What exactly are elepsoid low beams??

[aabdelhamid]

Are these different from my car and what is the difference exactly.

[shogun]

[QUOTE]Are these different from my car and what is the difference exactly.[QUOTE]

How to know how yours are looking?

[aabdelhamid]

Send me a pic of the elepsoids

[Rus]

Here's a pic of mine: Ellipsoids (BIG PIC) (http://zakm.hotbox.ru/BMW/10-10-2006-Front-2.JPG)

HTH

[///M-Power 3\\\]

Are these different from my car and what is the difference exactly.

If you don't have these they are a HUGE, Huge upgrade

[uscharalph]

Here's a pic of mine: Ellipsoids (BIG PIC) (http://zakm.hotbox.ru/BMW/10-10-2006-Front-2.JPG)

HTH
That's them allright.

[chiefcorey]

Here's a pic of mine: Ellipsoids (BIG PIC) (http://zakm.hotbox.ru/BMW/10-10-2006-Front-2.JPG)

HTH

Rus, where did you buy yours?

[Rus]

Rus, where did you buy yours?

The came with the car from the factory. Some of the E34s in the US received the free-form headlights, and some got the ellipsoids. If I'm not mistaken it has something to do with DOT requirements. Check EBAY or a local wrecker for ellipsoid lights. New ones are quite expensive even from aftermarket suppliers.

[BMWCCA1]

Some of the E34s in the US received the free-form headlights, and some got the ellipsoids. If I'm not mistaken it has something to do with DOT requirements. It had more to do with economy. BMW used them for a few years, then got cheap and cut them out, then brought them back. Still, they're not as good at lighting the road as the Euro version, and that is a DOT issue. But they can be modified to be nearly as good by trimming the bulb shield, if you're game to take them out and disassemble them to trim it. Mostly the high beams put out the usable light since the lows don't even have dual filaments for high and low.

[shogun]

Mostly the high beams put of the usable light since the lows don't even have dual filaments for high and low.

????
What do you mean by this? E34 have low beam and high beam lights.
Same for E32.
No need for dual filaments.

[Rus]

I agree with Shogun, no dual filament bulbs in the headlights whatsoever. And yes, the high beams shine about 10 times better than the low beams.

[BMWCCA1]

I agree with Shogun, no dual filament bulbs in the headlights whatsoever. And yes, the high beams shine about 10 times better than the low beams.That's what I said. The high beams put out much more light and aren't ellipsoids. The ellipsoid low-beams are single filament bulbs. Most four-headlamp systems have dual-filament bulbs in the low-beams so they can switch to a higher-wattage out-side headlight filament on high beam, along with the high-beam lights to, light the road even more on high-beam. Not our ellipsoid E34s. So in reality there's really not a great advantage to having ellipsoids on these cars and the only difference is on low beam anyway. Is that any clearer? My Hella H4s in my E28 535i will blow away the E34 ellipsoids. And I'm hoarding a set of GE Xenarc quad-headlamp replacements which will fit the E28 and make it even "more better".

[bsell]

That's what I said. The high beams put out much more light and aren't ellipsoids. The ellipsoid low-beams are single filament bulbs. Most four-headlamp systems have dual-filament bulbs in the low-beams so they can switch to a higher-wattage out-side headlight filament on high beam, along with the high-beam lights to, light the road even more on high-beam. Not our ellipsoid E34s. So in reality there's really not a great advantage to having ellipsoids on these cars and the only difference is on low beam anyway. Is that any clearer? My Hella H4s in my E28 535i will blow away the E34 ellipsoids. And I'm hoarding a set of GE Xenarc quad-headlamp replacements which will fit the E28 and make it even "more better".

Thread Shark:D

What do the 'euro' lights look like?

I have 'Angle Eyes' on my '95 525 and they light the road like a new moon.:( Not good for Autobahn use, I would say!

So I am looking at getting hold of some 'euro' lights as everyone says they are the best but I would like to know what they look like before I go junkyard diving...

Brian

[repenttokyo]

so what do non-ellipsoid headlights look like? I am assuming from that the pic that was posted, ellipsoids have a black centre?

[Denton]

so what do non-ellipsoid headlights look like? I am assuming from that the pic that was posted, ellipsoids have a black centre?

Yup.

[Antrieb]

My car with US ellipsoids

http://zwilliams.smugmug.com/photos/109613193-M.jpg


My car with Euro smoked ellipsoids

http://zwilliams.smugmug.com/photos/114203876-M.jpg