[Peter Morrin]

G'day. I am looking for some guidance on Bi-Xenon projector replacement options, specifically the latest Bi-LED retrofit projectors. My primary goal is improved lighting for night-time highway driving.

Vehicle:
E90 2007 328xi. Non-Adaptive HID headlights with functioning auto-leveling system. Functioning Angel Eye rings. Lighting is terrible; both lenses are pitted on the outside, passenger light is leaking. I need Daytime Running Lights as I am in Canada.

Proposed program:
I would like to install a Bi-LED projector in place of the factory Bi-Xenon projector, retaining the self-leveling feature. I would retain the existing Angel Eyes if I do not break them during dis-assembly. I would try and polish out the pitting in the lenses, or replace them with new European lenses, if available.

Options I have found:
I am considering the Aharon AtomLED X2 (2.5” lense) or the Aharon AlphaLED X2 (3” lense) from Retrofitlab out of Netherlands. The Kits are about 300 Euro (about $300 USD) for a complete pair of Bi-LED lights.

The other option is the Morimoto M LED 2.0 which is about $425 USD for a kit depending on options. The Morimoto is much more popular in North America and likely has better support here. Morimoto quality looks good,possibly better than the Aharon, but it is difficult to tell without seeing both in person.

Spending more money:
Ideally, I would like to replace the inner halogen lights with an LED high beam with a DRL feature. Retrofit lab have their Aharon LED Highbeam projector for 75 Euro. Morimoto has the mini HB and Profile have the Hi-Lens 2.0 LED. The Morimoto and Profile options are about twice the price of the Aharon. I am not sure if the high beam modules will fit easily in the existing inner halogen locations.


I have read through several posts, but there are very few referencing LED retrofit projectors (Estonian is one). Dakine_Surf has posted several times and is an expert in this business, and appears to offer custom headlight services. I would like to try the DIY route, but would welcome expert advice.
Can anyone share their experience with any of these products or the installation?

Thanks,
Peter

[Captain Buumer]

Hi

I've done projector swap on all my cars as generally HID are used also during daytime by previous owners this just burns up the projectors over time.

Daytime lights ... something like LEDs in fogs is sufficient.

1st i would fix the leaking light. The condensation ruins everything there.

What comes to retrofitlab i also got some stuff from there - the bi-xenon projector kit for e90 (this was when they didn't have LED kits yet).

Observations:
1) Received adapter was wrong and i had to make my own - this is the most annoying part with any projector retrofit if you likely need to use the car next day. Quickly fabricate something that is durable.
2) The D1S socket holder is designed not so great. Small screws slightly push the D1S bulb off from correct seating position = slightly foggy cutout line. I ended up using aluminium tape (not the provided screws) to get the perfect seating (it also had wiggling room so i had to hold tension to one side. before taping them on the projector) & also had to drill a quite big hole on the headlight back cover to give more room (obviously sealed them) because retrofitlab projectors are slightly longer meaning the D1S bulb rear side would hit the headlight cover.
This resulted them not being leveled equally but they got stuck.
3) Obviously the projectors themselves are great (output is good) but everything else is garbage. I sort of regret buying them because of the HASSLE i had to go through. It took quite many weekends to fix the bad design and get them properly working. Just get something else until they improve the design.

If i instead went with Bi-LED probably what would encounter:
1) coding part - probably sufficient to just disable cold/hot check.
2) Bracket mounting system fabrication (if they send you wrong one or none).
Here it is useful if you have a blank aluminium sheet and something you can modify it - just to be prepared.
3) Open up the headlight vs removing OEM projectors from the back headlight opening.
I removed the projectors from the back cover but it was ... time consuming. It is possible! it comes out with weird angle.
4) The wiring part. For the shutter energize i just wired them parallel with high beams.
Sure there is dedicated wiring but i didn't find the correct combination to get it work 100% times with it (without them throwing fault code & shutter working always as intended).
Main power - probably just rerouting 12V source directly to LED.

Most annoying part is fabricating adapter (without CNC router) - everything else is doable.
Here's image of HID projector in our car. The 3 point fitment is problematic for any aftermarket product.


If you succeed with LED projectors there are true 55W H7 LEDs (not just theoretical diode power that is littered everywhere on market) that output is pretty darn close to D1S.

Probably would go with the retrofitlab because it is EU located - less headace with the toll.
One is 2.5" glass other is 3" glass. Can't find output ratings but one is 120mm other is 132mm length wise.
I would ask them to send or even pay extra for the adapter that is guaranteed to fit.

