F30POST
F30POST
2012-2015 BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > 2012-2019 BMW 3 and 4-Series Forums > General F30 Sedan / F32 Coupe / F36 Gran Coupe Forum > 4 headlights, but only 2 have bulbs?
GetBMWParts
Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      05-25-2015, 01:12 AM   #1
znolo
Enlisted Member
United_States
14
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: E46 M3, F36 435i
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: VA, USA

iTrader: (0)

4 headlights, but only 2 have bulbs?

I just picked up an F36 in Munich on the European Delivery program, and notice that the inside headlights are cosmetic only. There is just the headlight projector lens but no bulb behind it. This seems to be normal, as I have seen several F series here with only the outside headlight pair lit, never the inside pair. On my E46 M3 and 328i these are the high beam but on the F series the outside pair is both low and high beam.

Has anyone installed a supplementary LED high beam behind the fake lens? It looks like there is room to do so.
Appreciate 0
      05-25-2015, 08:52 AM   #2
Photoman
Major
Photoman's Avatar
Canada
129
Rep
1,065
Posts

Drives: 2012 F30, 2013 E70
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2013 BMW X5 35d  [0.00]
2012 BMW 328i  [10.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by jskene View Post
I just picked up an F36 in Munich on the European Delivery program, and notice that the inside headlights are cosmetic only. There is just the headlight projector lens but no bulb behind it. This seems to be normal, as I have seen several F series here with only the outside headlight pair lit, never the inside pair. On my E46 M3 and 328i these are the high beam but on the F series the outside pair is both low and high beam.

Has anyone installed a supplementary LED high beam behind the fake lens? It looks like there is room to do so.
Correct.
There's a member of our BMW True North group in the Toronto area that has retrofitted in leds that can change colour... saw the car at our meet yesterday and it looked quite nice. Will try and find some pics of it.
__________________
2012 F30 | IBM | SB | M-Sport Conversion | OEM 437M Wheels | MPE ++
2013 E70 | SBM | NB | Coming soon
Appreciate 1
      05-28-2015, 11:18 AM   #3
znolo
Enlisted Member
United_States
14
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: E46 M3, F36 435i
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: VA, USA

iTrader: (0)

It looks like there is enough depth behind the unused lens to mount an HID bulb and bracket. This could be driven off the high beam signal to give 4 high beams rather than the stock 2. Even better would be to mount a second BMW dual-beam HID and have 4 low beam and 4 high beam projectors.

I've searched through this forum as well as others and it looks like no one has done this.

Does anyone know if the BMW unit is available, or do you need to buy the whole assembly?
Appreciate 0
      05-28-2015, 02:21 PM   #4
Chris@codemybimmer
BimmerPost Supporting Vendor
Chris@codemybimmer's Avatar
Canada
171
Rep
1,397
Posts


Drives: AW F30 328i Xdrive
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (1)

Quote:
Originally Posted by jskene View Post
It looks like there is enough depth behind the unused lens to mount an HID bulb and bracket. This could be driven off the high beam signal to give 4 high beams rather than the stock 2. Even better would be to mount a second BMW dual-beam HID and have 4 low beam and 4 high beam projectors.

I've searched through this forum as well as others and it looks like no one has done this.

Does anyone know if the BMW unit is available, or do you need to buy the whole assembly?
you cannot buy the projector on its own, although it has a part number on it.
When i went to inquire about that part number at a dealership they said it comes back with no results, it may be a manufacturer part number.
you have to buy the full assembly.
Appreciate 1
      05-28-2015, 04:26 PM   #5
Tommy_hf
First Lieutenant
Netherlands
70
Rep
327
Posts

Drives: F36 CQ M, Z4 E85 3.0iS MSL SC
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Netherlands

iTrader: (0)

Nice place to put some pace car strobes in there
Appreciate 0
      05-29-2015, 02:58 PM   #6
znolo
Enlisted Member
United_States
14
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: E46 M3, F36 435i
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: VA, USA

iTrader: (0)

I could certainly insert an LED driving lamp and have 4 high beams, or add a servo controlled gate like BMW uses on the HID to give high and low beams. There might be a slight color temperature difference as I doubt that I could find a perfect match for the stock bulbs.

