I was laughing pretty much the whole time I installed these suckers, mainly because they were so inexpensive, and work so well. I spent around 700 dollars to upgrade my 330 to HID headlamps, and now I spent 75 for a similar outcome. Mounting the ballasts was the hardest part, and it wasn't even that hard. This was the first thing I have done on this car that was EASIER than I thought it would be. :alright I will let the pics speak for themselves.

These are 5000K and the picture of course makes them look more blue and ricey than they do in person.

This picture just made me laugh.

Now, can anyone explain to me where the heck the adjustment screws are for aiming the lowbeams?

No messages on your display either?

Link to the auction or to the seller?

They look good!

No OBC errors and here is a link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150165059412

No messages on your display either?

Most new HID kits aren't throwing the Error message.

Looks good, the adjust screws you're looking for are accessable through the plastic grills. The two holes at the bottom (and between the lights) will adjust height of the beam. And the top holes (on opposite sides I believe?) adjust the horizontal plane.

Is this all right? Have someone double check. I'd run outside but its raining.

EDIT: try this.... http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/4200/headlightshb0.jpg

No OBC errors and here is a link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150165059412

Thank you.

No OBC errors and here is a link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150165059412

Same seller I bought a set of 10000k off of for my bike.

damn brett that looks AWESOME hahaha, i can't believe only $75..... and damn the cutoff with the e34 projectors is clean as hell...... cleaner than my cutoff :(

no more candles for headlights for you!!

nice choice with the 5000k by the way ;) haha

EDIT: try this....

Hmm, So if my headlights appear to be a little crosseyed, where are the vertical adjustments?

AWESOME result ;-)...thanks for posting

Hmm, So if my headlights appear to be a little crosseyed, where are the vertical adjustments?

the picture above is correct.

the picture above is correct.

All I see is height adjustment in the above picture

you said you wanted vertical adjustment... that is height.

If you meant horizontal, it is still correct it is behind the corner

Yeah, height is vertical.... I should have used Vert and Horiz, my bad.

Very nice.. I may have to look into those too.

I think I am going to get these right now... damn. I cant think of anything else better to spend 75 dollars on.

I converted my car when it was $280 for a set.

It look right at home. You will never like halogen again.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/2358000-2358999/2358062_24_full.jpg

I posted a while back, and its amazing what these lights will do for your car. Best upgrade for under $100.00 bucks for sure.
BTW - if anyone is getting the low beam obc display error, use the relay trick. It only costs a couple of dollars, but will eliminate the error message. I don't understand what causes the message( I mean why some HID kits cause it, I know in general its because they don't have a filament to run the current through), because it seems hit or miss.. Anyways, I installed two cheap relays and everything is perfect. I got the 6000K from a different ebay site, and I really love them. Just like you (fkong777) I converted my other cars when they were $300 - $500 a set, so I was ecstatic to see them finally this cheap.

ALSO - do not upgrade to the so called "capacitor" wire harnesses. These do not work in the e34s for the low beam error message. They only work in the newer cars, so DON'T waste your money. If you have problems, just wire in the relays. (You can search my other post and see how its done.)

I noticed a couple of you guys were in Colleyville TX. I live in Arlington, but work out in that area. That's pretty cool.

Ah I was all mixed up thinking height was horizontal. Anyway, these are great for our cars because most of us already have projectors. Does anyone know why BMW put projectors on these cars?

I noticed a couple of you guys were in Colleyville TX. I live in Arlington, but work out in that area. That's pretty cool.

Where do you work in Colleyville? I am in Austin for school, but I am back in DFW every once in a while.

My HIDs really look like they belong from the factory. That glass "sphere" inside the lens looks just like the new BMW HIDs.

Small world. My cousin is in Austin at UT. I used to work off Southlake Blvd, but now my office moved to Hwy 26. BUT... I cut back on real estate work and am going to law school in Fort Worth.

Might I ask where you guys are mounting the ballasts?
I have the motorized hellas so really no place I can see that wouldn't look out of place. Certianly wouldn't want to put them on the engine side (backside) of the headlight splash shield since that has to come out completely to access the lights, and the driverside fenderwell is pretty full, withthe SLS reservoir etc...
Am I overlooking an obvious location below the headlights somewhere?

on the same page as attack...please shed some light....cocky.

Well I probably could have mounted mine a lot better, but I didn't want to drill any holes and I didn't want to place them too low because I wasn't sure if they were 100% waterproof. I was also limited by the length of the cables, so I couldn't place them that far away. On the drivers side, I used a single screw through a bracket for something that I assume my car was not equipped with.

For the passenger side, I used the supplied double sided tape square, and attached it to the washer fluid resevoir. I didn't really work at the ballast placement too much, I didn't care if it looked OEM or not, because my engine bay is full of broken plastic brackets and mounts; not exactly a showroom piece.

For the passenger side, I used the supplied double sided tape square, and attached it to the washer fluid resevoir. I didn't really work at the ballast placement too much, I didn't care if it looked OEM or not, because my engine bay is full of broken plastic brackets and mounts; not exactly a showroom piece.

Just be careful pouring water into that washer tank ...

Most new HID kits aren't throwing the Error message.

I never got a message either. I'm running 6500K Kaixen HIDs that were totally plug and play. Just put them in, mounted the ballasts and went.

I've been wanting to pick up another set for my fogs...anybody tried this? I wonder if it will display a message?

I really wanna buy a set now. If it wasn't for the misfire I had to address (which cost me 250 dollars), I'd so be running HIDs now.

You will never like halogen again. qft.

amazing how cheap hid kits are now.

Don't worry about a little splash of water guys. Most kits these days can handle it. Just dont park in a lake.

My Genesis kit gets a tad wet when i drive in the rain and they've never misfired.

I mounted mine here:
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3679/dsc00781ghlj5.jpg

BTW - if anyone is getting the low beam obc display error, use the relay trick. It only costs a couple of dollars, but will eliminate the error message. I don't understand what causes the message( I mean why some HID kits cause it, I know in general its because they don't have a filament to run the current through), because it seems hit or miss.. Anyways, I installed two cheap relays and everything is perfect. I got the 6000K from a different ebay site, and I really love them. Just like you (fkong777) I converted my other cars when they were $300 - $500 a set, so I was ecstatic to see them finally this cheap.

I have the LOW BEAM error, with a similar kit from eBay. Any info on the relay trick would be appreciated.

http://www.bbesound.com/bmw/hidinstall/

done.

http://www.bbesound.com/bmw/hidinstall/

done.

Damn! That's the same diagram I used and I could never find it again. It works great. Except, I did not upgrade my fuses like that guy did. I had some spare relays lying around and it took fifteen minutes to hook up. I had to hook a relay to both sides.

The error message will go away, so don't give up hope.!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I've been wondering for the longest time about the results of the Ebay HID kits! They look great, I'll definitely grab a pair.

Damn. It's time to take the plunge. Well, it's not much of a plunge these days. More of a comfortable drop. My H1's are 3 years old and worn out. I was going to buy new bulbs, but now I might as well just buy HID's.

