dipped - halogen fires whilst xenon stays as is.

checked the behaviour of the xenon by covering the halogen with a cardboard and staring at it blindingly close, both me and my mate took turns. no difference at all in teh xenon when flashing or switching to high beam from dipped beam.

so i don't have any shutter mechanism on the xenon for sure.

i've checked the spec in the VIN decoder, it says 'S522A XENON-LICHT Xenon Light'

so it has no mention of bi-xenon either.

can i ask what your light description is, in the VIN decoder pls?

[kkodal78]

It sounds just like my pre facefilt xenons. If i wasn't selling my X, i was getting the bi xenon depo kit for mine for $750