I'll keep looking, and have sent a note off to Bimmian to see if they make anything that would work.
Appreciate 0
      05-29-2015, 04:11 PM   #7
Blubaron79
Brigadier General
Blubaron79's Avatar
United_States
1431
Rep
4,722
Posts

Drives: 2021 M340i xDrive
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by jskene
I could certainly insert an LED driving lamp and have 4 high beams, or add a servo controlled gate like BMW uses on the HID to give high and low beams. There might be a slight color temperature difference as I doubt that I could find a perfect match for the stock bulbs.

I'll keep looking, and have sent a note off to Bimmian to see if they make anything that would work.
I personally wouldn't mess with it. It is there for your DRLs, and I'm sure it would be hard to match something up. No point in fouling up something that already works well.
__________________
Current: 2021 M340i xDrive

Previous: '18 340i xDrive; '15 335 xDrive; '14 435i xDrive; '09 335 E92 xDrive
Appreciate 1
      06-02-2015, 07:53 AM   #8
znolo
Enlisted Member
United_States
14
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: E46 M3, F36 435i
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: VA, USA

iTrader: (0)

I just don't like the idea of having a purely cosmetic headlight on my car that serves no purpose. I feel that a proper design of a 4-headlamp car would have 4 headlamps, not 2 plus a filler lens that looks like it's supposed to do something but doesn't.

It's a bit like having a tacked-on grill that doesn't go anywhere.

I can understand that BMW would have wanted to preserve a common look to the 4 series, whether they have HID lights or LED lights, which do have 4 operating lamps. I'm sure they also wanted it to carry the family DNA of their other models that now all have 4 round headlights. This has become part of their signature, just like the double-kidney grill. It sets them apart from all the other cars that have moved away from round lights.

I just dropped the car off in Amsterdam on Friday, and so won't see it until it arrives at my local dealer in 6-7 weeks. I'll then be able to take some measurements and hopefully replace the black plastic blanking panel behind the lens with a bi-xenon lamp.
Appreciate 1
      06-02-2015, 10:07 AM   #9
floydarogers
Curmudgeon and Pedant
floydarogers's Avatar
United_States
690
Rep
3,489
Posts

Drives: 2010 335d, 2014 328d
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Bellevue, WA

iTrader: (0)

You guys do know that putting an additional HID beam in for high (or low ftm) beam would make it illegal anywhere in the world there are standards? There is a max lumens standard that it would seriously exceed. (I'm guessing you don't care, but thought I'd put it out there.)

As far as lighting goes, the early E46 HID setup was actually the best: it was a non-bi-xenon setup, with a halogen high beam in the inner. The xenon low beam was always on, with the halogen coming on for high beam. This setup actually hit the max lumen standard, and gave superior performance to the bi-xenon that we currently have. Wasn't adaptive, however.

There have been some recent articles on lighting - all current setups that meet the standards are almost useless at speeds over 45 or so, even xenon setups.
Appreciate 1
      06-02-2015, 09:05 PM   #10
RM7
Brigadier General
RM7's Avatar
2870
Rep
3,445
Posts

Drives: Camaro SS 1LE
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Alaska

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by floydarogers View Post
You guys do know that putting an additional HID beam in for high (or low ftm) beam would make it illegal anywhere in the world there are standards? There is a max lumens standard that it would seriously exceed. (I'm guessing you don't care, but thought I'd put it out there.)
You should see the front of cars and trucks here in Alaska (ones that don't even go off-road). Multiple bars of lights, talking dozens or even hundreds of LEDs in some cases, multiple HIDs, etc. Whatever it would make that BMW to have another LED, we got it beat by probably a factor of 50...not that I've seen too many using them, but for some reason they have em.
Appreciate 0
      06-04-2015, 07:19 AM   #11
znolo
Enlisted Member
United_States
14
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: E46 M3, F36 435i
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: VA, USA

iTrader: (0)

I've found a bi-xenon setup that looks like it will fit into the space behind the blanked out lens. It should match the color temperature of the outer bi-xenon, so will look stock. I'll wire it so it switches off when the fog lights are on so I don't exceed the maximum limit of 4 white lamps at the front.

If anyone is interested, I can post an update when the car gets here and I install it.
Appreciate 1
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:38 AM.




f30post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST