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      09-05-2014, 11:17 AM   #1
wavesonic
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LED Lighting Package ... WTF

I've recently traded in my E64 M6 for a shiny new F10 M5. It's got the LED lighting package, but the performance is not nearly as good as the xenons from what I have noticed:

1. The LED angel eyes are cool, but the housing is "downgraded" from projectors back to the traditional reflector housing. The light output is definitely not as even as the projectors, and the cut off is not sharp. You also don't get the color shifting (white to blue to purple) along the cut off lines.

2. The LED headlights don't swirl left or right like the bi-xenon projectors when you make turns, also it doesn't seem to have auto-leveling features like them when getting on and off the hills.

To me, it seems like just an interim solution (hey, we have LED headlights) before fully switch to the laser headlights. But I just don't understand why a $1200 "upgrade" is not nearly as an "upgrade" as I have hoped.
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      09-05-2014, 11:35 AM   #2
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My led's turn when I turn.
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      09-05-2014, 11:36 AM   #3
wavesonic
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I need to double check that, it could be that the turn is more subtle with the fuzzy cutoff, it is hard to notice.
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      09-05-2014, 11:50 AM   #4
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I haven't heard all about what you are talking about before. To my understanding the LED's offer pretty much the same quality of light and light beam as the Xenon's do, but that the LED's offer more functionality since each light unit is independent. To me the LED's are an upgrade only in terms of physical appearance on the vehicle itself. Now when the Laser Lights come out, that will be an UPGRADE. I am guestimating that for the next M5, it may come standard with LED headlights on the Pre-LCI Gxx M5 and maybe an upgrade to Laser Lights as an option or maybe Laser Lights will be offered on the next generation M5 when the LCI comes out for that. Let's wait and see what they do for the G11 7-Series.
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      09-05-2014, 11:57 AM   #5
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Well, this is the performance I am talking about, the upgraded LED headlights can't have this clean cutoff, and the output is not nearly as even.
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      09-05-2014, 11:57 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPiM5 View Post
I haven't heard all about what you are talking about before. To my understanding the LED's offer pretty much the same quality of light and light beam as the Xenon's do, but that the LED's offer more functionality since each light unit is independent. To me the LED's are an upgrade only in terms of physical appearance on the vehicle itself. Now when the Laser Lights come out, that will be an UPGRADE. I am guestimating that for the next M5, it may come standard with LED headlights on the Pre-LCI Gxx M5 and maybe an upgrade to Laser Lights as an option or maybe Laser Lights will be offered on the next generation M5 when the LCI comes out for that. Let's wait and see what they do for the G11 7-Series.
I thought the lasers will not happen in the usa due to lighting standards that are far inferior to europe? I read that the i8 lasers are too bright and exceed the maximum candelas allowed? Also read that the leds for us cars are significantly downgraded due to these standards
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      09-05-2014, 11:59 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chong0 View Post
I thought the lasers will not happen in the usa due to lighting standards that are far inferior to europe? I read that the i8 lasers are too bright and exceed the maximum candelas allowed? Also read that the leds for us cars are significantly downgraded due to these standards
Oh wow, I hadn't heard of that before. Very interesting. I'll try to do some research about this. Thanks!
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      09-05-2014, 12:02 PM   #8
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The M5 is my first LED headlight equipped vehicle and I feel that the light falloff is much shorter compared to Xenon. It is brighter and a more natural white in color, but I feel the need to turn on automatic high-beams almost all the time on very dark roads without street lighting.
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      09-05-2014, 12:04 PM   #9
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Yeah check this out. Doesn't look so good for Laser Headlights for our next generation M5's and stuff.

http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/06/...not-in-the-us/

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/1...-new-headlamps
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      09-05-2014, 12:22 PM   #10
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interesting
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      09-05-2014, 12:34 PM   #11
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#1. The lights do turn and level.
#2. the brightness is significantly higher than Xenons.
#3. the whiteness is significantly more than Xenons.


The LED lights are in all ways a huge upgrade to Xenons.

My 2013 M5 had Xenons, my 2014 w/ LED is way better.
My 2014 X1 has Xenons, my 2014 M5 w/ LED is way better.

All my cars have had Xenon now for I don't even know how many years, the LED package on the BMW is killer...
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      09-05-2014, 12:40 PM   #12
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MB LED headlights may be superior (no hard core evidence but looks to be) to the BMW and even Audi.
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      09-05-2014, 01:07 PM   #13
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I have found that the LEDs do move and are just as bright in illuminating the road as xenons.

The other advantage of LEDs from what has been said is the ability to direct the beams much more precisely. If you get your lights coded so that the anti-dazzle functionality is active then you see a real difference in performance.
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      09-05-2014, 03:10 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fantasm View Post
#1. The lights do turn and level.
#2. the brightness is significantly higher than Xenons.
#3. the whiteness is significantly more than Xenons.


The LED lights are in all ways a huge upgrade to Xenons.

My 2013 M5 had Xenons, my 2014 w/ LED is way better.
My 2014 X1 has Xenons, my 2014 M5 w/ LED is way better.

All my cars have had Xenon now for I don't even know how many years, the LED package on the BMW is killer...
^this
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      09-05-2014, 03:20 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wavesonic View Post
Well, this is the performance I am talking about, the upgraded LED headlights can't have this clean cutoff, and the output is not nearly as even.
Exactly, I had this same discussion in the M4 forum. LED's are in reflector housing which to me is a downgrade. Why didn't they just use LED in the projector?
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      09-05-2014, 03:22 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fantasm View Post
#1. The lights do turn and level.
#2. the brightness is significantly higher than Xenons.
#3. the whiteness is significantly more than Xenons.


The LED lights are in all ways a huge upgrade to Xenons.

My 2013 M5 had Xenons, my 2014 w/ LED is way better.
My 2014 X1 has Xenons, my 2014 M5 w/ LED is way better.

All my cars have had Xenon now for I don't even know how many years, the LED package on the BMW is killer...
Color and brightness is better but the projection on the road is not better IMO.
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      09-05-2014, 03:25 PM   #17
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if its like my f10 with xenons, the light switch has to be in auto / adaptive mode rather than just plain dipped.
Worth checking.
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      09-05-2014, 03:57 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elitex View Post
Color and brightness is better but the projection on the road is not better IMO.
That's because the LED's have a more precise (focused) beam. It's actually "better" in terms of quality, but it has less "diffusion" like the Xenons.

Diffusion is actually seen as light being wasted as its being shot at a more widespread area but at less clarity and brightness.
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      09-05-2014, 03:58 PM   #19
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FYI you loose out on lighting features when you manually turn the lights on. If you have the light switch set to auto then they will swivel in coordination with the steering wheel input.
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      09-05-2014, 03:59 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by avlnch View Post
FYI you loose out on lighting features when you manually turn the lights on. If you have the light switch set to auto then they will swivel in coordination with the steering wheel input.
I hate when valets turn my light switch to off instead of leaving it to auto. wtf are they doing.
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      09-05-2014, 04:06 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fantasm View Post
That's because the LED's have a more precise (focused) beam. It's actually "better" in terms of quality, but it has less "diffusion" like the Xenons.

Diffusion is actually seen as light being wasted as its being shot at a more widespread area but at less clarity and brightness.
Yes, I agree. That's why there's a need for projectors with Xenon's. Technology aside, end result LED should be better (could) but BMW decided to use reflectors.
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      09-05-2014, 05:13 PM   #22
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Hmmm. Love my LEDs. Subjectively I find them to be better than anything else I've driven.
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