DRL Upgrade and HID Bulb Comparison (Osram vs Philips)

[3002 tii]

Upgrading xenon bulbs

After picking up my i3 last year, I realized how lacking the xenons on my other cars were. I assumed the Z just needed a proper adjustment but that only helped marginally and did nothing for distance. My F25 wasn’t too bad but still left something to be desired when driving on CT back roads. So I decided perhaps it was time to upgrade the xenon bulbs since I still had the originals. I found YouTube reviews from TheRetrofitSource to be most helpful and ultimately narrowed it down to the Osram Xenarc 66240 CBB and Philips 85122 Extreme Vision Gen2.

Purchasing
I bought my bulbs from Lightwerkz during their 20% Labor Day sale. Do not be tempted to buy bulbs from eBay, Amazon, etc. There’s way too many fakes out there and you may think spotting them is easy but a lot of sellers purposely price their merchandise a few bucks less than MSRP as if you're getting a modest discount. Truth is you're just getting that much more reamed. Here's a good link pointing out differences in fake vs genuine. FWIW I met the owner of Lightwerkz few years back at the track and he’s a stand up guy. I highly recommend him for any of your lighting needs (parts and service).

Impressions
I am very satisfied with both bulbs. The Z got the Osrams and the X got the Philips. Osrams are marketed as 7000K but it’s much closer to 6000K. The Philips are rated 4800K so it has a very stock like color but a tad whiter.

On a relative basis, the Philips are marginally brighter but the Osrams have a whiter output with slight hue of blue. I prefer the looks of the Osram but to be clear brightness isn’t being compromised at this point. The CBB is a huge improvement over the factory bulbs. The pics below exaggerate how yellow the Phillips are because I'm so close to the garage. At a normal distance these are still whiter than your factory bulbs. Not the most controlled setup considering different cars but you get the idea.

[3002 tii]

Upgrading the DRL with LEDs

BMW integrated the DRL bulb and holder as a single piece but you can actually “notch out” the bulb and replace it with a bayonet style (BA9S). If you want to go brighter you can experiment with a higher wattage incandescent but you run the risk of introducing too much heat. Alternatively, you can go with LEDs which results in a bulb error warning... unless you code it out

Plugged in my trusted OBD adapter and used Carly to disable the bulb voltage monitoring. Happy to report no errors! The LED has a nice uniform output whereas the stock DRL has a dull spot at 12 o'clock. Also keep in mind LED's run much cooler so don't read too much into the "50W equivalent" descriptions. In reality these LEDs use less than 5W but for brightness go by lumens. Pics below are factory vs 6000K vs 6500K.

I actually prefer the blue during the day as it washes out less. But at night the white looks cleaner. And with regards to the turn signals, I've never been fond of the orange so I swapped in 6000K bulbs in there too which results in a softer yellow for the signals and full white for the corner.

[wdb]

Thanks for the commentary. I need to replace the bulbs in my E93, and would certainly not mind doing the M again if the difference warrants it. I'm very fussy about getting the best lighting possible.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by wdb

Thanks for the commentary. I need to replace the bulbs in my E93, and would certainly not mind doing the M again if the difference warrants it. I'm very fussy about getting the best lighting possible.

I don’t think you can go wrong with either ones I bought. The new output is almost equivalent to what you get with new LED lighting systems imo.

[rsutoratosu]

I bought these last year due to youtube videos review, brightest bulb reviewed.. not sure if theres anything newer. & better I have a 17 mdx and those new led are bright... now they almost matched..

My issue is I start getting fog in the headlights... so I need to take the right side out and refit the area.. dont know which step I didnt' close up correctly

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by rsutoratosu

I bought these last year due to youtube videos review, brightest bulb reviewed.. not sure if theres anything newer. & better I have a 17 mdx and those new led are bright... now they almost matched..

My issue is I start getting fog in the headlights... so I need to take the right side out and refit the area.. dont know which step I didnt' close up correctly

You should consider replacing the main rear headlight covers. The seal/gasket dries up over time and once you take it off, it won't have same tight seal even with the clip locked on. This happened to me few years back on my n52 coupe so now I always replace those covers whenever I do a bulb swap every few years.

Obviously you should wait for the headlights to dry out before you swap the covers but you get the point.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

I don’t think you can go wrong with either ones I bought. The new output is almost equivalent to what you get with new LED lighting systems imo.

Funny you should mention that. I had a very interesting experience last week while on an outing with other Z folk. We had a late dinner out on the road and were working our way back to the lodge we were using as base camp. It was well after dark and everyone had their lights on. The first car was a new 2019 Z4, the second was a 2007 Z4MC, the third was an S54 Z3 roadie, then us in our coupe. We were running up and down big, long hills and I had a chance to see all three cars' lights as they climbed a hill ahead of me. The LEDs in the new Z4 threw a very white, very very even pattern; I did not see anything other than a sheet of light. The following cars were on low beams but I could still clearly see the color difference among them all. Kinda cool.

[XMetal]

Thanks for the review. I've been wanting to swap out my bulbs forever, but too lazy to do it since I don't drive at night all that often. I would do it in a heartbeat if it wasn't such a hassle to do it in the Z

Of all my cars that have HIDs, the Z has got to be the worst in light output.

[chickdr]

Is this what you purchased from Lightwerkz? https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php...d2s-bulbs.html

Seems like a decent deal right now at $140/pair shipped

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by chickdr

Is this what you purchased from Lightwerkz? https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php...d2s-bulbs.html

Seems like a decent deal right now at $140/pair shipped

That’s right! You can get it down to $132 if you use code “WELCOME15” for first time customers

[chickdr]

Thanks for that. Saved a few more $$$

[rsutoratosu]

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

You should consider replacing the main rear headlight covers. The seal/gasket dries up over time and once you take it off, it won't have same tight seal even with the clip locked on. This happened to me few years back on my n52 coupe so now I always replace those covers whenever I do a bulb swap every few years.

