i3 Rex with halogen headlights

[FrancisJeffries]

I've just taken delivery of a new i3 94Rex , with the "sport" pack, which includes HK sound, choice of wheels, tinted glass, and LED headlights. It was the latter which decided me to splash out, because the halogen main beam headlights on my previous i3 were abysmal.

Imagine my horror in discovering that the new car still has halogen main beams! The dips are LEDs, and make the lack of light from the mains even more evident: they're still useless!

Did they just forget to fit the LEDs to the mains or does BMW think that the word "LED headlights" is satisfied solely by fitting LEDs to the dipped lights and ignoring the main beams? If I had to choose between having crappy mains or crappy dips to get the other as LEDs, I'd go for crappy dips every time so I could see where I'm going in the dark.

Grrrr.

 

[PhilH]

On my 2014 with the LED light option, it only applies to the dips, which was my expectation.

 

[user 3172]

That's correct. The LED lighting pack is everything but the mains as I recall which I am guessing reduces power consumption but also looks better. When I had the tester on trial, I tried out the mains to see what they were like and as you say they were abysmal but then again, an autobahn car it ain't so I am guessing they don't feel seeing any great distance is important.

I've already acquired a set of after market LED bulbs to see if it makes my car any better when it arrives.

 

[FrancisJeffries]

I've already acquired a set of after market LED bulbs to see if it makes my car any better when it arrives.

Which ones, and from where?

 

[user 3172]

Which ones, and from where?

These from Amazon but as I haven't got the car yet, I can't confirm a) if they fit b) if they're any good and c) if they throw a canbus error.

I'm hoping not as I've seen them posted on here and elsewhere saying no errors.

Buyer beware as the saying goes as I'm not making a recommendation at this point.

 

[Tooks]

I've had a set of these in my main beam for a couple of months.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Headlights...F8&qid=1470989537&sr=1-1&keywords=h11+crenova

It's summer, so not had much cause to use them, but they're very bright, have a nice colour temp, and no can bus errors.

 

[smar]

Which ones, and from where?

These from Amazon but as I haven't got the car yet, I can't confirm a) if they fit b) if they're any good and c) if they throw a canbus error.

I'm hoping not as I've seen them posted on here and elsewhere saying no errors.

Buyer beware as the saying goes as I'm not making a recommendation at this point.

Did you try these out on your car in the end?

 

[user 3172]

Yes, they are in there now. Hadn't got around to following up the post sorry.

Couple of observations from my original questions

a) if they fit

They do, straight replacement for the bulb and you can spread the heat sink material out behind the wheel arch liner. Just a bit of a pain to get in as the wire connectors can be a pain to disconnect / reconnect in such a small space. Would have probably been easier with the wheels off rather than on full lock but managed it just.

b) if they're any good

They work and are pretty bright but don't count on getting much if any distance night vision. As I posted elsewhere, the reflectors are not focused well in my opinion. The original halogens don't provide much distance vision either. A lot of the light throws downwards and sideways and I appreciate that this could be just as much a function of the new bulb design as the original reflectors design or a combination of both.

and c) if they throw a canbus error.

They have not produced any errors

So am I happy with the result? I am at present but I am still looking for another solution that works better. I don't need fantastic distance vision for speed as the car doesn't go fast but I do live near and drive on a lot of unlit roads so would prefer better distance throw on the main beams.

If there was a suitable place to mount driving lamps I would be seriously considering auxiliaries but the design of the front of the car doesn't lend itself to that solution.

If I try anything else, I will let you know.

NB. the picture and item in the link to Amazon has changed to a slightly different design of bulb so I assume it is their updated version. That said, it looks like essentially the same product.

 

[jadnashuanh]

The light pattern emitted by most LED bulbs can be radically different than the output of a typical halogen bulb, so it's not out of the question that the actual emitted pattern isn't as good. That can lead to eye strain if it isn't even with hot spots. FWIW, while lots of people swap bulbs on their cars, technically, if it doesn't indicate it is DOT approved, it should fail an inspection. I doubt that would ever happen, but it could. Some of them draw as much current as the halogens, so saving power may not be an advantage. There are some out there for other applications, but so far, I've not found a headlight bulb that has the DOT approvals for use in the USA. Most of them say 'for off road use only' because of either their output level, or the beam pattern.

 

[smar]

Yes, they are in there now. Hadn't got around to following up the post sorry.

Couple of observations from my original questions

a) if they fit

They do, straight replacement for the bulb and you can spread the heat sink material out behind the wheel arch liner. Just a bit of a pain to get in as the wire connectors can be a pain to disconnect / reconnect in such a small space. Would have probably been easier with the wheels off rather than on full lock but managed it just.

b) if they're any good

They work and are pretty bright but don't count on getting much if any distance night vision. As I posted elsewhere, the reflectors are not focused well in my opinion. The original halogens don't provide much distance vision either. A lot of the light throws downwards and sideways and I appreciate that this could be just as much a function of the new bulb design as the original reflectors design or a combination of both.

and c) if they throw a canbus error.

They have not produced any errors

So am I happy with the result? I am at present but I am still looking for another solution that works better. I don't need fantastic distance vision for speed as the car doesn't go fast but I do live near and drive on a lot of unlit roads so would prefer better distance throw on the main beams.

If there was a suitable place to mount driving lamps I would be seriously considering auxiliaries but the design of the front of the car doesn't lend itself to that solution.

If I try anything else, I will let you know.

NB. the picture and item in the link to Amazon has changed to a slightly different design of bulb so I assume it is their updated version. That said, it looks like essentially the same product.

Thanks for the update - very useful. Even if the distance is not increased, I assume it is not reduced? Also would you say there is any improvement in the visibility for the area that is actually lit up, due to the light being whiter/more intense?

Look forward to hearing from you if you do try anything else!

 

[user 3172]

To be honest it's really difficult to compare them unless you could sit a pair of identical cars on the same road at the same time in the same conditions with each bulb installed. And photos don't really work as the slightest difference in exposure / focal length can blur the comparison.

The distance aspect could be marginally worse but the bulb is overall brighter / whiter IMO.

I've got one more possible bulb in the post so I'll report back when it arrives.

 

[smar]

Ok thanks - again very useful info. I may give it a go anyway, just for the brighter/whiter light, but look forward to your experience with the new bulb you are getting.

 

[eneka]

Personally, I'm not to bothered by the highbeams, BMW cheapened out on the i3 in many other places (LED low beams are only auto-leveling and not real adaptive.) Yeah it's a bit yellow but it provides enough for highbeams.

I don't think aftermarket LED light bulbs are up to the job yet unless you spend $100+ for well designed ones, and even then they're only good for brake/turn signal lights.


It you really want maximum output, then swapping in an h9 bulb will probably be the easiest best performing. It's about 163% the output compared to the stock h11. It does however run hotter so it might cause issues but it's fine for most cars And given that these are high beams, glare shouldn't be much of an issue. H11 is about 1350 lumens vs 2100 lumens on the H9. The only modification is cutting the plastic tab so the connector can clip in.