Please Help With Lots of Newbie Headlight Questions! -all easy ones! :)

Hey Guys! A couple years ago I owned a 02 530i for about a month but sold it right away for a quick buck. (always regretted it) But I just got a 02 325ci and am loving it! But I need some serious schooling on the lights on this car!

First off: I understand that halogen lights are just standard lights and bulbs more or less. But I was wondering if HID (-stands for?) and xenon are the same thing? Or are they different?

How do I tell what lights my car has from looking at them? I think I read somewhere that duel xenon was on option? Is that as simple as it sounds? You could have all 4 headlights Xenon instead of 2 xenon and 2 halogen? Could someone please confirm this for me?

From looking at my car, I am almost possitive I have 2 halogens on the inside and 2 xenons on the outside. Can this be confirmed?

I also read somewhere that self leveling lights were on option. Does this apply to both the inside 2 lights, and the outside 2 lights? or just xenons, or all 4 lights only if there all xenons(if that was actually an option) (.....to much googling can be a bad thing...)
How could I tell from looking if I have this option?

Now the driving lamps..... What the heck are these for? I would assume these are fog lamps, but there not yellow.... What is the purpose of these lights? when are you ment to use them? and when do people actully use them? AND! why cant they be on at the same time as the high beams! -Who doesnt like more light! come on!!!!

Now speaking of high beams..... I leave my Light switch on the dash in the far left position with the "a" on it. I am making the asumption this is auto on. Is there any reason to move the switch from that position, ever!?

Now for my last question I think... What combination of the 4 bulbs on the headlights are ment to be on/off durning daytime, nighttime low beam, and night time high beam. I am having headlight issues and thought if I had a solid idea of whats ment to be happening, It will be easier to ask questions and diagnose...

My one outside xenon on the drivers side will try and fire a couple times when I first turn the car on then it will die. only when I use my "flash to pass" lever on the colum do my inside halogens turn on. but of course they dont stay on. On high beam, the passanger side xenon turns to high, the drivers side stays dead but neither of the inside halogens turn on... But when I hold the "flash to pass" lever, the inside halogens seem to be REALLY bright... shouldnt these be coming on when I hit my high beams?

Thanks for all or any help guys! Im really look forward to tinkering with these amazing automobiles.


O sorry one more: I just read a post regarding ZKW Xenons. what are those?

Stupid Questions?
ttt

Xenons will have the white blue look halogens are yellow easy. I believe all halogens come self leveling, if you have them you can watch them do it.

Sent from my PantechP9060 using Bimmer App

Tanner, your sig makes it hard to concetrate lol



here are pics of both

Halogen



Xenon



Notice the difference on the outer side of both headlights,
you can retrofit xenons on a non-xenon car but It's a bit pricey and you also have to get it programed by a dealer or a good indy.

there is a website out there that has kits for xenon, but forgot what it's called

Look at the pictures in my Bimmerfest garage. They all have xenons/HIDs - high intensity discharge. Xenon is the gas in the bulb that creates the light. The inner lights are always halogen. They are used for daytime running lights, flash to pass lights, and high beams on older models, including your car. Down the road they went to bi-xenons which have xenons for both low and high beams in the same light housing, the outboard lights.

Sorry Ken I know my car is just too damn hot. My girlfriend really gets in the way! Haha

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Originally Posted by tturedraider

Look at the pictures in my Bimmerfest garage. They all have xenons/HIDs - high intensity discharge. Xenon is the gas in the bulb that creates the light. The inner lights are always halogen. They are used for daytime running lights, flash to pass lights, and high beams on older models, including your car. Down the road they went to bi-xenons which have xenons for both low and high beams in the same light housing, the outboard lights.

Thanks Guys. I definitely have xenons on the outside and halogens on the inside.

Can someone go more into depth about the "bi-xenons"?
Thanks!

Originally Posted by Grouper

Thanks Guys. I definitely have xenons on the outside and halogens on the inside.

Can someone go more into depth about the "bi-xenons"?
Thanks!

Bi-xenons have a mechanical shutter mechanism in the light fixture that controls whether the light output is low beam or high beam.

so does xenon mean it takes an HID bulb or is this just a regular bulb with xenon gas in it that gives the apperance of HID

Originally Posted by Quest_908

so does xenon mean it takes an HID bulb or is this just a regular bulb with xenon gas in it that gives the apperance of HID

Xenon and HID/High Intensity Discharge are one and the same.