Community Forums

Vanwill · 05-20-2017, 02:18 PM

2000 Dynasty 36, with 1999 (?) Series 5 BMW headlight housing

After installing some Hikari LED low beam headlamps in my 2000 Silverado and liking them, when a low-beam bulb burned out (AGAIN) on the coach, I decided to replace the H7 bulbs with Hikari bulbs. The new bulbs have a powered fan to cool the driver circuitry and I cannot see how they could possibly be fitted to the 1999 (?) BMW headlight housing. The BMW housing uses a proprietary (?) plug that the bulb plugs into, then that plug locks the bulb in and has an O-ring seal. I cannot see how to make these bulky bulbs fit, even if I specially machine some sort of adapter.

Has anyone replaced their halogen bulbs with LED on a 2000-or-so coach using the Series 5 BMW headlight housing? What brand, and what source?

vito.a · 05-21-2017, 04:30 PM

Van, if anyone can make them fit it's you!

I commented in another headlight thread that the HID bulbs are far brighter/better for headlights than LED. The only advantage LED has is low current draw. HID bulbs produce far greater light and are available in several temperature/colors.

The very best HID bulbs come from Germany, but the Chinese HID manufacturers have been working hard for the last 15 years to catch up and are 1/5 the price. I've installed several HID kits from DDM tuning. They have a great guarantee on HID bulbs and you can get an H7 55w HID 2-light kit with ballasts and wiring harness for $89. The ballasts mount external to the headlight assembly and in most cases just stick to a flat surface with double sticky back tape. The included harness does not include a relay, but we've had good results with it. HID bulbs only use high current at startup and most OEM wiring works fine. If you feel you need a relay, it's $9.99 extra. The connectors are plug and play.

HID bulbs do work better with projector type lenses, but we've had great results with even some of the old rectangular headlamp assemblies.

DDM Tuning: HID and LED Lighting

Hope this helps.

Vanwill · 05-22-2017, 07:17 AM

Thanks, Vito! Very interesting site. But any bulb that presents anything other than the standard H7 base simply will not just "plug in". Someone would have to integrate the new bulb into a locking/sealing adapter that duplicated the BMW one.

That was an interesting read about HID lights. I did not realize they had come down so in price, or that they are still presently brighter than LED lamps.

I've used LED headlamps on other vehicles and been satisfied...not overjoyed, but satisfied. I very seldom drive at night in the coach, but I always drive with the headlights on. I do that because I have VERY bright, visible LED fog lamps. With the present wiring on my coach, the fog lamps will not come on unless the low beam headlights are on. I burn out low beam halogens regularly. I wanted the LED headlamps primarily for length-of-service. I need to re-wire the fog lamps to act independently. Might not be legal, but it's what I'll do.

Thanks for the info!

kvhookj · 05-22-2017, 08:32 AM

How did you determine who made the headlight assemblies?

nitro · 05-22-2017, 08:41 AM

there is a sae #on the lens

cruzbill · 05-22-2017, 08:59 AM

Vito, Our 2005 Beaver headlights are from a 2001 Lincoln Navigator. Are these the 'projector' type lenses you mention? I think the bulb is a 9007. I would love a brighter light that doesn't blind the oncomings (too blue). Can you suggest an HID bulb that will do the trick?

vito.a · 05-22-2017, 10:29 PM

Bill, the link I posted above is for a 55w H7 kit with ballast and std wiring kit. You will be amazed how great they work. You also get to select the color. I would stay around 5500k. Above that and they are slightly blue and you actually loose light.

cruzbill · 05-23-2017, 09:43 AM

I'll take a look, thanks Vito!

jleamo1 · 05-23-2017, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vito.a

Bill, the link I posted above is for a 55w H7 kit with ballast and std wiring kit. You will be amazed how great they work. You also get to select the color. I would stay around 5500k. Above that and they are slightly blue and you actually loose light.

Vito, I just had a conversation with my wife last week about this very concern. I cannot see at night (and its not me, LOL). Our coach has the 9007 bulbs and they are horrible. I replaced the lenses two years ago with the type in the photo, while it did help they still aren't bright enough. What recommendation do you have to upgrade?

Happycarz · 05-23-2017, 04:06 PM

Years ago I bought HIR bulbs, not to be confused with HID bulbs. Some BMW's and also Dodge Vipers used this bulb.

I purchased them from http://hirheadlights.com, who no longer sells them and recommends http://store.candlepower.com/hirlighting.html for them.

The ones I bought were marked with a silver sharpie where to trim the mounting base so they would fit my Buick headlights in my Camelot. It was only about a 3/16" trim on one of the ears that pushes into the receptacle and then turns to secure it. The HIR bulbs sure helped.

Also, any of you folks with dim lights need to take a voltage reading at the bulb with the coach running, the bulb in place, and headlights on. When new, I was getting 10.9 volts at the bulb, not the 14.2 volts that the alternates charging.

A relay in the headlight circuit cured that issue for me. It has been discussed here in the past. But a friendly reminder for something that could be easily overlooked.

10Boomer · 05-23-2017, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happycarz

Years ago I bought HIR bulbs, not to be confused with HID bulbs. Some BMW's and also Dodge Vipers used this bulb.

I purchased them from http://hirheadlights.com, who no longer sells them and recommends http://store.candlepower.com/hirlighting.html for them.

The ones I bought were marked with a silver sharpie where to trim the mounting base so they would fit my Buick headlights in my Camelot. It was only about a 3/16" trim on one of the ears that pushes into the receptacle and then turns to secure it. The HIR bulbs sure helped.

Also, any of you folks with dim lights need to take a voltage reading at the bulb with the coach running, the bulb in place, and headlights on. When new, I was getting 10.9 volts at the bulb, not the 14.2 volts that the alternates charging.

A relay in the headlight circuit cured that issue for me. It has been discussed here in the past. But a friendly reminder for something that could be easily overlooked.

Relays work Harry, thanks for the help!

BigPapaYams · 05-26-2017, 10:13 PM

I too was thinking of using LED bulbs for my headlamps (bright, very low power draw) but then started doing some browsing around (research).

LED "bulbs" do not output the light in the same way an incandescent bulb does. The headlamps in our older coaches are not designed for an LED bulb (mine are sealed beams but there are 4 x 6 rectangular aftermarket lamps that accept replaceable bulbs). The light is very scattered (in most cases) and blinds drivers coming from the opposite direction.

Not only is it VERY DANGEROUS to blind oncoming traffic, it's inconsiderate and ILLEGAL (in California anyway). Besides, you don't need more people on the road to be upset with RVs than there already are (for whatever reason they have to be upset).

Just another idea to stir into the soup...

veraken · 05-27-2017, 04:36 AM

This video was just posted by the RVGEEKS. Hope this helps some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6CIMbODVIk

10Boomer · 05-27-2017, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veraken

This video was just posted by the RVGEEKS. Hope this helps some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6CIMbODVIk

Betaken, thx for posting. I'm glad to see the folks at M4 finally got them designed correctly! Has any one in our forum purchased them yet and tried the LED head lights? I completed Happycarz headlight/foglight relay post. Happy to say (sorry Harry), I have 13.4 to 14.0 volts to the lights now. Before they only had 10.3-.8 at best.
OE headlights much better now.