My Angel ibright installation instructions on 2004 4.4i

[bimmerFanatic]

I recently joined X5world and it rocks compared to bimmerfest and other forums...people actually respond to posts here. I've been helped a lot lately so here is my first contribution:

Install Duration: 10 minutes

I ordered angelibrights and here is what I went through. I got a free shipping upgrade and they arrived promptly 2 days later. All that was in the box were the 2 bulbs wrapped in a ziploc bag...NO instructions! Luckily Dave had sent me a link in a private message in a previous post so I wasn't completely lost (http://angelibright.com/e53install.php). Here is what they look like :



1. Open hood, look down at the headlight. You will see a black plastic cover, at an angle on the back of the headlight. Pull off the cap where the arrow points.




On the Driver side...there is a fluid box. Dave says you can do the change without unscrewing it but I say NO way unless you have a sweat shop kid with tiny squid hands. Note that while attempting to remove the screws...I dropped my drill bit into the blackhole cavern of the engine, it fell to the bottom plate I think...I had to stop by home depot and buy another one since I didn't want to go fishing (I couldn't see it...hope it doesn't ruin my engine...I don't hear rattling or see smoke yet). Remove the 3 screws and push it over:



A. Unplug the OEM wiring plug from the back of the OEM Angel Eye reflector unit (the OEM Angel Eye unit is bronze in color, and the plug is black with a grey and brown wire).

B & C. Turn the light counterclockwise to remove.






"Insert the Angel iBright unit. CustomAngelEyes kept the same OEM seal to ensure the fitment back into the housing. The trick is there are 3 notches on the light housing, 2 are angled and one is not. Make sure it is inserted properly and securely, you may need to apply some pressure to compress the unit while twisting (it is designed to sit perfectly flush against the fiber-optic cable). You can either plug in the new wiring harness before or after the re-insertion of the new Light."

Here is what the original yellow bulb looks like:



This is before:



This is the after:



and at night:



I guess I had expectation of them being really bright...they aren't...a little brighter than the OEMs...but definitely still worth it. Every time I park I keep walking to the front to check them out


While I have your attention...Can any one tell me how to remove the headlights? My driver side is foggy, I'm past the warranty (64K miles). How can I get inside and clean them?

[Dave@CustomAngelEyes]

Thanks for posting this geat thread for other other X5 owners!

[jpm4.8is]

:xoutpost:
Nice write up running! Congrats on the mod

[dr.jay]

Thanks for the instructions!! Cool mod

[ekaz]

Thanks for the write-up. If I remember correctly, to remove the headlights on '04 up, you need to remove the front bumper.

[thebluedog]

Awesome post! runningaround

[sbarsap]

Guys I installed the angel ibrights yesterday and on the passenger side, i inserted the ibright in and twisted a little too hard, using a plier like a moron, this caused the plastic piece that is connected to the light housing to break off. However the ibrights are still inserted in the round circle which is not broken, and the lights work correctly without any loss in brightness. I just left the pice + ibrights connected laying in the housing and and tucked in securely so it won't move around too much. I hope this doesn't cause too much of an issue. Anyone know if they sell that plastic piece seperately or is it part of the whole light housing?

I also noticed that the high beam light on the passenger side didn't come on after the installation, i don't know if I shorted something, I did notice that the wires connected to the angel ibrights (brown & black/grey) are also connected to the high beams. I am awaiting H1's from Dave so will see if it is just a buld going out issue or something else, for the time being I disabled the drivers side high beam as well to make it look even.

As the OP said they aren't as bright as I expected but still and excellent mod.

[RichiRich]

Great choice going with Dave G's solution! IMO the best aftermarket solution that there is....I did my whole headlight set up with Dave..Also did the HID foglight upgrade with Dave! Better than the OEM that is provided. I get 1, 3, 5, 7 series owners stopping me all the time asking me about the headlight and fog light set up! For pre 2003...CAE is the way to go.....Blows the P53's out of the water with a huge torpedo! Post 2003 ..AIB....only adds to what you already have!

RR

[ohiostate1999]

can you email me pics of the installation, your picturs are not showing up on the forum. my email is [email protected]. Thank you so much!

[arizonad54]

Yeah it's too bad the photos no longer work