Halogen to Xenon in Sedan. What's needed?

[Dave_B]

So, I've been presented with an opportunity to buy Xenon headlights for CHEAP!

I'm pretty sure it's headlights and bulbs only however along with AE's.

I know I'll need ballasts, but anything else? Harnesses? Coding the car for Xenons?

This will help make my decision.

[danewilson77]

Car programming? Can it even be done?

Sent from the HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA and USA

[Dave_B]

From my understanding, you can program the car for the Xenon's. There's some info out there on it.

Just want to be 100% sure what i'm getting myself into.

[M0nk3y]

There is going to need some coding involved because of the Bi-Xenon actuators.

As far as to what detail, I'm not too sure.

On the E82 I know you have to change your pin out location that connects to the headlight for proper function

[jayjay_dee]

Or you can try this retrofit from e46F (http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=840919).

[Mtnman]

and it depends on if you are getting xenons, or bi-xenons. are they OEM or DEPO? xenons would need error cancelling ballasts, but bi-xenons (oem) should be able to be programmed.

[alexandre]

From my understanding, you can program the car for the Xenon's. There's some info out there on it.

Just want to be 100% sure what i'm getting myself into.

Yup, you can. You have 3 options in NCS - Halo, Xe, Bi-Xe. Make sure you're swapping in M3 AL projector housings while you're in there to avoid burnt bowls :)

[derbo]

I think you need the leveling sensors on the control arm too?

[terraphantm]

Yup, you can. You have 3 options in NCS - Halo, Xe, Bi-Xe. Make sure you're swapping in M3 AL projector housings while you're in there to avoid burnt bowls :)

Couple corrections: Adding option code $522 will always add bixenons to a 2002+ E46. "regular" xenons were not offered at all then, thus the option code superseded it. You can recode the highbeams to the Euro settings so that the car opens both the shutters and the halogen highs at the same time -- effectively making it single xenon if you don't have shutters wired up

Any AL projectors will do. Plenty of sedans and non-M coupes got them. I personally got the AL housings for my non-M E46 from an 02 325i.



and it depends on if you are getting xenons, or bi-xenons. are they OEM or DEPO? xenons would need error cancelling ballasts, but bi-xenons (oem) should be able to be programmed.

Either can be taken care of with coding. I wouldn't bother with error cancelling ballasts at all -- they're hit or miss.



I think you need the leveling sensors on the control arm too?

Autolevelling is a major PITA to retrofit. Requires you to run a couple harnesses -- not worth the effort for the minimal gain

[Hornung418]

Retrofitted mine in with no issues. Went from 2000 halogens to 2002+ Bi-xenons with minimal effort. Only challenge was wiring the shutter solenoids. I later found out that pins 2 and 36 control the shutters. Just had to run the length of wire to the actual shutters to earn the stripes.

From a GS3, this was sent.

[spoonerDee]

and it depends on if you are getting xenons, or bi-xenons. are they OEM or DEPO? xenons would need error cancelling ballasts, but bi-xenons (oem) should be able to be programmed.

Incorrect. Using BMW Scanner you can code the car for xenon or bixenon and will not need error canceling anything with either. However this comes with a warning. If you get Bixenon headlights you will need to WIRE the car for bixenon as well as program it. Simply buying bixenon headlights and coding the car for bixenon will not get you the bixenon functionality. Also doing so will result in a loss of high beams if you do not wire the car for it.

So make sure you know what headlights you are getting (most likely bixenon if oem) and if you want the bixenon functionality you will have to wire them as well as code them. Or you can just plug everything in, code the car as xenon and still use the inner halogen bulbs for your highs.

[Mtnman]

Spooner. Unless something has changed, i respectfully disagree. I researched this tremendously when i bought the depos for my zhp. (Editt: this was three years ago, so things could have changed) I had oem bixenon zkw. I put in depos, which are xenon. I went to bmw in multiple locations. I was told, then confirmed, that a car can not be coded to xenon. It was either halogen or bixenon. Something about the car did not have the option to be coded to xenon as xenon was never an option on a 2004 MY car. Maybe the difference lies in the fact that he is starting with halogens? Or coding has changed? Im interested in knowing if someone figured this out since i have done it. I basically lost high beam function by having bi xenon coding with xenon lights. BUT that, i know, can be coded out so that high beams can be the inner beams. Bp was going to do that for me before i sold the car. It would not be coded for "xenon" at that point, but it would be a work around of sorts.

Maybe we are disagreeing about semantics at this point.

[spoonerDee]

As I stated, its an available feature to code using BMW scanner 1.4.0 I used that when I did the projector/hid retrofit on my car. I went from halogen to xenon and then I used BMW scanner to program my car for xenon. This kept my normal highbeams and disabled the cold checks on the HID's to keep fault codes out (kept the hot checks).

Here is a screen shot of the page where you can see the xenon and bixenon options.
http://www.resettools.com/images/product/bmw/bmw_scanner_1.4.0/11_bmw_scanner_pa_1.4.0.jpg

I know depending on the year and the model of LCM that's installed on the car, not all features are available. But your car is an 04 and mine is an 05 so it should be similar if not the same. :)

Here is my DIY to get you started.
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?5110-BMW-Scanner-1.4.0-Diagnostic-plus-coding-features-to-your-car.

[Mtnman]

Damnit. This would have helped me years ago. Thanks for clearing that up spooner. This probably falls under the "some dealers are idiots" category too.

[spoonerDee]

Bah, I wouldn't go that far. Could be they tech just didn't know, or because after a certain year they were either bixenon or halogen (no longer just xenon) that they wouldn't even think of doing just xenon. Or perhaps they had a rule, who knows. However, now that you know, you can get your high beams back. :)

[az3579]

I'll settle this once and for all by going down to my car, firing up PASoft, and changing it to Xenon (from bi-). I'll test it tonight since high beams is a one-shot deal for me.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

[Tnhl1989]

If anyone need a pa soft I got one which you all can use. Pay for shipping and ill let you rent it. Or just send 35 and you can have it :)

[az3579]

I couldn't try this last night because my high beams were acting up again. Shutters didn't even bother opening this time around without any coding so I wouldn't have been able to test it. I'm getting sick of my high beam shutters having any input on whether they're going to work for me at any given time. :shifty

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

[spoonerDee]

I couldn't try this last night because my high beams were acting up again. Shutters didn't even bother opening this time around without any coding so I wouldn't have been able to test it. I'm getting sick of my high beam shutters having any input on whether they're going to work for me at any given time. :shifty

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

Speaking of shudders, I will be wiring mine up some time this spring/summer and gain 4 full high beams :) Then when I get brave enough to mess with ncs expert I'll be adding the fogs to the lineup.