Ellipsoid to Sealed Beam Conversion (I know this is backward)

[md325i]

I have an '88 e30. If what I have been reading is right, BMW shipped these e30s with US-spec Ellipsoids. The headlight bulb housings are broken on my e30 and I was looking to buy replacements. Not only are they expensive, but my brackets were not in the best shape.

Either way, BavAuto said sealed beams will work fine as a drop in replacement (for an '88 e30 325i) and sold me four sealed beam lights. Turns out it isn't a drop in replacement and I had to purchase a sealed beam housing from someone on r3v (thank you ethirtydavid).

Now I am trying to figure out how to fix the wiring so that I can make it work. There are billions of sealed beam to ellipsoid conversion directions. I'm wondering if any electrical-saavy r3v members could reverse engineer those directions to go from ellipsoid to sealed beam.

Thanks.

[straight6pwr]

I have an '88 e30. If what I have been reading is right, BMW shipped these e30s with US-spec Ellipsoids. The headlight bulb housings are broken on my e30 and I was looking to buy replacements. Not only are they expensive, but my brackets were not in the best shape.

Either way, BavAuto said sealed beams will work fine as a drop in replacement (for an '88 e30 325i) and sold me four sealed beam lights. Turns out it isn't a drop in replacement and I had to purchase a sealed beam housing from someone on r3v (thank you ethirtydavid).

Now I am trying to figure out how to fix the wiring so that I can make it work. There are billions of sealed beam to ellipsoid conversion directions. I'm wondering if any electrical-saavy r3v members could reverse engineer those directions to go from ellipsoid to sealed beam.

Thanks.

it should be as easy as: buy the sealed beam plugs, wire them in (2 wires for each). the low beam plugs have three wires, but your stock wiring wont, so make sure you use the ground and the correct 2nd wire (it will turn on the low filament of the low beam bulb) i just looked and i have a set of low beam plugs for you. PM if you need them.

[md325i]

I bought the plugs. The low beam has three wires. The high beam plug has two wires. The problem is that the ellipsoid plugs are both two wires for high and low. So I am confused as to how to make the them work.

[straight6pwr]

I bought the plugs. The low beam has three wires. The high beam plug has two wires. The problem is that the ellipsoid plugs are both two wires for high and low. So I am confused as to how to make the them work.

The sealed beam plug has 3 wires because the low beam is a dual-filament bulb. When you have your low beams on, one filament is powered (power wire #1). When you switch to your high beams, the other filament gets power (power wire#2). You really wont need this function, so you only will need to use 2 wires for that plug, the brown ground wire and one of the other two (mine are Purple/White and Yellow/White). I BELIEVE it is the Yellow/White, but youll have to verify yourself. The way i would check is to strip the wiring down, and hold the power and ground wires directly onto the terminals on the back of the bulb to see which is which.

[md325i]

Alright, I'll give that a shot.

Thanks!

[ethirtydavid]

hah, nice. hope it all worked out

[rares]

hey that's different. good luck buddy and be safe... post some pics just for fun when you are done.. hehe

[Kershaw]

should have gone to the junkyard and bought the headlights and housings for $20.