Obviously you should wait for the headlights to dry out before you swap the covers but you get the point.

Got it.. its the first time I open it. Probably never open before. I should do it before winter comes..

Edit:
Do you think its more of cover or reseating the bulb. i dont think theres any other way a bulb can be put in..
I order the covers. should I just take the old cover off and let it dry or take the bulbs out also.

Thanks, I rarely do swaps

[chickdr]

I would say the cover as the bulbs don't have anything to do with fogging. If the rear cover isn't sealed, it will allow moisture in. The gasket could be breaking down.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by rsutoratosu

Got it.. its the first time I open it. Probably never open before. I should do it before winter comes..

Edit:
Do you think its more of cover or reseating the bulb. i dont think theres any other way a bulb can be put in..
I order the covers. should I just take the old cover off and let it dry or take the bulbs out also.

Thanks, I rarely do swaps

Doubt it’s the bulb since I think it can only go in one way. When u pull out stock one be sure to pay attention to orientation but I’m almost certain that long “stem” piece (actually think it’s called a frame) goes ok the bottom, i.e. pointing to 6 o’clock.

So then it can only be the igniter (metal box you twist on/off) that sits behind the bulb or the actual headlight rear cover. But I would bet it’s the latter where the rubber gasket dries up and doesn’t hold a good seal. Plus if you do a search, I think there was a member who ended up having to replace a lot of components due to moisture damage and after replacing the rear cover the problem never happened again.

Bulb swap isn’t hard. Wheel does not need to come off. Just turn full lock and start with side in which the wheel is facing inward. I ended up jacking the car since I’m lowered but it’s not a requirement.

[Huz-Z]

I've always thought that the stock zenons were amazingly disappointing for such a complex lighting system, so I am keenly interested in this thread.

would you guys say that the Osrams are the preferred set? It seems that may be the case if they have a whiter light.

Also, re replacing the headlight covers - if its required because the gasket is likely worn and won't properly seal up again, can just the gasket itself be replaced - or does one really need to get new doors? Just wondering if the doors with gaskets are stupid expensive, which is common with many BMW parts.

Lastly, owing to the greater light output of the Osrams in particular compared to OE, would there be a risk that these could damage the headlamp assembly or "burn" the clear lens?

[chickdr]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I've always thought that the stock zenons were amazingly disappointing for such a complex lighting system, so I am keenly interested in this thread.

would you guys say that the Osrams are the preferred set? It seems that may be the case if they have a whiter light.

Also, re replacing the headlight covers - if its required because the gasket is likely worn and won't properly seal up again, can just the gasket itself be replaced - or does one really need to get new doors? Just wondering if the doors with gaskets are stupid expensive, which is common with many BMW parts.

Lastly, owing to the greater light output of the Osrams in particular compared to OE, would there be a risk that these could damage the headlamp assembly or "burn" the clear lens?

As to the headlight cover- just did a search and they are only $20-30 USD each so not bad at all. It appears the gasket is glued to it so they come as a unit. I suppose you could do it on the cheap by removing the cover and finding some stick on gasket material at a home improvement store for a DIY.

I don't think the wattage on the Osram bulbs is any higher than stock so it shouldn't be an issue with heat. I ordered the Osram bulbs myself yesterday after reading this thread. I will come back once they are installed and report my experience.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

I've always thought that the stock zenons were amazingly disappointing for such a complex lighting system, so I am keenly interested in this thread.

would you guys say that the Osrams are the preferred set? It seems that may be the case if they have a whiter light.

Also, re replacing the headlight covers - if its required because the gasket is likely worn and won't properly seal up again, can just the gasket itself be replaced - or does one really need to get new doors? Just wondering if the doors with gaskets are stupid expensive, which is common with many BMW parts.

Lastly, owing to the greater light output of the Osrams in particular compared to OE, would there be a risk that these could damage the headlamp assembly or "burn" the clear lens?

The Philips will be brighter but the Osram is going to appear whiter. I personally thought the Osram was best balance of aesthetics and performance. Not real numbers obviously but I would describe as Osram having 90% of performance of Philips, but it’s still 150% better than factory. Watch those YouTube review, I found them to be really helpful in deciding that to buy.

Gasket can’t be replaced but the cover itself isn’t too pricey. Re bulbs, wattage is same as factory. Just be sure not to touch the bulb with your hands when installing.

[rsutoratosu]

I order my covers from fcp euro..

1. its in ct, so comes to ny in 1 day
2. my coworker is friend with scott the owner
3. lifetime warranty.. they will replace any thing they sell for free, even brakes

Ill never have "issues" returning or getting parts, etc.. price is good also.. not higher than amazon/ebay/other places. But still shop around to compare

[chickdr]

I installed the Osrams yesterday. Very straightforward and nice looking color compared to stock. Recommended...

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by chickdr

I installed the Osrams yesterday. Very straightforward and nice looking color compared to stock. Recommended...

Awesome - got pics? Any comments on whether these provide better night time illumination of the road?

[chickdr]

I don't have an answer to either. Have not taken it out, but I turned the lights on midway through to compare and the Osrams were certainly brighter and whiter than the original bulbs. Mine were original to the car so at 13yrs I am sure there is degradation over what they used to be.

[Huz-Z]

Thanks! That is very helpful!