Xenon Lights - Pls Help

[gerardog]

Hi everyone,
I noticed that the Xenon lights on my '99 523I are not as strong as in the past. I was just wondering if the light intensity does get weaker with age or if they just go out but the intensity remains the same no matter how old the bulb is... (like a neon light for example). Hope you understand what i mean..

I was also wondering if it difficult to replace them? is it something that can be done without the dealership? and what bulbs do you suggest? BMW OEM bulbs or something better?

thanks

[bpb05]

i heard those bulbs only have like a year life span. but it isnt to hard to replace, sorry i dont know what bulb to tell ya

[e36_m3_Turbo]

there are many shades of colors that come from the bulbs 4300k is stock which has the most output and is a yellowish blue color. 5000k is more blue then yellow. the higher the number the bluer it gets and the less light that is put out. 12000k is lik a black light with almost less then halogen output. lot of people upgrade to 6000k because it looks the best and has enough light but overall they are easy to replace

[sp0rky]

Perhaps you have just gotten used to the light output?

With age, they generally get bluer - so in theory there could be less light output, but not by a whole lot.

If you want to replace them, you need a pair of xenon d2s 4300k bulbs to keep it stock. If you want more blue (but slightly less light) get a pair of d2s 5000k bulbs. If you in-fact have gotten used to HIDs and you feel that you now have less light output, I don't recommend going above 5000k at all.

Philips, Osram, etc are great brands to choose from.

[///M Power]

Yeah how long do HiD bulbs generally last? I am considering buyign some from jlevi.

How logn do the bulbs last? How much do spare bulbs cost?

[sp0rky]

Bulbs generally last 5 years. Thats just an average. Some last significantly longer - and some significantly shorter.

The replacement bulbs on ebay can be had at an average of 80 / pair. Locally, they'll cost you anywhere from $150 - $300 ea.

[///M Power]

5 years thatll out last my car

[sp0rky]

ahahhaha. Oh man. IF thats true, you take them out and reuse them on the next!

knowing most BMW owners, though - even if it did outlast your car, you'd still keep it around. lol