|
|
SUPPORT ZPOST BY DOING YOUR TIRERACK SHOPPING FROM THIS BANNER, THANKS! |
Post Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
09-29-2019, 03:25 PM | #1 |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Completed Bi-Xenon Projector Retrofit Upgrade
Overview
After swapping out various bulbs, the last step in my headlight project was retrofitting new projectors. There’s no shortage of aftermarket options but for me it was an easy choice. I went with the Morimoto EvoX-R 2.0 because it's known for having the most intense hot spots and is considered a "direct" replacement for the Hella E55 (i.e. the same projector found in the Z4 and many other cars). The install is generally straightforward since the factory projectors can be removed without disassembling the headlight. But it wasn't until midway during the installation I realized not all Hella equipped vehicles used the same igniter. So why does that matter? The Z4 uses the larger, 4th gen Hella igniter, which clips directly onto the back of the factory projector. In contrast, the Morimotos use bulb retainers that sit in between the projector and igniter. So there’s 2 ways to get around this issue:
Option 1 is probably the best in terms of cost and simplicity as long as you're willing to wait for overseas shipping. I didn't have the luxury of waiting so I went Option 2 and kept costs down by going with a refurbished unit from Dorman. With respect to Option 2, you’ll need to make 2 slight modifications to your stock igniter harness, all of which shouldn’t take more than 2 mins:
Installation As always I am not responsible for any damage to your car resulting from this upgrade. I'm just merely documenting the process I followed for this upgrade. If you're not comfortable with performing any of these steps you should take your car to a professional installer. Tools
Removal You should first review Jumbo's Clear Lens Swap DIY as it's very detailed and includes really helpful videos.
Retrofit
Final tip - if this is first time you’re taking off the headlight covers, you should consider buying new replacements as the rubber gasket tends to dry out. So it may no longer provide a tight seal and can introduce moisture into the housings, which could lead to damage down the road. Purchasing
Last edited by 3002 tii; 02-02-2024 at 03:54 PM.. Reason: Corrected price |
09-29-2019, 03:26 PM | #2 |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Impressions
I first heard about projector retrofits a decade ago on sites like e46fanatics but I wasn't crazy about them back then. I could see the case for someone starting with halogens but I didn't see the value in ripping apart your headlight if you already had xenons to begin with. But seeing how good headlights have gotten in recent years, it’s very apparent how far behind the Z4 xenons stack up to the latest hardware. I would've normally called it a day after swapping bulbs but the availability of high quality, aftermarket PnP kits have really changed my opinion on this mod. And FWIW the factory igniter not mounting is NOT a knock on the Morimoto kit since the Hella E55 was used for so many years over for different makes and models. But if you took a look at my pictues Below, you'd have no clue there was an aftermarket kit installed. No spliced wires, ballasts galore hanging off my bumper, etc. I'd easily rate this retrofit in my list of TOP 5 favorite mods for our cars, especially when you factor cost and relative ease of installation. Since I've already figured out how to deal with the igniters, the install should be essier for anyone else contemplating this. But overall, I could not be happier with how it turned out. The hot spots everyone refers to is a real and the cutoff on the beam pattern has way more precision. My Z4 xenons now look comparable to the LED headlights on my i3, with the i3 having an edge with respect to beam width. Last edited by 3002 tii; 05-10-2023 at 12:55 AM.. |
Appreciate
1
v3.2mc94.00 |
09-29-2019, 05:22 PM | #3 |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Didn't mean to mess with exposure, courtesy of iPhone 11 Night Mode lol.
Last edited by 3002 tii; 10-01-2019 at 09:32 PM.. |
Appreciate
0
|
09-29-2019, 11:39 PM | #4 |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
Great job on the light upgrade. Are you saying that if I sourced the male to female D2S cables, I could use the stock igniter and just secure them within the light assembly?
