BimmerZealot
07-15-2007, 06:56 PM
Hey guys, so today I decided to put my car on a jackstand, pull off the driver side front wheel and have a look inside the back of the headlight to once and for all figure out how BMW designed the crappy Z4 angel eyes.
So I got it all open saw the usual stuff but this time I could look at the back of the headlight straight on with the wheel not being there, I turned on my DRL and sure enough I saw which bulb was the culprit. The bulb is inside a X looking plastic casing that is held on by two T-16 Torx screws to the inner "projector" housing (see other thread for dummy inner projectors) I unscrewed it and took it out. All it was, was a simple BA9S Bayonet Clear Bulb, how it doesn't light up the glass but only the ring I have no idea but that's that.
Now I tried to remove the bulb but the base of the housing where you can turn it to remove the bulb is plastic welded on there. Not wishing to break it at the time being I took some pictures, stared in aw and put everything back in.
Now, what was all that work for you might ask, well...now we can "upgrade" those crappy stock halos. How? LED replacement bulbs of course, similar to how they've been upgrading the E39, E90 stock halos to HID match etc except the E39/E90 use a H8 bulb instead of a BA9S. I haven't had time to fully dwell into which would be the best choice but I figured I'd post this and get the wheels turning.
If any of you guys are LED savy now is the time to speak up, what kind of LED arrangement // type of LED(s) // Number of LEDs would work best for this application to give the brightest angel eyes.
Thanks :buttrock
So I got it all open saw the usual stuff but this time I could look at the back of the headlight straight on with the wheel not being there, I turned on my DRL and sure enough I saw which bulb was the culprit. The bulb is inside a X looking plastic casing that is held on by two T-16 Torx screws to the inner "projector" housing (see other thread for dummy inner projectors) I unscrewed it and took it out. All it was, was a simple BA9S Bayonet Clear Bulb, how it doesn't light up the glass but only the ring I have no idea but that's that.
Now I tried to remove the bulb but the base of the housing where you can turn it to remove the bulb is plastic welded on there. Not wishing to break it at the time being I took some pictures, stared in aw and put everything back in.
Now, what was all that work for you might ask, well...now we can "upgrade" those crappy stock halos. How? LED replacement bulbs of course, similar to how they've been upgrading the E39, E90 stock halos to HID match etc except the E39/E90 use a H8 bulb instead of a BA9S. I haven't had time to fully dwell into which would be the best choice but I figured I'd post this and get the wheels turning.
If any of you guys are LED savy now is the time to speak up, what kind of LED arrangement // type of LED(s) // Number of LEDs would work best for this application to give the brightest angel eyes.
Thanks :buttrock