I converted my car when it was $280 for a set.

It look right at home. You will never like halogen again.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/6/web/2358000-2358999/2358062_24_full.jpg

Is yours 5000k?

^ Wondering the same. That looks PERFECT on a black E34.

Go 6000k, you won't regret it.

Go 6000k, you won't regret it.

+1.... my 6k is beautiful!

Go 6000k, you won't regret it.

How's your kit doing?

How's your kit doing?

Still waiting on the f'in smileys to arrive. :mad

Thanks for asking though! :stickoutt

6000K eh / I'm planning on installing a HID kit myself soon. I was thinking like 4800 but I like the look of that pic.

6000k looks super sexy. I thought it would be too blue, but its perfect, and looks great when you see the amber turns on too. (a nice contrast)

3000ks in the fogs would look amazing too...

http://www.xenonpros.com/3000K-2.jpg

6000k looks super sexy. I thought it would be too blue, but its perfect, and looks great when you see the amber turns on too. (a nice contrast)

3000ks in the fogs would look amazing too...

http://www.xenonpros.com/3000K-2.jpg

I emailed him yesterday about 3000k... :devillook

I emailed him yesterday about 3000k... :devillook

Yeah, if my smileys don't get here by tomorrow and I have to postpone the install by a week then I'm going ahead and getting 3k fogs.

I think mine are blue enough, a tad bit more blue than my 330 with oem HIDs. I was just going for maximum light output. To each his own, but either way, it is 1000x better than the stock halogen candles.

Yeah, if my smileys don't get here by tomorrow and I have to postpone the install by a week then I'm going ahead and getting 3k fogs.

3k fogs are hawt. I have 3k for my Highs. ;)

3k fogs are hawt. I have 3k for my Highs. ;)

Let's just play "How much can Denton spend on lighting mods while he still hasn't bought an EAT chip".

:rofl

3k fogs are hawt. I have 3k for my Highs. ;)

Oh jesus christ, do you have pictures? ;)

I would love to see that, but, out of curiosity, does it make it had to flash them for a quick second? As HIDs sorta flash on and then fad in?

OMG I want HID for this cheap lol. Anybody know if I will get an error message w/ these on my 97' e39?

Thanks for the EBAY Link!

Those look great.... man, for that cheap, I'm now seriously thinking of getting a set. When they were hundreds of dollars, it was something I wanted but would never spend the money on... but hell, for under a hundred, how do you not?

Does anyone have a set of these on smiley projectors?? Do they work as well?

The reason I ask, and those with smileys will know, the light cutoff is a little different... they don't cut straight across, but straight on one side, and a bit up on the other. The problem is that the up portion is facing oncoming traffic. Would these lights blind the fuck out of people? If I don't make any sense, I can try to elaborate....

But yeah, sweet lights! I'm jealous.

Those look great.... man, for that cheap, I'm now seriously thinking of getting a set. When they were hundreds of dollars, it was something I wanted but would never spend the money on... but hell, for under a hundred, how do you not?

Does anyone have a set of these on smiley projectors?? Do they work as well?

The reason I ask, and those with smileys will know, the light cutoff is a little different... they don't cut straight across, but straight on one side, and a bit up on the other. The problem is that the up portion is facing oncoming traffic. Would these lights blind the fuck out of people? If I don't make any sense, I can try to elaborate....

But yeah, sweet lights! I'm jealous.
The up and to the side portion is (or rather should be), only on the right side to help illuminate signs and pedestrians. It should definitely not be shining into oncoming traffic.

Those look great.... man, for that cheap, I'm now seriously thinking of getting a set. When they were hundreds of dollars, it was something I wanted but would never spend the money on... but hell, for under a hundred, how do you not?

Does anyone have a set of these on smiley projectors?? Do they work as well?

The reason I ask, and those with smileys will know, the light cutoff is a little different... they don't cut straight across, but straight on one side, and a bit up on the other. The problem is that the up portion is facing oncoming traffic. Would these lights blind the fuck out of people? If I don't make any sense, I can try to elaborate....

But yeah, sweet lights! I'm jealous.


The cutoff line within the projector should be adjustable to suit US driving (cutoff slant to the right).

Which is "bluer" 6k or 5k?

Which is "bluer" 6k or 5k?

6

Same seller I bought a set of 10000k off of for my bike.

How long have you had them and have you had any problems? I'm seriously thinking about buying some 6000k.

How long have you had them and have you had any problems? I'm seriously thinking about buying some 6000k.

I actually have only had the 10k on for the initial burn in. They're not yet installed on the bike. Sorry I couldn't really help.

Really how hard is this to install. How were the instructions? Were they in Chinglish or did they make sense, especially to someone with no experience with electric work.

Really how hard is this to install. How were the instructions? Were they in Chinglish or did they make sense, especially to someone with no experience with electric work.

chinglish :rofl

Really how hard is this to install. How were the instructions? Were they in Chinglish or did they make sense, especially to someone with no experience with electric work.

The way all the plugs go together, I don't think it is possible to screw it up by reversing polarity or anything like that. It is pretty much like replacing a headlight, except you have to find a spot for the ballast.

The way all the plugs go together, I don't think it is possible to screw it up by reversing polarity or anything like that. It is pretty much like replacing a headlight, except you have to find a spot for the ballast.

Can you take a picture of the inside? I'm gonna order mine soon.. probably going 6000K though

I think I can do it. Plug and play is my friend. Its not that I am dumb, just too afraid of screwing up all the time! About how long would it take? So that if I do chicken out, I can budget the time in at the next service with my mechanic.

chinglish :rofl

Why would they be in tex mex???

For the most part, they are plug and play in the E34s. I did run across a kit that had the harness reversed. So if nothing happens when you plug the lights in check and make sure the polarities match up. Or better yet, do it before you plug and play. Barring any problems, the longest part will be finding a place for your ballasts. It will literally take you five minutes a side to plug them up and get them working.

My recommendation is still the 6000K. In person, they are not too bluish/purple. A while back someone told me that factory uses 4300K, but due to the (refraction rate???) or something they actually look like the aftermarket 6000Ks. I compared my ebay 6000ks to my friends 2003 330 with factory HIDs, and they looked pretty comparable.

I really don't think you will be dissapointed with the 6000k bulbs. Either way, I would only choose between the 4300k or the 6000k. Lower will be yellow, and higher will be blue(with much less light output). The 7000k and above look very "fake", like the old blue tinted "hyper"whites.

If anyone is still getting the error message, just follow the link that MacR posted earlier. If you still have questions, I'll be happy to walk you through the relay process.

My first set has lasted over three years and counting, and it's been four months smooth sailing with the new sets (bought five sets from ebay, different seller)

I am tempted to get a set of 3000k for my foglights, the contrast would look awesome. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense!!!! I am going to order some right now because I just talked myself into it.

Can you take a picture of the inside? I'm gonna order mine soon.. probably going 6000K though
I am not sure what you mean by "the inside."

I am not sure what you mean by "the inside."

