[Solstice1]

Does anybody else find this? or are my eyes growing dim!
The xenons in my old 640 were brill, I can't see a bloody thing with these LEDs, have adjusted them up a couple of turns and they look to be set about right but they just don't have any intensity.

[DaveA]

I'm still not used to mine after the Xenons on the 330d... The LED's seem a little patchy to me (darker and lighter areas), sometimes, rather than being a uniform illumination across the beam pattern.. and also seem down on the right (but they are supposed to be, I think, as the beam pattern is asymmetric)... I think a lot is to do with the different ways in which the LED's and the Xenons work in directing the light...

[Mr Whippy]

I think they're average.

There isn't even a left hand side flick up and the beam edges are soft and patchy.

I'm not entirely sure who signed these off as a good idea but I think they should be fired.
This is a car that BMW will relieve you £££ for, and a Fiesta at half the price with halogens is better.

[dangerous_al]

Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

I think they're average.


This is a car that BMW will relieve you £££ for, and a Fiesta at half the price with halogens is better.

I have the standard halogens and they are mediocre at best, but I came from an e90 and they were no better. I have to agree though, the halogens on my wifes £13k Fiesta are far superior. But there again, I also think Ford Sync is better than the BMW version as it can understand me and doesn't repeat back everything I say so you can place a call in a fraction of the time. The steering also feels more positive and direct than the F30's, so all things considered, the F30 doesn't score too well on the everyday essentials. Great looking car but let down by poor systems and fittings in my opinion. But I do love the auto box and I would find it very hard to give that up

[flashollie]

To put this in context I may have a bias - I am coming from a E61 with adaptive that moved with the steering - I really miss that wish I would have specced it. Anyway too late now.

So in my F31 perhaps its about how mine are aligned but I'd describe them very much like spot lights.
They seem to pierce the dark very well but only in a narrow field that is too narrow for normal uk roads. I'd expect a bit more bleed to help pick up details before something is then suddenly in the spots right tin from to if me.
Main beams are good though but again I miss the adaptive.....

[creepy coupe]

The LED's on the JCW were epic. But the dipped cut off was savage and due to no stray light above it, could make country lane driving a bit tricky. Recently been driving the wife E92 at night and the Xenon's are excellent on dipped beam. At least as good as my F32.

[alpinafan]

Just had my first driving experience at night with LED lights, I am glad other people think they are crap.
My journey was through country lanes, the only way I could see was to have mains on most of the time.

The beam is just not long enough to be safe, especially around the twisty bits with sudden bends.
Will try and adjust and see if it improves.
Not impressed.

[Mr Burt]

I have the iconic adaptive LED's and have just adjusted mine higher and they are way better now. The dip cut off is much further up the road and feathered rather than abrupt.
Main beam and HBA are excellent.
Image below of a previous thread on adjustment.
Anti clockwise for higher, I only did the vertical, one and a half turns in total.

[Ronstein]

I had LED's on the 335D and I've got Xenon's on the 530D which are WAY better!!

[dangerous_al]

One thing I forgot to mention, the standard halogens are terrific on high beam. Not sure why they make the low beams so poor when the main beams are like driving in daylight on unlit country roads.

[Soul_Glo]

Code the brightness if you can so at least they look better with the headlights on.

[RichardM]

When mine was recovered BMW assist got me a new F30 and it had the LED's. They were rubbish compared to the adaptive xenons on mine. I thought maybe the adaptive LEDs were better.

[Daftasabrush]

Originally Posted by RichardM

When mine was recovered BMW assist got me a new F30 and it had the LED's. They were rubbish compared to the adaptive xenons on mine. I thought maybe the adaptive LEDs were better.

They are better but not a patch on the adaptive xenons

[Mr Whippy]

Given the opportunity to retrofit the correct camera and adaptive led and then code, I think I'll be going for it.

Find a rear ended breaker and you're away.


Has anyone played with side to side adjustment?
Or blocking off one headlight to see an individual lights pattern?

Might have to take some time and do a decent FAQ for the basic LED as it seems that they have ok potential but default W alignment is poor.
If alignment laterally is as poorly set as vertical it's probably worth setting them up in a methodical way.

[simon.]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

One thing I forgot to mention, the standard halogens are terrific on high beam. Not sure why they make the low beams so poor when the main beams are like driving in daylight on unlit country roads.

BMW low beam halogens have always been shit. Makes Sir upgrade to zenons.

Ford et al can make normal lights work. BMW with round reflectors shouldn't have a problem.

& agree re LED's. Loads better than halogen but nowhere near zenon level of light & definition

[Dr Forinor]

I thought my Xenons in my F31 were crap due to the cutoff being too low, I could only see like 2 car lengths ahead which was almost dangerous on country roads.

I followed the advice as given in the picture up the thread and now they are amazing. After the adjustment I really don't want any other lights, I love them.

[NISFAN]

I've always found LED headlights to be bright at short range, but don't have the penetration that regular gas bulbs have. I've put it down to the very narrow frequency of light from LED.

[Junebug85]

I find the LED lights to be quite bright short range but not that good when driving down an unlit motorway or dual carriage way. The distance they light up needs to be longer.

I?m going to adjust them tomorrow and then test in the evening. I?m thinking 2 turns anti-clockwise wise on the vertical screw...

Will report back with the results.

[simnew]

I have a loaner 320d MSport 2017 with the standard LEDs and I find the illumination on the kerb very poor and because the isn't much of an up kick to the beam pattern they don't have the penetration going forwards on the left side either.

I think some of the issue must be the reflector design as a projector lens approach (as with Xenon) always produces even distribution.

Does anyone know what the projector LEDs are like ? These are the standard fitment to the latest 4 LCI and no one mentions them.
I have non adaptive Xenons on mine and would be curious to understand the difference

[Alscoob]

Friend of mine has just taken delivery of his 340i F31 shadow edition, so we took it out last night.

His headlights on low beam seemed too low IMO with a very short range, also seemed to have a patchy throw of light some dark sections in amongst the light. High beam seemed fairly low as well. I suggested a trip to the dealers would sort it, although he didn't thing they were too bad.

So we went out in my F31with Xenons. Well the light was not as bright, but the uniformity of the beam and spread was far better and further than his and you could see much better (this was on a dark B road in the countryside). I then hit full beam, well suffice to say he's back to the dealers, it really was like night and day!

[Ti Rich]

I have just come from adaptive xenon to adaptive led and find them to be very good.

I believe the adaptive led have a higher light output that the normal led loghts.

[KCH1984]

Adaptive LED on the 330xd, having come from standard Xenons on the M135i.

The LEDs are very good - the boggo Halogen lights aren’t even comparable - but if I’m honest I did prefer the light output of the Xenons. Not driven a car with standard LEDs, but as noted above I had read these were slightly dimmer.