[e90Nate]

I have succumbed to the micro cracking that plagues all early f30s. what options do I have for replacement? Any suggestions?
Currently debating between:
1. ordering a new set of oem headlights off ebay
2. Upgrading to LED LCI headlights and dealing with wiring and coding
3. Sending them out to a company like OSS or Bavgruppe to get customized

Have any of you dealt with the custom companies or have any of you purchased lights on ebay or can suggest another option? I was hoping by this point that Depo would have released the LCI upgrade but it looks like that may never happen.

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

I have succumbed to the micro cracking that plagues all early f30s. what options do I have for replacement? Any suggestions?
Currently debating between:
1. ordering a new set of oem headlights off ebay
2. Upgrading to LED LCI headlights and dealing with wiring and coding
3. Sending them out to a company like OSS or Bavgruppe to get customized

Have any of you dealt with the custom companies or have any of you purchased lights on ebay or can suggest another option? I was hoping by this point that Depo would have released the LCI upgrade but it looks like that may never happen.

If the rest of your headlight components are in great shape, I would say another option is just to have a custom shop replace the headlight housing lens. That would be more cost efficient than buying a whole new set of headlights. If you do consider this option, you could check out Lightwerkz. Although I have never worked directly with them, I've corresponded with them a few times with my own lighting inquiries and they were very helpful. Their work seems really high quality too.

I'm sure the other vendors you mentioned could also swap the lens for you.

I personally have worked with BayOptiks, I had them do a projector clear lens swap (different from the housing lens that you need). I had the option to replace my housing lens but I chose not to. The housing lens itself is not expensive to replace though. The cost is in the labor of removing the old lens and sealing it back up, but it'll still be cheaper than buying an entire headlight set.

Although, some might say that if you are opening up the headlight might as well have custom work done. You could totally do that as well, and either OSS, BavGruppe, or Lightwerkz could help you with that. Just make sure the quality they seal the lens back is good. (My seal was a bit messy from BayOptiks, tbh but so far no leaks so that's good).

Regarding switching to an LCI led set, personally I think the adaptive HIDs perform better, have a better beam pattern, and are brighter than the LCI leds, especially when the beam height is adjusted properly. If you do have someone open up your headlights, you could consider a projector clear lens swap like what I did - really create a crisp cutoff and widens the beam even more.

Goodluck!

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chuckles01

If the rest of your headlight components are in great shape, I would say another option is just to have a custom shop replace the headlight housing lens. That would be more cost efficient than buying a whole new set of headlights. If you do consider this option, you could check out Lightwerkz. Although I have never worked directly with them, I've corresponded with them a few times with my own lighting inquiries and they were very helpful. Their work seems really high quality too.

I'm sure the other vendors you mentioned could also swap the lens for you.

I personally have worked with BayOptiks, I had them do a projector clear lens swap (different from the housing lens that you need). I had the option to replace my housing lens but I chose not to. The housing lens itself is not expensive to replace though. The cost is in the labor of removing the old lens and sealing it back up, but it'll still be cheaper than buying an entire headlight set.

Although, some might say that if you are opening up the headlight might as well have custom work done. You could totally do that as well, and either OSS, BavGruppe, or Lightwerkz could help you with that. Just make sure the quality they seal the lens back is good. (My seal was a bit messy from BayOptiks, tbh but so far no leaks so that's good).

Regarding switching to an LCI led set, personally I think the adaptive HIDs perform better, have a better beam pattern, and are brighter than the LCI leds, especially when the beam height is adjusted properly. If you do have someone open up your headlights, you could consider a projector clear lens swap like what I did - really create a crisp cutoff and widens the beam even more.

Goodluck!

I didn't even think of Lightwerkz, I have heard of them, how was the quality of workmanship on your headlights from them? This currently is the option I am considering as everything else regarding my headlights are in great working order.
Do you happen to have any pictures of your current set up and the set up that you had done by Bayoptiks? They were also on my list, the biggest downfall for them right now is the turnaround time with no headlights in my vehicle.

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

I didn't even think of Lightwerkz, I have heard of them, how was the quality of workmanship on your headlights from them? This currently is the option I am considering as everything else regarding my headlights are in great working order.
Do you happen to have any pictures of your current set up and the set up that you had done by Bayoptiks? They were also on my list, the biggest downfall for them right now is the turnaround time with no headlights in my vehicle.

I didn't have Lightwerkz work on my headlights, just corresponded with them a few times. Their work does seem really high quality though from what I've seen and read. Ultimately, I didn't want to ship my headlights to Lightwerkz because I didn't trust myself to remove the headlights myself, so I went with Bayoptiks since they are local to me.

