[gtate44]

Hi all.

Apologies if I’ve posted in the wrong place I’ve just joined.

I want to upgrade my halogen headlights on my 2013 bmw 1 series f20 to Hella bi-xenon led f20 headlights.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to source these and would it just be a straight swap over?

Many thanks

[No one]

Hi.

To put it simply you can not replace your factory halogen headlights with the OEM Xenon ones. It's hardly doable (if at all: I can't remember a proof of success story).

So there is a shitty "compromise" then. I hope this won't spoil your correct attitude , just have to mention it for objectivity:

. They say "Plug & Play" but there are issues: https://f20.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1647284.

The only correct and easy way to "upgrade" the halogen lights is to use the best (correct specification!) bulbs available. There are two kinds that can be mixed properly: super white for the looks and top performance for the visibility. (There are more OEM options including daytime driving lights retrofit for matching bumpers.)

[gtate44]

Originally Posted by No one

Hi.

To put it simply you can not replace your factory halogen headlights with the OEM Xenon ones. It's hardly doable (if at all: I can't remember a proof of success story).

So there is a shitty "compromise" then. I hope this won't spoil your correct attitude , just have to mention it for objectivity:

. They say "Plug & Play" but there are issues: https://f20.1addicts.com/forums/show....php?t=1647284.

The only correct and easy way to "upgrade" the halogen lights is to use the best (correct specification!) bulbs available. There are two kinds that can be mixed properly: super white for the looks and top performance for the visibility. (There are more OEM options including daytime driving lights retrofit for matching bumpers.)

[QUOTE=No one;25533072]Hi.

To put it simply you can not replace your factory halogen headlights with the OEM Xenon ones. It's hardly doable (if at all: I can't remember a proof of success story).

Thank you very much for your reply

Can I just ask.. why can't you swap them over for oem xenon ones? Would hella ones not work? I'm wanting to buy the actual headlight units not just replace the bulbs

[No one]

Originally Posted by gtate44

Can I just ask.. why can't you swap them over for oem xenon ones? Would hella ones not work? I'm wanting to buy the actual headlight units not just replace the bulbs

Wow. It looks like you've got so much to learn to satisfy your curiosity even without getting any close to technical details! I'm sorry, I couldn't help it.

Those are totally different technologies. Everything but the mechanical aspects of fitting/fixing is different. Both electrics (different voltage...) and electronics (Bi-Xenon is the same bulbs are used for both low and high beam, the throw angle is set appropriately. Load light throw angle correction is automatic over manual, headlight washers are mandatory for Xenon in most markets.). Additional equipment like road clearance sensors (for load angle adjustment) is expected. The operating computing unit(s) must be programmed appropriately (this may be not only coding some parameter values but a different version of software to support those).

You may know not the Xenon/halogen bulbs are totally incompatible (by the way, Xenon bulbs replacement must be done by a specialist unlike halogen, see the manual ) and so are the headlight units' electrical connectors (I do presume it, unless there are universal interfaces ), but you could notice the number of lights in the headlight units (Bi-Xenon makes it one less to halogen, DRL and sidelights are one for Xenon, two for halogen, the vanity "eyebrows" Xenons have) difference. It matters, of course. (Well, in case of uniform connection interface there could be all the necessary control/conversion stuff in the headlight unit to level those differences but it does not seem to be the case. Many wanted Xenon retrofit, but who got it? Hardly anybody. At a cost below the car replacement. )

This is a briefest answer without any technical details I don't know. Yes, you can replace halogen units with the Xenon ones and no, they won't work.