How are these Depo E90 Xenon BMW Headlights?

LocDawgg · 09-29-2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lync9763

so you plan on cutting into your headlights, installing these custom projectors and installing the LED rings yourself? O_o sound's like an arts n crafts project lol

For myself, i like the DEPO lights with the LED turn signals... additionally, the blacked out amber (what would be a reflector) has the 3 holes for light, which exactly matches my tail lights - would look more uniform...

Thanks for the link to the UHP LED upgrade though... i can't find the DIY on the switch-out though, help?

Yes sir, its called retrofitting. Check out theretrofitsource.com for more projects.

ecaedus · 09-29-2011, 09:55 PM

has anyone ever bought anything from project M design? it's owned by a guy called Jay i think, is he the guy that got banned from the forum?....anyone knows why?

i have a 2008 328i sedan w/ f****** ugly Halogens...really need to change it to projectors, now i'm thinking about either going OEM or DEPO....it seems this Jay is the only one out there that can do OEM halo to xenon conversion?

ginxer86 · 09-29-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterz85

what about these headlights? similar to the ones posted but without the LED rings

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

wowwww those are like exact same ones.. it does come with the led rings. not sure if its as bright as what i posted the link too but its practically half the price. but it doesn't have hid ballast and bulbs. but wow its soo much cheaper!!!... thinking about getting these and adding and hid kit to it.

LocDawgg · 09-29-2011, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginxer86

wowwww those are like exact same ones.. it does come with the led rings. not sure if its as bright as what i posted the link too but its practically half the price. but it doesn't have hid ballast and bulbs. but wow its soo much cheaper!!!... thinking about getting these and adding and hid kit to it.

it looks like those AE rings only have 4 Led bulbs to power them like the first depo headlights did. They wont be bright at all, and you will be disappointed with them.

krnet2dboi · 09-30-2011, 12:06 AM

All these bad info about DEPO headlights and people still purchase these...

They will crap out on you within the first year. Do yourselves a favor and go buy OEM. Replacing DEPOs costs more in the long run.

ecaedus · 09-30-2011, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krnet2dboi

All these bad info about DEPO headlights and people still purchase these...

They will crap out on you within the first year. Do yourselves a favor and go buy OEM. Replacing DEPOs costs more in the long run.

yeah that's what i've heard so i'm thinking about going OEM, i don't know which vendor on the forum does this. i heard there's one called Project M design but it's ran by Jay who apparently got banned from here right? can he be trusted...?

i just want to get rid of my ugly halos

anyone here bought OEM housing+OEM bulbs+OEM ballast to make this conversion for pre lci 328i sedan work error free?? any inputs would be appreciated!

ginxer86 · 09-30-2011, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LocDawgg

it looks like those AE rings only have 4 Led bulbs to power them like the first depo headlights did. They wont be bright at all, and you will be disappointed with them.

yeah your right. the led's aren't as bright as the depo ones which use 240 leds to be powered. plus the other ebay ones have no hids built in. So I guess its worth it to spend the extra on the depo's.

ecaedus · 09-30-2011, 12:32 AM

bump

sterz85 · 09-30-2011, 09:29 AM

i dunno, i guess i don't care as much about how bright the AE's are.

HID Depo's > OEM Halogens when it comes to seeing the road, that's what i care about more than the AE's brightness

cipher5 · 09-30-2011, 09:33 AM

Someone posted on here that the beam pattern is crap.

ginxer86 · 09-30-2011, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterz85

what about these headlights? similar to the ones posted but without the LED rings

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

those have the led rings but only 4 light them up.
compared to 240 leds on the depo ones.
the depo ones are the brightest in the market.
will look close too the 2011 bimmers

Zoraster · 09-30-2011, 10:33 AM

DEPO's with the 240 LED rings look great and output a fine pattern.

It is odd how certain members seem driven to seek out each and every thread such as this to dash the product. Ignorance? Elitism?

N0OS3 · 09-30-2011, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoraster

DEPO's with the 240 LED rings look great and output a fine pattern.

