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Thread: E36 headlight type

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    E36 headlight type

    This is my first BMW car, so bear with me. I was under the impression that the original owner of this car kept it OEM, but I don't think these headlights are OEM. They look different from pics I've seen of dual halogens. I think the outer light (low beam?) is a projector, and the inner one (high beam?) might be a regular lens/bulb? I just ordered replacement LED bulbs for this car, 9006 and 9005 for the headlights, and yellow H1s for the fog lights, but I'm thinking the 9006 and 9005 bulbs aren't going to work with this setup? The halos work, operated by a button that's under the one to turn on the fog lights. They work with the main light switch set to Off, Parking, and On. I personally don't like halos, so I leave them off.

    Also, that headlight protective film has to come off, you can see where it's "bubbling" along the top edge. I'm hoping the actual lens is glass, so we'll see in a week or so...

    Last edited by krab03; 01-19-2021 at 11:19 AM.
    Robert
    1999 323i E36 convertible (black, black top, tan interior)
    Newport News, VA

  2. #2
    I3MW's Avatar
    I3MW is offline /////////////////////////
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    They might be Euro Ellipsoids. Can you take a closer pic, it should have the manufacturer? Basically ZKW or Hella. Depo made starting making replicas a while back. But yeah the have probably been opened up to install the halos, those are definitely not OEM.














  3. #3
    Join Date
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    '98 ti (M powered)
    Those are Euro lights and the top bubbles are due to the small dimples in the glass, pushing the film away. And the E36 never had angel eyes...

    I believe you will find those are H1 bulbs behind there...

    The Euro ti and (I think) 318i use a glass lens headlight that retains the 9005/9006 bulbs. I use these. Much nicer than the original plastic, and they look better with the larger reflectors.
    "Speed's just a question of money. How fast you 'wanna go?"

    PM me for E36 engine swap books and BMW ETMs! NOW SHIPPING!!!

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the comments, appreciate them. The car's in a storage unit, so I have to make it worth my while to go out there and fiddle around with stuff. I bought a scan tool off Amazon to diagnose and reset the airbag light, but I couldn't get it to work properly. Tried reversing the process, disconnected the battery for five minutes, etc., but no joy. I have a set of front floor liners to install, and my replacement wheel caps and badges came in, so I'll get out there in the next few days and take some better pictures. I think the obvious answer will be to look at the bases of these bulbs. From what I remember, H1 bulbs have a single male connector. If those are the bulbs I have, I guess I'll be sending back the ones I ordered (except for the H1 yellow fogs), and ordering a set of H1s for the headlights.
    Robert
    1999 323i E36 convertible (black, black top, tan interior)
    Newport News, VA

  5. #5
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    Airbag light may be due to a failed passenger seat occupancy sensor (and it won't reset if it's bad, and they usually are) I bypassed mine years ago- you ned a small resistor and a few minutes to rig it up. You'll have to google the procedure (or search here) as I don't remember now what I did but it was easy.

    Downside is that in a wreck both airbags will fire even if the passenger seat is empty. That's it. I avoid collisions and have not had any problems.
    "Speed's just a question of money. How fast you 'wanna go?"

    PM me for E36 engine swap books and BMW ETMs! NOW SHIPPING!!!

  6. #6
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    Took a closer pic of the headlights on the front and back. I pulled off the cover that the vertical arrow is pointing to, and the bulb looks like it's an H1 style, only has a single wire connector. The low beam, where the arrow is pointing to the left, has the same type of bulb, single wire connector. So the LED bulbs I just received, based on the bulb types listed in the Owner's Manual, are wrong. I have a set of 9005s and 9006s for the headlights, and a set of yellow H1s for the fog lights. Those I think are the correct type. But again, looking at the Owner's Manual, their directions on how to remove the fog lights won't work on my car. I don't have "slots" on the outside of where the lights are to stick in a screwdriver and pop them out, those surfaces are smooth, as the pic that started this thread shows. Guess I'll be crawling under the front bumper, seeing what's there, and figuring out how to reach those bulbs.



    Robert
    1999 323i E36 convertible (black, black top, tan interior)
    Newport News, VA

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