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      08-25-2006, 09:30 PM   #1
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Official DIY HALOGEN to XENON Conversion!

I know within the next couple of weeks a handful of peeps are going to be recieving some euro xenons and we got info all over the place so I thought wed bring the Main important stuff to one thread!
This conversion will give u an error for 5 sec if the car is started and the light switch is in the OFF position.
YOu will get NO error if you start the car with the light switch in the ON position!


HALOGEN TO XENON


1. REmove front bumper by following this DIY:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...bumper+removal


2. remove headlights from a couple screws as noted in pic#3 by evos4!


3. replace headlights with euro xenons like the ones shown in pics 1&2


4. Install front bumper the reverse way you removed it!

5. Electrical wiring needs to be modified! as noted in pic#8(courtesy of 96vette)
If you do not do the mod only the angel eyes and high beams will work!
First we need to add a Ground to the chassis! this is connected to hole #2 on the plug. The best ground is the one noted in pic#4 (green wire running up the black wiring harness bolted to the silver NUT that holds the ground box!


6. Splicing the high beam wire to add the bixenon shutter wire!
First cut the high beam wire#6 in half! add a but splice at the end of the wire coming from the car and crimp it in place..Then take an ADDED wire and twist it together at the end so u can put it in the butt splice together and crimp! Now u should have two wires coming out of the one connection as shown in pic#5


7. now to put these extra 2 wires in the plug is a bit of a trick! u will see on the outside of the plug itself a piece that holds the pins in the plug! Remove this piece the one shown in pic#6 and use it to hold the bare wire in the plug once uve pushed it in!
Use electrical tape and wrap it around the wire until u have a wide enough circle to fill the hole to prevent any moisture getting in there as shown in pic#7


8. wrap your connection with electrical tape and make it look OEM as possible and plug em in! Go turn them XENONS ON!!!



THis is done at your own risk I do not assume responsiblity for anyones car! If you do not feel confident in wiring I would suggest handing this DIY to a mechanic so that he can do it for U!
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      08-25-2006, 09:33 PM   #2
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After Further Months of Improvements a couple things to NOTE:

1. The wiring can be done INTERNALLY so that you do not have to cut your Harness wires or even score the wire with a generic Tap connector!!

Tap connectors Have been used and about 80% of the time they worked I suggest using BUTT SPLICES!!

2. Buy the actual plugs that plug into your harness from realoem here
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...91&hg=61&fg=15

3. Do not ground the GROUND wire to the CHASSIS!! Tap to the wire directly to #4 wire!!
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      08-26-2006, 02:08 AM   #3
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you still selling these lights? and how much??
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      08-26-2006, 06:14 AM   #4
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unfortunatly all the new ones that were available from bmw are sold!!!!

Thanks to the ones that bought them and I promise you they will be here! Shipping from Germany LAGS! its usually 2-3 weeks shipping from there and they say bussiness days only so REst assured you will get your lights!
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      08-30-2006, 12:31 AM   #5
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I just bought a pair of US Spec Xenons... i have the halogen headlamp assembly. The Xenons come with the bulbs and Ballasts...

What else do I need to purchase to successfully complete this DIY? People have been telling me to contact roveractive or someone like that to get the retrofit kit...

Can someone clarify exactly what i need?

i have:
1. US Spec Xenon Headlamp assembly with bulbs and ballasts...

i will need:
?
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      08-30-2006, 07:56 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SE3P_to_E90
I just bought a pair of US Spec Xenons... i have the halogen headlamp assembly. The Xenons come with the bulbs and Ballasts...

What else do I need to purchase to successfully complete this DIY? People have been telling me to contact roveractive or someone like that to get the retrofit kit...

Can someone clarify exactly what i need?

i have:
1. US Spec Xenon Headlamp assembly with bulbs and ballasts...

i will need:
?
Follow this DIY and youll have no problems!
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      08-30-2006, 09:43 PM   #7
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sorry adhd if i'm repetitive, and i appreciate your help... so if i have the headlight assembly, bulbs, ballasts, i will NOT need to purchase any other parts/kits?

and obviously, they will NOT be self-leveling or adaptive correct?

Thanks again in advance for your aid! i commend your knowledge
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      08-31-2006, 01:28 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SE3P_to_E90
sorry adhd if i'm repetitive, and i appreciate your help... so if i have the headlight assembly, bulbs, ballasts, i will NOT need to purchase any other parts/kits?

and obviously, they will NOT be self-leveling or adaptive correct?

Thanks again in advance for your aid! i commend your knowledge
nope u have everything!!! just mod the connection and plug it in!! if you were to plug it without the mod only the corner lights and angel eyes will work!
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      09-04-2006, 10:42 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SE3P_to_E90
I just bought a pair of US Spec Xenons... i have the halogen headlamp assembly. The Xenons come with the bulbs and Ballasts...

What else do I need to purchase to successfully complete this DIY? People have been telling me to contact roveractive or someone like that to get the retrofit kit...

Can someone clarify exactly what i need?

i have:
1. US Spec Xenon Headlamp assembly with bulbs and ballasts...

i will need:
?

