XSeries-forum

Afternoon,

Just after a bit of advice; I'm looking at swapping my 2004 X5 sport for a 2009 X5 m sport. I have brought up the options list and the only thing its missing that I would really want is xenon lights as I have them on my current X.

Has anyone tried retrofitting the xenon lights (not too bothered about bi-xenon). Is it just a case of changing the headlight units with xenon headlight units (inc ballast etc) and then putting a new module in the car and reprogramming? Almost plug and play in the existing wiring harness? Or is it a complete new harness/plugs etc and a nightmare of a job? I have had a look on google but cant find anything.

TIA, Andy.

Hi and welcome to the forum
A simpler option would be to fit HIDS, simple to do and inexpensive compared to changing the whole light unit which I would imagine to be in the hundreds to do.
I fitted them to my E53 which had crappy halogen bulbs in and say they were as good as the Xenons I now have in my 3er.
The side marker/ angel eye bulbs are a mare to change on the E70 halogen loghts though, headlight out job, or wheel arch liners out at least.

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/h7-hid ... &end=front

Worth ringing them up or waiting to see if anyone on here has done a conversion if possible, as said the Xenon headlights have one bulb with a flap instead of two separate bulbs as the inner dummy headlight contains the side marker bulb. But the halogen headlight unit is different in certain ways, as i think the side marker bulb is fitted elsewhere, so making it so hard to get at the bulb.

Bear in mind that the E70 only has one lamp unlike the E53 which has separate low/high beam lamps.

The inner lamp is a fake for holding the Angel eye illuminator, not a high beam lamp.  Check yours as the non-Xenon cars may have the second lamp, but I don't believe that is the case.  It's just I have not had a good look at a non-HID equipped car.

Bi-Xenon simply means low & high beams are HID with a mechanical shutter masking off the 'high' setting light beam when not in use.

Any retrofit kit will need to include the shutter.  If those kits aren't available then you are looking at a lot of dosh to convert to OEM as the car system will look for the auto-levelling and headlight washer systems normally fitted as part of the 'system'.

I thought I saw mention of each light unit being around £600!  I don't believe there is an 'official' OEM retrofit kit available.  Cheaper to find a car with the option factory fitted.