[Professor Twerk]

Hi, this is my first post here. It's been a month since i bought a 328xi sport brand new. I was really happy about this until i really saw the halogen headlights that it had come with. I've noticed that it's incredibly dangerous to drive at night without my foglights and high beams turned on which potentially endangers other drivers. I did a lot of research on these forums looking for a way to fix this problem. But it seems as if you didnt get the lighting package,you were just screwed. From what i see, its best to purchase the entire housing and everything which sounds like it costs nearly 4000 dollars >_< Does anyone know the problem with simply buying an HID conversion kit and then buying the LED rings? That seems like to only be about 300 dollars when i find it on ebay. Sorry for incredible number of silly questions, i know nothing about cars and this one thing really bugs the heck out of me. Not getting the lighting package is my greatest regret on this car but i'm determined to get the exact lighting package look on my car no matter what. Any help is greatly appreciated

[RarScaryFrosty]

To add the LED rings, you're going to have to literally remove the headlight housing and bake it in the oven until it's piping hot and the adhesive is loosened. I'd not recommend it since re installation can cause condensation issues when it rains.

The closest direct replacement I've seen is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-DRL-LE...1073fc&vxp=mtr

It's easy to install and has LED rings similar to the OEM headlights.

[f30luxline]

I see really good with my halogens. I did have to raise the aim when I purchased the car. The aim seems low from factory and a lot of people have confirmed this. Maybe you just need to adjust yours?? On the other hand, I really wish I had the lighting packages as well, just for aesthetic reasons. I was shocked to find out BMW starting making this an option for 328 as well as other models as the corona rings is what set BMW apart.

[///Mangler]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

T

[ThaiBruin]

Originally Posted by RarScaryFrosty

The closest direct replacement I've seen is this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-DRL-LE...1073fc&vxp=mtr

It's easy to install and has LED rings similar to the OEM headlights.

Woah. Assuming they truly are a direct swap, I'd get these in a heartbeat if I had halogens. I believe a fellow member Kafkaesque320 would be all over these, especially with no true modifications required.

[retiredmarine]

lightning?

[Professor Twerk]

haha retuiredmarine, i should have revised this. i meant lighting package. I'm not too sure how to aim them, i get maybe 25 feet of visibility? i dont know how to aim them higher either. But i feel as though even aimed upwards it's incredibly dim. I saw the MARS rings and i think if thats my only choice, i'll go with those. But otherwise there is no other way to get the genuine aesthetics, correct?

[rjc32000]

I'm sorry about your frustration with the halogen lights, but if you are truly unable to drive without endangering other motorists by having your brights on, you need to have your car (or perhaps your eyes) checked ASAP. The stock halogens produce plenty of visible light when operating properly. I see many F30s driving Alaskan roads at night with halogens. Keep in mind that this is driving in complete darkness on highways that lack ANY supplemental lighting.

Originally Posted by Professor Twerk

I've noticed that it's incredibly dangerous to drive at night without my foglights and high beams turned on which potentially endangers other drivers.

[ji99lypuff]

As someone who does not have the lighting package i totally agree that the halogens in the bmw are utter garbage. I raised the aim a little and its better but having come from two previous cars that had hids it doesnt even compare. I dont understand how the ultimate driving machine is driving around at night with sub par road visibility. I am 30 year old male so i dont think my eyes have totaly gone yet but i do find myself struggling to drive lately now that it gets dark so quickly. I swear the halogens in my old ford taurus did a better job of lighting up the road than these headlights. The only solution i can give you is to raise the aim ever so slightly and if that isnt enough you can look to do a retrofit with projectors.

[Vegetable]

Originally Posted by rjc32000

I'm sorry about your frustration with the halogen lights, but if you are truly unable to drive without endangering other motorists by having your brights on, you need to have your car (or perhaps your eyes) checked ASAP. The stock halogens produce plenty of visible light when operating properly. I see many F30s driving Alaskan roads at night with halogens. Keep in mind that this is driving in complete darkness on highways that lack ANY supplemental lighting.

