Best 2024 stock replacement options for HID Bulbs and Ballasts?

[Projecte46m3]

If you're going down this road...why not bring the car lighting into current 2024 standards with a complete projector retrofit? I did this upgrade a few months ago and light output is ridiculous! Such a significant upgrade in light output with a blanket off light projected on the road. As others have mentioned stick with a warm light color for better visibility on the road during inclement weather ie. Osram XNN (warm white)

Retrofit:

https://lightwerkz.net/products/lightwerkz-bmw-e46-m3-projector-retrofit-service?variant=41631895388300

[ChapterM3]

Update - Finally got to really test them out - The amount of light coming out of these things is insane; I have never seen this much just from the headlights, and the high beams are a whole other thing. This photo I got just with the low beams, my goodness are these Nightbreakers the upgrade I was looking for! No more flicker of course but didn't expect how much more visibility I'd have with them. Thank you all for your input, seriously, this is why I love this forum so much!



Projecte46m3 Thank you for your input! For me right now the replacement Nightbreakers are more than enough - I'd like to keep the car in the technology of its year just with little upgrades here and there, and that even comes down to the look of the headlights. I appreciate your input though!

[c watson]

I also have 50% tint on my front windshield so I have the same issue as you

Is your front windshield film ceramic tint?


Also those are some sweet nighttime photos you posted up. I’m glad it ended up working out for you. Get some new lenses from FCP and you’ll fetch even more lighting output (if you haven’t already).

As a previous poster stated, the Lightwerkz upgrade is nothing short but phenomenal. Seriously my 23 year old M3 has better lighting output than my 22 X5 and my new Jeep grand Cherokee. You definitely won’t be disappointed. The only thing visible is the brand new headlight lenses. Everything else looks completely factory and period correct.

[0-60motorsports]

Night breakers are awesome! Love mine with the projector upgrade

[George Hill]

Hey everyone - so I replaced the bulbs, and the result is that the flickering is gone! So happy about that! dukeofchen thank you for chiming in and encouraging me to just get the bulbs first and try them out, solved it right away!

I took it out for a drive last night to see if I could tell the different, result: I guess they're brighter? It wasn't like OH WOW kind of reaction as if I got a new pair of glasses, but more of a "huh I guess that's brighter?"

Stock ones I pulled from the car - Osram Xenarc 66040
These are the ones I went with off Amazon - Osram XENARC NIGHT BREAKER LASER D2S, Next Generation

Paid $128.99, and here's the listing that I bought them from - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBNDS5KR...fed_asin_title

I bought these on Amazon of course after seeing the last post from c watson - but now I'm suspicious however if I bought reps, take a look at the photos from the box, and I'll pull the driver's side bulb to take some photos of the actual bulb itself as well so you guys can see.

Update - Finally got to really test them out - The amount of light coming out of these things is insane; I have never seen this much just from the headlights, and the high beams are a whole other thing. This photo I got just with the low beams, my goodness are these Nightbreakers the upgrade I was looking for! No more flicker of course but didn't expect how much more visibility I'd have with them. Thank you all for your input, seriously, this is why I love this forum so much!

I'm confused, are the bulbs from the first post also the same for the second post above? Originally you said they were meh, but then amazing. I wasn't sure if you put something else in there between these two posts.

[ChapterM3]

Is your front windshield film ceramic tint?


Also those are some sweet nighttime photos you posted up. I’m glad it ended up working out for you. Get some new lenses from FCP and you’ll fetch even more lighting output (if you haven’t already).

As a previous poster stated, the Lightwerkz upgrade is nothing short but phenomenal. Seriously my 23 year old M3 has better lighting output than my 22 X5 and my new Jeep grand Cherokee. You definitely won’t be disappointed. The only thing visible is the brand new headlight lenses. Everything else looks completely factory and period correct.

Yes there is - 50% ceramic tint on all windows! I'll certainly consider that upgrade if it's still period-correct

I'm confused, are the bulbs from the first post also the same for the second post above? Originally you said they were meh, but then amazing. I wasn't sure if you put something else in there between these two posts.

