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10-07-2013, 03:29 PM | #67 | |
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Honestly, I thought I had found a "deal" because these were regular $100 but close out price $40 and also advertised as fitting the Z4. UPDATE: iJDMtoy responded that they would not provide a refund because of the "final sale" indicator on the website and that the bulbs were test fit into an E89. I can't get them to fit and have successfully installed other H8 replacement bulbs in the past (I truly believe the set I received is not fit for the situation). Paypal dispute escalated to a claim..... Last edited by nicknaz; 10-08-2013 at 07:55 PM.. |
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10-07-2013, 06:16 PM | #68 | |
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2018 F80 M3, Mineral White, Full Sakhir Orange, ZCP
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10-07-2013, 07:00 PM | #69 |
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Sorta off topic, but I turned the car on this evening to go home from work, and I got my Right Day Time Running Light/Parking Light error. Maybe it's a sign that it's finally time to actually get those LEDs...?
Which also makes me wonder... faulty bulb? The car just hit 8,000 and AEs are already burned out? Is this a possible warranty repair, or is it a consumable? |
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10-07-2013, 07:40 PM | #70 |
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hopefully it is just the bulb (if not, good thing you don't have LEDs.. haha).
Probably wouldn't hurt to take it in. If they give wiper blades, brake linings and clutch disc why not H8 halogen bulb |
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10-07-2013, 10:49 PM | #71 | |
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2016 340i XDrive, EBII/black, 6 MT, M Sport, Track Handling, Cold Weather, Tech, Lighting, Driver Assistance Plus.
2012 Z4 35i, ED 2/24/2012, Melbourne Red Metallic, Black Leather, Carbon Trim, 6MT, M Sport, CW, PP, PS, NAV, CA. |
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10-08-2013, 11:21 AM | #72 |
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10-08-2013, 12:09 PM | #73 | ||
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So may companies say 20W, 40W, or 64W, but that is not accurate. The average Cree LED is capable of being driven at around 5 watts, and if there are 4 LED that equals 20 watts. However each of the LED's are driven at a fraciton of their potential, normally under 2 watts each. When the headlights turn on they are dimmed to under 1 watt each. So a 40W brand light is really only using 4 watts per light.
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10-12-2013, 11:53 PM | #74 | |
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I just installed a set of these and really like them. The 6000k color matches the HID and I haven't noticed any flickering. I had to "buy it now" for the $59 because my $57 offer was ignored! |
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10-16-2013, 04:36 PM | #75 |
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I was debating on getting the LED that every else on this thread has gotten, but ended up getting a pair of Lux V3s instead (the design looks exactly like the ones people are buying on eBay - My guess is that this was the design that all these other companies copied due to the success of the Lux V3s released 2 years ago).
Anyway, I put them on last night, and was very impressed! But I knew to reserve my opinion until the morning because it was in the middle of the night and even OEM halogens are impressive during that time. I just got off work, and the sun was still up (but it was cloudy) but still light outside. I was very disappointed to say the least. Straight on from anywhere greater than 5 feet, it looks like OEM brightness - not dimmer, but definitely not brighter, although the lines are more defined/look slimmer. Anything at an angle and the outer ring is almost invisible and inner ring is noticeable but significantly dimmer. Before someone comes in and says "that's the design of the angel eye optics, not the lights fault," while I agree with that, but the LEDs are a lot worse than the OEM halogens for the outer ring. The reasoning is this. While the optics doesn't change, the OEM halogen is yellow light, a very noticeable color. Even if it is very dim, you can still see a vague outline in the other ring and even minor hotspots at an angle. Therefore, even though it's dim and uneven, you can see that it is there. White is such a "clean" color that when it is that dim, it blends right into the optic fiber/that plastic thing that refracts the light/the outer AE ring, making it invisible. To be fair, I bought it pre-owned for a little over $100 so I'm still not sure how I feel yet, but this is definitely not worth the $225+ LUX charges! Really tempted to try the ones that everyone else has to see if it's any better... thoughts? Are the ones from eBay (the