I've got a new Z4 and I would like to convert to HID. After doing a TON of reading I'm more confused than I was to start with. It seems like every post recommends a different brand of aftermarket kit. I'd like to get as close as possible to the factory bi-xenon setup as possible. One post suggested buying the parts and having the dealer install them. Does anybody make a well-engineered drop in bi-xenon auto level system? From my brief experience with HID, taking a metal halide bulb and putting it into a halogen housing is going to look like crap, and maybe even melt over time. So bottom line, is anyone making a good conversion kit, or should I by the oem parts?

The only way to end up with a bi-xenon set up is to swap in all the factory parts or do some serious custom work using bi-xenon projector housings out of another BMW. The stock halogen headlight housings are set up for H7 halogen bulbs, but the projectors do well with H7 based HID bulbs. We've had very good results with Xtec's H7 retrofits in newer BMWs (E46s, X3, etc). The HID bulbs actually put out less heat than halogen bulbs, so you're not going to have any issues with melting the housings. That kit would run you $320 versus nearly $2000 for new BMW bi-xenon parts.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but without the bi-xenon setup you have no high beam right? That seems like a big handicap on highway trips. $320 for a xenon kit sounds awfully cheap compared to the $700 average I've been seeing. Is this a cheap product?

The Z4 headlights have a separate high beam bulb inset from the low beam. if you upgrade the low beam H7 bulbs to HID, you'll still have halogen high beams. I'm not sure where you're seeing HID kits for $700 on average. Are you perhaps looking at websites that haven't been updated since 2001? :stickoutt The Xtec kits are plug and play and include a life time warranty on both the bulbs and ballasts. I'm running one in the foglights on my Z4, matches the factory HID low beams really well.

I must be getting conflicting info from various threads I perused. Quite a few posts were saying you lose hi beams if you upgrade the halogen setup because only the HID package has a separate halogen bulb for the brights. I didn't realize the halogen setup has separate bulbs for high and low. One more question - I noticed the factory HID housing has a black coating around the bulb housings, whereas the halogen has a silver reflective finish. How does this affect the output pattern from a halide bulb in the halogen housing?

At any rate my dealer gave me my old 2.5 with xenons as a loaner today, and I have to say the xenons really smoke the halogens. American cars plain suck with headlight quality, but my Z4 with halogens is worse than my F250. I might as well take the HID setup off my mtn bike and put it up there. Hope I can find a decent compromise for this.

Actually they make both headlight systems in both finishes. The 3.0i Z4s come with the chrome trim, while the 2.5i Z4s come with black headlight trim regardless of the bulb type.

On the loss of high beams with HID conversions, that's only true on H4, 9004 and 9007 dual filament systems if you opt for the cheaper "low only" HID sets. H4 and 9007 retrofits are even available as high/low HID kits now. Definitely not a concern on the Z4 though with the separate H7 high beams.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but without the bi-xenon setup you have no high beam right?yes and no, the capsule has a lid on it if you will, when you hit your high beam switch it retracts for full output, its like having your eye lid half open. That seems like a big handicap on highway trips.not really. $320 for a xenon kit sounds awfully cheap compared to the $700 average I've been seeing. Is this a cheap product?do some research on the various kits out there, don't just buy based on price, reliability is the main concern, lifetime warranties are great except when you have to replace stuff all the time. do a search on prolumen, its BY FAR the kit with the fewest failures on the market, lifetime warranty and still the best price.
if its O.E you desire fleabay is an option and it wont cost you anywhere near $2000.

Thanks for the input fellas. It would be hard not to take comments from vendors with a healthy skepticism, but both mentioned products appear to be in the top from what I already read.

To Matt I presume - I searched your site and didn't see any kits for the Z4. What product should I be looking for with respect to Prolumen?

To Bimmer95 - I searched your site and don't see anything specific to the Z4. Are these kits generic, or do they take into consideration the ecu and prevent a trouble code from being thrown? Guess that applies to both products really.

One other general question - It's interesting to me that 4-5K HID bulbs are considered true white "sunlight" bulbs. The reason I say that is salt water fish tanks have been a hobby of mine, and I use HID lighting for them. In that realm 10,000K bulbs are considered dead center for "sunlight" and produce a perfect white. 4 or 5K would be a muddy yellow brown like sodium vapor street lights. Maybe these aren't quite the same HID - they're refered to as "metal halide" in the aquarium market, not xenon.

To Bimmer95 - I searched your site and don't see anything specific to the Z4. Are these kits generic, or do they take into consideration the ecu and prevent a trouble code from being thrown?
Yes, the kits are bulb fitment specific, not car specific. To avoid "bulb failure" with an HID upgrade on newer BMWs you can disable the check control system or add resistor packs (http://www.bmwdiy.info/resistor-packs/index.html).

The reason I say that is salt water fish tanks have been a hobby of mine, and I use HID lighting for them. In that realm 10,000K bulbs are considered dead center for "sunlight" and produce a perfect white.
In automotive lighting, 10000K is flat out purple. Natural sunlight is typically considered to be 5500K. In aquarium lighting, 10000K is recommended for a saltwater reef type setup because the corals and other critters are adapted to bluer light because the redder end of the lighting specrum is filtered out by the deeper water in their natural environment.

Thanks for the input fellas. It would be hard not to take comments from vendors with a healthy skepticism, but both mentioned products appear to be in the top from what I already read.
To Matt I presume - I searched your site and didn't see any kits for the Z4. What product should I be looking for with respect to Prolumen?
Guess that applies to both products really.
One other general question - It's interesting to me that 4-5K HID bulbs are considered true white "sunlight" bulbs. The reason I say that is salt water fish tanks have been a hobby of mine, and I use HID lighting for them. In that realm 10,000K bulbs are considered dead center for "sunlight" and produce a perfect white. 4 or 5K would be a muddy yellow brown like sodium vapor street lights. Maybe these aren't quite the same HID - they're refered to as "metal halide" in the aquarium market, not xenon.

Our kits fit your car. It's specific to your car - it's an H7 for the low beams and H11 for the fogs.

We have both in stock and shippable whenever you want:) If you need any assistance give Habbie a PM or give us a call.