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      12-30-2012, 08:40 PM   #1
ronny214
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N55/LCI E90 LUX H8 Install

So after about two hours of trying to install my new LUX H8 V3 lights, and having two other people trying to install them, I finally managed to get the bulbs in and they look pretty sharp. This DIY doesn't have any pictures that I personally took, because quite frankly the pictures on the installation PDF on the LUX web site are pretty accurate, but the instructions themselves make the install seem very straight forward.

I'm writing this from the perspective of an N55 engine bay. I'm not sure how this works no the N54 bay, as I have not closely examined the area around the headlights.

1) Remove the cap covering the hole to the headlight assembly, and the headlight/bulb. Using a flashlight locate the bulb. On my car the bulb has a yellow piece of plastic on it, making it quick to identify.

2) Once you locate the bulb, do two things. First the black round tab below the bulb...You'll want to pop this off and just shove it out of the way. I did this first because otherwise there is tension on the wires, and makes it hard to take out the bulb later. Second, notice to the side of the bulb is a black plate/plastic. This is on the outside side of the assembly. So on the drivers side it'll be closest to the drivers wheel, and passenger side closest to the passenger wheel.



3a) The black plastic plate/piece that I told you to identify in step to? The reason is because this prevents the bulb from being twisted. Here is why...The instructions on the LUX website says to twist the bulb counterclockwise to get it out. This is not the case. On the driver side trying to twist counterclockwise results in the bulb hitting the black plastic plate and it won't twist any further. Rule? Twist each bulb towards the center of the car, not towards the outside of the car (drivers clockwise, passenger counterclockwise).

3b) This is the worst part. You'll need to twist the bulb so that the "T" tabs line back up and it slides out. Once you get the initial twist started it will twist with ease, but unlike the instructions on the LUX site I'm telling you that it is a PITA to get started. I had to use the index and middle fingers only to twist. In hindsight some gloves would have made this easier because the plastic really digs into the hands. If you are going to have your wife/girlfriend do it, because small hands really go a long way, you'll probably want to buy her some gloves. Disclaimer: Nothing against women, but really unless you have some major callouses on your finger tips it is really going to dig in. My finger tips are all scratched up, and I managed to split back open my knife cut on my finger.



4) Okay so up to this point you've just been going in blind, feeling for the bulb and twisting. You've made note of the "T" shape in the image above, so you know what I'm talking about. This is where I did something a bit different. I shined a bright LED flashlight into the FRONT of the headlight assembly. This lit up the hole REALLY well so that I could look in and see how the tabs need to line up. With mine the tabs needed to be an upside down "T" shape. To do this since I couldn't always see the hold I knew that in order for my LUX bulbs (both of them) to form the upside down "T" shape the blue wire needed to be on the right and the white on the left, perfectly horizontal. Hope that makes sense. From here it is stick it in and press a lot until you feel the tabs slide into the slots. Then twist in the OPPOSITE direction that you did to remove the bulbs. This requires a LOT more torque/force, but don't give it up. It'll turn about a good 2-2 1/2 inches.

5) Once it is in you're going to want to make sure it locked into place. First shine your light back into the front of the headlight and then look at the bulb..make sure you see no light come out from around the bulb. If it is you have NOT managed to seal the bulb completely. Second, you want to give it a wiggle and a tug. DO NOT TUG TOO FORCEFULLY! You will break the bulb! If you can give it a nice firm tug without it coming out, then you're locked in place....also note that you'll have some wiggle back and forth. The only reason I want you to wiggle is because one of my tabs didn't go in, but the other two did, so it actually popped out when wiggled. Just to reenforce that, wiggle is normal but if the tabs didn't lock the wiggle will let you know by popping out.

6) Plug in the LUX lights, this is pretty straight forward, and you're going to tuck everything into the headlight assembly. There is plenty of room in here. If you are of the mindeset of, "I wont' see it so I don't care" you can just kind of push everything around until it is behind the plastic threads and then put the cap back on the "pit of hell". If you are like me and even though you can't see it you know the wires will be all crammed in and crappy, you can get a zip tie and do a really nice job of zipping all the wires to the V3 box and then just tucking the little box in all nice and neat. You're call.

