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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Cosmetic and Lighting Modifications (exterior/interior) > help me select good aftermarket halogen light bulbs! :)



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      09-06-2008, 06:07 PM   #1
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help me select good aftermarket halogen light bulbs! :)

I'm gonna need to replace my light bulbs (euro car, halogen, not xenon) - low beams. believe it or not, this is first time i even have to change a light bulb in my car ever.

so which light bulbs to go for? which kind do I need? is OEM ok or there are better ones outthere?

much appreciate your help.
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      09-06-2008, 06:21 PM   #2
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sylvania silverstars
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      09-06-2008, 06:23 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by visor View Post
sylvania silverstars
osram, eh? 55w. ~4000 ... saw those mentioned in the DIY thread.. i hope they are easy to find here.
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      09-06-2008, 06:29 PM   #4
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Upgrade to HID.
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      09-06-2008, 06:35 PM   #5
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I would stick with OEM, there really arent much better out there.

If you can get the silverstars but the Euro Versions then thats ok because for some reason they decided to tint the US verions blue.

There is not much you can do with Halogens unless you go to a higher wattage, if you do that you run the possibility of frying your wires, which I have seen happen before.
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      09-06-2008, 10:56 PM   #6
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They make slim ballasts ones that are as small as a credit card. Get it on ebay under a hundred shipped. Make sure they provide error free package for luxury cars.
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      09-06-2008, 11:30 PM   #7
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I have always liked the PIAA halogen blubs. They are a bit pricey though.
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      09-07-2008, 12:16 AM   #8
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best way is to actually 'try' them, see my bulb fs thread in my sig
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      09-07-2008, 03:51 AM   #9
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gotcha. how do i find out about which bulb type to buy, what's the index? is any of this info available anywhere? or this is all I need - 12V 55W H7.
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      09-07-2008, 04:30 AM   #10
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Philips Vision Plus. Tested and proven to be waaay above cheap stuff like PIAA etc.

http://www.carbulbsdirect.com/produc...il.asp?prod=53
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      09-07-2008, 05:02 AM   #11
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Looks like there is an even better choice now (I have not tried these myself, unlike VisionPlus which I highly recommend):

Philips X-Treme Power H7

http://www.carbulbsdirect.com/produc...il.asp?prod=81
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      09-07-2008, 08:45 AM   #12
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at 100 bucks for the pair isn't this a bit too much? I mean for non xenons to work well it's so much about the bulb but also about the reflector design, etc. how is this philips better then osram which costs a fraction of this?
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      09-07-2008, 10:15 AM   #13
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I went from OEM H7's to Sylvania Silverstars (I wish I could have found the Ultra's, but I could only find the regular Silverstars). I noticed an improvement. The light was a whiter color and it seems as if the road is illuminated better than with the stock OEM bulbs.
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      09-07-2008, 12:45 PM   #14
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right noe my issue seems to be finding those bulbs for sale in retail. I can only find some generic Osram H7 55w 12v bulbs in gas stations, but they are cheap and I reckon not what I need. Where do you guys buy yours usually? Online?
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      09-07-2008, 02:01 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 320what View Post
right noe my issue seems to be finding those bulbs for sale in retail. I can only find some generic Osram H7 55w 12v bulbs in gas stations, but they are cheap and I reckon not what I need. Where do you guys buy yours usually? Online?
Any auto parts store, Pepboys, Autozone, Advance Auto Parts, etc. (I don't think they have those over in the land of cheese and commies ) Check eBay, you can usually find a lot of bulbs on there. If you really need to, I could always buy you a pair and ship it over.
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      09-07-2008, 02:05 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vadim View Post
Philips Vision Plus. Tested and proven to be waaay above cheap stuff like PIAA etc.

http://www.carbulbsdirect.com/produc...il.asp?prod=53
PIAA's are not cheap. Ive had them on several cars and from my experience they last pretty long. I have also heard good things about sylvania osram silverstars. The best way to go is to upgrade to HID.

Last edited by goemony2k1; 09-07-2008 at 02:22 PM..
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      09-08-2008, 04:22 AM   #17
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im not upgrading to HID yet. i might do this down the road, right now all i wanted was some bulbs. i ordered the Philips Vision Plus light bulbs. ill write here later on results.
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      09-08-2008, 07:04 AM   #18
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Warranty

If you are still under warranty, the dealership will replace it free of charge. Otherwise I would have gone with the Sylvania Silverstar. We put those in our X5 and it really made a difference.
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      09-08-2008, 01:57 PM   #19
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If you are still under warranty, the dealership will replace it free of charge. Otherwise I would have gone with the Sylvania Silverstar. We put those in our X5 and it really made a difference.
like i said above, already went with Philips ones that were recommended here. I couldnt find Sylvanias, so when i saw these it was a good option.. not cheap at 40 bucks for set of 2 but it's ok.

and car is out of warranty since april so im sol with this.
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      09-08-2008, 07:55 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 320what View Post
I'm gonna need to replace my light bulbs (euro car, halogen, not xenon) - low beams. believe it or not, this is first time i even have to change a light bulb in my car ever.

so which light bulbs to go for? which kind do I need? is OEM ok or there are better ones outthere?

much appreciate your help.
Typically, people don't like the yellow-ish halogen color that comes with the OEM. Many of the E90 guys here like the daytime white color. With the E90, your low beams are the H7 bulbs, which we have. Take a look around in our lighting section for the BMW E90 on our site. We have a huge inventory of different colors and style bulbs.
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      09-09-2008, 02:51 PM   #21
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Hi, ok thanks all for advice.

I have purchased locally at good price Philips Vision Plus and difference is noticable and i really like it. good stuff, thanks for the advice Vadim!
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