It is odd how certain members seem driven to seek out each and every thread such as this to bash the product. Ignorance? Elitism?

My plan is still to get these... as a precaution from buying two different sets of TAIL lights, i usually go around the housing with a heat-resistant silicone sealer... as well as any electrical ballasts that are 'iffy'... has worked well for me since then.
I have 2 12" Subs in the back so i throw sealer on anything/everything that would likely need it - assuming i would rattle some components loose and cause issues.
I even super-glued my Gas PLATE to the plastic hinge to cut out rattle...

I can only imagine that IF the product goes bad within a year, it's 1. rare 2. this kind of precaution/action wasn't applied.

Always seek out warranties and keep your receipt!

maodijim · 10-05-2011, 03:37 AM

yeah i'm looking at the same one too. i found that there is a different style projector with LED angel eyes with HID on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/2006-2008-Halo...=1RUDQADOTJDN4
i just don't know which one i should get they are both made by depo

malachi347 · 10-05-2011, 10:15 AM

First post! So, is the eBay link/product the same as the OP's link? (because on that **********s site you can add the angel/halo, HID bulbs, etc. And it comes out to about the same cost. And the halos appear to have more than 4 leds but who knows?) If not, where did this guy on eBay get those? And... maybe a little off topic, but whats "OEM" k tint? 4300 comes with the OP's link... ebay link/product doesn't specify - 5000? 5500? My eyes see a "barely blue" tint with the 2011s coming off the lot, but maybe that's cuz they're surrounded by the same god awful halogens I (will) have.

ginxer86 · 10-05-2011, 10:33 AM

I just read someone else's post and he had them for about a month or less I believe
and got hair line cracks. some people are having problems with the lights itself.
but the quality looks great on day one but down the road nothing but problems I've been reading.
not getting these no more!! its pretty much 700$ for lights to use for 2 months.
CLOSE THE THREAD!!! F THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol

N0OS3 · 10-05-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maodijim

yeah i'm looking at the same one too. i found that there is a different style projector with LED angel eyes with HID on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/2006-2008-Halo...=1RUDQADOTJDN4
i just don't know which one i should get they are both made by depo

These aren't made by DEPO... these are CCFL (cold cathode flourescent light) and don't last as long as LED's. In addition they have to warm up to get a significant color (get brighter the longer they stay on) - LED's light up to their potential instantly

Then again, the post above is starting to make me second-guess getting the DEPO's because of the problems people are having...

ecaedus · 10-05-2011, 03:06 PM

ok here's another idea from rollingstone157 that i think is doable and pretty good:

1. pick up the Fishcake DEPO's from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/06-08...item1c1f3cd5be
2a (for the less DIY-inclined). Get in contact with Umintza.com, and ask about the FX-R projector retrofit. The DEPO's are known for their projectors. They're shit. However, Umnitza sells an FX-R projector retrofit. The FX-R projectors are amazing--I'd go as far to venture that they're better than OEM. You ship them your DEPOs (maybe you could have Fishcake ship them to Umnitza HQ, and then perhaps you would take less of a hit on shipping to/from Umnitza), they do the retrofit, and then they ship them back. Easy enough.
2b (for the more DIY-inclined). Order the FX-R projectors http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...roducts_id=101 and retrofit those puppies in yourself
NOTE: the idea behind these is you will have xenon low and high beams, and halogen flash-to-pass. That's ideal. It may take some slight coding and/or rewiring, but it might not.
3. pick up an HID kit from HighPerformanceBulbs.com (get in touch with TopGearSolutions in the vendor section, and PM them for a good price. I think that the FX-R projectors use a D1S bulb, but I may be incorrect here)

So, with some slight effort, you get headlights with LED turn signals, full LED angel eye rings, and bi-xenon capability for less than the OEM LCI xenons.

what do you guys think of this? i did some math and the total is nearly $820ish, i think that's good enough if we are going to have OEM xenon beam pattern on aftermarkets

pictures of comparison coming up!

ecaedus · 10-05-2011, 03:17 PM

OEM Xenon projectors

FX-R retrofit projectors in DEPO housing

Stock DEPO projectors in DEPO housing

see the differences between the cutoffs in FX-R and stock DEPO? AND notice the two ugly black lines running down the middle of the DEPO units? more reason to go FX-R i suppose, it's almost as good as the OEM Xenons.

what do you guys think?

ecaedus · 10-05-2011, 03:19 PM

link doesn't work?....