Inside the engine bay.. where the ballasts are mounted, how the bulbs are inserted in the lights...etc...

If you gimme a week I can make a write up for the install with pics. We'll be installing a set (maybe two) on 4500rpm's 5.

Am I correct in saying that I should get 5000K for best light output?

Best output is 4300k. Above that output is inverse to the temp. For example, 5000k has better output than 8000k, but worse (not by much) output than 4300k. Just the same; 3000k has more output than 2500k, but less than 4300k.

So if you can't get 4300k, yes 5000k is the next best thing. It's close enough that you wouldn't notice the slight loss. You won't really notice any loss until you get to the 8kk to 10kk or above range.

I bought the 6k's after seeing the 1st post about these. They are excellent! I'm still getting the error warning even after installing the capacitors so thanks for the article.
My E28 has euro-lights which are H4 so I'm getting ready to install hid's on that car as well.
Best bang for buck that I've bought in a long time.
Fred/Houston

Inside the engine bay.. where the ballasts are mounted, how the bulbs are inserted in the lights...etc...

I posted pictures earlier in the thread of my crappy ballast locations. The bulbs go into the headlight exactly like the old ones do.

The bulbs go into the headlight exactly like the old ones do.

cool.. I think that was my main concern. I didn't want some hacked up system. my turbo is already affixed with duct tape.. I wonder if that's why it feels like a regular 535i??? :stickoutt.

The up and to the side portion is (or rather should be), only on the right side to help illuminate signs and pedestrians. It should definitely not be shining into oncoming traffic.

Mine came the way they are... shining into traffic. I know that they are supposed to be shining the other way, but I figured they were taylored for RHD cars... is there any way to adjsut this?

I've seen this asked before, but I don't remember anyone coming up with a solution. If anyone knows of one, I'd be very interested to know how...

I bought the 6k's after seeing the 1st post about these. They are excellent! I'm still getting the error warning even after installing the capacitors so thanks for the article.
My E28 has euro-lights which are H4 so I'm getting ready to install hid's on that car as well.
Best bang for buck that I've bought in a long time.
Fred/Houston

Hey Fred, I'm been looking for you because I think you bought from the guy on my earlier post. Do the relay trick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
It only takes a couple minutes, and it will resolve your low beam error messages. You don't need the capacitor wires, those are for newer cars. Let me know if you need any help.

I just ordered the 3000k H1 foglamp bulbs. It should look pretty cool with the blue and yellow contrast.

sweet success story, will get 3000k for the low's. I have 4300's in the S70's stock housing and they are awesome, I dont care who says you need projectors. Just point them up a little and the poor beam pattern is gone:alright

Would there be any problems in running 6k HIDs in the lows as well as 6k HIDs in the fogs? Is the only reason people are going 3ks for the colour or should they be lower temp?

Would there be any problems in running 6k HIDs in the lows as well as 6k HIDs in the fogs? Is the only reason people are going 3ks for the colour or should they be lower temp?

Color.

Alright, I ordered these tuesday maybe and they came today and they look sweet. I am no longer afraid of running off the road because I can't see it. I went with 5000k and I love it. The only problem was trying to find a place to mount the ballast on the driver's side.

Don't be afraid to mount them low. Water won't kill them as easy as everyone thinks. However, keep them in a vented spot. They get prettttty hot.

noticed the e-bay offer charges a lot for shipping?

…yeah. its 25 bucks for the kit, 50 for shipping: 75 bucks for the kit

Would these work well as highbeams also? I'm ordering them for the lows and fogs, just thought may as well change them all out. I just won't be flashing people.

Would these work well as highbeams also? I'm ordering them for the lows and fogs, just thought may as well change them all out. I just won't be flashing people.

I don't see why they wouldn't work, unless there is some danger of them melting the housing, which I dont think there is. It does sound like you are going to have a ballast orgy going on in your engine bay though :redspot

Would these work well as highbeams also? I'm ordering them for the lows and fogs, just thought may as well change them all out. I just won't be flashing people.

I'd leave the high's alone :nono You wont use them if you get xenon's, just point the lows a little higher, thats what I did...

I'd leave the high's alone :nono You wont use them if you get xenon's, just point the lows a little higher, thats what I did...

Not to mention the highs are already bright as hell.

Very true. HID's in the fogs or highs are usually just for looks. A nice normal bulb will be just as good.

My high beams suck! Will have to find some decent normal globes to replace them with I guess.

The e-bay seller mentioned in the first post told me that my 95 would have the "headlight out" error. Something different on the later models?

Also was there any wire cutting involved? I would want to maintain my stock wiring.

No wire cutting involved.

No, the whole thing plugged together easily and I have no error code on my 95. I have my old incandescents in my car now in case one of these goes out, I can just unplug them and plug my old ones back in until I get a replacement.

jcraig, Just be sure. What is the source and manufacturer of your HIDs? If they work well, seems I should go to the same source. :) Thanks

I got them from the same ebay seller as petespokerplane and racerhoze

http://stores.ebay.com/Great-Outdoors-Equipments

^that guy

you guys got the 9006s?

Do you need any special wiring harnesses that don't come with the kit?

?

you guys got the 9006s?

Do you need any special wiring harnesses that don't come with the kit?

sorry.. but did you read the thread?

sorry.. but did you read the thread?

yeah, they said the installation was easy but I was just ordering a set of smilies and not sure whether I should get the universal 9005/9006 HID wiring harness for them

Does anyone have a set of these on smiley projectors?? Do they work as well?

The reason I ask, and those with smileys will know, the light cutoff is a little different... they don't cut straight across, but straight on one side, and a bit up on the other. The problem is that the up portion is facing oncoming traffic. Would these lights blind the fuck out of people? If I don't make any sense, I can try to elaborate....

But yeah, sweet lights! I'm jealous.


I fitted two sets to my E34. I live in Ireland so drive a RHD car. The smileys are standard over here. Both sets I got are 4300k. Mounted one set in the fogs and the other in the low beams. I can tell you the results are fantastic. Light output on the lows is 10 times better. In most cases, you don't really need to use high beams at all.
The kits worked out at 200euro for both delivered. Amazing bargin.
I mounted the ballasts for the fogs in the bumper. I just drilled into the big alloy panel inside the bumper. Nice and neat I think. For the low beams, I zipped tied the brackets onto the back of the light splash guards.

The 4300k gives pure withe light, with a blue flash at the cutoff point. It really helps to make the car look fresher, without being ricey.

Don't think about doing it folks, just go buy a set and DO IT :D

Mine came the way they are... shining into traffic. I know that they are supposed to be shining the other way, but I figured they were taylored for RHD cars... is there any way to adjsut this?

I've seen this asked before, but I don't remember anyone coming up with a solution. If anyone knows of one, I'd be very interested to know how...

do an advanced search for "smilies" with username 'ironie' (i think that's the spelling). He did a post a few months ago about refurishing a set of euro smilies, and showed how to change them from rhd pattern to left. They are adjustable, requires minor disassembly.

yeah, they said the installation was easy but I was just ordering a set of smilies and not sure whether I should get the universal 9005/9006 HID wiring harness for them

You are aware that Euro Smileys are H1, right? :confused

Hey Fred, I'm been looking for you because I think you bought from the guy on my earlier post. Do the relay trick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!
It only takes a couple minutes, and it will resolve your low beam error messages. You don't need the capacitor wires, those are for newer cars. Let me know if you need any help.