7) Do this with both lights and give it a look-see.


Additional tip: Do the drivers side first! The passenger was easier than the drivers, so you don't want to get one in and then get to the drivers and get so frustrated you decide to take it to the dealer or someone to let them do it. If you get the drivers side in, just know that the passenger will be easier.

I know this may seem like a repeat of the PDF on the LUX website, but I feel like they sugar-coated the install a bit for sales reasons. While it IS possible to do this by yourself it takes a bit of dedication to do. Also as I pointed out the instructions weren't entirely accurate. I don't know if that was a mistake or what. The only instructions that were close to what I needed were the LCI E90 instructions, so it is possible that if they did this on an N54 headlight assembly that this could be the difference between the instructions and what I was seeing...hence the reason I listed this as an N55 install. :-/

Good luck!

All images used in this DIY were from the LUX Angel Eyes PDF. I took screenshots of them and hosted them on my personal Photobucket. I do not claim copyright or ownership of these images, but used them because I honestly do not think I could have taken any better pictures.
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      01-03-2013, 11:36 AM   #2
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Thanks for the clarification. Ordering the V3s in a few weeks.
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      01-03-2013, 11:41 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by breaker37 View Post
Thanks for the clarification. Ordering the V3s in a few weeks.
Good luck! I'll try to get pics of my posted up. I tried to take them on install day but it was dreary looking outside, and the iPhone kept screwing them up
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      01-03-2013, 02:31 PM   #4
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Didn't get lux but I'm doing mine tonight hopefully I can do another write up.

Good useful tips. Thanks man.
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      01-03-2013, 08:13 PM   #5
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So tired to do mine tonight and couldnt. my fat hands could not even grasp the bulb to remove it. That metal bracket is in the way, on the drives side. Having the N55 engine you dont have those two pumps on the passenger side. hmm
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      01-04-2013, 09:07 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattah View Post
So tired to do mine tonight and couldnt. my fat hands could not even grasp the bulb to remove it. That metal bracket is in the way, on the drives side. Having the N55 engine you dont have those two pumps on the passenger side. hmm
Yes there is the metal bracket on the drivers side, and the passenger side has the coolant well (IIRC). The passenger side is easier to do, but the well makes for a bit of a rough go at it.

I know that the bracket can be loosened/pushed back if you were so inclined to do that on the drivers side, but I did not have to. Seriously though, just find someone with small hands. Once you know HOW the bulb is removed/inserted, it becomes a matter of getting your two fingers on it and putting a bit of finger muscle into it.
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      10-03-2013, 09:17 AM   #7
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Hi your detail explanation was spot on, I would like to thank you. For the longest time before I read your post I was following the install guide from lux and wandering why the driver side is counterclockwise which made it impossible with the plastic plate in the way. So I gave up after an hour. Then I read your post last night and had try it again this morning low and behold I was able to do everything in about an hour. I had to double and triple check the connection to make sure that the bulbs were in place. I took some pictures with my iPhone but your provided pictures in the posting should be suffice enough for everyone to understand.
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      10-03-2013, 10:51 AM   #8
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I've done this install twice. What helped both times was to take a hacksaw blade and trim off the little black peg left behind in step 2.
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      10-25-2013, 09:41 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ritchwell View Post
Hi your detail explanation was spot on, I would like to thank you. For the longest time before I read your post I was following the install guide from lux and wandering why the driver side is counterclockwise which made it impossible with the plastic plate in the way. So I gave up after an hour. Then I read your post last night and had try it again this morning low and behold I was able to do everything in about an hour. I had to double and triple check the connection to make sure that the bulbs were in place. I took some pictures with my iPhone but your provided pictures in the posting should be suffice enough for everyone to understand.
Glad my post could be of help to you Hope you enjoy the new lights! I'm still loving mine!
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      04-14-2014, 07:57 PM   #10
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Thanks to the original poster of this DIY, it only took me 5 minutes on the passenger side and 10 minutes on the driver's side. I removed the air intake on the driver's side. That made it much easier!

