Anyone have E46 lighting experience?

[mamzak]

Bimmerforums is a piece of shit, and I'm currently on a "time-out" for calling out a guy that wanted to put hood pins on his car so I'll ask here:

My dad bought a 2001 325i, and it has xenon lights installed. I can't tell if they are factory or not though... The mechanic I took it to knew the previous owner and he said the PO was looking at installing a set of HID's, but didn't know if he followed through, so i guess that means these didn't come with the car, but might be OEM (if that's possible?) They do the motorized up and down sweep as soon as you turn them on, and they say xenon around the projector assembly on the low-beams, also the housing is plastic.

What's the best way to tell if the assembly and HID set-up is OEM?

My dad's drivers side light cuts in and out, stays on sometimes, but mostly cuts out right after it ignites, so I was just going to buy a replacement set-up from Bavtoys for $200 and swap it into the housing. Will this work? On the top of the plastic housing lens it has D2S/H7 embossed into it sooooo....that should work right?

Thanks guys!

[10Toes]

Run the vin at a bmw dealer and check the list of options.

[87e30]

Run the vin at a bmw dealer and check the list of options.

Could be OEM but added later.

[mamzak]

Could be OEM but added later.

I'm pretty sure the car came stock with Haolgens, because that's what the mechanic who knew the car said.... I just want to see if these are OEM spec headlights that were added after, or if they're like a DEPO assembly or something.

[StereoInstaller1]

So ask the tech to call the PO. Might be under warranty, right?

[mamzak]

So ask the tech to call the PO. Might be under warranty, right?

PO was some 19 year old kid that didn't really know anything about cars...he just had money from his donair shop (that I'm 99% sure was a drug front)

"I'd like the super donair with cheese, and a side of the SPECIAL topping please." :p

[StereoInstaller1]

WTF is donair?

[nrubenstein]

The depos have built in angel eyes. If they don't, they are OEM.

That, and nobody has yet motorized a retrofit housing that I am aware of.

You should start by swapping the bulbs left to right and see if the problem follows the bulb. Oherwise, swap ia new OEM ballast.

Also, the ONLY bulb that you should consider is the Phillips 85122+. Everything else is worse, or rider junk. (If you up the wattage, get the Phillios DL50.)

[unrlmth]

The depos have built in angel eyes. If they don't, they are OEM.

That, and nobody has yet motorized a retrofit housing that I am aware of.

You should start by swapping the bulbs left to right and see if the problem follows the bulb. Oherwise, swap ia new OEM ballast.

Also, the ONLY bulb that you should consider is the Phillips 85122+. Everything else is worse, or rider junk. (If you up the wattage, get the Phillios DL50.)

A little off topic here, but why do you recommend using the DL50 over the 85122+ for 50/55w? (I'm assuming thats what you mean by up the wattage)

[abepark]

if im not mistaken there was a TSB about e46 xenon headlights. do they have squirters?

[Edev]

Post a picture of the front of the car, and a shot of the rear housing from inside the engine bay.

[nrubenstein]

A little off topic here, but why do you recommend using the DL50 over the 85122+ for 50/55w? (I'm assuming thats what you mean by up the wattage)

Because the DL50 is rated for the higher wattage. It's in the name.

The 85122+ can be had for relatively little money on flea bay though.

[mamzak]

WTF is donair?

Best drunk food EVER.

The depos have built in angel eyes. If they don't, they are OEM.

That, and nobody has yet motorized a retrofit housing that I am aware of.

You should start by swapping the bulbs left to right and see if the problem follows the bulb. Oherwise, swap ia new OEM ballast.

Also, the ONLY bulb that you should consider is the Phillips 85122+. Everything else is worse, or rider junk. (If you up the wattage, get the Phillios DL50.)

I thought you can order DEPO's with or without angel eyes...that what Bavtoys site says anyways...the motorized sweep is what's making me think these are OEM, but that would have been a fuck load of money to spend on a headlight upgrade! Probably a couple thousand.

Also: I did switch bulbs and the problem remained on the same side, so I'm pretty sure it's just a bad ballast...does anyone know where to find an OEM ballast (should these happen to be OEM lights)

Here are pics:

[mikeedler]

those are oem. the problem that your having I also had a few years ago. It is the module on the bottom of the light housing (the ignitor is IN the housing itself). the module is VERY expensive!!!!!!
what my cheap ass did was-- I ordered a set of ebay zenon DDS kit, and used the 1 piece ignitor/module and had to put a small hole in the rubber boot. has been working erfectly for aver 2 years now, cost me 40 dollars including a few new bulbs for later.
everything is direct plug nd play, no splicing needed.

[mamzak]

those are oem. the problem that your having I also had a few years ago. It is the module on the bottom of the light housing (the ignitor is IN the housing itself). the module is VERY expensive!!!!!!
what my cheap ass did was-- I ordered a set of ebay zenon DDS kit, and used the 1 piece ignitor/module and had to put a small hole in the rubber boot. has been working erfectly for aver 2 years now, cost me 40 dollars including a few new bulbs for later.
everything is direct plug nd play, no splicing needed.

Hmm, I also heard this from one of my friends that works at the BMW dealership, that it was probably the module...Is that a different piece than the ballast?