+1, the halogens on the F30 aren't great by any means and look out of place on a car costing more than $30,000, but they seem no worse than the halogens on, say, a cheap Toyota Corolla.. oh wait

[philbake]

Originally Posted by Professor Twerk

Hi, this is my first post here. It's been a month since i bought a 328xi sport brand new. I was really happy about this until i really saw the halogen headlights that it had come with. I've noticed that it's incredibly dangerous to drive at night without my foglights and high beams turned on which potentially endangers other drivers. I did a lot of research on these forums looking for a way to fix this problem. But it seems as if you didnt get the lighting package,you were just screwed. From what i see, its best to purchase the entire housing and everything which sounds like it costs nearly 4000 dollars >_&lt; Does anyone know the problem with simply buying an HID conversion kit and then buying the LED rings? That seems like to only be about 300 dollars when i find it on ebay. Sorry for incredible number of silly questions, i know nothing about cars and this one thing really bugs the heck out of me. Not getting the lighting package is my greatest regret on this car but i'm determined to get the exact lighting package look on my car no matter what. Any help is greatly appreciated

Same boat. My previous two 3 series had HID's. Now, I've got halogens. I'm living with them. Too much hassle to try to retrofit. But, there are better halogen bulbs you can replace the stocks with. Even BMW has a brighter bulb you can purchase for $60 or so per pair. Might be worth a try.

[ji99lypuff]

Well i do see a kot of the new corollas with great looking projectors. The 2013 and up i believe. Im sure its an option but every single one i see has it on there, maybe thr dealer only orders them like that. There is a whole headlight replacement from Mars Performance based in australia. You can check the cosmetic and lighting forum to see that thread. As of now i think they are all sold out of the kit but im sure theyll produce some more.

[snowghost]

My 530i had halogens and it wasn't so much they were bad, it's just that HIDs are so much better. Especially on dark canyon roads.

[Mike_L]

Originally Posted by ji99lypuff

Well i do see a kot of the new corollas with great looking projectors. The 2013 and up i believe. Im sure its an option but every single one i see has it on there, maybe thr dealer only orders them like that. There is a whole headlight replacement from Mars Performance based in australia. You can check the cosmetic and lighting forum to see that thread. As of now i think they are all sold out of the kit but im sure theyll produce some more.

The new Corollas have standard LED headlights.

[ji99lypuff]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

The new Corollas have standard LED headlights.

On a entry level conpact sedan, wow...i hope bmw takes notice and starts making at least hids standard and led optional. Those toyota leds look great and light output is amazing.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Everything optional is the Luxury car tradition.

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by pheerix

Everything optional is the Luxury car tradition.

If BMW was like Porsche, they would charge for the roundel emblem on the center hubcaps.

[ji99lypuff]

I guess texhnically the 320 and 328 are bmws entry level cars

[PCR0303]

Originally Posted by ji99lypuff

On a entry level conpact sedan, wow...i hope bmw takes notice and starts making at least hids standard and led optional. Those toyota leds look great and light output is amazing.

I believe the LCI 3 series will come with xenons (hid) standard and LED as an option just as the 4 is now. Spy photos show an LED option for the LCI. But yeah BMW nickel and dimes you for every option and even more so saving what SHOULD be standard across all cars now (like full LED tail lights) for LCI models.

[Professor Twerk]

im actually only 17, my eyes are pretty bad, but its mostly astigmatism that results in poor genetics haha. Contacts also dont help very much with the visibility. So do you guys think that just buying a brighter HID bulb and then getting LED rings separate is a good idea or do you think i should just purchase the entire housing?

[Mike_L]

Don't half ass it and put HIDs in the halogen housings. You're just gonna make glare and keep other people from seeing. If you need HIDs, buy proper HID housings.

[ji99lypuff]

Originally Posted by Professor Twerk

im actually only 17, my eyes are pretty bad, but its mostly astigmatism that results in poor genetics haha. Contacts also dont help very much with the visibility. So do you guys think that just buying a brighter HID bulb and then getting LED rings separate is a good idea or do you think i should just purchase the entire housing?

The only thing about putting in hid kit into your halogen housing is that it may cause errors even fem failure down the line. Totally not worth it in my opinion. If you can get the hid kit installed by a guy who knows what hes doing, that's a different story. They can make sure to ground it better or properly and maybe even do some coding to tell the car its got hids now. In the members classified section there are a bunch of posts in regards to oem hids for sale right now. I agree with above poster either do it right with oem or get housings that have been retrofitted and installed with proper grounding and such as to not have problems later on.