Retrofitting xenons to e46

[CitizenKane]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with retrofitting OEM xenons to a (non-M3) e46? I found a couple of threads on other forums but they’re all pretty useless tbh and I’m still not really clear what it involves.

Any thoughts or advice welcome!

[318 iS Cosmos]

Facelift or pre-facelift?

I fitted xenon lights to my pre-facelift 325Ci. Now I didn’t fit the headlight washers or the auto levelling function so it was very easy. To do the complete retrofit would require some wiring, you need to mount the auto levelling arms on the front and rear suspension and possibly a new LCM and coding. Headlight washers too. This might be needed to pass the NCT, depends on the tester on the day!


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[mcung13]

To make it road legal, you need headlight washers.
Auto levelling is not requred, as all e46-s have manual headlight levelling wheel you can access from drivers seat.

Snip from NCT manual:

Where a levelling device is mandatory, the levelling device is not operating or manual headlamp levelling device cannot be operated from driver’s seat.

You need new wiring loom for headlight washer pump and a K6 relay for it. (Sky Blue relay)
Relay part number is 61366915327

K6 relay connects to 30A fuse F51 in glove box and to general module X253 plug pin 12.

Coding is required for it to work.

You also need headlight washer pump, hoses, spray jets and the trim bits under headlight.
Washer bottle has a slot for pump, but needs to be drilled.

Fitting the hoses for washer is hardest part.


As for lights themselves.
If you want bi-xenon to work, you will need to get the loom for it, but otherwise the lights swap straight over. (I have done pre-facelift vert and facelift saloon. Don't know about facelift coupe)
I didn't bother with bi-xenon and was happy enouogh with standard hi-beam and xenon low-beam.

Coding is needed to stop lights strobing when engine is on.

I did it years ago and don't remember exact details, but fitting lights was the easy part. Washers was where I spent my time on.

[CitizenKane]

Thanks both, very helpful.

I should’ve mentioned it’s a facelift coupe in my case.

I’m surprised to hear that you need headlight washers to make it road legal, why is that the case with xenons and not the regular headlights? I’m struggling to see where the washers would actually go on my car, there doesn’t seem to be any space for them anywhere under the headlights or on the bumper.

[mcung13]

I believe the washers are ECE regulation for low beam lights, if the light output is higher than 2000 lumens.
It is not specific to xenons, but most xenons have light output more than 2000 lumens and halogens will be less.

Washers go under the headlight, between headlight and bumper.
See the little flap under headlight in this picture.
https://3a663eb0fef48c6d2d60-a88f8eb...1360_x600.webp

[318 iS Cosmos]

You can see the trim that houses the washer right under the headlight here!
I think the requirement for washers is because when the lens gets dirty it can actually scatter the light and potentially blind oncoming drivers.


Although a member on here recently put their car through the nct without the washers and they never failed it! I wouldn’t like to take a chance on it though.

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[colm89]

Although a member on here recently put their car through the nct without the washers and they never failed it! I wouldn’t like to take a chance on it though.

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That was me, I was worried my e91 with retrofitted xenons would fail and it passed no problems.

[CitizenKane]

You can see the trim that houses the washer right under the headlight here!
I think the requirement for washers is because when the lens gets dirty it can actually scatter the light and potentially blind oncoming drivers.


Although a member on here recently put their car through the nct without the washers and they never failed it! I wouldn’t like to take a chance on it though.

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I believe the washers are ECE regulation for low beam lights, if the light output is higher than 2000 lumens.
It is not specific to xenons, but most xenons have light output more than 2000 lumens and halogens will be less.

Washers go under the headlight, between headlight and bumper.
See the little flap under headlight in this picture.
https://3a663eb0fef48c6d2d60-a88f8eb...1360_x600.webp

Ah I see. Those trim parts on my car don’t have those little panels, so presumably there’s different trim parts for cars with xenon and non-xenon headlights, good to know if I end up buying a set I’ll need to get matching trim pieces too!

[ecooney]

My 325ti has xenons retrofitted and has passed 2 times now at the NCT centre.


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[318 iS Cosmos]

My 325ti has xenons retrofitted and has passed 2 times now at the NCT centre.


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Without the washers?


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