Good point - to clarify - the scenarios in which I first drove the car were on lit streets, and just around the block. After that I wasn't "looking" for the difference if that makes sense and started driving in my normal conditions. Once I got the car on a proper evening drive in variable lighting conditions (street lamps, no street lamps, pitch black, etc) I was really blown away by the difference in light output. Then when I came out to the desert, where there are absolutely no lights on the road I took the photo on above, I really had never seen the car see that far in the distance on the stock bulbs as I had driven the same road prior. That's the biggest difference in change between those two posts I made.

[I M Legend]

How's the color of the Nightbreakers? Is it a pure white? white with hint of blue? or white with hint of yellow like OE 4300K?

Also for clarity, you only changed the bulbs and not the ballasts?

[ChapterM3]

How's the color of the Nightbreakers? Is it a pure white? white with hint of blue? or white with hint of yellow like OE 4300K?

Also for clarity, you only changed the bulbs and not the ballasts?

Color is more pure white than what I had previously - it's more white with a hint of blue.

Correct: I only changed the bulbs and NOT the ballasts

[I M Legend]

Color is more pure white than what I had previously - it's more white with a hint of blue.

Correct: I only changed the bulbs and NOT the ballasts

Have you noticed any color shift over time?

I currently have the CBIs and was looking for something brighter but I'm pretty happy with the color of the CBIs.

[SQ13]

Have you noticed any color shift over time?

I currently have the CBIs and was looking for something brighter but I'm pretty happy with the color of the CBIs.

Are you using them with stock or aftermarket projectors? I have CBIs with Bosch single xenon projectors, and they’re pretty damn bright.

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/main-forum/e46-2001-2006/204992-fyi-01-m3-single-xenon-to-bi-xenon-retrofit

[dukeofchen]

Are you using them with stock or aftermarket projectors? I have CBIs with Bosch single xenon projectors, and they’re pretty damn bright.

I have gen 1 CBIs with the G5-R Bosch style projector and haven't been completely satisfied with the output.

But I think one thing that makes it more difficult is that properly adjusting our headlights to DOT standards means the throw distance isn't as long as it would otherwise be since our noses are low to begin with. I would love to raise them to a flatter angle but then I'd be another one of those assholes blinding everybody every time my car has the slightest bounce.

Modern LED headlights have really moved the goalposts on light output. I have negative interest in owning a Tesla but I'll be damned if those headlights aren't amazing when I see them on the road.

[I M Legend]

Are you using them with stock or aftermarket projectors? I have CBIs with Bosch single xenon projectors, and they’re pretty damn bright.

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...xenon-retrofit

Stock bi-xenon projectors. Only changed the bulbs to CBIs.

[ChapterM3]

Have you noticed any color shift over time?

I currently have the CBIs and was looking for something brighter but I'm pretty happy with the color of the CBIs.

No they're pretty much the same since I made this post and said I got them installed, still really happy with them and the brightness

[AWE46M3]

I bought a spare set of headlights in 2022 and ordered the DS2’s to run in the new headlights once I got them back from Lightwerkz. On a whim, I decided to run them in my car early and figured I’d just swap them over when my retrofit project was delivered.

it’s been 18 months and I am so happy with the bulb swap idk if I am going to ever get around to doing the projector retrofit 😂 Nice pick, Jonathan. Glad you like them and even more glad they resolved the issue you were having.

I picked this set up on Amazon. It says 7000k but the light is a pure white. Crazy bright

[JokerElite]

I bought a spare set of headlights in 2022 and ordered the DS2's to run in the new headlights once I got them back from Lightwerkz. On a whim, I decided to run them in my car early and figured I'd just swap them over when my retrofit project was delivered.

it's been 18 months and I am so happy with the bulb swap idk if I am going to ever get around to doing the projector retrofit 😂 Nice pick, Jonathan. Glad you like them and even more glad they resolved the issue you were having.

I picked this set up on Amazon. It says 7000k but the light is a pure white. Crazy bright

Interesting considering CBBs are a cooler temperature than CBIs. And CBIs are cooler temperature than NBLs.

I guess you can only tell subtle differences side by side.