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Bi-Xenon Bulbs

9K views 23 replies 8 participants last post by  ps2cho 
#1 ·
I'd like to change my low beam bi-xenon bulbs and I need some advice for little brighter output than the stock OEMs. I found this on Amazon for $40, and was wondering if they would do.

Osram / Sylvania Xenarc (Xenon) D2S Headlight Bulb # 66240 - NEW OEM - 35W / P32d-2
 
#3 ·
I'd be careful of buying stuff from Amazon. They're known for taking all the items from a vendor and throwing it all in the same bin so even if it's from Amazon, it might be a fake some other vendor threw in there. They've been cracking down on the fake problem, but not sure if it's really fixed yet. I'd also be careful of going too high in color temperature, OEM was 4300k, I think some newer ones go up to 5000k. When you go too high, you actually end up with less visible light.
 
#5 · (Edited)
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#7 ·
I am extremely happy with Osram night breakers.
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/components/bulbs/oem/d2s-osram-xenarc-66240-nightbreaker.html

I am not a fan of the CBI's. They are too blue, and it seems for some reason that is what people like anymore. Just as noodles stated, the higher the Kelvin the lower the lumens. IE: When you see boy racer driving up and he's got 12k purple headlights, that he thinks looks so cool is actually horrific for light output.

I used to always get Philips 85122's but honestly I like the higher output in lumens on these night breakers plus they are pure white... Every review I read people loved the output but stated they were similar to halogen color temp, they aren't at all. Had I known this I would have ordered them way sooner.

-Nigel
 
#12 ·
Okay, you and Noodles have sold me on the nightbreakers. I like the 70% improvement in lumens. I'm planning on replacing the lenses on my headlight units and while I'm at it I might as well upgrade the bulbs. My car is a P1 and P2 2007 E350 with OEM bixenon/active curvelight, and I drive a lot in the early morning dark hours.

While we're at it, can you guys confirm that the 2007 OEM bixenon takes d1s? I get conflicting information when I look online.

Also, have you done any upgrade to the smaller oval parking light bulbs? LED maybe?
 
#9 ·
The Cool Blue Intense are rated at 5000k, and if you read the reviews, people say the light is pure white, not blue at all.
At least a few purchasers of the Nightbreakers commented that the bulbs were extremely bright, but a tad on the yellowish side of the spectrum.
For that reason I am going with the CBIs to match the 5000k city light bulbs purchased from AZN Optics and the 5000k LED plasma bulbs installed in my fog lights.
 
#10 ·
I'm supposed to receive the OSRAM xenon bulbs shown in post #5 tomorrow. Could they be installed without removing bumper? Do I need to disconnect battery negative? Attached is a pic if the igniter; will that be at the base of the bulb? To remove, do you just twist counterclockwise?

Any videos available on installation?
 

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#11 ·
It is tricky. That is the igniter at the back of the bulb. I scratched my hands up, but was able to change them without removing the bumper.
Also I did not disconnect the battery. When the igniter twists off it has a safety that opens the circuit to the bulb.
 
#13 ·
The 07-09' factory HID uses D1S bulbs.

When I did my retro fit I used e55 projectors which use D2S bulbs. I purchased a D1S ballast since it looks OEM and is bolted to the bottom of the headlight and then used a Morimoto D1S to D2S converter so I could use the D2s bulbs that go into the back of the projectors.

As far as the parking lights I swapped out the standard bulbs for OEM led modules which are on the reflector housing. See attached picture.

By looking at my headlights you'd never know they were not OEM factory bi-xenons other than the fact I don't have the auto level/auto curve feature.

If you replace the stock bulb for the parking lights just make sure it's canbus/error free or the car will think the bulb is burned out and throw a error message on the dash.

-Nigel
 

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#17 ·
Thanks for the info on the bulbs!

I have to confess, though, that I'm now confused on the parking lights. Did you mean that you had to change out the parking light reflector so as to convert to LED, or would it simply be a matter of going to a LED conversion bulb?

Also, did you do anything with the fog lights? Would be nice to maybe go to LED there as well.
 
#15 ·
wow, at almost 6,000k that's too blue for me. It really comes down to personal preference when it comes to what people like. You got the dudes that think 12,000k is super awesome looking but the output is going to be crappy as hell. You got other folks that are strictly 4300k, and then everyone else tossed in the middle.

I used to order 5000k and really like that but then eventually when they color shift they turn too blue. I'm not pretty much set on 4300k as that usually gives the best output and lumens. I have found that the pure white and above light is extremely hard to see when there is any type of rain/dampness on the road. I was always a Philips type of guy when I did retro fits but after using night breakers and the fact that their $200 price tag has gone to half of that it's a no brainer that I am going to always use that bulb going forward. There were a ton of pictures on hidplanet but since photobucket is stupid and broke all links on the internet pictures are harder to come by now.

If you are unsure, buy a set of whatever... test them out for about 100 hrs and if you don't like them try a new one and sell the old bulbs.

Just avoid the Chinese rebased generic bulbs... always go OEM for bulbs... Philips, Osram, Toshiba...etc.

-Nigel
 
#16 · (Edited)
EDIT 21 June 2021 to fix broken Pix links

Since Photof***it did what they did to Internet pictures, here's an alternative.

Headlight comparison - Depo vs. refurbished factory, and...

An example of the pics:



This is a comparison between the Osram 66240 CLC "Classic" bulbs (apparently 4000K) and a pair of Depo stock bulbs at 6000K. The 66240 CLC's are the more "yellow", and the Depo ones are more "blue".

Just the gallery of pics is here, without the descriptions.

PiXhost - Free Image Hosting
 
#18 ·
You can do either strategy with the parking lights. I did this with the project S500, above. In either case, to keep CANBUS happy, you'll need to insert a resistor in parallel so that the same amount of current gets used up on the circuit.

Same goes for the foglights. You'll need either resistors or a CANBUS adaptor for that as well.

It's a shame M-B didn't allow for future use of more efficient bulbs. It's even more of a shame that this appears not to be easily programmable except for HID low beams.
 
#20 ·
Mine is a 2008 with the factory bi-xenons. They just had the regular 168/192 bulbs in the side markers. I just replaced them with the regular 168/192 bulbs. As in other threads, the sockets were a little corroded, but I cleaned them up so I didn't have to replace it. One of the bulbs just fell apart in my hands when I took it out. Maybe you're thinking that the rear tail lights are LED.
 
#22 ·
#23 ·
OK, I'll give this a try, probably this weekend. Thanks!
 
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