Here are some photos of the light output prior to my projector clear lens swap and after. I also upgraded my xenon bulbs from OEM to Osram Cool Blue Boost, which gave a whiter output (closer to LED color). First photo is comparing the two (note the sharper cutoff and slight blue color at the cutoff for the "after"), next two photos are OEM, and the last two are output shots with Osram CBBs.

[chuckles01]

Also, here are a couple of my previous threads on my experience:

Projector clear lens swap impressions: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1596618

Osram CBI vs. Osram CBB comparison:
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1601069

Also, just to clarify.... what I did with my headlights is different than what you're looking for. I did a projector clear lens swap, but did not swap out my actual headlight housing lens. But, if you do swap out your headlight lens and your budget allows, I do recommend doing a projector lens swap for the clean cutoff in the beam pattern!

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chuckles01

Also, here are a couple of my previous threads on my experience:

Projector clear lens swap impressions: https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1596618

Osram CBI vs. Osram CBB comparison:
https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1601069

Also, just to clarify.... what I did with my headlights is different than what you're looking for. I did a projector clear lens swap, but did not swap out my actual headlight housing lens. But, if you do swap out your headlight lens and your budget allows, I do recommend doing a projector lens swap for the clean cutoff in the beam pattern!

thanks for the input! I will check out your threads! It seems like the upgrade you did was definitely worth it!

[zatelli]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

I have succumbed to the micro cracking that plagues all early f30s. what options do I have for replacement? Any suggestions?
Currently debating between:
1. ordering a new set of oem headlights off ebay
2. Upgrading to LED LCI headlights and dealing with wiring and coding
3. Sending them out to a company like OSS or Bavgruppe to get customized

Have any of you dealt with the custom companies or have any of you purchased lights on ebay or can suggest another option? I was hoping by this point that Depo would have released the LCI upgrade but it looks like that may never happen.

I had similar cracks, which are definitely noticeable from a short distance and annoying. Since one of the headlights on my car also had minor housing leaks, I bit the bullet and upgraded to a set of LED headlights off aliexpress earlier this year. I was very pleasantly surprised with both the aesthetics, much cleaner looks, and much improved brightness. The installation was straightforward, as it was plug and play, with no coding required. The headlights I ordered set me for ~700 USD, which is IMO, a very fair deal.

There are also those headlight modification service providers you mentioned, which involve trading in your headlights, for a set of pre-modded ones, or having the shop mod your headlights and mail them back to you.

I think, they would make more sense, if you're going for a mod that makes your headlights stand out (different style or shape of DRLs, etc)
I've had those LED headlights installed for a little over 4 months now, with no issues so far.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by zatelli

I had similar cracks, which are definitely noticeable from a short distance and annoying. Since one of the headlights on my car also had minor housing leaks, I bit the bullet and upgraded to a set of LED headlights off aliexpress earlier this year. I was very pleasantly surprised with both the aesthetics, much cleaner looks, and much improved brightness. The installation was straightforward, as it was plug and play, with no coding required. The headlights I ordered set me for ~700 USD, which is IMO, a very fair deal.

There are also those headlight modification service providers you mentioned, which involve trading in your headlights, for a set of pre-modded ones, or having the shop mod your headlights and mail them back to you.

I think, they would make more sense, if you're going for a mod that makes your headlights stand out (different style or shape of DRLs, etc)
I've had those LED headlights installed for a little over 4 months now, with no issues so far.

Oh damn I was wondering about the lights on AliExpress but nobody posts about them, how are they holding up and do you have any pics?

[zatelli]

I've attached a few pictures of both the headlights and retrofitted LCI taillights.
They're just not as bright looking during daytime than they are after sunset.

I've installed the taillights nearly a year ago, and they've been impeccable, fitting perfectly, no condensation, or whatsoever (they're VLANDs, so they're pretty much PnP, and come with connectors for both pre and LCI models).

As for the headlights, as mentioned before, they're also PnP, and DIY friendly, requiring no additional coding. Since I've installed fairly recently (early february), I think it's still a bit early to vouch for them, but they're definitely on par with OEMs in terms of workmanship and build quality.
BTW, please mind that headlight lenses were dirty when the photos were taken.

These two mods definitely take a pre LCI to the next level, and for less than 1.1k combined (350 for the taillights, 730 for the headlights), for both purchases, it's money well spent, in my book.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by zatelli

I've attached a few pictures of both the headlights and retrofitted LCI taillights.
They're just not as bright looking during daytime than they are after sunset.