OEM
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215411058/

FX-R
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215411004/

Stock DEPO
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215410938/

maodijim · 10-06-2011, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lync9763

These aren't made by DEPO... these are CCFL (cold cathode flourescent light) and don't last as long as LED's. In addition they have to warm up to get a significant color (get brighter the longer they stay on) - LED's light up to their potential instantly

Then again, the post above is starting to make me second-guess getting the DEPO's because of the problems people are having...

In the product features they said it is LED angel eyes so i email them yesterday
this is what i got from them
"Hello and thanks for contacting us, my name is Mike and I can assist you. Yes the headlight itself is ccfl and the angel eyes are LEDs. Cheaper headlights use 2 LED to light up a plastic ring and it looks dull. The ones we sell, have tons of LEDs and they are much brighter and last longer. Also you asked if the Xenons came pre-installed. Yes everything comes ready. All plug and play"

Also i saw this post http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...rted+years+ago which is using the same depo's light, and it seems like there are no problems.

malachi347 · 10-09-2011, 08:32 PM

http://www.amazon.com/2006-2008-Halo...=1RUDQADOTJDN4
I dunno, those ones look pretty legit. If they stand behind their products with a year or two warranty, that's going to be my first upgrade. I'm really hoping they'll hook me up with 5000k bulbs tho.... The first image looks way more aftermarket than the second.

09-29-2011, 09:55 PM	#24
ecaedus First Lieutenant 114 Rep 310 Posts Drives: Model 3 LR Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	has anyone ever bought anything from project M design? it's owned by a guy called Jay i think, is he the guy that got banned from the forum?....anyone knows why? i have a 2008 328i sedan w/ f****** ugly Halogens...really need to change it to projectors, now i'm thinking about either going OEM or DEPO....it seems this Jay is the only one out there that can do OEM halo to xenon conversion?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