I just ordered the 3000k H1 foglamp bulbs. It should look pretty cool with the blue and yellow contrast.

Hi petespokerplane,
I'm going to read up on this trick and do it. The capacitors did not work and I still get the lowbeam warning.
I want to thank you for the original post where you suggested these lights.
I'm about to pick up a pair for my E28 as well, as well as several of my E28 buddies.
You should have asked that site for a commission:)
Thanks for the advice.
Fred/Houston

My high beams suck! Will have to find some decent normal globes to replace them with I guess.

HID's don't work well in hi beams because they take several seconds to come to full brightness. Use a 9011 HIR lamp in the high beam, they put out 2350 lumens (stock 9005 is 1700), draw the same current as stock and drop right in with very minor tab trimming. They run $50 a pair or so. You can get them from 1) Rallylights.com, 2) HIRlights.com, or 3) Danielsternlighting.

You are aware that Euro Smileys are H1, right? :confused

I just bought these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140172837683&rd=1

He says they use H4... do i get the H4 kit from the same guy as OP

How about the 9011 lamp in the low beams?. That would give quite a bit of light. I have the 9012s (actually John Deere bulbs) now and looking for a bit more light inmy low beams.

I just bought these

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140172837683&rd=1

He says they use H4... do i get the H4 kit from the same guy as OP

If those are depo and he said h4 he's wrong. They're h1. However..... h4 might still fit.

How about the 9011 lamp in the low beams?. That would give quite a bit of light. I have the 9012s (actually John Deere bulbs) now and looking for a bit more light inmy low beams.

Yes you can do it. You have to follow the instructions from bmwe34.net for swapping a 9006 to 9005 bulb. Doing so will net you an increase in low beam output from the 1800 lumens (9012 HIR) to the 2350 lumens (9011 HIR), compared to your stock low beam was 1000 lumens (9006). While the HID has a higher output 2800-3200 lumens, it also has a much lower color rendering index (70 range) compared to incandescent bulbs (which HIR's are), which are up in the high 90's. Color rendering is an important part of seeing correctly.

If those are depo and he said h4 he's wrong. They're h1. However..... h4 might still fit.

so I should get the H1 kit?

I'd get H1. If they don't fit for some retarded reason you can return them.

Depo are H1, those looks exactly like depo lamps. If that seller for some reason has them in h4 it would confuse the hell out of me.

The e-bay seller mentioned in the first post told me that my 95 would have the "headlight out" error. Something different on the later models?

Also was there any wire cutting involved? I would want to maintain my stock wiring.

Again, the bottom line is that the low beam error message seems to be hit or miss on any E34. Anyway you mount and wire the lights, you should not cut any of the factory wires! You should just plug in the wire harnesses and if you need to do the relay trick, then you just splice into the wires. I would not advise any cutting of factory wires. If for some strange reason you need to put back the original bulbs, then just unplug and plug back in.

And if you're worried about doing the relay trick, don't be. You are only tapping into the highbeam wires for purposes of tricking your car into thinking that your headlights still offer the same resistance, but the power for the HIDs still come from the same headlight wiring. If you are really concerned about not using the stock headlight wiring to run the HIDs, then you can order the optional wiring kit that draws power directly from the battery and uses a relay from the original headlights to turn them on.

Hi petespokerplane,
I'm going to read up on this trick and do it. The capacitors did not work and I still get the lowbeam warning.
I want to thank you for the original post where you suggested these lights.
I'm about to pick up a pair for my E28 as well, as well as several of my E28 buddies.
You should have asked that site for a commission:)
Thanks for the advice.
Fred/Houston

Did you get the relay to work and remove the error message?

Like I said in my original post, I'm not in any way affiliated with them or receive any kickback or commision from them, but I did mention to the seller that if we bought from them mulitiple sets, they would consider a small discount, maybe $5 off a set or something. Tell your buddies to mention bimmerforum and us, and that more people may buy from them, they might get a little money off.

I got the error :( Its hit or miss when it wants to go on too. The link that was posted stated that they only did it to one side of the car, if that does not work, will that mean that I would have to get a second relay for the second set of bulbs?

I got the error :( Its hit or miss when it wants to go on too. The link that was posted stated that they only did it to one side of the car, if that does not work, will that mean that I would have to get a second relay for the second set of bulbs?

I had to do both sides, but I might actually start with the driver's side. Either way it took less than twenty minutes to wire everything u. If you turn the lights on before the car and then turn off the car before the lights, then you won't get the error, but that's a big hassle.

I just ordered a set of these for my touring....and a buddy of mine is going to order a set for his 91 525i pretty soon (assuming we can fix the current problem with the headlight wiring) I can't wait to get my car back and get these in the mail so I can install them and actually see when I'm driving to and from work (it's getting to the point where it's dark when I go to work and shortly after work it's dark already :(

I'm getting that same HID kit for Christmas.

Is it hard to install?

^ Not at all.....HID kits are all basically plug and play. The only thing is mounting the ballasts, and even that is easy. Thats why I encourage people to do it.

I just ordered myself a 6000k kit. I was gonna wait a little longer to get those, but considering that I work 3rd shift and do lots of driving at night in general, I just went ahead and purchased them ... I can't wait for them to get here.

i got 4300k. pure white ftmfw.

Well installing them was easy, but I am scared to death having anything to do with splicing or cutting wires, so I am just going to bite the bullet and give the instructions to my indie to do. With all this new found light it seems my right globe is loose, and it seems that it has something to do with the adjustment screw. I can tell now that the light is aimed way down, but I cant adjust it, because everytime I do the globe just gets looser. Probably some little plastic part?

Where do you guys get the pure white 4300Ks? I REALLY want some now, and a second kit for fogs. 4300Ks for lows, and 6000Ks for fogs is what I'ma do.

CTE34 - Have you installed them yet, or going to? Please make it a DIY, I can guide you through it, just PM for any help at all.

slocar - yeah dude, nice. What's amazing about them is how they operate cooler than incandescent halogens, last muuuch longer, and have much better shock tolerance. Plus, they use less current, and are like 100 times more efficient.

Question for those that have installed them already: do you really have to adjust the lights? This makes no sense to me since you're just using a higher output light source and not doing anything that would affect their present adjustment.

Someone educate me, and pardon my ignorance.

I know I didn't. You mean like aiming them? No. You could always have your shop check 'em. :dunno

Yeah aiming/vertical adjustment, whatever ... everyone here is talking about it and I honestly don't see why it would be necessary ...

has anyone had any trouble with their HID and cops? big deal or no?

^ It's technically not DOT legal. BUT, I installed my kit before the car's annual inspection, and it passed just fine. As long as you have ellipsoidal, not free form headlights, you can use HIDs, and shouldn't have any problems.