[lnxguy]

I'd do this instead.

1) New OEM Lenses
2) Modded Hella Gen3 D2S ballast (50w after it's all said and done)
3) G5-BRT Projectors + adapter plates
4) XNL or XV2 D2S bulbs.

[Peter Morrin]

Curious why you would stick with Xenon technology, rather than move up to LED projectors. I was under the impression that the latest LED projectors were as good, or better than the best xenon kits. They may be more expensive, but their longer bulb life and absence of ballasts should pay for themselves in the long term.

My question is; Has the LED retrofit market matured to the point of competing with the best xenon projectors out there?

[lnxguy]

Originally Posted by Peter Morrin

Curious why you would stick with Xenon technology, rather than move up to LED projectors. I was under the impression that the latest LED projectors were as good, or better than the best xenon kits. They may be more expensive, but their longer bulb life and absence of ballasts should pay for themselves in the long term.

My question is; Has the LED retrofit market matured to the point of competing with the best xenon projectors out there?

Cost. If that's not a concern, then I'd probably dive into a set of Morimoto M LED 2.0s.

[nthnthnthnth]

Originally Posted by lnxguy

Cost. If that's not a concern, then I'd probably dive into a set of Morimoto M LED 2.0s.

Also consider that if the LED in the LED projector goes bad, you have to bake the entire headlight again to access and replace the projector, whereas a Xenon going bad is just a bulb swap. That alone should be a dealbreaker.

Edit: having driven with both Osram CBNs on stock ballasts and NHK Gen V LED projectors at the same time, the NHKs are definitely brighter. I would suggest getting the NHK Gen IV or Gen V. Lightwerkz did a comparison on YouTube of the Gen IV with the Morimoto MLED and the Gen IV frankly seemed a lot better.

[avi312singh]

Originally Posted by Peter Morrin

G'day. I am looking for some guidance on Bi-Xenon projector replacement options, specifically the latest Bi-LED retrofit projectors. My primary goal is improved lighting for night-time highway driving.

Vehicle:
E90 2007 328xi. Non-Adaptive HID headlights with functioning auto-leveling system. Functioning Angel Eye rings. Lighting is terrible; both lenses are pitted on the outside, passenger light is leaking. I need Daytime Running Lights as I am in Canada.

Proposed program:
I would like to install a Bi-LED projector in place of the factory Bi-Xenon projector, retaining the self-leveling feature. I would retain the existing Angel Eyes if I do not break them during dis-assembly. I would try and polish out the pitting in the lenses, or replace them with new European lenses, if available.

Options I have found:
I am considering the Aharon AtomLED X2 (2.5” lense) or the Aharon AlphaLED X2 (3” lense) from Retrofitlab out of Netherlands. The Kits are about 300 Euro (about $300 USD) for a complete pair of Bi-LED lights.

The other option is the Morimoto M LED 2.0 which is about $425 USD for a kit depending on options. The Morimoto is much more popular in North America and likely has better support here. Morimoto quality looks good,possibly better than the Aharon, but it is difficult to tell without seeing both in person.

Spending more money:
Ideally, I would like to replace the inner halogen lights with an LED high beam with a DRL feature. Retrofit lab have their Aharon LED Highbeam projector for 75 Euro. Morimoto has the mini HB and Profile have the Hi-Lens 2.0 LED. The Morimoto and Profile options are about twice the price of the Aharon. I am not sure if the high beam modules will fit easily in the existing inner halogen locations.


I have read through several posts, but there are very few referencing LED retrofit projectors (Estonian is one). Dakine_Surf has posted several times and is an expert in this business, and appears to offer custom headlight services. I would like to try the DIY route, but would welcome expert advice.
Can anyone share their experience with any of these products or the installation?

Thanks,
Peter

Hey Peter any update on what you chose or decided to do in the end? I am also looking at the LED retrofit projectors on retrofitlab!

[BB_cuda]

Originally Posted by lnxguy

I'd do this instead.

1) New OEM Lenses
2) Modded Hella Gen3 D2S ballast (50w after it's all said and done)
3) G5-BRT Projectors + adapter plates
4) XNL or XV2 D2S bulbs.

Hi Inxguy - Per #3, where do you get the adapter plates please? I have one set and found that they fit the Morimoto mini D2S 5.0 as well but don't move(non adaptive). A friend got a different type that retain the LCI adaptive function using the G5 projectors. Hunting for these brackets.
Thanks
P.S. I'm also a fan of the modded Gen3 Hella ballasts cranked up to 55W.