09-30-2011, 12:06 AM	#27
krnet2dboi Captain 67 Rep 910 Posts Drives: 2008 328i Base Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: New YOrk iTrader: (2)	All these bad info about DEPO headlights and people still purchase these... They will crap out on you within the first year. Do yourselves a favor and go buy OEM. Replacing DEPOs costs more in the long run. __________________ There are only two types of cars in the world; BMW and the Rest
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09-30-2011, 12:32 AM	#30
ecaedus First Lieutenant 114 Rep 310 Posts Drives: Model 3 LR Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	bump
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09-30-2011, 09:29 AM	#31
sterz85 Second Lieutenant 12 Rep 244 Posts Drives: '07 328xi Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Troy, MI iTrader: (1)	i dunno, i guess i don't care as much about how bright the AE's are. HID Depo's > OEM Halogens when it comes to seeing the road, that's what i care about more than the AE's brightness
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09-30-2011, 09:33 AM	#32
cipher5 506 Rep 3,469 Posts Drives: 2020 Donington Grey X3M Comp Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (12)	Someone posted on here that the beam pattern is crap.
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09-30-2011, 10:33 AM	#34
Zoraster First Lieutenant 11 Rep 339 Posts Drives: E36, E82, E90 Join Date: May 2010 Location: The First State iTrader: (1)	DEPO's with the 240 LED rings look great and output a fine pattern. It is odd how certain members seem driven to seek out each and every thread such as this to dash the product. Ignorance? Elitism?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-05-2011, 03:37 AM	#36
maodijim New Member 0 Rep 7 Posts Drives: 06 325i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	yeah i'm looking at the same one too. i found that there is a different style projector with LED angel eyes with HID on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/2006-2008-Halo...=1RUDQADOTJDN4 i just don't know which one i should get they are both made by depo
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-05-2011, 10:15 AM	#37
malachi347 livin and lovin 8 Rep 24 Posts Drives: BMW 328i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	First post! So, is the eBay link/product the same as the OP's link? (because on that **********s site you can add the angel/halo, HID bulbs, etc. And it comes out to about the same cost. And the halos appear to have more than 4 leds but who knows?) If not, where did this guy on eBay get those? And... maybe a little off topic, but whats "OEM" k tint? 4300 comes with the OP's link... ebay link/product doesn't specify - 5000? 5500? My eyes see a "barely blue" tint with the 2011s coming off the lot, but maybe that's cuz they're surrounded by the same god awful halogens I (will) have.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-05-2011, 10:33 AM	#38
ginxer86 Private 32 Rep 88 Posts Drives: 06 BMW 323I Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	I just read someone else's post and he had them for about a month or less I believe and got hair line cracks. some people are having problems with the lights itself. but the quality looks great on day one but down the road nothing but problems I've been reading. not getting these no more!! its pretty much 700$ for lights to use for 2 months. CLOSE THE THREAD!!! F THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-05-2011, 03:06 PM	#40
ecaedus First Lieutenant 114 Rep 310 Posts Drives: Model 3 LR Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	ok here's another idea from rollingstone157 that i think is doable and pretty good: 1. pick up the Fishcake DEPO's from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/06-08...item1c1f3cd5be 2a (for the less DIY-inclined). Get in contact with Umintza.com, and ask about the FX-R projector retrofit. The DEPO's are known for their projectors. They're shit. However, Umnitza sells an FX-R projector retrofit. The FX-R projectors are amazing--I'd go as far to venture that they're better than OEM. You ship them your DEPOs (maybe you could have Fishcake ship them to Umnitza HQ, and then perhaps you would take less of a hit on shipping to/from Umnitza), they do the retrofit, and then they ship them back. Easy enough. 2b (for the more DIY-inclined). Order the FX-R projectors http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...roducts_id=101 and retrofit those puppies in yourself NOTE: the idea behind these is you will have xenon low and high beams, and halogen flash-to-pass. That's ideal. It may take some slight coding and/or rewiring, but it might not. 3. pick up an HID kit from HighPerformanceBulbs.com (get in touch with TopGearSolutions in the vendor section, and PM them for a good price. I think that the FX-R projectors use a D1S bulb, but I may be incorrect here) So, with some slight effort, you get headlights with LED turn signals, full LED angel eye rings, and bi-xenon capability for less than the OEM LCI xenons. what do you guys think of this? i did some math and the total is nearly $820ish, i think that's good enough if we are going to have OEM xenon beam pattern on aftermarkets pictures of comparison coming up!
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10-05-2011, 03:17 PM	#41
ecaedus First Lieutenant 114 Rep 310 Posts Drives: Model 3 LR Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	OEM Xenon projectors FX-R retrofit projectors in DEPO housing Stock DEPO projectors in DEPO housing see the differences between the cutoffs in FX-R and stock DEPO? AND notice the two ugly black lines running down the middle of the DEPO units? more reason to go FX-R i suppose, it's almost as good as the OEM Xenons. what do you guys think?
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10-05-2011, 03:19 PM	#42
ecaedus First Lieutenant 114 Rep 310 Posts Drives: Model 3 LR Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	link doesn't work?.... OEM http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215411058/ FX-R http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215411004/ Stock DEPO http://www.flickr.com/photos/68302497@N05/6215410938/
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10-09-2011, 08:32 PM	#44
malachi347 livin and lovin 8 Rep 24 Posts Drives: BMW 328i Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	http://www.amazon.com/2006-2008-Halo...=1RUDQADOTJDN4 I dunno, those ones look pretty legit. If they stand behind their products with a year or two warranty, that's going to be my first upgrade. I'm really hoping they'll hook me up with 5000k bulbs tho.... The first image looks way more aftermarket than the second.
	Appreciate 0 Quote