headlight bulb size?

[thrty8street]

I was just wondering what is the bulb size for the headlights (low and high beams) for a 535is?

I have been searching for a while now and still cannot find an answer. thanks.

[Mark 88/M5 Houston]

If it is a stock US delivered car they are all 5.75" sealed beams.

[thrty8street]

If it is a stock US delivered car they are all 5.75" sealed beams.

Yes stock US car. So then im guessing HID's would be out of the question unless theres a way around this? Replacement headlights or a conversion hit maybe?

[Frybrid 524td]

So then im guessing HID's would be out of the question unless theres a way around this? Replacement headlights or a conversion hit maybe?

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... d/HID.html
You may want to consider the popular Euro headlight conversion which uses H1 and H4 halogen replaceable bulbs if you're not interested in using sealed beams.

[thrty8street]

So then im guessing HID's would be out of the question unless theres a way around this? Replacement headlights or a conversion hit maybe?

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... d/HID.html
You may want to consider the popular Euro headlight conversion which uses H1 and H4 halogen replaceable bulbs if you're not interested in using sealed beams.

Where would be the best place to get the euro conversion from?

[Mike W.]

The full euro headlights which are apparently quite good use different buckets, 7" and 5.75 inch, and different grills and are fairly expensive. If you don't mind keeping the same or very similiar appearance I recommend the ones in the link, just don't get the one with the bulb shield. I ran them for a long time and was very happy with them. You can even order higher wattage bulbs for a pittance more if you want.

http://classicgarage.com/534rounhealb.html

[thrty8street]

The full euro headlights which are apparently quite good use different buckets, 7" and 5.75 inch, and different grills and are fairly expensive. If you don't mind keeping the same or very similiar appearance I recommend the ones in the link, just don't get the one with the bulb shield. I ran them for a long time and was very happy with them. You can even order higher wattage bulbs for a pittance more if you want.

http://classicgarage.com/534rounhealb.html

Thanks alot. Are there any lenses that use the h1 bulbs size instead of h4? Its not that I have anything against h4, its just that I already have a philips brand h1 hid kit from one my old car that I sold and I want to see if I can still use it. thanks.

[Mike W.]

HIDs without the proper optics are bad news. They put out a lot of light, but poorly directed, create lots of glare for other traffic, but don't illuminate the road well. I'm seeing them regularly now on pickups and small Japanese cars who I think buy them to be seen, rather than to see with.

[thrty8street]

HIDs without the proper optics are bad news. They put out a lot of light, but poorly directed, create lots of glare for other traffic, but don't illuminate the road well. I'm seening them regularly now on pickups and small Japanese cars who I think buy them to be seen, rather than to see with.

Yeah I definitely agree. Has anyone on here retrofitted oem projectors?

[Frybrid 524td]

Are there any lenses that use the h1 bulbs size instead of h4? Its not that I have anything against h4, its just that I already have a philips brand h1 hid kit from one my old car that I sold and I want to see if I can still use it.

Read the link in my previous post. X2 to what Mike w. said.

"MisterFixit" here on the forum can get you Hella Bi-Focal lenses that mount into US head light buckets and accept H1 bulbs. PM him for details.

[C.R. Krieger]

HIDs without the proper optics are bad news. They put out a lot of light, but poorly directed, create lots of glare for other traffic, but don't illuminate the road well. I'm seening them regularly now on pickups and small Japanese cars who I think buy them to be seen, rather than to see with.

Yeah I definitely agree. Has anyone on here retrofitted oem projectors?

Everything you've thought of has been tried and it sucked. Forget the projectors. Forget the HIDs. The best lamp you can put into an E28 is an H4/H1 setup. The Euro lamps are generally (if not universally) Hellas and they will have essentially the same performance as a set of 5¾" Hella conversion units, albeit at the higher cost of getting different grilles, bases, buckets, and headlamps. I know because I've used both. If you have no problem with the looks of your car as it is, then get a set of 5¾" Hellas or Cibies from Daniel Stern. Unlike Mike, I will not 'cheap out' on headlights (except in Daniel's opinion ), but I will likewise not chase down a bunch of trendy-sounding but expensive dead ends to install lights that just never work very well in the E28.

[rodpaine]

Snip... HIDs without the proper optics are bad news. They put out a lot of light, but poorly directed, create lots of glare for other traffic, but don't illuminate the road well. I'm seening them regularly now on pickups and small Japanese cars who I think buy them to be seen, rather than to see with.

Yeah I definitely agree. Has anyone on here retrofitted oem projectors?

Everything you've thought of has been tried and it sucked. Forget the projectors. Forget the HIDs. The best lamp you can put into an E28 is an H4/H1 setup.

Absolutely! I have the Euro setup running 90/100 watt bulbs wired through relays with low and high beams working together that simply over power anything else that comes along side me, in terms of the amount of light they are laying down on the road. The higher wattage bulbs help with the less efficient lenses of the old Euro design and properly aimed low beam doesn't dazzle oncoming cars. But, the current H4/H1 products are better with the standard 60 watt bulbs, because their lenses are much better designs, then the old Euro Hellas.
FWIW,
-Rod

[MisterFixit]

Absolutely! I have the eurolites Euro setup running 90/100 watt bulbs wired through relays with low and high beams working together that simply over power anything else that comes along side me, in terms of the amount of light they are laying down on the road. ...

The higher wattage bulbs help with the less efficient lenses of the old Euro design and properly aimed low beam doesn't dazzle oncoming cars. But, the current H4/H1 products are better with the standard 60 watt bulbs, because their lenses are much better designs, then the old Euro Hellas.
FWIW,
-Rod

Ever tried the Cibie CSR? I know, they are NLA, but can be found occasionally used.