Cree) just as dim/invisible from an angle? Keep in mind, this was done on a cloudy day when the sun was beginning to set. I can't imagine what it would look like on a sunny day, even when it isn't face on. Edit: On a side note... I forgot to mention. While head-on the AE looks about the same brightness as the halogens, I think that's because white appears "brighter" even if it isn't/has less lumens. I say that because I like to roll with the lights off with just the AE on sometimes (on my street, of course) to see how bright it is/how much of the road it illuminates. With the OEM halogens, I can actually see the light shining onto objects and the road albeit very poorly. With just these LUX LEDs on, there is no brightness to speak of in terms of illuminating the road ahead and it appears as if I have no lights on. Last edited by CedarZ4; 10-16-2013 at 04:43 PM.. |
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10-16-2013, 05:44 PM | #76 | |
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When I look at it head on, I can see them in daylight and they look like the stock halogen. If you take a picture of the angle you want to see, I can take a pic at the same angle so you can compare before buying. I think looking like stock is the best that can be hoped for, and it is not realistic to expect that a bulb swap will make them look like the OEM LED angel eyes. |
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10-17-2013, 03:38 AM | #77 | |
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Cree LEDs on 20/25W lights are bright, but have limitation when its sunny and the 30W version doesn't fit because of the heat sink size (on available items for now). At the end, compared to Ebay products and what you described, only the price change - you can divide it by 4 for Ebay's one. |
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10-17-2013, 12:39 PM | #78 | |
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I think Ebay Cree is "good enough" because it runs into the limits of the angel eye design. it is as bright as the OEM halogens (but not as noticeable in direct light because the white light blends with the headlight housing) and there is no flickering when turning the car on and off or radio interference. Hope this gives more help to other members making a choice about their AE. Cedar, if your Lux V3 doesn't look like this, maybe check out the installation. I would expect your car to look similar to my pics. |
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10-17-2013, 01:35 PM | #79 |
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Guys, the eBay ones are not bright. Don't fool yourselves. I bought my pair off eBay about a month ago (the EXACT same ones...from "bluerampin" on eBay).
They claim they're 20W, but like the seller of the LUX lights stated, they're probably only using 2W per LED chip instead of the full 5W per LED chip. YES! The eBay ones ARE noticeable...enough for MY satisfaction. And I love how it's the clean/crystal white color. I was fine taking a loss in brightness to achieve the crystal white color. But, I was disappointed...I thought they'd be brighter. But for $53, I wasn't gonna complain. I just want to make sure that anyone interested in getting a pair of these is fully aware that the stockies are DEFINITELY brighter, but obviously not the crystal white color. The LUX are, yes, $225 compared to $60 on eBay, but they're 3X as bright, and have adjustable color. It's up to the buyer. I have a buddy who would never settle for less than OEM brightness. He would save up for the LUX. I, on the other hand, didn't have a preference. |
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10-17-2013, 01:53 PM | #80 |
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Agreed, Pete. the ebay cree could certainly be less light output than the stock halogens. If I get my hands on a light meter I will check them out and post the lumens
Close enough (ebay cree vs. stock brightness) for ME that I'm not rushing out to change out the $60 set for a $225 set Interesting though that Cedar has purchased LUX V3 and was very disappointed in the light output. I wonder if LUX V4 has more changes to the output other than just color changing. |
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10-17-2013, 08:28 PM | #81 |
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Thanks for the picture, Nick. The LUX are definitely very similar. Very well defined and perfectly visible in the dark, but you start to add sun and things really change. Reflection from other vehicles is very minimal as well. The LUX may be a little bit brighter, not anything extremely noticeable unless you compare them side by side though IMO. I haven't had a chance to look at the LUX in direct sun yet, but it's good to see that the Cree ones you have installed are visible even in direct sunlight, albeit very dim. I will definitely get some pictures up when I get a chance just for rough comparison purposes. Here is a pic I took the evening I installed them with no sun.
