[TurboDan737]

So my car was a dealer demo. It's been great, perfect, the best car I've ever driven.

But it also has, bar none, the worst headlights of any car I've ever driven. They are measurably worse than a 1991 Mazda Protege I used to own. Had I known they were this bad, I literally would have purchased another vehicle with HIDs from the factory. I had no idea going back to halogens would be so dramatic, especially since I have family members with BMWs that have decent halogen lights.

Here's my problem: three mechanics, including a BMW custom shop, told me that absolutely NO LED bulbs (yes, including H7 bulbs that, according to headlight websites, are fine) will fit in my 2016 320i xDrive because it's a post-LCI vehicle and there is no physical room for the bulbs with the heat sink and wider end at the connector. I was willing to buy the DEPO light assembly, no matter the cost, but it turns out that is only for "pre-LCI" vehicles as well.

Is there ANYTHING I can do about this? I absolutely love this car but the lights are horrendous, to say the least. It stuns me that they're even making $43,000 cars with halogen lights to begin with, especially when my old Land Rover from 2008 had HIDs standard. But that is beside the point. I have driving to do, and I'd rather not crash.

Any advice would be appreciated, aside from trading it in for a new car.

[Rockyca]

Buy oem headlights and have em coded in. I know it’s possible to retrofit. Might not be cheap though.

[njdangelo]

Couple threads on this recently, a quick search will help you out. It is possible. Worth it? Depends who you ask. You also might want to check the focus of your headlights before you full out swap them. When I got my 2016 340 i had the same problem as you. Headlights were god awful. When I checked their focus they were WAY OFF. Once I got the lights properly focused it was a night and day difference, no pun intended lol

[jnj2455]

I have LCI LEDs that only auto aim and I too had to adjust them when I first took delivery. The intensity was there, but they were aimed a bit too low and not casting far enough. I think they are excellent now.

Tangentially related, and I think I know the answer, but anybody know if I can simply install Icon Adaptive LEDs without needing the additional fancy camera integration? I don't care for auto high beam or the anti dazzle feature but I do wish for steering angle swiveling in corners as I have on our other cars. Was wondering if I could simply plug & play + coding for just that portion and call it a day.

OP, I think perhaps you could at least get by with installing the standard LCI LEDs? Coding will be necessary & probably a harness modification from halogens, but I don't think you would need an external cameras (someone feel free to correct me). I spent most of the 2010s obsessing over xenon projectors so I get your pain.

[Rockyca]

I raised my 340 headlights about 2 turns each and they are much better now. Whenever I drive my wife’s edge with halogens I have to check that the headlights are on... they are that bad.

[TurboDan737]

Originally Posted by njdangelo

Couple threads on this recently, a quick search will help you out. It is possible. Worth it? Depends who you ask. You also might want to check the focus of your headlights before you full out swap them. When I got my 2016 340 i had the same problem as you. Headlights were god awful. When I checked their focus they were WAY OFF. Once I got the lights properly focused it was a night and day difference, no pun intended lol

I've done the searching, including the giant DEPO thread. I was hoping something had occurred since those were posted. It's as if I'm stuck in this little time bubble where I can't do anything about these lights. I would've been willing to pay for the DEPO rig, but dealing with OEM replacements, recoding, etc. is going to start racking up thousands in bills – all for a damn light bulb.

I'm resigning myself to selecting a better halogen bulb (Osram?) and living with it for the next 7-8 years that I have the car and praying along the way that they come out with new DEPO assemblies or equivalent to fit the LCI models.

The worst part is that, as much as I'd like the lights to look nicer, that really isn't the issue. They're genuinely the worst headlights I've ever had. It amazes me that they made this beautiful car (with full LED rear lights, FWIW) and stuck headlights from a 1980s minivan in there.

[smrtypants44]

I wonder why the DEPO pre-lci wont work. It should be the same housing.

[TheFanatic]

Adjust your headlights. When I bought my 2016 340i it was incredible how bad the lights were. I found a wall in an empty parking lot and had to adjust mine about 3 turns up and 1/2 turn out each to get them to where the should be. Once adjusted they're amazing. It blows my mind how BMW doesn't adjust the lights from factory cause they're not even close. My fog lights went further down the road than my headlights did.

My high beams were worse than my 97 540i low beams. Not anymore though, they're amazing lights when adjusted properly.

Edit: I thought you had LED headlights, I can't read apparently and skipped over where you said halogen lights. I thought LED were standard on the LCI models or is it just the 340i that they're standard?

[im_an_alien]

Originally Posted by TheFanatic

Adjust your headlights. When I bought my 2016 340i it was incredible how bad the lights were. I found a wall in an empty parking lot and had to adjust mine about 3 turns up and 1/2 turn out each to get them to where the should be. Once adjusted they're amazing. It blows my mind how BMW doesn't adjust the lights from factory cause they're not even close. My fog lights went further down the road than my headlights did.