The installation was fine, the instructions they gave were easy to understand. I just asked my mechanic where to mount the ballasts, and I had to put them in back of the high beam bulbs. The only problem is that its going to be hard to change out those in the future.
I am having the OBC error problem and it seems a loose globe that I cant seem to tighten or aim properly and with a traction control light (another thread) steady, I am going to have him look at these things.

I doubt you're going to be harassed for them ... if you get pulled for it, just tell the cop they came from the factory ... most of them wont know any better anyway.

I must say too, the 5k were VERY blue, glad I didn't go with the 6k, would have been too much for sure, will post pics when my ebay special digicam decides to work!

I attempted to install the H1 kit for my fogs and ran into a problem. The socket for the stock fogs does not fit into the ballast. In a very simplistic way, the socket for the ballast looks like [| |] and the socket for the fog looks like [o o]. Any takes?

Sorry, but stock fog bulbs at least a 95 525i is H1. I did a search on the 3 series section and someone posted a step-by-step process, but that requires basic soldering and wire cutting. I was hoping there was an easier method of installing.

As far as aiming the stock lights, you should really take care to confirm that you are not blinding people. Mine went in just fine, and I really didn't need to make any adjustments. I'm in Texas, and these lights are fine. I even got a set for my buddy whose a Fort Worth police officer. No problems passing inspection.

CTE34 - Are you sure that yours were 5k? The 5000K are pretty rare, and usually its from a manufacturer that rates their product different. Because the 4300K are pure white, but to get the effect of the new BMWs in the E34, you really need to get the 6000K. The refraction point is different on the new cars, so to the regular eye, the 6000K bulbs in an E34 will look like the 4300K bulbs of the OEM BMW.
I've never had anyone say that my 6000K bulbs were too blue. I agree that the 7000k are blue, but the light on the 6000K still looks pretty white until you look directly at the bulb or at something the light shines on, then you get that slight bluish/purple halo, but that's my favorite part of HIDs.
Either way you go, HIDs are a million times better than what came with our cars.

Sorry, but stock fog bulbs at least a 95 525i is H1. I did a search on the 3 series section and someone posted a step-by-step process, but that requires basic soldering and wire cutting. I was hoping there was an easier method of installing.

No, that's if you have Euro smileys then they're H1. Stock U.S. Ellips are 9006.

No, that's if you have Euro smileys then they're H1. Stock U.S. Ellips are 9006.

4500 RPM - That is correct, but I'm putting these in my fogs...not my low beams. I already have a set for my lows (6K) and wanted another set for my fogs so they can match.

5k is what I ordered and what was written on the box, but really nothing official anywhere else states that. My right headlight assembly I now found out was really fudged up, it was pointing to the ground and couldn't be adjusted. I find it really funny though, I have had the car since 2004 and it must have been like that since then, but the halogens were so bad I couldn't even tell :D

I installed my 6000k's yesterday... lots more light, but can someone please explain to me in detail/give me a close-up pic or wahtever where the vertical adjusters are ... i need to raise mine up a bit. i never even realized how poorly adjusted my lights are until now.

I installed my 6000k's yesterday... lots more light, but can someone please explain to me in detail/give me a close-up pic or wahtever where the vertical adjusters are ... i need to raise mine up a bit. i never even realized how poorly adjusted my lights are until now.

There's a diagram on the first page of this thread

Look through the plastic light grill between each headlight towards the bottom are two holes. The the corresponding bolt adjusts the headlight.

Oops. Sorry guys .. I saw the pic on page 1 right after I posted.

I raised them up a bit ... seems much better from what I can see on my fence ... we'll see how it is tomorrow evening when I take it for a spin (would tonight, but the car is blocked in my 2 cars I don't feel like moving).

btw, Racerhose, I got a different harness than you did (probably because I noted the car I'm buying this for is a BMW) ... it has a big capacitor on it right next to the fuse ... don't know if it really does anything for our cars, but from what I understand it should help prevent any potential flickering. (white canister type of deal in pic below)

As for the mounting of the ballasts, I stole your idea for both sides, except I made the drivers side a bit neater. (crappy phone pic)
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3876/baatz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Passenger side, I stuck it to the washer tank as well ... really no other location for it short of taking off the bumper and stuffing it under there somewhere.

And another crappy daytime, cellphone pic of the difference
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9550/1107071644smallrd2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What type of bulb is needed for the '95 M540i?

US spec cars: 9006 low beam, 9005 high beam ...
Euro spec/canada cars, H1 I believe for the low beams, but don't quote me on that. Better check what you got in there now.

Damnit, I want the capacitors now, mine do the random flicker every once in a while. damn.

Oops. Sorry guys .. I saw the pic on page 1 right after I posted.

I raised them up a bit ... seems much better from what I can see on my fence ... we'll see how it is tomorrow evening when I take it for a spin (would tonight, but the car is blocked in my 2 cars I don't feel like moving).

btw, Racerhose, I got a different harness than you did (probably because I noted the car I'm buying this for is a BMW) ... it has a big capacitor on it right next to the fuse ... don't know if it really does anything for our cars, but from what I understand it should help prevent any potential flickering. (white canister type of deal in pic below)

As for the mounting of the ballasts, I stole your idea for both sides, except I made the drivers side a bit neater. (crappy phone pic)
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/3876/baatz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Passenger side, I stuck it to the washer tank as well ... really no other location for it short of taking off the bumper and stuffing it under there somewhere.

And another crappy daytime, cellphone pic of the difference
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9550/1107071644smallrd2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What brand did you get?

Damnit, I want the capacitors now, mine do the random flicker every once in a while. damn.
I've seen e46 guys wire them in before ... it shouldn't cost but a few dollars at RadioShack and a few minutes of your time.

What brand did you get?
No idea; it doesn't say anywhere. I followed the link Racerhoze posted to the ebay seller ... his ebay ID is "hidgate".

Damnit, I want the capacitors now, mine do the random flicker every once in a while. damn.

I don't think those capacitors help in the case of our E34s. Those are designed to eliminate the burned headlight warning on newer cars.

If you are having flickering problems, then either your ballast is bad which seems like a common problem with some brands, or you need to get the "extended" wiring kit. Instead of plug and play, they offer a larger wiring kit that uses relays and draw power from the battery instead of from the headlight plug. Most ebay sellers have access to this wiring harness and sell them for about $10.00. They are still really easy to install.

I bought about five sets and several other members here as well, and I don't think any of us have the flickering. Although another set I bought from another ebayer resulted in flickering lights. I think its in the ballast.

my right headlight now seems to be flickering.. It only does it under acceleration though. If its not something as easy as getting a new ballast than I am just going to suck it up.

my right headlight now seems to be flickering.. It only does it under acceleration though. If its not something as easy as getting a new ballast than I am just going to suck it up.

If you get flickering HIDs, its usually the ballast is bad. Get an exchange from the seller now, because most will offer a little warranty. Usually, they will get batches of these lights that are bad, so they should know of the problem.

