For the 2014 BMW 5 Series, the headlights failed the annual inspection, and a pair of LED dual-lens lenses were replaced.

  8
 September 5, 2024
Eight years of car, but also ushered in the second on-line annual inspection.
I always thought there would be no problem, and I should be able to do it all at once, but I didn’t expect to turn to the step of lighting inspection.
Although I already thought that the headlights were not very bright when driving at night, after all, they were also the headlights of the original xenon bifocal lenses, which were supposed to be better than those of many cars. The annual inspection found that they could not even meet the standards of the annual inspection. I can’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
Along with it, I found a friend who specializes in upgrading and retrofitting headlights and wanted to know what the situation was.
After various tests in a friend’s shop, it was found that not only the light bulb was aging, but the lens was also aging. (another aside, I don’t know what the designer of this 5 series thinks. It is obvious that the back cover is put up with a screw. To change a light bulb, you have to remove all the headlights in order to change it. This struggle is tiring enough. )
Finally, two schemes are given:
1. Replace the xenon double light lens and light bulb of the original car. The original car is the lens of Hella 3, which can be directly replaced by Hella 5, and its brightness is higher than that of Hella 3.
2. Replace it with the popular LED double light lens, and the whole set of xenon gas in the original car is no longer needed.
After comparing the two, it is found that if you use the newly imported Hella 5 double light lens and Osram’s light bulb, the whole price is about the same as that of a cheap LED double light lens, but the brightness is far less than that of the LED double light lens. With the domestic Hella 5 double light lens price is cheaper, but do not rest assured.
After thinking about it, since the prices are about the same, it must be to choose a brighter LED double light lens. And one of the advantages of LED is that when the light is turned on, it will not have a delay of a second or two like a xenon lamp.

Just do it and arrange it right away.

This is the LED double light lens to be replaced this time. It feels much less than xenon. There is no stabilizer or light bulb. Everything is integrated into this lens.

Dismantling the lamp is also a troublesome thing, especially the screw in the back of the headlamp, which is really difficult to disassemble without ordering tools.

This is the 5 series headlight before the change. Take a picture and see what it looks like after the change.

The 14 5 series original car is equipped with Hella 3 double light lens, Osram bulb and Bosch stabilizer.

This is the 5 series headlight after the modification.

The LED dual light lens has been implanted, all the lines are docked in the original factory, there is no additional cable, and the headlights are intact.

If you look at the modified 5 series headlights, you can’t see any improvement at all, do you? Perfect.

After the headlights have been loaded, come and see the effect right away.
In order to compare the difference between the headlamp before and after the change, an instrument for measuring the brightness of the headlamp is specially set up to read the brightness of the headlamp.
(the exact reading of the instrument is the largest reading on the screen multiplied by the small logo of X10 and X100 above the reading.)

5 series of the original car near light, obviously feel that the light brightness is not good.

The instrument measured the near brightness of the original car as: 784LUX, which is said to be less bright than many ordinary halogen headlamps.

This is the near light after the 5 series upgraded LED double light lens, and it is really a lot brighter.

The instrument measured the near light brightness of the upgraded 5 series is: 5770LUX, compared with the previous 784LUX, the brightness is more than 7 times higher.
It looks like it lights up a lot, but I didn’t expect it to be so much.

This is the original 5-series car Yuanguang, very thin, not bright.

The far light brightness of the original car measured by the instrument is: 1029LUX

This is the distant light after the modification of the LED double light lens of the 5 series, which has a completely different feeling. There is a focus brightness in the center, and it feels much better than before.

The instrument measured that the upgraded far light brightness is: 6570LUX, compared with the original car 1029LUX brightness, the brightness is increased more than 6 times.
My friend said that now when the headlights go for the annual inspection, they will pass with their eyes closed. There is no need to worry at all.

Get it done.

The data measured by the instrument is known, but I don’t know what the actual lighting effect is. So I went to the underground garage to have a try.

The near light of 5 series modified LED double light lens

5 series of high light after retrofitting LED double light lens

Look at it from a different angle.

The near light of 5 series modified LED double light lens

5 series of high light after retrofitting LED double light lens

The near light of 5 series modified LED double light lens

5 series of high light after retrofitting LED double light lens

Try more.

The near light of 5 series modified LED double light lens

5 series of high light after retrofitting LED double light lens
I have to say, it really surpasses the previous headlights in all directions.
Now the near light is wide and far enough to affect the opposite car, not to mention the far light, the range is very large, the brightness is also very high, it can be said to burst the original lights. It can even be said responsibly that the lighting effect of the headlights is much better than that of a new car.

That’s it. Say no more. Let’s go to check the car.