[DFWTCP]

Hi to all. I am new to the E90post community but am an "old" BMW fanatic. My garage includes a 1973 2002tii, 2002 M Coupe, 2003 E39 M5 and teh new E90 335d M Sport. Despite tinkering with all these cars I am totally confused by a lighting issue with the E90. The outermost lights are obviously the Xenon HID and function as the main headlights. However, when I "flash" the high beams these lights are the only ones that go to high beam. The two inner beams of the four headlight system appear to only be DRL's. Is this correct adn if so, how can the HID's "flash on high beam. I thought that HID bulbs could not intermittently flash since there is no actual filament (like in a regular Halogen bulb). Are there 2 different bulbs in the main headlamps? Perhaps I am being obtuse about this but I am truly puzzled. Can anyone "shed any light" on my quandary?
Thanks
PS Is the H8 bulb in the DRL the only source of illumination for the Halos around the lights? I cannot find any ballast or bulb like on a real Angel Eye (like on the E39)

[jaybird124]

When you flash your brights it uses the inner lights (DRL). When you turn on your brights, it raises the HID lights.

[sbce90]

awesome garage! very envious

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by SBC

awesome garage! very envious

+1.

Not sure on the intricacies of the lights, but I do want your stable!

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by jaybird124

When you flash your brights it uses the inner lights (DRL). When you turn on your brights, it raises the HID lights.

This is a good setup because, IMHO, everytime you power up the HID lights you wear them out. So you don't want to be flashing HID lights, but you do want the brightness of HIDs with your hibeams. Of course, when your headlights are not on to begin with, and you flash the hibeams, you are probably causing a lot of wear on the HIDs.

I usually keep my light switch in the top position except when dark. I don't use the automatic switch position (full left) because it turns on my HIDs whenever I drive into my garage and then I immediately turn them off shutting down the car. This is needless wear on the expensive HID bulbs.

I do not know much about the non-HID lights, except that they seem to come on and move when you are turning.

[DFWTCP]

Thanks..The E39 is my absolute Favorite but the little gray M Coupe is really fun. The Tii has belonged to my brother and I since he turned 16 years old.

[igom3]

Just got my M335d. I love it! I'll post some pictures over the weekend. Congatulations on your car.

[RI335d]

I'm pretty sure the way the headlights work is this:

If your HIDs are already on, then flashing the brights uses the HID since they're already on.

If your headlights are not on (as in daytime), then flashing the brights uses the inner bulbs.

[JayKay335i]

When you use the "flash to pass", where you pull the stalk and it quickly high beams somebody it uses the inner halogen lights, which will turn on and than turn off.

When you use you high beams, that stay on, it raises an aperture on the HID that removes the cutoff and allows the lights to shine higher, lighting up the entire road. The aperture normally remains down and acts as a cutoff to stop you from blinding other drivers.

[stratplaya06]

These answers are correct for pre LCI e90's, but not for lci e90's.

They work like this:
The inner lights are your adaptive lights, one side turns on when you hit the turn signal/make a turn to light up the road in front of you. If you back up, both sides turn on.

When you pull back to flash, your xenons turn on high beam! Your DRL's are angel eyes.

[Socom]

Originally Posted by stratplaya06

These answers are correct for pre LCI e90's, but not for lci e90's.

They work like this:
The inner lights are your adaptive lights, one side turns on when you hit the turn signal/make a turn to light up the road in front of you. If you back up, both sides turn on.

When you pull back to flash, your xenons turn on high beam! Your DRL's are angel eyes.

Correction:

The inner lights are your cornering lights, one side turns on when you hit the turn signal/make a turn to light up the road in front of you. If you back up, both sides turn on.

[DFWTCP]

Thanks very much to all who answered. I have removed the rear covers and since this an LCI car I now understand how the HID's are able to appear to "flash" when you pull the high beam stalk back. I guess if the DRL's are Angel Eyes I can probably get a True Match bulb to make them match the whiteness of the HID's more closely

[Socom]

Originally Posted by DFWTCP

Thanks very much to all who answered. I have removed the rear covers and since this an LCI car I now understand how the HID's are able to appear to "flash" when you pull the high beam stalk back. I guess if the DRL's are Angel Eyes I can probably get a True Match bulb to make them match the whiteness of the HID's more closely

IMO..when Angels go HID you loose some of that contrast between them and the HID's. Something to keep in mind.

[ChasVS]

Yeah, you really do want to get a Bright White Angel Eye bulb in there. The Stock bulbs are so yellow compared to the Zenons. You'll want to put Bright White fog lights in as well as a Bright White bulb in the cornering light sockets.

[DnA Diesel]

DFWTCP, since you lights are "bi-xenon", the same HID unit provided low and high beams. The low beam is its shape because a movable cut-off "shutter" is in the lowered position (i.e. gives the _______/-------- pattern). When you either flash the lights, or switch to high beams, the cut-off shutter is raised, thus allow the full lighting pattern to be projected. If you were running during the day with only the H8-illuminated DRL's (both inner and outer 'corona rings' or angel-eyes) operating, pulling on the light stalk for "flash-to-pass" would indeed fire up the HIDs. Not sure that cycling on and off so quickly is the best thing for them, but that's how it is in DRL mode.

If you want to whiten up the AE's, there are a number of solutions in the lighting section...most notably newer, high-powered LED modules to replace the H8 halogen bulbs.

Regards