Try switching the ballasts from side to side and that would obviously determine if one side is bad.

No messages on your display either?

Link to the auction or to the seller?

did you order/install any of these yet?

general question for those with these kits; what type of projectors are you putting them in? Obviously, I'm not going to put these in the standard US housings; that'd be nasty....

so, for our '93 525 I'd need to get new housings too, yes? what about smileys?

thoughts?

amazing price for the kit......

Mine are in the projectors. However, a little caveat emptor here, I've been having some trouble with this same kit. It takes me several tries (read: usu. over a minute) to get both lights to come on. I need to go troubleshoot the system and let them know what parts they need to replace. At least it has a 1 year warranty.

Mine are in the projectors. However, a little caveat emptor here, I've been having some trouble with this same kit. It takes me several tries (read: usu. over a minute) to get both lights to come on. I need to go troubleshoot the system and let them know what parts they need to replace. At least it has a 1 year warranty.

which projectors? euro? something else?

if euro, which kit did you order? h1?

finally - any errors other than the problem with the lights coming on? hopefully, they can fix that for you - that would be very annoying....

Mine are in the projectors. However, a little caveat emptor here, I've been having some trouble with this same kit. It takes me several tries (read: usu. over a minute) to get both lights to come on. I need to go troubleshoot the system and let them know what parts they need to replace. At least it has a 1 year warranty.
I read it's LKM issues. I ordered a new LKM to see if that does anything ... picking it up from the post office tomorrow.

edit: yes, i occasionally have the same issue.

I read it's LKM issues. I ordered a new LKM to see if that does anything ... picking it up from the post office tomorrow.

edit: yes, i occasionally have the same issue.

It's not occasional, it's every time. But I did a little troubleshooting and found it to be that one of the bulbs was not operating correctly. Did the warranty stuff and dropped it in the mail to them today so we'll see. Does not seem to be anything inherently wrong with the system…unless its the system that screwed up the bulb. I should know after a few weeks of running with the new bulb.

It's not occasional, it's every time. But I did a little troubleshooting and found it to be that one of the bulbs was not operating correctly. Did the warranty stuff and dropped it in the mail to them today so we'll see. Does not seem to be anything inherently wrong with the system…unless its the system that screwed up the bulb. I should know after a few weeks of running with the new bulb.
So what exactly is wrong with it? Is it getting shorted out on something? Mine only fails to fire like once in ...a blue moon.

Couple install questions for you guys who have already installed HIDs. I have a DDM 6K H1 kit with slim ballasts.

Looking at my kit the bulb wiring has two sockets male and female and a large male connector that leads to two spades near the bulb. The large male fits into the large female on the ballast but isnt that for stock wiring plug?

forums.bimmerforums DOT COM/forum/showthread.php?t=716091
forums.bimmerforums DOT COM/forum/showthread.php?t=834566

I can't post any links so replace the "DOT COM" with .com

Couple install questions for you guys who have already installed HIDs. I have a DDM 6K H1 kit with slim ballasts.

Looking at my kit the bulb wiring has two sockets male and female and a large male connector that leads to two spades near the bulb. The large male fits into the large female on the ballast but isnt that for stock wiring plug?

Did you get the relay to work and remove the error message?

Like I said in my original post, I'm not in any way affiliated with them or receive any kickback or commision from them, but I did mention to the seller that if we bought from them mulitiple sets, they would consider a small discount, maybe $5 off a set or something. Tell your buddies to mention bimmerforum and us, and that more people may buy from them, they might get a little money off.
Peter,
I haven't tried your trick yet. I've been leatheriquing seats for a friend in my *cough* "spare time" & haven't had the time.
Perhaps this long weekend. I'll let you know how it goes and Thanks!
Fred/Houston

It's not occasional, it's every time. But I did a little troubleshooting and found it to be that one of the bulbs was not operating correctly. Did the warranty stuff and dropped it in the mail to them today so we'll see. Does not seem to be anything inherently wrong with the system…unless its the system that screwed up the bulb. I should know after a few weeks of running with the new bulb.new lkm in, first firing ...same ****ing deal.

:(:rolleyes

any tips on troubleshooting?

new lkm in, first firing ...same ****ing deal.

:(:rolleyes

any tips on troubleshooting?

Not sure. I just swapped components side to side until I found that the problem moved with the component and it was the bulb. The bulb that was bad was a little dimmer and more blue and there was some charred looking stuff around the end of it.

forums.bimmerforums DOT COM/forum/showthread.php?t=716091
forums.bimmerforums DOT COM/forum/showthread.php?t=834566

I can't post any links so replace the "DOT COM" with .com

Looks like they used em to make the stock wiring fit into the balast. I thought it was completely PnP from the stock plug to the ballast... but I haven't had my car for a few weeks so I haven't been able to look. Does it require splicing for the lows?

Not sure. I just swapped components side to side until I found that the problem moved with the component and it was the bulb. The bulb that was bad was a little dimmer and more blue and there was some charred looking stuff around the end of it.

My bulbs are the same as far as light. I swapped them left to right tonight ... we'll see if the problem moves with them.

btw, how much are they charging you to ship it back to you? and is there not a way they can send the component out first then have you send the bad one back? i'd hate to revert back to halogens even if its only for a week.

Few questions.... First of all, I have Depo smilies. No HID's yet, but was thinking of getting the kit in this thread. How many of you that have this kit have had problems other than the low beam failure message?

My lights flicker all the time now with regular bulbs. I thought it was b/c of my stereo, but it still does it even when the stereo is off. Very subtle, but I notice. It seems that it may be in both lows and fogs. Any ideas?

After all the talk of 3k fogs with 6k lows, no one posted pics yet unless I missed it.

I had 6k's is my Volvo 850R wagon and loved em!!!!!

Looks like they used em to make the stock wiring fit into the balast. I thought it was completely PnP from the stock plug to the ballast... but I haven't had my car for a few weeks so I haven't been able to look. Does it require splicing for the lows?

.

http://www.bbesound.com/bmw/HIDinstall/index.htm

please follow this link for instructions regarding wiring HID's and preventing OBC error message.

I would also wire the ballast directly to the car's battery or seperate battery source (jumper post OK and major ignition or accessory wiring OK (large fuse rating))

In this website, relay pin 87 is not wired to anything. I would run pin 87 to the cars battery or alternative source. Once power is applied to the relay from the headlight switch, the relay will click power over to pin 87 (strong power from battery) This will provide solid power to the ballast and when the headlights are off, will allow the OBC to view the high beam bulb resistance.

This is how I will wire my HID's.

Just for reference, here is a complete pinout for the relay

Pin 85: + input from headlight switch wire or low beam +
Pin 86: ground from high beam
Pin 87:battery +
Pin 87A: high beam +
Pin 30:two wires split. 1 going to ballast, 1 going to OBC with diode wired inline. Diode band should point closest to relay pin.

Its been a long day of work for me, can anyone verify this?

Just ordered a pair. We'll see how they look after Christmas :)

I decided not to cut my original wires. I'll live with my stock fogs.