I've installed the taillights nearly a year ago, and they've been impeccable, fitting perfectly, no condensation, or whatsoever (they're VLANDs, so they're pretty much PnP, and come with connectors for both pre and LCI models).

As for the headlights, as mentioned before, they're also PnP, and DIY friendly, requiring no additional coding. Since I've installed fairly recently (early february), I think it's still a bit early to vouch for them, but they're definitely on par with OEMs in terms of workmanship and build quality.
BTW, please mind that headlight lenses were dirty when the photos were taken.

These two mods definitely take a pre LCI to the next level, and for less than 1.1k combined (350 for the taillights, 730 for the headlights), for both purchases, it's money well spent, in my book.

thanks for the reply! they look great I may have to just bite the bullet and take the risk, I know LCI tail lights in themselves are a game changer, the headlights even more so!
If you ever take any more pics please post them, you should do a thread about the lights, I couldnt find any info in the groups about positive or negative experiences. and the fact that these are auto levelling is even better as i currently have adaptive headlights

[zatelli]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

thanks for the reply! they look great I may have to just bite the bullet and take the risk, I know LCI tail lights in themselves are a game changer, the headlights even more so!
If you ever take any more pics please post them, you should do a thread about the lights, I couldnt find any info in the groups about positive or negative experiences. and the fact that these are auto levelling is even better as i currently have adaptive headlights

You might want to hit youtube, as there are plenty of videos that document before and after the upgrade, and you might find feedback in the comments section. There are plenty of LCI tail lights videos in there. As for headlight conversions, I don't recall having found as many videos.
Regarding tail lights, you might also consider GTS style OLED tail lights, which weren't available yet when I bit the bullet last year. They seem to be more aggressive and trendier.
Can you post pictures of your cracked headlight lenses? Mine were cracked at the top of both lenses, and as such they were barely noticeable.

[chuckles01]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

thanks for the reply! they look great I may have to just bite the bullet and take the risk, I know LCI tail lights in themselves are a game changer, the headlights even more so!
If you ever take any more pics please post them, you should do a thread about the lights, I couldnt find any info in the groups about positive or negative experiences. and the fact that these are auto levelling is even better as i currently have adaptive headlights

OP, just as a heads up if you go with any aftermarket headlight you will loose your adaptive functionality that is on your current adaptive xenon headlights, if that matters to you.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chuckles01

OP, just as a heads up if you go with any aftermarket headlight you will loose your adaptive functionality that is on your current adaptive xenon headlights, if that matters to you.

yeah that is important to me. I am thinking I will end up eventually sending them out for customization.

[lens]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

yeah that is important to me. I am thinking I will end up eventually sending them out for customization.

I had mine done by a local authorized shop by bavgruppe, they double sealed the headlights (I have adaptive xenons) the first sealing is the headlights itself, and the second was around the headlight to make sure moisture and stuff doesn't get in. The second seal is a bit messy but you don't notice it much, haven't had any problems. Kept the adaptive function and stuff as well.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chaungo

I had mine done by a local authorized shop by bavgruppe, they double sealed the headlights (I have adaptive xenons) the first sealing is the headlights itself, and the second was around the headlight to make sure moisture and stuff doesn't get in. The second seal is a bit messy but you don't notice it much, haven't had any problems. Kept the adaptive function and stuff as well.

[IMG]https://i.postimg.cc/GtpQmt3D/FB-IMG-1619915879890.jpg[/IMG]

Damn those look awesome. What was the cost?

[lens]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

Damn those look awesome. What was the cost?

1000$ USD all included.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chaungo

1000$ USD all included.

What shop? Gtaretrofits?

[lens]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

What shop? Gtaretrofits?

MT custom lights.

1 week turn around time if they have car, 2 weeks if you ship headlights.

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by chaungo

MT custom lights.

1 week turn around time if they have car, 2 weeks if you ship headlights.

I will reach out to them thanks!

[perezr10]

Originally Posted by e90Nate

I have succumbed to the micro cracking that plagues all early f30s. what options do I have for replacement? Any suggestions?
Currently debating between:
1. ordering a new set of oem headlights off ebay
2. Upgrading to LED LCI headlights and dealing with wiring and coding
3. Sending them out to a company like OSS or Bavgruppe to get customized

Have any of you dealt with the custom companies or have any of you purchased lights on ebay or can suggest another option? I was hoping by this point that Depo would have released the LCI upgrade but it looks like that may never happen.

Are you talking about the spider webbing that happens? Your lenses aren't actually cracked and letting water in?

[e90Nate]

Originally Posted by perezr10

Are you talking about the spider webbing that happens? Your lenses aren't actually cracked and letting water in?

Yes exactly and nope they aren't leaking