[lnxguy]

Originally Posted by BB_cuda

Hi Inxguy - Per #3, where do you get the adapter plates please? I have one set and found that they fit the Morimoto mini D2S 5.0 as well but don't move(non adaptive). A friend got a different type that retain the LCI adaptive function using the G5 projectors. Hunting for these brackets.
Thanks
P.S. I'm also a fan of the modded Gen3 Hella ballasts cranked up to 55W.

User rod.bearings sells them here, he's out of Alberta.

[nthnthnthnth]

Originally Posted by BB_cuda

Hi Inxguy - Per #3, where do you get the adapter plates please? I have one set and found that they fit the Morimoto mini D2S 5.0 as well but don't move(non adaptive). A friend got a different type that retain the LCI adaptive function using the G5 projectors. Hunting for these brackets.
Thanks
P.S. I'm also a fan of the modded Gen3 Hella ballasts cranked up to 55W.

Lightwerkz also sells the brackets: https://lightwerkz.net/products/bmw-e90-lci-afs-to-g5-brackets

[RAH]

Let me just give an old topic a kick. I have the same plan as the topic starter. As a Bi-LED projector, I have chosen the NHK V. I have an E92 with standard Bi-Xenon, with adaptive headlights and cornering lights. I have everything working except the high beam. The projector goes up and down (self-leveling function) and left to right (adaptive function). Cornering lights also work. Dipped beam works. I just need to get the high beam working.

The Xenon ballast is powered by a four-pole plug. Two of the poles are for normal light (ground and +12v). The other two poles I think affect the high beam but I don't know how. Is there anyone here who has tried something similar and knows how to control the high beam?

[Peter Morrin]

RAH,
I am the original poster. There are others that are more knowledgable, but I will respond to bump this up.

Does your NHK create a high beam by simply raising a shield or does it activate a second LED? I am not sure if this even matters, but one version of the NHK has a separate LED for high beam.

Do you have a wiring diagram for the projector identifying what each wire serves? You have obviously found the ground (earth) and the Low beam LED. I suspect one of the other two wires raises the shield, and the other perhaps activates the high beam LED. You should be able to test this on the car.

As an aside, did you consider the Aharon Alpha LED projector from RetrofitLab in the Netherlands?

[RAH]

I have the NHK V, it only uses a shield for high beam (just like the Xenon projector). The NHK IV also has a shield but also additional LEDs. Therefore, the IV has a greater high beam output. But I have the V, no extra LED's and it functions just like a normal bi-xenon projector.

I know exactly which wires of the projector I have to use, I first tested the projector outside the car on a 12v supply. Connection is pretty simple, there are four wires, two red and two black. The thicker red and black are for + and ground for (dipped beam) light, the thinner red and black are + and ground for operating the shield (so high beam).

My problem is not identifying the wiring of the NHK V projector I have already found the right ones. I have problems finding the right wires inside the headlight to connect to. I connected the projector for (dipped beam) light to a 4 pin plug that is normally on the ballast of the Xenon lamp. The color code of these two wires is yellow (+) and brown (ground). For now, I connected the high beam to the plug that controls the shield at the xenon projector. That is a green wire and a brown/purple wire. These two color codes are also the two remaining colors in the 4-pin plug that is normally on the ballast for the xenon (but the ballast not in there).

I noticed that the green and brown/purple wires go to the AHL module and from that module the same color codes go to the plug that is normally on the xenon projector to control the shield. Unfortunately, this setup does not work.

As for Retrofitlab. I bought a set of replacement xenon projectors there. These are now in car. I find the quality of these moderate. However, the light output is better than the old projectors, but the reflector of these had become completely dull, so the light output then quickly becomes better than before. My experience is actually exactly the same as Captain Buumer's. You can see and feel from the whole projector that the quality is less than the original one. I even had to trim some material at the bottom of the shield because otherwise it would stick halfway after activating high beam.

[lnxguy]

Use a multimeter and figure out what wire outputs 12v when you put the highbeams on.. That's the wire you'll need for the Bi-LED projector.

