E46 Halogen ---> Umnitza Projector46 FX-R

[Falcon21]

Ok, so it took about 2 weeks for the lights to arrive. I shaved off about a week, by calling customs every day, and asking them if they had processed my package yet. When they processed my package, I went and fetched it from customs.

So I open my package, and everything's there, except for the corner lights. :thinking: I emailed Umnitza about that, and at first they told me to double check as they were "definitely sure" that they put it in. After a few back and forth emails, they agreed to send me a pair as soon as they have stock.

The installation was very simple. I just had to remove 4 bolts on each headlight, and they slid right out. The new headlights fit in perfectly, and all plugs went in without issue.

The light output is amazing compared to the halogens. The cutoff is so sharp, that it almost looks pitch black above the cutoff, however the angel eyes are very bright, so that lights up road signs quite nicely.

Anyway, here are the pics:

Before front:

After front: - note the yellowy corner lights, which I'll get rid of soon.

Before side:

After side:

Angel eyes before

Angel eyes after:

Angel eyes before:

Angel eyes after:

Some outside pics:

Note that when the xenon's turn on, it takes about a minute for them to "heat up". When they're fully heated, then they're pure white.

And a "flicker" shot. Notice the blue, and yellow flicker. You also get some purple flicker depending where you stand.

And here's the cutoff:

Right only:

Left only:

I'm not 100% happy with the cutoff. When I ordered the FX-R's, I was thinking I was gonna get this:
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/0682/products/F1_Autohaus_FX-R_Projectors_HID_cutoff_large.jpg

So I asked Umnitza about that, and they confirmed that these are "their" FX-R cutoff.
I will agree that the cutoff from these FX-R's are MUCH better than most other retrofit projectors, but still, I expected otherwise.

I might buy these in the future: (which are the proper FX-R's)
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product_info.php?products_id=101

The angel eyes are damn bright; as bright as the Audi LED's, so I'm using them as DRL's.

Money worth spent!:rollsmile:

 

[moranor@axis]

looks much better

 

[gconry18]

Looks awesome. Just spray those projector bowls black. Makes the front look much better especially with angel eyes.

Kabal did a diy on this.

 

[Sankekur]

Looking good.
That cutoff looks a lot better than the OEM e46 projectors or any other BMW projectors I have seen so far.

BTW did you wire up the Bi-xenon flap?

 

[ChrisBrand]

Looks great Falcon!! Just a question you bought the entire light holdster? As in the entire new light set? Or just the retrofit housing and shroud? Reason im asking is that im looking at maybe doing this but was looking at your second option via http://www.theretrofitsource.com/product...cts_id=101. Maybe just buying that "globe" with the shroud and then buying a HID Kit locally. What do u think Sank as you did an entire OEM retrofit?

 

[Sankekur]

If I am not mistaken the umnitza ones are a complete set of replacement headlights, ie just take out the old headlight an put this one in its place.

What i did was I got a second hand set of F/L xenon headlights, with broken mounting tabs and I just swapped the internals from the xenon ones to the ones on my car cause all their tabs were intact.

If you want to go about doing an OEM retrofit (or OEM look), you will need, a set of xenon headlight internals (the reflector bowl bit) can be from a f/l or pre-f/l (both will work f/l will probably be easier to find) then you will need a set of projectors, OEM or otherwise, whichever you go for I would recommend some with the bi-xenon flap. The you will need the shroud, the bit that goes around the projector. If you go for OEM projectors or aftermarket ones of similar size you can get the OEM ones. But e46 shrouds are so popular that you get aftermarket ones that fit some other sizes as well. This is of course for the f/l stuff on the pre-f/l you will probably have to go for all OEM stuff as they look a bit different than the f/l ones.
Either one you go for will look good.
In term of the lighting itself it is best to just go for an aftermarket kit as it is the cheaper option and depending what you get better that the OEM stuff.
Most of these stuff can be sourced from various places, including flea-bay.
Let me know if you want more info.

 

[ChrisBrand]

Okay so if i go for these things:

And then buy the HID kit here could that work? Or am i missing pieces?

 

[gconry18]

It could work. Want me to pop in at cliftons tomorrow? I imagine last time I walked through there I saw a set of open e46 projector lights.

 

[Sankekur]

Then you will need a set of xenon internals (that you might need to mod slightly) to fit the projectors in and you are sorted. Or you could take a standard halogen internal and mod that to take the projector.

 

[andrewbuch]

Those lights look so much better than your originals :bravo:


@Chris brand Check here
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=19508

 

[XMAX]

I would like to get me a set of these.

are these a straight swop. as in remove old lights and fit new. do they work fine with the standard light switch, or is there anything else that needs to be put in place, like a capacitor or resistor like what Sankekur did on his DIY.


Ive been told that the wiring is different for Xenons than for halogens as the xenons tend to draw more current and that fitting aftermarket xenons would cause the wiring to overheat and melt. i dunno if theres any truth to this.

 

[Sankekur]

Nope if you go for 35W xenons you will actually be drawing less current than with standard 55W halogen bulbs.

But also keep in mind that xenons do use a switching circuit of some kind to generate high voltages, so cheap ones can cause a lot of noise, which can cause interesting results one of them is the radio reciever in your car not working properly when the xenons are turned on

 

[ChrisBrand]

Those lights look so much better than your originals :bravo:


@Chris brand Check here
http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=19508

Thanks andrew! I saw that one a while ago but couldn't remember where it was. Thats basically the same route i planned out above. Just one question i see he used H1 lights whereas the lights are normally H7. How will that effect the system and light?

 

[kabal]

looks great.

are those night wall shots before you adjusted the height? is there something wrong with the cutoff, I cant see it against the wall???

 

[Sankekur]

Thanks andrew! I saw that one a while ago but couldn't remember where it was. Thats basically the same route i planned out above. Just one question i see he used H1 lights whereas the lights are normally H7. How will that effect the system and light?

I depends on the type of projector you get, just make sure that the kit you get plugs into your harness and you should be fine.

 

[ChrisBrand]

Well if i get the H7 locally but i buy those projectors that come with a H7 adapter, i think, it should be fine?

 

[Sankekur]

Should work, though I would personally rather go for projectors that take D2S bulbs as they are a standard xenon type bulb, which means you can more easily get replacement bulbs if needed.

 

[calypso]

Dont forget www.lightwerkz.net if your looking for projector gear.

 

[Falcon21]

Thanks guys!

@Sankekur
Yeah, I hooked up the bixenon flap, to my "brights" connection.
So when I haven't got the Xenon's on, then its just the halogen bright's that come on.
When the Xenon's are on, the flap opens up, and its %$^*%ing daylight in front of me! :=):

@ChrisBrand

Yeah, this was a total headlight replacement.

@XMAX

Yeah, its a straight swap.
You gotta remove your old headlights (4 bolts for each headlight).
And then the new headlights slide straight in.
And all the connections are pretty much plug and play.
I needed to cut, connect and solder some wires for the angel eyes, and the bixenon flap though, but wasn't much of a mission.

These headlights came with proper ballasts, which do the proper voltage change over, as well as error cancelling. I didn't have to worry about getting any resistors or anything like that.

As far as overheating is concerned, I think you'd only need to worry about that is if you get in a cheap/crap wiring/ballasts, IMO.

I hooked up the angel eyes to more internal light AND my parking lights with the use of a relay that came with the lights. So the angels come on when I unlock my car.

@kabal

That is the cutoff against the wall. My camera isn't so high quality (phone).
Note that these aren't the awesome FX-R's, with the insane cutoff. I wrongly assumed this myself when buying this.

 

[jconradie]

What did u have to pay at customs?