Good point on the magnetic 7mm deepwell since if you drop the nut in the light assembly, it might not be easy to retrieve it. BTW, not sure if you have a typo, but the Morimoto EvoX-R 2.0 at Lighwerkz are $120 ($102 after discount) so this ends up being a very reasonable upgrade. Have you had much real world driving on some pitch black roads to see how much of an improvement they made over the stock projectors? Many of the rural roads I drive are very dark so any improvement in usable light output is appreciated, especially during deer season. |
Appreciate
1
wdb5021.00 |
09-30-2019, 12:13 AM | #5 | |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Quote:
"Why do you need them? Because a lot ot times the original igniter won't fit the new bulb/projector setup. With this extension cable the male connector can be connected to the original igniter and the female connector can be connected to the bulb." And they specifically package this cable with their own (non-Morimoto) EvoX-R 2.0 kit. The only thing I'll add is with option 3 at least I knew I was getting OEM quality at min. With Option 2, I have no idea if their custom harness is the equivalent of "iJDMTOY" garbage or something OEM worthy. Thanks for pointing out the typo. Total upgrade was $175 after I factored the 2 Dorman igniters. After moving to CT I was surprised to see how poorly lit some of the roads were. They have them but they're rarely lit, weird... And the further north you go, the more rural it gets so there's definitely areas that qualify as near pitch dark. Luckily I don't make my way up there often but the pics above were taken on roads I frequent when taking the back roads home. Last edited by 3002 tii; 10-01-2019 at 09:41 PM.. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-11-2019, 04:51 PM | #7 | |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
Quote:
If the top pic is the stock projectors and the bottom 2 pics are the aftermarket ones, the stock projectors looks like they are aimed slightly downward, while the aftermarket projectors look like they are aimed nearly level. Properly aimed headlights will drop 2+" for every 25' of distance, though as low as our cars sit, I set them to drop a little less then 1" over a 25' distance. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-21-2019, 04:57 AM | #8 |
Dog Listener
711
Rep 7,850
Posts |
Nice work! Compared to my 16 SRT Challenger the Z4s lights look more like stagecoach carriage lamps. 😑
I live in a rural area, frequented by turkeys and suicidal deer. Carriage lamps aren't enough. I'm going to dig in to this to up the light game. Thanks! |
Appreciate
0
|
10-21-2019, 08:15 AM | #9 |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Ron - if u don’t mind experimenting with option 2, go with that. If quality is as good as they claim, the install will be very easy. The hardest part will simply be stuffing that extra wiring in the assembly. Worst case then u go option 3 which isn’t bad at all. Regardless though the ROI on this mod is better than almost anything I’ve done so far to the car.
|
Appreciate
1
Finnegan711.00 |
12-14-2019, 05:21 PM | #11 | |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Quote:
If I had to guess, 2.5 hours first side taking taking it easy and 1.5 hours on the next side. Last edited by 3002 tii; 12-28-2019 at 08:53 AM.. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-21-2019, 04:14 PM | #12 |
Private
17
Rep 71
Posts |
Comparable upgrade to an e46 M3?
I’ve been following this threat with interest... and will likely be doing the upgrade to my Z4MC in the spring/summer.
But I picked up a pretty low-mile E46 M3 in the fall, and would REALLY like to improve its headlight performance, as I drive it to and from work in the dark a lot this time of year. Can anyone suggest a similar (that is, dramatic improvement for < $300 cost) upgrade for the M3? |
Appreciate
0
|
12-21-2019, 06:24 PM | #13 | |
Lieutenant General
2387
Rep 12,635
Posts
Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CT
iTrader: (100)
Garage List E86 Z4 M [10.00]
F15 X5 xDrive35i [9.17] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.53] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [8.93] |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-21-2019, 09:12 PM | #14 | |
Captain
253
Rep 775
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2022, 03:40 PM | #15 | |
Private First Class
12
Rep 132
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2022, 04:12 PM | #16 | |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
Quote:
Curious to know how you would properly retrofit LEDs since simply dropping in LED bulbs in a halogen reflector will blind oncoming traffic as well as output a bad uneven beam pattern. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-13-2022, 04:18 PM | #17 | ||
Private First Class
12
Rep 132
Posts |
Quote:
|
||
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2022, 09:52 AM | #18 | |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
Quote:
The biggest difference is that Xenon has improved light output compared to Halogen. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2022, 10:11 AM | #19 | ||
Private First Class
12
Rep 132
Posts |
Quote:
|
||
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2022, 11:46 AM | #20 |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
IDK, the huge uneven hood to bumper gap, and unless the camera did something strange, the different hue of the bumper to hood, would bother me much more than some tint on the headlight lens
My guess is the vehicle was in a front end collision and not properly repaired... |
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2022, 11:49 AM | #21 | |
Private First Class
12
Rep 132
Posts |
Quote:
Here is a better pic for color |
|
Appreciate
0
|
03-14-2022, 01:13 PM | #22 | |
Colonel
961
Rep 2,651
Posts
Drives: Z4MC, X3-35i,525i, Corrado G60
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MD
|
Yeah, that huge gap between the hood and the bumper is not normal so something is not right with the bumper. Just so you know, people don't report all accidents to their insurance company so you can't go by a clean record alone, you also need to do a proper inspection by someone that knows what to look for. With you being the 4th owner, who knows the complete history of this vehicle
The topic of this thread is about @3002 tii projector retrofit and since the discussion has has gone off topic, I'm done, unless people want to discuss Bi-Xenon projector retrofits. Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|