Erikuva

I have a right low beam malfunction error that I can't figure what out is causing the problem. My low beam will extinguish after about 20-30 seconds of being turned on. I replaced the bulb (thanks John) and after that didn't solve it I replaced the igniter, still no luck. Any ideas what to try next?

xenonrider

the ballast (transformer) is likely the problem if you have already changed the igniter and bulb. there are no aftermarket ballasts, so you'll need OEM. try looking for a used one on ebay. also, check all the connectors to make sure they are snug.

tonymac

I have the same problem I am going to the dealer next week as I am still under warranty.

Erikuva

Thanks Xenon, where is the ballast? can it easily be switched out?

tonymac

You have to remove the headlight because it is underneath.

Erikuva

The Stealership SA was telling me it would be $440 just to change the bulb
Is this part number for the ballast that I need? 63 12 6 907 488

matthewlfd

There are plenty of aftermarket ballasts. I did an OEM retrofit on my other car using a pair of slim ballasts that fit inside my headlights. I think I paid around $100-150 last year for them.

BUT they aren't plug and play. You will have to splice wires. If it was my BMW that needed a ballast, I'd try to look for a used OEM one popping up on eBay since I'm not a fan of hacking up wires in it.

xenonrider

Erikuva, yes, that looks like the right part number. Your best bet is Ebay or a salvage yard as I'm sure the dealership price is pretty outrageous.

it is possible to retrofit with an aftermarket ballast. however, it is a lot more trouble as you have to cut/splice wires and things get a bit trickier as BMW's have separate ballasts and igniters. Additionally, the colors and brightness of the two bulbs will be different if you have an OEM ballast on one side and a aftermarket ballast on the other.

matthewlfd

True. You would have to pull out the ignitor and install the combo ballast/ignitor unit and find a D2S harness to hook up to your bulb.

As long as they are both at 35w and installed properly, the ballast/ignitor will not affect the brightness or color of your headlights. That lies in increased wattage at the ballast or different bulbs. Same goes for when you replace just one HID bulb, you will notice that the colors are not exactly the same. After a certain amount of hours the bulbs will burn in and 'colorshift' to a bit whiter hue. Brand new OEM D2S bulbs will look a little yellower than used ones.

Phillips actually came out with a D2S bulb that looked 'colorshifted' so you could replace one and have it match.

theXman

If you need a ballast, then I got one for sale. I bought one earlier from eBay and thought I had a problem similar to yours. But it turned out to be a bad bulb. So now I have an OEM ballast sitting in my garage. PM me if you're interested.