Many thanks to the original poster of this thread!
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      06-18-2014, 05:36 AM   #11
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Your post is the best guide I've read so far! Thanks to you I was able to fit the bulbs on!
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      09-12-2014, 01:05 PM   #12
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Thought I would bump this up again, this is the best guide thanks! Passenger side went in easy had to get the wife to put in drivers side. Definitely need someone with small hands to help and flashing the light through the front of the headlight helped tremendously
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      08-31-2015, 10:13 PM   #13
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Same Feelings as OP

Having just done this install yesterday, on my e90 335i, I feel the EXACT same way. I love the look, it looks amazing. However, the install was a huge PITA if you do not have small hands and don't mind a lot of trial and error. Once in, its fine, but getting to that point is difficult. The hardest part is aligning the T shape slots and twisting the bulb. Everything else is easy. Like I said, small hands would be nice for this situation!

However, I would much rather have spent the 1+ hours doing it myself, than paying over $100 for install. That alone paid for my fog lights that I also installed while down there.

Shout out to E92-Lighting for the Fog Lights and Mike@x-ph.com for the LUX H8's!

I love the look of everything, and happy I did it myself. Just budget more time than you think if its been a while since your last install, or you have anything bigger than small hands!
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      09-03-2015, 05:59 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wlew View Post
Having just done this install yesterday, on my e90 335i, I feel the EXACT same way. I love the look, it looks amazing. However, the install was a huge PITA if you do not have small hands and don't mind a lot of trial and error. Once in, its fine, but getting to that point is difficult. The hardest part is aligning the T shape slots and twisting the bulb. Everything else is easy. Like I said, small hands would be nice for this situation!

However, I would much rather have spent the 1+ hours doing it myself, than paying over $100 for install. That alone paid for my fog lights that I also installed while down there.

Shout out to E92-Lighting for the Fog Lights and Mike@x-ph.com for the LUX H8's!

I love the look of everything, and happy I did it myself. Just budget more time than you think if its been a while since your last install, or you have anything bigger than small hands!
After installing the lights, I think it would have been the best $100 I have ever spent to have someone else do it. Christ what a miserable little project. That said, the directions above where invaluable.
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      09-03-2015, 09:36 AM   #15
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I did this, this past weekend it went smoothly.
Thanks for the pics!
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      01-25-2016, 08:38 PM   #16
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I just did this on my E90 N55 335i M-Sport. It went smoothly. Thank you for the detailed step by step. it was a huge help.
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      06-28-2016, 07:03 AM   #17
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For clarification, this is for which vehicle with the n55? I was told that the e92 LCI with N55 has led halos and to replace this you have to replace the control module due to the fact that the bulb and c.m. come together as one.
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      08-27-2016, 09:29 PM   #18
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Just installed Lux today. Hated it! Annnnd I am pretty sure they are not twisted in all the way. Now I will just wait for them to shake loose, then pay a shop to do it right.
note: WAY EASIER on an E92
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      09-02-2016, 05:15 PM   #19
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Thanks a bunch. Just finished and this was a big help. If I may add one thing: if you're having trouble getting the T to line up, there is a small panel in the top of the housing, under the weather stripping, held down with three small Phillips screws. Remove that and you can see inside just enough to help line up the T.
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      09-09-2016, 10:10 PM   #20
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Anyone have tips on fitting the rest of the bulb in the casing? I tried it today and couldnt find the room to hold it.
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      10-04-2016, 02:41 PM   #21
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Just put mine in = awesome!
Me n a work bud came up with a workaround.
Used wax string to [wrapped around a row in back] lower the bulb in then you can pull it up to fit in the hole
[Wax grips better so...
Wrap it around a couple of time so once you get it in, you can cinch it enough to turn it into place.
Remove string so it doesn't melt
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      12-29-2016, 11:15 AM   #22
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Great post, thanks OP!

I installed LUX LEDs on both of my e92 M3s without issue. Gave myself some time, as I knew it would be a pain the other day to install the new 180s in my 2011 335d, and wound up quitting as it was getting dark, and putting the halogen bulb back in. I'm strongly considering taking the front bumper off and removing the headlights to do this.

I saw a few posts above, but wasn't sure what the ultimate answer was - where do you place/rest/hide the rest of the wiring and ballast(?) in the e90 LCI housing?
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