DJ Auto ellipsoid/HID/Projectors and a few other q's - What are they?

[BMWdriverwanted]

Okay, so I am looking at some DJ headlights. I see they are ellipsoids, are ellipsoids HID? Are ellipsoids projectors? What is what? I need a break down please. I have been looking at the different types and doing a lot of research (still researching) but they dont really say what is what, just names being thrown around like HID, Projector, etc. When I go on a lot of vendors sites they dont say, or maybe just dont have, what is what. Then again, I am totally confused and the pressure is on because I want to order today, lol.

I am still searching, I am not lazy, but, can someone tell me what is what? Thanks.


Okay, I am off to do more searching.

[flyfishvt]

I was confused too when I started looking at all the different terms. This thread might help.

someone will have to chime in on what an elipsoid is. I know its a type of lens or reflector but I don't know enough to say emphatically what they are.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1627815

[BMWdriverwanted]

Also, for example, Umnitza has Xenix, so, are these HIDs? HID projectors, or??? How do I know what is what? I know I need to do some homework, but for a simple set of headlights, sheesh, lol!!

Thanks, will look into that, though, I think ellips are Halogens with some kind of lens.

Still researching..........

Fly, you wrote: "I also just found out I have projectors and no HID's just plain halogens. I really hate these headlights. They are impossible to aim and they look so cheap but at least I got a chance to see what projectors can do."


Which ones are these? I sure dont want to go down that.......uhm......road!



What I am gathering is I want DJ's (for proper angel eye look), HID in a projector case retrofitted into the DJs. DDM has this(?) for $320 and umntza has them for $433 with the FX-R? hmmm....

[xlDooM]

HID is a type of gas discharge lamp, it gives more light per W of consumed power than a simple light bulb. An HID basically produces a continuous spark (arc) between two contacts immersed in a gas (Xenon usually), where a normal light bulb is essentially a wire that conducts electricity and gets so hot it emits light (also in a gas bubble to preserve the wire for longer). HID stands for high intensity discharge iirc.

"Ellipsoids" is a term that refers to a type of headlight where you have the bulb sitting in an elliptical mirror behind a projector lens to form the light beam. This has been OEM equipment on premium vehicles for at least 10 years now. These lights are sometimes also called "projectors", which would be the better term imo.

The earlier, cheaper design has the bulb sitting in a parabolical mirror, without lens in front. This older type is referred to as "reflectors". So if you look at a headlight and the low beam has a roundish sphere in the middle of it, it's an ellipsoid. If it has a bulb in a dish showing, it's a reflector type. I used to have halogens in an ellipsoid, you don't necessarily have HIDs in ellipsoids.

[flyfishvt]

Read through that thread. Halogen is a type of bulb. Xenon is a type of bulb. They are not a type of light housing. A halogen bulb is filled with gas. xenon bulbs have crystals in them that heat up and turn into xenon gas when you turn them on. Xenon emits a much stronger light than halogen. Projector is a type of housing for the bulb. It uses a lens to focus the light. They should have cutoff shields inside that prevent this very strong light from shining up into oncomming traffic and only allow it to shine down onto the road.

Xenix is a brand name. That's what got me so confused. All the different brand names. DJ and Depo are all brand names. You can have Depo brand headlights that use projectors or HID's.

[BMWdriverwanted]

Yea, I did, I know what the bulbs themselves are doing, I just dont know what applications take what bulbs, and, what is HID, aka Xenon, Xenix etc. Halogen I do know is a wire burning bulb and I am familiar with that . Hmm, Xenix is a brand name? That wasnt cool, lol, but good to know, thanks.

So, there is two bulbs, Halogen (wire burners) and Xenon which is a discharge? Hmm, I have heard some wire burners use Xenon, so, if this is true, how would I know I am getting HIDS? I guess I would have to contact the vendor to make sure? Makes sense..........

I was also looking at the Hella 63121468866(right side) headlights. Dont know what they have in them though.................yet.

[xlDooM]

That particular hella has reflectors (as can be seen at http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-headlight-assembly-right-e36-hella-oem-63121468866 ). No glass sphere in the low beam. You don't really want to put HIDs in those, as the other road users will be less than pleased with that.

[mynameisBMW]

Yea, I did, I know what the bulbs themselves are doing, I just dont know what applications take what bulbs, and, what is HID, aka Xenon, Xenix etc. Halogen I do know is a wire burning bulb and I am familiar with that . Hmm, Xenix is a brand name? That wasnt cool, lol, but good to know, thanks.

So, there is two bulbs, Halogen (wire burners) and Xenon which is a discharge? Hmm, I have heard some wire burners use Xenon, so, if this is true, how would I know I am getting HIDS? I guess I would have to contact the vendor to make sure? Makes sense..........

I was also looking at the Hella 63121468866(right side) headlights. Dont know what they have in them though.................yet.

Xenon is a noble gas, that is to say a gas that does not react to much of anything. Xenon is used in all kinds of hot/burning/cold/dangerous environments to fill the space. This is essentially to displace oxygen, which is not as stable and like to react and combine with all kinds of things.

You can absolutely have halogens that are filled with Xenon. We say halogens to mean a filament bulb.

We say Xenons when the correct term is HID (High intensity discharge). Most HID bulbs are filled with Xenon and "salts" that determine the color temperature, longevity, and price of the bulb (actually in HID land they are called "capsules").

[BMWdriverwanted]

Yea, thats the thing, I am just trying to make sure I dont get scarewed by someone passing off a set of lights, saying this is the greatest thing, and using xenon as a sudo for their halogen bulb. Of course I will need to double check with the vendor before ordering, learned that lesson last week.

[mynameisBMW]

For what its worth, I was able to read a lot about HID's and retrofitting on http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/

[BMWdriverwanted]

I happened by their site once, but, like said, i am looking at so many things right now I was sticking with bimmerforums to get all the info i could. i figure, who better would know about my b'mer, but, if they have the info there, i will definitely head that way for an in depth investigation when all runs dry here, thanks.

[mynameisBMW]

My advice would be if you want the best lighting possible, get a set of DJ autos (the housing doesnt really matter all that much for retrofits, so the cheapest is good) and retrofit in FX-R projectors and use OEM HID capsule and OEM (or upper end aftermarket) ballasts. This will give you lighting output on par with the best cars out there. If that is too much for you then a good pair of projectors (DJauto, DEPO, ZKW) and high quality halogen bulbs will prove a nice upgrade over the stock USA housings without all the complication of HIDS and retrofitting.

[BMWdriverwanted]

I am not afraid of a retrofit as long as the final product doesn't consist of chewing gum and bailing twine, wondering if everything will fall out over the next speed bump.

I also found a set of e46 lights on CL. "e46 M3 headlights, without lightbulbs or ballast , in new condition ($200)", but, not sure what those really are just yet. Are they projectors or? Sooooo much to learn, think I have t now go dig that info up.

Well, just looked at some on ebay and they look like reflectors to me.

Okay, note to self for my thread: Morimoto's are supposed to be the best, found them on retrofit sourse. Hmmm,now they have like 2 diff setups? There is the Mini D2S 2.0 and the mini V4.1, which ones work best for the s36 b'mer? I figure i would get the best projectors and slum it with the rest for the time being.

Oh, and thanks for the help.