Anyone want the same hid kit? H1 6000K. $55 shipped. Open once, but never used. I can ship it Priority Mail for $60. If interested please email my at jaromechoi at hotmail dot com

I decided not to cut my original wires. I'll live with my stock fogs.

Anyone want the same hid kit? H1 6000K. $55 shipped. Open once, but never used. I can ship it Priority Mail for $60. If interested please email my at jaromechoi at hotmail dot com

I'll take them if its the very same kit we are discussing on this thread ?
Vinny....Paypal ?

Question for those that have installed them already: do you really have to adjust the lights? This makes no sense to me since you're just using a higher output light source and not doing anything that would affect their present adjustment.

Someone educate me, and pardon my ignorance.

No ones more ignorant than me :) and I definatly have to adjust my lights.
The problem is that if you don't adjust them you will see a the line from one beam end inconsistantly with the light from the other beam meaning you can see better from one side of the car than you can from the other.
Mine were pointing straight at the ground after I installed them and I tried aiming the beams but it was hard to find the center of the beam against my garage door because the lights were so bright.
Just this morning it was extremely foggy and could clearly see my right beam cross the front of the car to the left side so now I have to adjust that as well.
For $20 or so your probably better off letting a shop do it, but I highly recommend getting the adjustments right.
Hth's
Fred/Houston

Yup the same exact pair from HIDGATE and I do accept paypal. Please email me so we can swap info.

Yup the same exact pair from HIDGATE and I do accept paypal. Please email me so we can swap info.

Will do !:)

Just curious what do you guys do for the highbeams?

leave em alone
HIDs take a second or so to light off, making HID replacements useless for "flash to pass"

The standard highbeams are more than adequate for night time driving

Just curious what do you guys do for the highbeams?

As attack eagle said, leave em. If you have HIDs you'll notice they ignite and take nearly 10 seconds to get their brightest. So flashing won't really work. If you're putting HIDs into smilies then you'll need to splice the euro harness into the stock wiring.

leave em alone
HIDs take a second or so to light off, making HID replacements useless for "flash to pass"

The standard highbeams are more than adequate for night time driving

As attack eagle said, leave em. If you have HIDs you'll notice they ignite and take nearly 10 seconds to get their brightest. So flashing won't really work. If you're putting HIDs into smilies then you'll need to splice the euro harness into the stock wiring.
No I meant what kind of non hid bulbs do you use. I know about the flash problem when using HID highs. I was just thinking that with the HID lows the stock highs might be a little dim

No I meant what kind of non hid bulbs do you use. I know about the flash problem when using HID highs. I was just thinking that with the HID lows the stock highs might be a little dim

Stock H1s. They look dimmer compared to the old halogens but they're still brighter than the HIDs and good to use if you need to flash someone. Dont use them as much now that I have HIDs though.

Stock H1s. They look dimmer compared to the old halogens but they're still brighter than the HIDs and good to use if you need to flash someone. Dont use them as much now that I have HIDs though.
Thanks

Just put in my order for a 5000k kit with the same seller as the OP. I can't wait to get them, the stockers are pitiful even with new assemblies/bulbs.

No I meant what kind of non hid bulbs do you use. I know about the flash problem when using HID highs. I was just thinking that with the HID lows the stock highs might be a little dim

If I throw the highbeams on when I have my HID's on, the highbeams almost completely overpower the HID's. It's kind of like having just your foglights on, then turning on your lowbeams.

You can only see a small portion of the HID's (3-5 foot long beam) starting near the front of the car.

Just put in my order for a 5000k kit with the same seller as the OP. I can't wait to get them, the stockers are pitiful even with new assemblies/bulbs.

You'll be stoked :D

leave em alone
HIDs take a second or so to light off, making HID replacements useless for "flash to pass"
The standard highbeams are more than adequate for night time driving
HID's don't work well in hi beams because they take several seconds to come to full brightness. Use a 9011 HIR lamp in the high beam, they put out 2350 lumens (stock 9005 is 1700), draw the same current as stock and drop right in with very minor tab trimming. They run $50 a pair or so. You can get them from 1) Rallylights.com, 2) HIRlights.com, or 3) Danielsternlighting.


So these bulbs will work with the Euro High Beams?
Are the Euro Highs the same as the US Highs, with the only difference being the Lows or is it a fully different set up with H1s all round?

Well, we finally decided to upgrade the lighting in our e34.

We have a '93 525i and decided on a kit from Umnitza so I can't comment on the items from the ebay seller in this thread; however, I simply wanted to comment that the workaround for dealing with the Low Beam error does work - and works quite nicely.

I think it was posted earlier in the thread, but here it is again:
http://www.bbesound.com/bmw/hidinstall/

I bought the relay and socket from a car stereo shop. I did have to install the relay on both sides of the car to get the message to go away; apparently some folks have been able to get away with wiring up one side! Still others have no Low Beam failure message - lucky! :)

Anyway - this was a wonderful upgrade to our car, I highly recommend it! I've done this previously on my e36 and couldn't believe the difference there. I'm really amazed again, at the improvement in lighting....

Make sure the lights are properly aligned when done; it only takes a few minutes to get it right.

Same seller I bought a set of 10000k off of for my bike.


Good service I assume?

I posted a while back, and its amazing what these lights will do for your car. Best upgrade for under $100.00 bucks for sure.
BTW - if anyone is getting the low beam obc display error, use the relay trick. It only costs a couple of dollars, but will eliminate the error message. I don't understand what causes the message( I mean why some HID kits cause it, I know in general its because they don't have a filament to run the current through), because it seems hit or miss.. Anyways, I installed two cheap relays and everything is perfect. I got the 6000K from a different ebay site, and I really love them. Just like you (fkong777) I converted my other cars when they were $300 - $500 a set, so I was ecstatic to see them finally this cheap.

ALSO - do not upgrade to the so called "capacitor" wire harnesses. These do not work in the e34s for the low beam error message. They only work in the newer cars, so DON'T waste your money. If you have problems, just wire in the relays. (You can search my other post and see how its done.)


I have checked on the feedback for eBay vendor listed in the post and found that a number of people (including a thread dedicated to this manufacturer in a Honda forum) have been having problems with the units after a short period of time.

For those that upgraded when the units were over $200 - $300 can you post the brand or manufacturer of your units?

They specifically list certain sellers and unit brands as being junk.
- http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2125131&page=1

1. I know we are not talking about installing them into jap crap Hondas however if the products are junk, I would rather install a higher price quality unit on my BMW.

2. Assessories are like tools, I don't work on my BMW with tools from Harbor Frieght when I can prevent causing more damage by buying craftsmen or Snap-on. I don't want to waste $$ by overspending but I don't want to throw cash out the window either.

3 Maybe those who have installed the systems can post pics of the ballast units so that we are sure the group is comparing apples to apples.

Thanks!

Has anyone tried wiring a resistor in parallel to the HID bulb in order to fool the OBC?

re: resistors...

if you search around umnitza's site, as well as a few other HID/Xenon sites you will find mention of resistors wired in parallel.

i went the relay route as mentioned earlier and that works very well - easy to do, etc....

