[rambalu80]

In general LEDs have better life than halogens (and xenons?), but does anyone here know how the life of LEDs compare with halogens and xenons?
Also, I'm wondering if the LEDs will need the whole housing to be replaced as opposed to just the LED itself?

[ska///235i]

Originally Posted by rambalu80

A person buying a Toyota Corolla is unlikely to care whether or not the car has LEDs or Haleogens and if LEDs were an option, the buyer is unlikely to pay for it.

A person buying a BMW on the other hand is more likely to want all the bells and whistles and while complaining about the nickeling and diming that BMW does, he also more likely to pay for all the options.

Ok

But the pt is that a $25k car has LED standard and a $40k car has halogen...at least give them Xenons

No matter how we put it...a 3 series shouldnt have halogens (maybe a 1/2 series but not a 3)

[justinnum1]

i never had issues with the halogens in my 328, they just dont look as aesthetically pleasing as the xenons/led drl's

[ska///235i]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

i never had issues with the halogens in my 328, they just dont look as aesthetically pleasing as the xenons/led drl's

So does an analog TV vs LED TV

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by rambalu80

A person buying a Toyota Corolla is unlikely to care whether or not the car has LEDs or Haleogens and if LEDs were an option, the buyer is unlikely to pay for it.

+1, and as most Corolla buyers wouldn't pay for it Toyota wouldn't get the increased CAFE that the smaller alternator and battery would result in. Then there's the matter of having to build LED equipped models with a different alternator and battery to get that higher CAFE, plus getting a better price on LEDs by only using them, and the issue of having to build different lamps and wiring harnesses for LED versus H7. With the number of Corollas built it's cheaper for Toyota to just go to all LED and all of the peripherals that they entail rather than only offer them as an option. In short, if it wasn't in Toyota's economic interest to make LED standard they wouldn't be. When it becomes in BMWs economic interest to make them standard they will.

[justinnum1]

Originally Posted by ska///235i

So does an analog TV vs LED TV

Very good.

[RPM90]

For the 335i LED headlights come as standard. To get "adaptive" LED's it's $800 iirc.

My 335i Msport has adatpive xenons. I love xenon lighting. On country roads the light is excellent much brighter, very noticeable improvement over halogen.
The swivel feature I can live without, but xenon quality and level of lighting I must have.

How do the standard LED lights on the 340i compare to xenon light on the F30?
Since we don't have a xenon option I expect the standard LED lights to be as good as the gone xenons, but I don't know.
Does anyone know if the new standard lights are as bright/good as the xenons, discounting the swivel and adaptive brightness feature.

[openwheelracing]

What is the production cost between xenon and LED? To me it seems xenon would have higher cost especially with the projector housing.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

What is the production cost between xenon and LED? To me it seems xenon would have higher cost especially with the projector housing.

LED is more expensive due to the economy of the scale of production of xenon being higher. As LED becomes the standard the per unit cost will drop. Chances are both halogen and xenon will be phased out within ten years. When I first started using CFL bulbs in my home 20 years ago they cost $15, now they cost $1.50. LED bulbs for the home were all in the $20 and up range a few years ago, now they're down to as low as $2.50.

[itrocks4u]

So, just to understand this.. if I go with the halogen option, plug in an aftermarket LED, do some coding, wouldn't the output be very similar to the LED option that BMW is offering? Is it just a matter of a halogen bulb swap with some LED (plus coding, error cancel etc).

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by itrocks4u

So, just to understand this.. if I go with the halogen option, plug in an aftermarket LED, do some coding, wouldn't the output be very similar to the LED option that BMW is offering? Is it just a matter of a halogen bulb swap with some LED (plus coding, error cancel etc).

It's not quite that simple. LED doesn't offer the same load resistance as halogen, so the system sensors won't detect an LED bulb and will think the bulb is blown, giving you an error message. A special interface is required to fool the sensors into thinking that there is a halogen bulb in place. As to output, you'd have to find out the lumens output of the BMW LED and at least match that with an aftermarket LED.

[Piggieback]

Originally Posted by itrocks4u

So, just to understand this.. if I go with the halogen option, plug in an aftermarket LED, do some coding, wouldn't the output be very similar to the LED option that BMW is offering? Is it just a matter of a halogen bulb swap with some LED (plus coding, error cancel etc).

You are better off buying a HID set from a company like theretrofitsource.com. They use quality components, and their warranty department is excellent. Aftermarket LED bulbs, have a questionable life span to put it lightly, but the biggest problem is not even the Lumin output, but assuming the chinese made bulbs have the right focal point, otherwise you have light going everywhere.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It's not quite that simple. LED doesn't offer the same load resistance as halogen, so the system sensors won't detect an LED bulb and will think the bulb is blown, giving you an error message. A special interface is required to fool the sensors into thinking that there is a halogen bulb in place.

No... actually, its _exactly_ that simple. He mentioned coding, which will turn off the warm/cold checks for the load. The special interface (i.e. dummy load 6 ohm / 50w resistor) is not needed once you code out the diagnostics.