My high beams were worse than my 97 540i low beams. Not anymore though, they're amazing lights when adjusted properly.

Edit: I thought you had LED headlights, I can't read apparently and skipped over where you said halogen lights. I thought LED were standard on the LCI models or is it just the 340i that they're standard?

They actually do, it's other people who mess with them after the fact. And yes, LED headlights are standard on LCI 340i, not the entire range...

[smrtypants44]

Originally Posted by im_an_alien

They actually do, it's other people who mess with them after the fact. And yes, LED headlights are standard on LCI 340i, not the entire range...

LED is also standard on LCI F32/33/36 (US market)

[whatevs]

Cant answer your original question, but Osrams are pretty good. Had them on one of my previous car, and they were definitely an upgrade from OEM.

[zamboni]

Are you referring to LED or adaptive version? The adaptive requires additional module's in order to make it headlight's swivel when steering wheel is turning. Not a cheap solution better off when order the car with this option rather than upgrade at a later time.

[TurboDan737]

Originally Posted by smrtypants44

I wonder why the DEPO pre-lci wont work. It should be the same housing.

I've been wondering the same thing. I'm going to contact Kies Motorsport, which seems to be their primary retailer (I also have a connection with someone who works there) and see what the deal is. Will report back.

[EvenKeel]

DEPOs are still halogen (just in a projector housing) so not sure what that will achieve for you except give you a cosmetic upgrade in terms of LED Angel eyes.

[TurboDan737]

Originally Posted by EvenKeel

DEPOs are still halogen (just in a projector housing) so not sure what that will achieve for you except give you a cosmetic upgrade in terms of LED Angel eyes.

The idea is that they would be roomy enough to replace the halogen bulb with an LED bulb (or an HID bulb if there's room for a ballast in the assembly). Frankly, I could even live with halogen if they sufficiently did their job. My father has a BMW with halogens and they're perfectly fine. I don't know how they screwed up the lights so badly in the LCI F30 (the only variant I can speak of).

That's actually how this all began – a simple attempt to replace the (terrible) halogen bulbs that came with the car. Then I discovered that all H7 bulbs do not necessarily fit in these cars.

[TheFanatic]

Originally Posted by im_an_alien

They actually do, it's other people who mess with them after the fact. And yes, LED headlights are standard on LCI 340i, not the entire range...

I've seen ones on the dealer lot that desperately needed to be adjusted. Someone at BMW isn't doing their job if that's the case

[TurboDan737]

Originally Posted by TheFanatic

I've seen ones on the dealer lot that desperately needed to be adjusted. Someone at BMW isn't doing their job if that's the case

That seems like an issue at the assembly point. My F30 was produced in South Africa. My X3 is from South Carolina. Volkswagen once had horrendous quality control issues with their assembly facilities in Mexico – I hope BMW is keeping better tabs on their international network.

[sqwinny]

You buy led headlights + modules (look for oem) and a halogen to led harness (people make them on eBay). Code in your led lights and you should be good to go.

This thread should help greatly.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1141545

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...8;d=1490600365

[TurboDan737]

Originally Posted by sqwinny

You buy led headlights + modules (look for oem) and a halogen to led harness (people make them on eBay). Code in your led lights and you should be good to go.

This thread should help greatly.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1141545

https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...7&d=1490600365

Whoa. Thanks for this – I probably never would have found it. But wow. Seven hours of labor plus what BMW will outrageously charge for OEM parts? Probably cheaper just to buy a new car. I'm glad this document exists, though. Maybe eventually there will be an aftermarket manufacturer that will simplify it.

[sqwinny]

Originally Posted by TurboDan737

Whoa. Thanks for this – I probably never would have found it. But wow. Seven hours of labor plus what BMW will outrageously charge for OEM parts? Probably cheaper just to buy a new car. I'm glad this document exists, though. Maybe eventually there will be an aftermarket manufacturer that will simplify it.

You can buy the parts used and go that route. I'm sure you should be able to grab oem Xenon or depo projector headlights and the associated parts and it's a lot cheaper.

You could also go bayoptiks and this route:

https://bayoptiks.com/products/f30-h...complete-units

[BimR]

Do you have fog lights? It's not the same for sure(!) but better bulbs there might give you better visibility? You can code them to be on with the headlights so you don't have to do anything extra.

[Wires]

OP, I'd SERIOUSLY advise you to try the LED's at night before going down this route. They look sexy from the front of the car, but light output is BRUTAL!!!

I didn't realize why everyone was complaining so much until I took a job that made me drive a 2-lane highway in the country at night. Going to low beams you are just blind. ZERO range.