explain my headlights to me lol

i am a new BMW owner ....this is a weird question but explain my headlights lol....i have the Xenon i noticed they are the high and low beams..... what are the lights next to them ...they only work if i pull the lever towards me ....what is the purpose of these lights ??...i am sorry if its a stupid question but i am new as i said ....used to having a Trans am lol ...

you my friend have bixenons. in which you have already describe are your lows and highs. when you turn on your highs, it opens a shutter and let's more light out. the inner lights are either used for flash to pass or drl's. hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Persuit2002

i am a new BMW owner ....this is a weird question but explain my headlights lol....i have the Xenon i noticed they are the high and low beams..... what are the lights next to them ...they only work if i pull the lever towards me ....what is the purpose of these lights ??...i am sorry if its a stupid question but i am new as i said ....used to having a Trans am lol ...

Those are for flash to pass someone, also can be used for daytime running lights.

Your xenons are bixenons, a shutter moves away to open them up in high beam mode.

Earlier models had single xenons so the light next to the xenons was the actual halogen highbeam.

before 2002, bmw used those other regular/halogen lights as the brights

your car is equipped with what is called bi-xenon, where the xenon lights are both your brights and your dims

bmw left the halogen lights there for styling purposes, as well as to flash oncoming cars to have them slow down to get out of your way, or to warn them of police ahead. this is because it is bad to turn the xenons either on and off rapidly and repeatedly, and its also bad to switch from high to low xenon rapidly and repeatedly.

this could also be found through searching..

welcome to the circle of bmw owners, i hope that you enjoy

I have halogen lights only, could I find xenon assemblies from another 02 and just plug them in or is it a more complicated swap?

apparently we were all answering at the same time

thanks sooo much guys.....now i learned something....sadly one of my xenons is dead....ballast maybe??...although i do here something trying to ignite it i think ...3 times then the headlight out light comes on....

umm for the xenon swap, its a different headlight structure, you could buy a used set, there are a couple for sale on here right now, and you could probably put it in, get the LCM (light control module reprogrammed at the dealer) and it would probably work.. i'd check with a few other people first tho too

umm, if its trying to ignite i belive that the ballast is in good working order, but that the bulb has burned out?

someone please verify

if thats the case, you have a perfect excuse to start modding, get some 6000k xenon replacements and some predator chromiums on there

it'll look sick

get tint real dark, as you can in florida, and you're on your way

Originally Posted by silver02325

I have halogen lights only, could I find xenon assemblies from another 02 and just plug them in or is it a more complicated swap?

Yes you can, but it depends on which versions you get.

If you buy regular xenons its plug and play, and get the car reflashed to get rid of the lights out on the dash warning.

Problem is if you have a sedan there are to my knowledge no non-bixenon facelifted headlights. Putting the bixenons in will work but you will lose your high beams.

There may be a way to program it so it would use the inner halogens as your highs, or you could just hold the blinker stalk back and keep holding it while you need your highs, but I am not 100% sure.

Originally Posted by rmatt8748

umm, if its trying to ignite i belive that the ballast is in good working order, but that the bulb has burned out?

someone please verify

if thats the case, you have a perfect excuse to start modding, get some 6000k xenon replacements and some predator chromiums on there

it'll look sick

get tint real dark, as you can in florida, and you're on your way

ok ...first ...thanks for answering again
second...i was starting to think bulb cause it sounds like its trying to ignite it ...
third...what are these 6000k xenons...where can the be bought...and pics??..wats the difference

and finally


got done a few days after i got the car we tint windows where i work

6000k is a color rating for xenons

Some people get them because they look more white/blue then the oem and kind of gives the look that audi xenons do.

OEM xenons are rated at 4300k

While 6000k do look cool you trade off lumens and visability for the cooler color. It effects some people more then others depending on your sensitivity to blue light.

6000k has less lumens and the lighting is slightly harsher to the eyes but it will appear brighter, but that is only up close, distance vision is what is reduced.

Originally Posted by Staszek

Yes you can, but it depends on which versions you get.

If you buy regular xenons its plug and play, and get the car reflashed to get rid of the lights out on the dash warning.

Problem is if you have a sedan there are to my knowledge no non-bixenon facelifted headlights. Putting the bixenons in will work but you will lose your high beams.

There may be a way to program it so it would use the inner halogens as your highs, or you could just hold the blinker stalk back and keep holding it while you need your highs, but I am not 100% sure.

thanks for the help, Ill have to do some more investigating

i dont belive that the lumen output difference is enormous. i dont have 6000k xenons yet, but when the stock 4300K's blow i'll switch them really quick

i guess the stock color is better for overall viewing distance, but how much of a difference it actually makes i'm unsure

6000k looks pretty sick though

i like the tint, next step should be getting rid of all the amber front and rear corners as well as the amber side markers

it cleans up the car really well

Originally Posted by rmatt8748

i dont belive that the lumen output difference is enormous. i dont have 6000k xenons yet, but when the stock 4300K's blow i'll switch them really quick

i guess the stock color is better for overall viewing distance, but how much of a difference it actually makes i'm unsure

6000k looks pretty sick though

i like the tint, next step should be getting rid of all the amber front and rear corners as well as the amber side markers

it cleans up the car really well

4300k- 3250 Lumens
6000k- 2400 lumens
Halogens- 1500 lumens

They are still brighter then halogens its a combination of the lumens and the blue light that makes its a bit worse the halogens. Is it liveable yes sure.

I just couldnt deal with it because the blue light washes out to much in the rain for me, but some people are perfectly fine with it.

staszek, when you say wash out, what do you mean? i've heard this term used a few times before and I think i know, but please elaboate..

thanks

ps. princeton is a nice town, i was there for new years

Originally Posted by rmatt8748

staszek, when you say wash out, what do you mean? i've heard this term used a few times before and I think i know, but please elaboate..

thanks

ps. princeton is a nice town, i was there for new years

Thanks!

Basically have you ever noticed how when it rains the your headlights seem like they are dimmer and dont work as far, the rain actually reflects the light away, it does so more with 6000k bulbs.

cool, thanks