I installed this kit a couple months ago and after a couple days I got the low beam warning. I didn't care because both lights were working, but after a week they became intermittent. It takes me 3-4 tries to get them to both turn on. I wouldn't recommend this kit, you get what you pay for.

I have checked on the feedback for eBay vendor listed in the post and found that a number of people (including a thread dedicated to this manufacturer in a Honda forum) have been having problems with the units after a short period of time.

For those that upgraded when the units were over $200 - $300 can you post the brand or manufacturer of your units?

They specifically list certain sellers and unit brands as being junk.
- http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2125131&page=1

1. I know we are not talking about installing them into jap crap Hondas however if the products are junk, I would rather install a higher price quality unit on my BMW.

2. Assessories are like tools, I don't work on my BMW with tools from Harbor Frieght when I can prevent causing more damage by buying craftsmen or Snap-on. I don't want to waste $$ by overspending but I don't want to throw cash out the window either.

3 Maybe those who have installed the systems can post pics of the ballast units so that we are sure the group is comparing apples to apples.

Thanks!

Looks like im going to be looking at another seller for my HID setup. :(

I had superb service and a great experience working with Umnitza. They answered all questions very quickly and shipped my set faster than I think I've ever had anyplace....

Are there in the meantime people who are still satisfied with ebay HID's? Just when i want to buy, i read somewhere a negative again. I mean the quality of the cheap kit. Can people who have the setup longer for say an half year please come out.

What is the outcome of this ebay HID buying?

What is the outcome of this ebay HID buying?

Not sure.

If I had to do it again (I went with $200 Genesis kit, bulb has failed to fire up only once in 3 months of constant use) I would do a 55W Apexcone kit.

Why would you recommend this kit? It looks legit, but then again most of them do. I found them for sale on xenonexpert.com for 175 shipped. I was thinking about going with the 600k.

Not sure.

If I had to do it again (I went with $200 Genesis kit, bulb has failed to fire up only once in 3 months of constant use) I would do a 55W Apexcone kit.

Why would you recommend this kit? It looks legit, but then again most of them do. I found them for sale on xenonexpert.com for 175 shipped. I was thinking about going with the 600k.


whoa! did not know that existed.;)

Why would you recommend this kit? It looks legit, but then again most of them do. I found them for sale on xenonexpert.com for 175 shipped. I was thinking about going with the 600k.

Apexcone kits are very reputable, especially on this forum. www.understeer.com carries them. Also, the 55w (which is the factory halogen wattage) will give more light than the typical 35w.

I also am going from 6000k bulbs to 5000k. 6000k is just too artificially blue for me. I also want a tad more light.

I was going to go with the 6000k because they pictures i have seen look more closely to the high end cars that come factory. I am tryin to acheieve the look like on a Infinity G35, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Prius etc. When you say blue do you mean like ricer blue, or a hint of blue. Im trying to get the white purple effect, if im making anysense here. :confused


Apexcone kits are very reputable, especially on this forum. www.understeer.com carries them. Also, the 55w (which is the factory halogen wattage) will give more light than the typical 35w.

I also am going from 6000k bulbs to 5000k. 6000k is just too artificially blue for me. I also want a tad more light.

Will these work in an e39 540?

I was going to go with the 6000k because they pictures i have seen look more closely to the high end cars that come factory. I am tryin to acheieve the look like on a Infinity G35, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Prius etc. When you say blue do you mean like ricer blue, or a hint of blue. Im trying to get the white purple effect, if im making anysense here. :confused

I had my car right next to an e46 m3 and the 5000k HIDs on my car were still more blue than the OEM ones on the m3.

OK SO what temp rating do i need to get to achieve this look. :D


I had my car right next to an e46 m3 and the 5000k HIDs on my car were still more blue than the OEM ones on the m3.

OK SO what temp rating do i need to get to achieve this look. :D

I know oem is 4300K but the place I bought mine from only had 5000K and up, so if you want an OEM look I would go with as close to 4300K as possible.

So what your saying is that to get the look of the clean white but purple tint i need to go lower in the kelvin rating??? that makes no sense, the 1200k are like straight purple but i dont want to have that ricey look. I guess ill just buy a set and if i dont like the color ill return dem jewls!


I know oem is 4300K but the place I bought mine from only had 5000K and up, so if you want an OEM look I would go with as close to 4300K as possible.

So what your saying is that to get the look of the clean white but purple tint i need to go lower in the kelvin rating??? that makes no sense, the 1200k are like straight purple but i dont want to have that ricey look. I guess ill just buy a set and if i dont like the color ill return dem jewls!

I personally wouldn't go lower than 4300K. But from first hand experience, my 5000K are more blue than OEM xenons.

Well maybe its the kind of set you bought? are you still having trouble with the ebay ones??? A guy at my job is putting in a bulk order to some ebay seller and he wants me to place an order too. i am skeptical because of all the horror stories.

Well maybe its the kind of set you bought? are you still having trouble with the ebay ones??? A guy at my job is putting in a bulk order to some ebay seller and he wants me to place an order too. i am skeptical because of all the horror stories.

Well, they are not perfect. I got the capacitors and I still am getting the low beam failure, but they both turn on pretty consistantly now with the capacitors. For the increased light output and ease of installation, it was totally worth the 75 dollars IMHO. Especially compared to my other car which I spent 650+ on ebay finding oem xenon headlights and wiring up bixenons etc. I will admit, they are not perfect, but I would buy them again in a heartbeat.

use the relay trick to rid of the error.

use the relay trick to rid of the error.
I have not heard of this, what exactly do you do?

the relay trick works excellently on an e34. it's mentioned a few times in this thread....
do a google search on e34 hid relay - it'll be the first link.....

extremely easy, fixed our low beam message right away....

to the e39 question; this type of drop-in kit only should really be used in a light that has a lens capable of dealing with the HID light (typically referred to as projectors, or projector lenses). i'm not sure what type of lens the e39 has factory, but do a search to see what they look like; pretty obvious.

you'll have to have projector lenses, once you have those, a kit like the ones talked about here can replace the halogen bulbs. you might try checking with some of the sellers (understeer and umnitza) as they might have a kit ready to go for your car...

with regard to the color difference: i have 4300k in my e36, and 5000k in our e34. i can tell a difference, although not much. the 5k has a slight, and i mean slight, blueish/purple hue to it that the 4300k does not.

speaking simply, the lower kelvin the more usable light (up to a point), the higher the kelvin - the less usable light. this is discussed on several sites and in several threads, a simple HID temperature search should suffice if you want more details...

i've had no performance issues with my kits from understeer and umnitza. both were more expensive than the ebay kits, but i feel it was money well-spent.

there are others that have ebay kits and have no problems as well, to some extent, it's all a crapshoot! :)

Yes. Use a relay and get power source from the battery. It will ignite the bulb everytime. The OEM wire harness sometime do not give enough juice to power up the ballast to ignite the bulb and the "Low beam" error shows up.