As you can see, brightness is very similar to OEM. Like mentioned before, I think actual brightness is the same as the OEM halogens, but perceived brightness of the LED (especially in person) is dimmer because of the nature of the color (white) and it blending into the headlight like Nick mentioned. In regards to Pete's comment; I can't speak for the technical brightness of the LUX vs. the Cree (as the Cree's don't have a lumen output published) but like mentioned before, the Lux V3s that I have are not 3x brighter (based on Nick's pictures), if anything it's 25% brighter at most. All I can say is I would personally never pay for a new pair of LUXs knowing what I know now, as the 5x in price gives you very minimal increase in performance. And I wouldn't be sure to say that the OEMs are definitely brighter than the Crees without an actual lumen measurement, it might just be that the OEM being yellow just looks brighter because it stands out more. In regards to the V4s, the V4s are brighter by about 100ish lumens if I'm not mistaken. People who switched from the 3s to the 4s say it is brighter, but not $225 brighter. That, and the flicker during on/off turned me away as the ones I have do not flicker. For now, I think I might keep the AE turned off and only let them turn on when my headlights turn on. That, or I have thought about keeping the main-beams turned on all the time to give the illusion that the outer ring is brighter. Edit: No, that is not my real license plate was just an idea I toyed with when I first got my car. Ended up not getting a personalized plate. Last edited by CedarZ4; 10-17-2013 at 08:47 PM.. |
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10-18-2013, 11:45 AM | #82 |
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Thanks for sharing Cedar. It seems like you took your pic crouched down. If you share a full sun pic can you please share one standing up? I will take one crouched down, in the shade, too.
It is nice to have comparable pics so the community is aware of what the products are like. |
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10-18-2013, 01:36 PM | #83 | |
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My lights look literally identical to the pic you posted, nicknaz: http://e89.zpost.com/forums/attachme...1&d=1382031195 |
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10-18-2013, 01:42 PM | #84 |
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Will get pics up tomorrow!
How far were you taking the pictures from Nick? Not only is height/angle important, distance seems to play a very big role in the visibility of the AEs as well. Seems that you want to be > 5 feet to get evenly lit rings. Edit: Nevermind, I see your shadow. Gives me a pretty good idea of where you're standing. Just wanted to replicate the picture as closely as possible to yours. The picture I posted was crouched, in the shade, and from a decent distance (I want to say at least 5+ yards) |
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11-02-2013, 11:13 AM | #85 |
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Hey guys, I had some spare time and have convinced myself that (as others have said) the stock H8 halogen have more light output than the Cree LED from "bluerampin" on ebay
I tested it out by sitting in the dark in my garage and turning on the angel eye to see how much light was thrown on the wall. I didn't have the appropriate camera gear to capture this well (my iphone overexposed the pics so they all look bright) While I was at it, I tried another set of halogen bulbs with even more blue tinting and it also failed. Really, I think no one should bother with the blue tinted H8 halogen bulbs despite some reviews on amazon to the contrary Links to the two blue tinted H8 halogen I tried and returned http://www.amazon.com/Vision-VX-LH8-...dp/B0029Z6JH2/ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IBRI9K/ Cedar are your LUX V3 as bright as the stock halogen, even in the day time? Does anyone here have LUX V4 who can comment on brightens vs. stock and flickering on start up? |
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11-02-2013, 12:26 PM | #86 |
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Nick, you're absolutely correct. The higher the temperature (blue) the lower the lumens. LED's look brighter because of the white light, but they actually throw off less light. No way Lux or any of these Ebay bulbs (and I have a pair of these) are brighter.
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11-02-2013, 04:15 PM | #87 |
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On Ebay, there are new 40, 60 and even 80W LED bulbs.
When I bought mine, there were only 20W ones and the 30W were not fiting. It worth the shot (Links from Ebay.de, but should be existing on ebay.com too) http://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-Angel-Eye...item232e29ba10 http://www.ebay.de/itm/80W-CREE-H8-A...item51b3f43940 http://www.ebay.de/itm/Cree-LED-80-W...item19e07cd4ed |
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11-02-2013, 06:33 PM | #88 | |
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SchweiZ4, I personally won't be running higher wattage than stock bulbs. I did this in a Ford Focus while I was in college and ended up melting the wiring harness connector and by the time I caught the issue the headlight housing was starting to get damaged as well. |
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