Halogen bulbs BMW misinformation.

[sapphireblack]

Another bulb query to halogen bulbed E70 owners.

If you've had the headlight bulbs out and replaced them, what bulbs did you find, and what did you replace them with? I've had a look at the rear of the low beam, its supposed to be an H7 (in low and main beam) which it clearly isnt. Given access to the main beam is by feel only, I'd like to have correct replacements before i dive in properly. I suspect low beam is an H1 or H3?

Some redundant H11 Philips Ultinon LEDs popped straight into the foglights, with adaptors, and it has highlighted how grim the factory lighting is.

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[X5Sport]

Realoem suggests H7 for dip and H1 for main on vehicles without Xenon lights.

Might be worth getting the BMW Guide app as you can download the manuals against your VIN and get corrected versions.

I know when my i4 was new, the manual still showed a gear shifter, something BMW removed three months prior and it took a year for the digital manual to be updated. The manual with the car is wrong. It’s also possible that the dealer put the wrong manual in the car from their stock!

[Leslie]

Id take one one and confirm its the only way to be sure ,non xenon e70 x5's must be rarer than rocking horse poop, I know its a pain but so is buying the wrong ones

[sapphireblack]

Realoem suggests H7 for dip and H1 for main on vehicles without Xenon lights.

Might be worth getting the BMW Guide app as you can download the manuals against your VIN and get corrected versions.

I know when my i4 was new, the manual still showed a gear shifter, something BMW removed three months prior and it took a year for the digital manual to be updated. The manual with the car is wrong. It’s also possible that the dealer put the wrong manual in the car from their stock!

Well, for sure low beam is not an H7, the rear of the bulb has one of those fold over spring clips so what ever it is its not a twist and lock fitting. The main beam is not visually accessible at all. So what should be basic and straightforward is a royal pita.

I think someone here commented, that having spare bulbs for roadside swaps is a bit of a joke given accessibility is so poor.

[sapphireblack]

Id take one one and confirm its the only way to be sure ,non xenon e70 x5's must be rarer than rocking horse poop, I know its a pain but so is buying the wrong ones

Point taken, but i like to only do things once. Courtesy of BMW, it's at least a two visit exercise

[sapphireblack]

The BMW app doesnt like either of the vin numbers in my possession

[X5Sport]

H7 doesn’t have a twist lock….image below is a Bosch H7 12V / 55W

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[Leslie]

On some cars 2 mins take the headlight out which makes changing the bulbs a doddle not these though , it should be mandatory because as you say having a bulb you need to have 4 foot long arms and be as flexible as a yoga teacher to fit is a bit of a joke

[sapphireblack]

H7 doesn’t have a twist lock….image below is a Bosch H7 12V / 55W

IMG_3298.jpeg

Yes, you're correct of course Trying to view basically upside down with a cricked neck isnt a favourite pastime.

Its persisting outside, now and the F1 race is just going to kick off. I'll look again tomorrow.

The BMW app simply isn't letting me in,

[X5Sport]

On our E46 the only way to change at least one of the headlight bulbs is to remove/undo and pull forward the front bumper so you can get the headlight forward enough to get into it.

[sapphireblack]

On our E46 the only way to change at least one of the headlight bulbs is to remove/undo and pull forward the front bumper so you can get the headlight forward enough to get into it.

One word, ridiculous. How is that feasible at the roadside.

[Leslie]

My slightly earlier 2001 e46 with xenons both headlamp bulbs out in 3 mins , easiest car I ever swapped any on , progress eh ?

[sapphireblack]

OK fellow owners, who can identify this bulb in the projector low beam?

For sure the low and high beam bulbs viewed from the rear are different, further suggesting handbook information errors.

BMW assistance has had to pass on the question to another department.

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[Greydog]

Been there done that The bulb Low beam/High beam is an H7 12v 55w high beam is an H1 12v 55w if it follows the same pattern as mine the next adventure is actually pulling off the connector. The one in my nearside headlamp had it seemed heat welded it's self the bulb

realoem isn't much help as the image shows just about every combination for Halogen and Xenon in one small exploded drawing item 10 and 11 are the culprits

[sapphireblack]

Thanks for that, all help appreciated.

I did wonder if the black block visible in my image was indeed an H7 connection point. It seems it is. Disconnection easy, theoretically, but i note your points.

The high beam being an H1 is no surprise from my viewing of its rear connections.

All this said, both BMW and my local dealership insist the car has Xenon dipped beam, based on its VIN details. This is at odds with the handbook which states H7s low and high beam.

I am perplexed and have written back to BMW UK. I've suggested they might retrofit the Xenon headlamps its supposed to have!