Just curious, why is that?

 

Hi I am new here and I will get my R56 a week later... So none of us have convert the stock H4 bulb to HID convert kit? I know the best option is to retrofit the Xenon light but that would cost so much... I am curious will I get error message display like what I got for my M-Benz B200?

 

You have to have high-beams in most states to pass inspection. Without bi-xenon's you will have no high beams to test and then will fail inspection.

 

Well, I've seen plenty of cars with aftermarket "HIDs" and they're just plain dangerous, ugly, and annoying.

But besides that opinion, you're going to need to figure out the wiring if you want a true Xenon setup.... don't think you can get 20,000volts out of a 12volt line, but I'm no electrician... could be a simple swap, could be hell. It'd be interesting to see someone do it right.

 

You can't just take the older xenons, with the halogen brights? I hate the fact that you can't flash on the bi-xenons (without a lot of wear and tear on the leveling motors).

 

Aftermarket HID installs are not legal in the United States. You can get cited for it.

Just FYI.

 

A lot of wear and tear on the leveling motors? Is this a documented issue?

The amount to move that little shutter is probably almost no strain on the motor. I'd bet they last longer than your typical power window motors, and I've never had much problem with those...

 

I dunno. Just what el spouso engineer has been drumming into my ears. Then again, he didn't want to pay the extra for xenons. My car, I won.

I'm only referring to the on-off cycle, though, NOT the high-low shutter.

 

You need a kit to install the lights. I have had Bi-Xenon lights on my H3 for 3 years and have NEVER had a problem. This company http://plasmagarage.com/Bi-xenon_HID_Installation.html
has a kit that is a direct plug-in Bi-Xenon light kit. Believe me I drive on country roads and would never go back. My Mini kit isn't here yet (ordered last week), but from my H3 experience. it is a plug and play deal. The old headlight plug goes to the ballasts (yes that is the device that takes 12v to 20,000 v) and then supply a new 12v lead from the battery to the ballast. The plug senses high / low signals and the bulb shifts in the headlight housing to change focus. Also, get the battery relay kit just to make sure of a good 12v supply.

I found that I needed to adjust the headlight housing down about 1-2 degrees to limit the glare.

Since there is still current draw on the headlamp plug, not as much as a headlight but there still is some, there should be no "computer issues".

My truck has been inspected 3 times now for license renewal. No problems ever. Of course I am in Kansas City not LA.

I'll keep you all posted on my installation.

 

There are lots of minor infractions that people commit while operating cars that they don't cite you for, but that doesn't make it any less illegal.

Letter to a manufacturer of the kits from the NHTSA.

And here's a letter to a guy selling the kits in which the NHTSA says clearly, "I should advise you that we know of no HID conversion kit that can be certified by its manufacturer as complying with FMVSS No. 108."

And here's the link to the law that these kits violate.

 

While all of that is VERY NICE ... This specific reg only discusses 12v lighting not anything to do with HID type lighting. I will guarantee that the Xenon bulbs will fail this specific reg since it states that 12.8 volts applied to the bulb is the specific test. Any HID bulb will not light under the test outlined in this reg. Of course HID bulbs meet the wattage requirement. If you re-adjust your dims you can meet the vertical measurement test. But specifically you are correct .. since the bulb is NOT what was tested by the manufacturer it is not approved. Reasonably adjusted Xenons (aftermarket or manufacturer installed) "appear" brighter because of the shorter wavelength of the light and it's interaction with the oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen in the atmosphere (less diffusing of the light waves or particles depending on your measurement method), it doesn't mean that they put out any more candlepower than the test here outlines. Our eyes see the shorter wavelength light better as a general rule, unless you have a defect.

I have passed, been passed by local police and highway patrol and nary a problem. While you are correct that it is not a National Highway Traffic and Safety approved bulb replacement (nor are many mods that we all make) your risk of running afoul in VERY minimal, since I have yet to see a highway patrol car carry the proper test equipment.

One final note stay with the 4300k HIDs since they are a factory color.

 

The problem is the lenses are not designed for those bulbs. They put out too much light and it is scattered everywhere. You really need to have projection lenses to have the HID kits work properly and not scatter light into on coming traffic. Just adjusting the lenses down doesn't fit that. They have made them illegal in the UK and it is only a matter of time before the US follows suite.

 

That just simply a HID convertion kit...
I don't think that is a Bi Xenon light at all...

 

can someone confirm this?

 

I was responding to the previous post.

 

Any news on this?

I just checked and there are a few Xenon headlights available on Ebay.

Now, if it is a simple swap, it might be worth it, as it still will be OEM equipment.

 

Swapping xenons for halogens or vice versa requires a retrofit reflash from your dealer or someone who has the right equipment and a subscription to the BMW/MINI TIS system. Feel free to call your local MINI service dept. and you'll get the same response.

 

Please, I beg you, please don't. Some day when you are old like me, you will find out the blue end of the spectrum is totally blinding and your eyes don't recover for a long time. Sure you can see fine with the HID in your car, but I will drive right into you as I am totally blinded by HID's. I do not know how these were ever allowed in cars. I am forced to wear yellow glasses at night even for the blue-ish quartz bulbs.

 

I thought about installing the aftermarket plug n play HID kit on my halogens but I think you may error codes... not 100% sure but didn't want to waste $100+ on testing them. I've had it on my expedition w/o errors but that's a ford and mini's seem to be a lot more sensitive.

 

The test does apply to HIDs. HIDs fall under the category of 12v lighting because 12v+/- is all your car has to work with. The ballasts are what converts the 12V to the 20,000V required to light the actual bulb, but the lighting unit is still powered by 12v. In the paragraph discussing the definition of filament, you will see it also includes a description of HID (excited portion of a mixture of gases under pressure). Automotive specs are typically written to allow freedom of technology used, but with a desired end result.

And as you said, the shorter wave-length light is the reason it is important to have the proper optics. I see so many cars with HID conversions using the standard halogen reflectors. It looks really cheap, kind of like adding the purple fake-HID bulbs. The glare is usually ridiculous. I have seen a couple of conversions using halogen projectors (the round magnifying lens in front of the bulb) that looked almost factory because the bulbs were positioned properly. But most people get it wrong.