[caranddriver]

IMO, nothing says cheap like a new BMW with halogen headlights.

[Daftasabrush]

Sorry to bump this, but it'd be interesting to get some feedback on what people are thinking about the new LED lighting vs the HID/Xenon on the pre-LCI. I personally am not finding them as bright as the xenons. It's odd, however, on some road surfaces they're perfect, on others, the light is almost non-existent. It's almost as if some road surfaces don't reflect the LED light as well as xenon light. In theory this is entirely possible but in reality, unlikely I guess?

[openwheelracing]

I feel the same. I still like xenon better.

[bhushir]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

No... actually, its _exactly_ that simple. He mentioned coding, which will turn off the warm/cold checks for the load. The special interface (i.e. dummy load 6 ohm / 50w resistor) is not needed once you code out the diagnostics.

Thank you for some reassurance.

Hello to everyone and this is my first post. Previously a VW GTI owner for 5 years - i"ll be moving to the new BMW 340i + M Sport Package here in Dubai, UAE.

While the delivery is on 27th December - I learnt that the Middle East version 340i comes with Halogens and not LEDs

I've been scouring for information on retrofitting compatibility. Will keep everyone posted if I come across some credible data.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

It's almost as if some road surfaces don't reflect the LED light as well as xenon light. In theory this is entirely possible but in reality, unlikely I guess?

It is possible, based on the lamp color temperature/wavelengths and road surfaces involved.

I've been scouring for information on retrofitting compatibility.

A major issue with retro-fit is the housing/reflector, which is optimized for the beam pattern produced by the halogen bulb. If the LED bulb used for a retro-fit doesn't have the same beam pattern as the H7 you're not going to get the same result as you will with the OEM bulb/housing/reflector combination.

[Mauricio Palacios. MD]

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

What is the production cost between xenon and LED? To me it seems xenon would have higher cost especially with the projector housing.

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

Sorry to bump this, but it'd be interesting to get some feedback on what people are thinking about the new LED lighting vs the HID/Xenon on the pre-LCI. I personally am not finding them as bright as the xenons. It's odd, however, on some road surfaces they're perfect, on others, the light is almost non-existent. It's almost as if some road surfaces don't reflect the LED light as well as xenon light. In theory this is entirely possible but in reality, unlikely I guess?

Originally Posted by openwheelracing

I feel the same. I still like xenon better.

So, I think it's once again, only a matter of cost/benefit...

LEDs are cheaper to produce for BMW (AL, Hella) and they can sell that technology as "the ultimate". So... Here we go as beef cattle to the slaughter... Haha... I have 2 vehicles with OEM LED technology and other 3 with OEM HID Xenon technology. I think HID's are still better...

Lower production costs, less government regulations (in Europe, LED headlights don't have to equip headlights washers or automatic leveling control, because they emit less light, so less chance to disturb other drivers on the road) = cheaper - no more, no less...

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by Mauricio Palacios. MD

http://www.livestrong.com/article/18...enon-lighting/

Have you checked your link? It leads to an interesting article...

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

Have you checked your link? It leads to an interesting article...

Nick(TG)... is that really you? i thought you got banned

[Mauricio Palacios. MD]

Originally Posted by Daftasabrush

Have you checked your link? It leads to an interesting article...

Hahaha. The last time I saw that link, it opened an article about lighting technology... The article said something like this:

LED Vs. Xenon Lighting

Current light bulb technology has greatly improved over older incandescent bulb technology. Newer LED and xenon bulbs produce a more light while using less energy. The use of LED and xenon bulbs in flashlights and car headlights is common. You also can use LED and xenon bulbs in a variety of places, including under-cabinet lights, display lights and decorative lighting for holidays.

Light-emitting diode, or LED, lights use about one-seventh the energy of an incandescent bulb and can last up to 100,000 hours per bulb, according to G. Miller and Scott Spoolman in “Environmental Science Problems, Concepts and Solutions.” LED lights use a diode that is about one-fourth of an inch to convert electricity into light, according to the website toolbase.

Xenon Lights
Xenon technology uses the noble gas xenon to produce light that is very close to natural sunlight. Xenon headlights in cars improve visibility because the lights illuminate a broader area in front of the car than a traditional headlight. There are a variety of other uses for xenon lights, ranging from operating rooms to airport signal lights, because xenon bulbs last a long time, according to the Xenon Corporation.

Advantages of Xenon
The light produced by xenon gas technology is very bright, making it especially good for places like hospital operating rooms. It also is very close to natural light. Xenon gas lights can last from 6,000 to 20,000 hours per bulb, according to the website lighting-fixtures-tips-designs.

Disadvantages
Both xenon and LED lights have disadvantages. Xenon lights can explode when they are old, according to the website FilmTech. Xenon headlights can make it difficult for oncoming drivers to see, according to USA Today. LED lights produce directional light, but they don't create enough light to light a room. Xenon bulbs also are much more expensive than either LED or traditional lights.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/18...enon-lighting/