# Someone please enlighten me..are these Xenon lights or not?



## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

BMW 5 series year 2000.
Are these Xenon lights, or did the 5 series get updated(but not Celis) lights, during 2000?


----------



## hmr (Jul 28, 2002)

Fifty_Cent said:


> BMW 5 series year 2000.
> Are these Xenon lights, or did the 5 series get updated(but not Celis) lights, during 2000?


Those don't look like original 5er lights (originals have angel eyes). However, they do look like the projector HID's on an E46. So, yea, they could be xenons.


----------



## Patrick (Dec 23, 2001)

hmr said:


> Those don't look like original 5er lights (originals have angel eyes).


Pre-facelifted E39 models did not have Angel Eyes.

-


----------



## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

hmr said:


> Those don't look like original 5er lights (originals have angel eyes). However, they do look like the projector HID's on an E46. So, yea, they could be xenons.


Of course they are originals. They are just not the updated (2000-2004) Hella Celis version.

What I was wondering is if they are Xenons or not.


----------



## markseven (Apr 30, 2004)

They don't look like OEM lights to me either, but I may be wrong. The non-angel eye xenon's that were optional on 97-00 E39s' don't have the projector style element, all 01-04 E39s' were equipped with halos (angel eyes). If this car has ballasts, then it's a xenon equipped car. But again, I may be wrong  

-Mark


----------



## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

I can't figure out those headhlights either. they don't look like any e39 headlights i've ever seen. But, the do sort of resemble e46 xenons.


----------



## gerchy (Aug 7, 2004)

It seems that the headlights are "facelifted" but the direction indicator lights are "pre-facelifted". Altough they look a bit strange and have no angeleyes.  
I believe all xenon equipped cars had headlight washer system / intensive cleaning


----------



## dagoo98 (Apr 23, 2004)

gerchy said:


> It seems that the headlights are "facelifted" but the direction indicator lights are "pre-facelifted". Altough they look a bit strange and have no angeleyes.
> I believe all xenon equipped cars had headlight washer system / intensive cleaning


Not true, my 2000 540i/6 came with xenons but no headlight washer system. That is part of the cold weather package which my car does not have. Those headlights are definitely not OEM lights. They are aftermarket, the only way to tell is to check if they have ballasts or to judge by the way they turn on. Halogen lights turn on to full brightness immediately. Xenon lights seems to ignite when turned on and take about a minute to reach full brightness.


----------



## gerchy (Aug 7, 2004)

OK, guess these are the differences between European and US shipping ...  

Oh, by the way .. if you turn on xenons twice, at the beginning the light will be kinda violet and then slowly turning to blue / white.


----------



## bmw325 (Dec 19, 2001)

The more I look at that pic, the more I think the owner of that car "spliced in" a set of e46 xenon headlights. Although, i can't htink of why someone would go throghht the efffort-- rather than just buying a 2001+ e39 headlight cluster.


----------



## andy_thomas (Oct 7, 2002)

Fifty_Cent said:


> BMW 5 series year 2000.
> Are these Xenon lights, or did the 5 series get updated(but not Celis) lights, during 2000?


Those look like pre-facelift HID headlights.

IIRC the 5 series received updated (halo/CELIS/LED/angeleye/Mysteron) headlights and taillights in September 2000, along with the new engines - 2.2, uprated 2.5 and 3.0. (My ETK implies a production changeover of 09/00, anyway.) If this car was built any time before Sept 2000 it would not have Mysteron lighting, but it might well have HIDs. There is a 1997-ish 528i that parks round here occasionally which sports HIDs, and they look mostly the same as those in your photo.


----------



## O.S. (Jun 22, 2004)

The lights look like the ones I had on my 2000 - mine were HIDS (Xenons). These also have clearcorner covers on them instead of OEM amber ones. 

the only 100% way to check if the car has Xenons is to look under the hood. If the lights have ballasts bolted on they are Xenons.


----------



## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

O.S. said:


> The lights look like the ones I had on my 2000 - mine were HIDS (Xenons). These also have clearcorner covers on them instead of OEM amber ones.
> 
> the only 100% way to check if the car has Xenons is to look under the hood. If the lights have ballasts bolted on they are Xenons.


I must say that these look like pre-facelift oem xenons, with clears all round.

I am 99% sure that these are OEM. Car is stock standard, no mod at all.

Its a 02/2000 (prefacelift) 520i.


----------



## waapples (Jan 5, 2004)

very nicely done, just skip the very important areas to see whether it has the xenon ballasts or not.... :dunno:

i doubt this is 100% oem though. the owner might have retrofit the ellipsoid lenses to the halogen headlight. 
i meant to tell you the truth, i've only seen 2 different OEM headlights for e39 bimmers. it's either non-AE w/ halogen or xenon & AE w/ halogen or xenon headlights made by Hella. 
also there is 1 aftermarket AE headlights made by Depo.


----------



## PropellerHead (Jan 3, 2002)

Fifty_Cent said:


> BMW 5 series year 2000.
> Are these Xenon lights, or did the 5 series get updated(but not Celis) lights, during 2000?


In MY 2000 540's, HID lights were standard. This car appears to have clear lenses installed- a factory option in Europe and an aftermarket one in the US.

Secondly, this car has had the dispersion lenses removed from the clear lenses. The light pattern would be all over the road at night.


----------



## waapples (Jan 5, 2004)

okay so here are some pictures of

non-AE XENON w/ clear corner lenses









non-AE XENON w/ amber corner lenses & amber reflectors - US standard 









non-AE HALOGEN w/ amber corner lenses & amber reflectors - US standard 









non-AE(M5 version) HALOGEN w/ clear corner lenses & amber reflectors









AE XENON or HALOGEN w/ clear corners & clear blinker - Euro Spec









AE XENON or HALOGEN w/ amber corners & blinker - Euro Spec









AE XENON or HALOGEN w/ amber corners & clear blinker(w/ amber bulbs inside) - US Spec









What's AE Headlights?









What's non-AE Headlights?
-> Refer to the first 4 pictures above.

these are all made by Hella. 
anything else guys? 

so my conclusion to your question is 
-> NO, they aren't OEM BMW headlights. they must be retro-fitted headlights w/ the non-AE headlights. :thumbup:


----------



## dave_in_VA (Feb 27, 2003)

*Stock Xeons with the dispersion lens removed.*

It is just the stock xeons with the dispersion lens removed.

I had mine apart for cleaning and contemplated leaving the lens out, but didnt because it would destroy light focus.


----------



## PropellerHead (Jan 3, 2002)

dave_in_VA said:


> It is just the stock xeons with the dispersion lens removed.


 :repost: :stupid: (This smiley SHOULD say something nicer like "I agree" but it is what it is)


----------



## hmr (Jul 28, 2002)

Fifty_Cent said:


> Of course they are originals...


:slap: :nono:


----------



## Fifty_Cent (Sep 17, 2003)

hmr said:


> :slap: :nono:


Well, there is some controversy here. Some people say they are the OEMS but they removed the dispersion lenses, others say they are non OEM...

That means that they are NOT Xenons, I guess.


----------