[Peter Morrin]

RAH,
I have just re-read all of this post. I went back to Capt Buumer's item (4). It appears that he also had trouble finding a suitable trigger for the shield. I cannot advise, but would be very interested in the solution. I plan on changing out the H7 high beams for the Morimotl LED high beams, but this might also create a coding issue. nthnthnthnth upgraded his projectors with the G5-BRT and upgraded his fog lights with the NHK Gen V LED. Perhaps he could comment on this wiring issue.

[nthnthnthnth]

As I had the headlights done professionally I did not do the inside of the housing wiring myself. But it sounds like you have correctly identified the NHK V wiring, which is fairly simple, and I’m also assuming the dipped beam works, which would tend to suggest some of the wiring is done correctly already. Your description of how you wired the shutter it seems right in concept (NHK V smaller red shutter wire to the wire controlling the shutter on the original xenon). The labelling of the plug wiring in some of the halogen to xenon posts (such as https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28035) may be a helpful cross check (wire colors may or may not match up). Inxguy suggestion on a multimeter would also help.

The issue could also be something other than the right wires in the right plug holes. Speaking from experience, the high beam shutter wires can come loose from the NHK unit itself fairly easily during installation. You could use a battery to check the shutter wires are actually still fully connected, and that the shutter actually works. Similarly, are you certain the positive and ground connections are tight on the side that connects to the plug? I found the shutter wires more challenging to work with than the LED wires given how small the shutter wires were.

[lnxguy]

Yeah those wires are pretty low gauge. I'd probably put a dab of silicon on them to keep them in place before I buttoned everything up. I haven't even started my retrofit yet (Life gets in the way) but I've got a set of NHK IV+ that are sitting on a shelf waiting for install.

[Captain Buumer]

Originally Posted by Peter Morrin

RAH,
I have just re-read all of this post. I went back to Capt Buumer's item (4). It appears that he also had trouble finding a suitable trigger for the shield. I cannot advise, but would be very interested in the solution. I plan on changing out the H7 high beams for the Morimotl LED high beams, but this might also create a coding issue. nthnthnthnth upgraded his projectors with the G5-BRT and upgraded his fog lights with the NHK Gen V LED. Perhaps he could comment on this wiring issue.

I also have replaced H7 with LEDs (F5C brand that is close to 55W).
These are definitely improvement over the halogen in terms of distance and spotlight area.
Anyways, i just wire H7 parallel with the Bi-Xenon projector shutter and this gave 100% reliability.

Since the H7 LED internal resistance is so low it would flash when car was doing "hot checks" periodically on daytime when not using them. So that function had to be programmed out.

I've also put LED fog lights but even when coding out the cold/hot checks it produced mysterious bulb failure messages for rear & front lights.
The only option was to put resistors that would increase the resistance so my FRM2 would not give crazy errors.
I even tried to switch voltage from PWM to normal & later reduce voltage - still throwing errors.
They are some very cheap ones that have worked for 5 years now. Probably if their internal resistance was bigger (ballast for example) might not have this issue.

It's been alot of hassle with headlights / lightning in general. But damn i'm satisfied with the outcome. Really don't mind driving at night now.

[Peter Morrin]

How did you calculate the size of resistor to install on the fog lights? Is it simply wired into the +ve lead to the lights? I know it is a little "wasteful" in terms of energy, but are there other negative side effects? I presume the resistor should be located outside the housing to not add to the heat inside the enclosures.

Would the addition of resistors eliminate the need to re-program the Bi-xenon lights.

[lnxguy]

Use quality LEDs and you won't have to worry about wiring in resistors. First thing you should be doing is coding out the warm/cold bulb checks anyhow.

[RAH]

Worked on the problem today and got some more insights. I had the car on the lift Sunday because I needed to put the ACC sensor back in (sensor was misaligned and the ajusting screws were corroded tight and needed to be replaced). Since the bumper was off anyway, I could easily reach the headlight (the car still has the original xenon headlights). Measured what happens on the green and brown/purple wires when the high beam is turned on.

Green gets 12 volts, brown/purple is ground. Then, today, when I connect the new headlight with the LED projector I measured 12 volts on the green wire. So I thought the wiring to the LED projector might be broken. Then checked if the shutter of the LED projector works, by activating it with a separate battery. Shutter works. I now have the idea that my problem is with ground (brown/purple wire). Yes, I know, I should have measured it right away when I measured the 12 volts on the green wire.

Tomorrow I will try an external ground to the shutter of the LED projector. I now suspect no good ground because the ballast of the xenon bulb is not there.

[lnxguy]

The light having a ballast shouldn't matter, ground comes through the wiring harness.