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Xenon bulbs
Xenon bulbs
My E70 40d is now showing a headlamp bulb out. I have had a search on here and see it can be changed from the engine compartment, albeit with a little difficulty. The question is, where is the best place to purchase the bulbs. I had a look on eurocarparts and see that the discount codes do not apply to bulbs which makes them pretty expensive.
Re: Xenon bulbs
Just a further question relating to the bulb issue. I read that some have changed the bulbs and the lamp still not working due to ballast fault. Is there any way other than swapping bulbs from the other side to check whether it is the bulb or another fault with the lamp?
Re: Xenon bulbs
I think that is the easy way to test the ballast and what i would do.
Must be another way but i don't know it .
Must be another way but i don't know it .
Re: Xenon bulbs
Id swap the bulbs first if access is good i but xenon bulbs tend to last a very long time after that it may get expensive but second-hand parts should be available.
Re: Xenon bulbs
You can swap side to side as the bulb is common. They aren’t the easiest things in the world to change due to position. You need to protect your forearms against sharp protrusions in the wings.
The only safe way to test a ballast is with a known good bulb. If it strikes then the ballast is good. If it doesn’t then it’s the ballast. If it is the bulb, you are better replacing both to keep a matched pair.
I fitted a pair of Osram Xenarc Nightbreaker Laser D1S to mine. They are brighter than the OEM (which are typically Osram Xenarc or a Philips equivalent) but ever so slightly warmer. The on-the-road light is much better.
I got them from Amazon as there are regular price reductions for pairs, sometimes just singles. I know you need one right now though. Currently £112 a pair - and that’s significantly cheaper than the last time I asked BMW who wanted over £200 per bulb!
There are a lot of fake Osram and Philips bulbs on the market so Osram at least have unique serial numbers printed on each bulb so you can check against their tool to tell you if genuine or not. If the bulbs are suspiciously cheap then there is a reason for it. Cheap bulbs often have arc configuration errors giving focus or hot spot problems. It’s not always the case, but.......and currently you can get a pair of Eastern knockoffs for £20.
You do need to be very careful when checking the bulbs because they are very high pressure and if they break will send shards in all directions! A colleague had to have an Audi lamp unit replaced when a bulb exploded as the glass bits went all over the place, and they contain Mercury. The ballasts also work at up to 25kV for a few seconds to ignite the arc before dropping to around 48-85V depending upon make & series. 25kV will give you more than a little tickle!
The only safe way to test a ballast is with a known good bulb. If it strikes then the ballast is good. If it doesn’t then it’s the ballast. If it is the bulb, you are better replacing both to keep a matched pair.
I fitted a pair of Osram Xenarc Nightbreaker Laser D1S to mine. They are brighter than the OEM (which are typically Osram Xenarc or a Philips equivalent) but ever so slightly warmer. The on-the-road light is much better.
I got them from Amazon as there are regular price reductions for pairs, sometimes just singles. I know you need one right now though. Currently £112 a pair - and that’s significantly cheaper than the last time I asked BMW who wanted over £200 per bulb!
There are a lot of fake Osram and Philips bulbs on the market so Osram at least have unique serial numbers printed on each bulb so you can check against their tool to tell you if genuine or not. If the bulbs are suspiciously cheap then there is a reason for it. Cheap bulbs often have arc configuration errors giving focus or hot spot problems. It’s not always the case, but.......and currently you can get a pair of Eastern knockoffs for £20.
You do need to be very careful when checking the bulbs because they are very high pressure and if they break will send shards in all directions! A colleague had to have an Audi lamp unit replaced when a bulb exploded as the glass bits went all over the place, and they contain Mercury. The ballasts also work at up to 25kV for a few seconds to ignite the arc before dropping to around 48-85V depending upon make & series. 25kV will give you more than a little tickle!
Never anthropomorphise computers. They hate that.Re: Xenon bulbs
Just one more thing....they are D1s bulbs but is there a temperature on oem? Also the n/s dipped and main bean not on so do they share the same bulb?
Re: Xenon bulbs
A quick update. I now see that the one bulb covers both main and dipped headlamps. I bought a single Phillips bulb from Eurocarparts for £50 as I needed it today. I was disappointed to find that their discount code game doesn't work with bulbs.
It was pretty straight forward to change with no tools required, just a little awkward as it is done with feel as you cannot see what you are doing. I will keep an eye out now for a deal on a pair of bulbs as no doubt the other side will fail soon.
It was pretty straight forward to change with no tools required, just a little awkward as it is done with feel as you cannot see what you are doing. I will keep an eye out now for a deal on a pair of bulbs as no doubt the other side will fail soon.