UPDATE --BiFocal (Bifocus) NLA as of late last year (2019)
Reference to BiFocal headlight for reference ONLY

What about the Hella BiFocus? Since the CSR factory was dismantled, they are the best available (in my opinion) -- and they are H1 lows, similar to the CSR design -- they do one thing very well, just low beam. They have a steel reflector, cast aluminum bulb socket, and come with an optional city light if you want that. That's the light in my avatar. Here's a bigger picture:



BOTH are direct replacement for US Sealed Beams. No new buckets, grills, nothing but a relay change so the lows stay on as originally designed -- similar to the Euro setup, but using modern optics. They do well with 55W H1, but can take higher wattages as well.

Would you like a price on a set? Daniel and I are working together, since he now has another day-job, I kind of help him out. I would love to hook you up.

[Mike W.]

While I plug the Classic Garage ones which I think are a great value and as good or better than Hellas, I briefly ran Cibies and they were better. No bargain, but better.

[rodpaine]

Snip... Ever tried the Cibie CSR? I know, they are NLA, but can be found occasionally used ... What about the Hella BiFocus? Daniel and I are working together, since he now has another day-job, I kind of help him out. I would love to hook you up.

Yes, I installed CSRs in a 635 and 535 and was impressed with their performance using 60 watt bulbs, as were their owners. No experience with the Hella BiFocus. What is Daniel's opinion of that lamp system?
-Rod

[C.R. Krieger]

Absolutely! I have the eurolites Euro setup running 90/100 watt bulbs wired through relays with low and high beams working together that simply over power anything else that comes along side me, in terms of the amount of light they are laying down on the road. ...

The higher wattage bulbs help with the less efficient lenses of the old Euro design and properly aimed low beam doesn't dazzle oncoming cars. But, the current H4/H1 products are better with the standard 60 watt bulbs, because their lenses are much better designs, then the old Euro Hellas.
FWIW,
-Rod

Ever tried the Cibie CSR? I know, they are NLA, but can be found occasionally used ...

What about the Hella BiFocus? Since the CSR factory was dismantled, they are the best available (in my opinion) -- and they are H1 lows, similar to the CSR design -- they do one thing very well, just low beam. They have a steel reflector, cast aluminum bulb socket, and come with an optional city light if you want that. That's the light in my avatar. Here's a bigger picture:



BOTH are direct replacement for US Sealed Beams. No new buckets, grills, nothing but a relay change so the lows stay on as originally designed -- similar to the Euro setup, but using modern optics. They do well with 55W H1, but can take higher wattages as well.

Would you like a price on a set? Daniel and I are working together, since he now has another day-job, I kind of help him out. I would love to hook you up.

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this unless you simply never use high beams. Seems like a waste of half a lamp to me (unless that upper portion puts out an effective flat 'fog' beam - which it looks like it might do).

[MisterFixit]

I'm not sure why you'd want to do this unless you simply never use high beams. Seems like a waste of half a lamp to me (unless that upper portion puts out an effective flat 'fog' beam - which it looks like it might do).

Good assessment, that's exactly what it does. Any optics engineer will tell you that in the absence of fluting, the top half of the lens is what shines light 'downwards', the bottom half shines it 'upwards'. The fluting in the lens (Fresnel made the prototypical flat focusing device) redirects the light in more useful directions.

I want to do this because it is a better light, and puts more light where it does something useful. The notion that half of the light is wasted presumes that there is a dual function design, presumable one of which uses the half of the lens not used during the other function. That's what the typical 'Low Beam' lamp does, which is actually a Hi/Lo beam. From my perspective, dual filament lamps are actually a waste of an entire light, they don't do ANYthing well.

The reason the top half of the light does not go to waste is this - they use an H1 unshielded bulb, which radiates light in all directions. If you look at a typical H4 bulb (used in virtually all Hi/Lo lights), you see a cup shaped metal shield that prevents light from the 'Low Beam' filament reaching the 'High Beam' part of the reflector and lens. It is by definition and by design a compromise. Like 'All-Season tires'.

And yes, I use high beams all the time, just not from my low beam (outer) lights, which stay on at all times to light the 'near field' (below the cutoff 'horizon'). My highs take care of the 'far field' (at and above the 'horizon').

Below is the graph of output (isolux map) from the BiFocus light. It is worth noting that the highest concentration is primarily within the yellowish flattened circle, and drops off around 6-7 degrees below the horizontal. Makes good sense, since lighting up the area closer to the car (even under the bumper, which is common with some other lights) is basically useless. Wasted light.



Hope this is useful to the lighting geeks in the audience.

Thoughtful arguments, people! Keep up the debate.

[MisterFixit]

Snip... What about the Hella BiFocus? Daniel and I are working together, since he now has another day-job, I kind of help him out. I would love to hook you up.

Yes, I installed CSRs in a 635 and 535 and was impressed with their performance using 60 watt bulbs, as were their owners. No experience with the Hella BiFocus. What is Daniel's opinion of that lamp system?
-Rod

He tells me that these are now 'the best H1 low sealed-beam replacement' that he is aware of. You can ask him directly, if you prefer to hear it from the horse's mouth. He sent me the isolux graphic in the above post. Though I don't have a similar data sheet on the CRS low, he says it is similar.

Here's the kicker- the BiFocus is available, and I am sending a pair immediately to Randy, who I am sorry to say has been waiting a year for them. Supply is kind of sketchy, sad to say.
(update- currently NLA so if you find some used, buy them!)