So where did you buy the XENONs and how much do they cost?
Do they have the orange indicator sidelight?
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      09-04-2006, 11:08 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bimmer4Life
So where did you buy the XENONs and how much do they cost?
Do they have the orange indicator sidelight?
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27264
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      09-21-2006, 10:32 AM   #11
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did you d/c the battery when installing this or remove any fuses? I don't want anything to short
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      09-21-2006, 10:36 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer3253
did you d/c the battery when installing this or remove any fuses? I don't want anything to short
lol no I didnt but i guess it wouldnt hurt!! just make sure the car is off!
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      09-23-2006, 10:34 AM   #13
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finally put mine in....some sidenotes for anyone installing them. For the ground, if you drill it out carefully, you can actually reuse that plug by drilling a hole through it and putting the wire through...It makes a great sound fit. When removing the headlights, the hardest screw to get to is the one in the back (unless anyone else had any easier ways) you'll probably spend an hour taking it off and putting it back on (if anyone thinks its not neccessary to put it back on...it is..found out the hardway and had to pull bumper off again) a thumb ratchet would be very helpful in this case. Also, if you have headlight washers, when removing the bumper, don't forget to pull them off (be careful..they bite!!!!). Other then that...only took us 6 hours and it works perfect. Oh yeah, when installing and if you want to remove fuses, they are 59, 42, and 43 (IIRC), but 59 is also for your DSC and AWD. When I started my car back up, my AWD / DSC and hill brake stop assist came up as malfunctioning ( i almost went in my pants), however after about 30min, the error went away so don't get worried.

Thanks again ADHD!!!! you were a HUGGGGGGGGGGGGE help and thanks to you...I got my xenons
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      09-23-2006, 11:52 AM   #14
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also one major question to all that has done this mod.... if you have your DRL's on..do they make a buzzing noise..almost like a motor..it appears that i must keep them off otherwise they will make this noise..they didnt make that noise prior to the wiring job.
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      09-23-2006, 12:11 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer3253
also one major question to all that has done this mod.... if you have your DRL's on..do they make a buzzing noise..almost like a motor..it appears that i must keep them off otherwise they will make this noise..they didnt make that noise prior to the wiring job.

I honestly think its the xenon ballast!! BUt if I could get my DRLS off I would keep them off forever and 5days! your lucky u can get them off!
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      09-23-2006, 01:52 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ADHD
I honestly think its the xenon ballast!! BUt if I could get my DRLS off I would keep them off forever and 5days! your lucky u can get them off!
Hey Tyler. Flip through your car computer. I'm pretty sure in one of the options I saw that you could choose whether or not you want the DRL's on or off. I was bored and playing around with it one day. There's a ton of options I never realized were there haha. How long you want things to stay on, how many times the lane change light blinks, blah blah. Theres a bunch.
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      09-24-2006, 11:12 AM   #17
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hey..i've noticed that the xenon lights to stay still..if u are driving they shake a little...is that normal.. i have everything bolted down so i dont know why they are shaking..any ideas
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      09-24-2006, 11:58 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer3253
hey..i've noticed that the xenon lights to stay still..if u are driving they shake a little...is that normal.. i have everything bolted down so i dont know why they are shaking..any ideas
ya mine do it too..Not all the time just if your on a ruf road or what not! did u lower your car a bit??
I found out when I asked about this a couple months ago that the xenons are suspended in the housing unlike our halogens cause they have too many damb features on them..If we had the canadian cars with the auto leveling feature (with the nonadaptive headlights) would actually work helping the result of less shaking!
That and he said its only cause I can actually see the road know! lol..and im staring at the lights..lol
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      09-24-2006, 04:03 PM   #19
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haha..good point...i guess ure right...its a solid line of light and you can actually notice these things...did you notice that when you hit the high beams, the xenons have some type of mirror / mechanism that allows more output through the high beams...i have not seen that happen with the US xenons..im thinking it may be a Euro feature..
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      09-24-2006, 07:24 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer3253
haha..good point...i guess ure right...its a solid line of light and you can actually notice these things...did you notice that when you hit the high beams, the xenons have some type of mirror / mechanism that allows more output through the high beams...i have not seen that happen with the US xenons..im thinking it may be a Euro feature..
Yes im not sure if the us have it or not, but its a shutter mechanism that snaps down and reflects light into the high beam making it crazy bright!!!
Also u do know u can make them even brighter by buyiing osram 6000k bulbs!
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      09-25-2006, 05:42 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer3253
also one major question to all that has done this mod.... if you have your DRL's on..do they make a buzzing noise..almost like a motor..it appears that i must keep them off otherwise they will make this noise..they didnt make that noise prior to the wiring job.
OK did some testing on this!! Im going to admit im a dumbass and had my DRL's off the whole time! I really want the side lights off and I thought that was the DRL's!
So last night the tech was in my car and told me that they are already off and showed me how to do it then turned them on and holy shit they were buzzing like a motor just like u said!! I had the tech come out of the car and listen and he said he hears it too..so since the DRL's are just your high beam on low he went in turned on the high beams then back off and NO buzz, the DRLs were on just fine.. Ive come to the conclusion that it has to be a pulse modulating issue that the euros just have a different sensibility to voltage than the us ones..
so that said if you roll with the DRL's on you will need to pull your brights stick for a sec then back off and they will NOT buzz anymore!!
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      09-25-2006, 06:02 PM   #22
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oh wow!! good catch!! thanks for the info!!! damn i love this forum
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