The ring of light, or lack of.

[Wish]

2018 BMW 4 series 7,000 miles and I noticed today one of the
Light rings wasn’t illuminated, yet didn’t have any dash warning. Popped in to BMW as I was passing to buy a bulb or something. However I’ve been told they are LED and needs a complete unit.


Lucky still in warranty…. Booked in next week

[RUSSELLM]

I’m in manufacturing.

It’s seeing the amount of duff headlights that makes me buy the extended warranty

[Olivergt]

Totally off topic, but I've heard a few eye watering prices recently for LED/XENON light units, £700+ for a single headlight unit.

Are we going to get to the stage where a 10 year old car is beyond economical repair because a headlight bulb has gone?

[mmm-five]

Olivergt said:

Totally off topic, but I've heard a few eye watering prices recently for LED/XENON light units, £700+ for a single headlight unit.

Are we going to get to the stage where a 10 year old car is beyond economical repair because a headlight bulb has gone?

We're already there.

Have a front-end crash in a 100,000 mile 2006 Z4 with xenons, and the insurer will probably try to write it off if the headlights need replacing as they're almost £1300 each (that's a Rybrook BMW price) and that probably doesn't include the cost of the bulb, igniter and ballast (probably another £100-£150 each).

Edited by mmm-five on Saturday 21st August 10:41

[Olivergt]

mmm-five said:

Olivergt said:

Totally off topic, but I've heard a few eye watering prices recently for LED/XENON light units, £700+ for a single headlight unit.

Are we going to get to the stage where a 10 year old car is beyond economical repair because a headlight bulb has gone?

We're already there.

Have a front-end crash in a 100,000 mile 2006 Z4 with xenons, and the insurer will probably try to right it off if the headlights need replacing as they're almost £1300 each (that's a Rybrook BMW price) and that probably doesn't include the cost of the bulb, igniter and ballast (probably another £100-£150 each).

Feck, that's about what I paid for my 2003 325i a couple of years ago.

[Wills2]

Olivergt said:

Totally off topic, but I've heard a few eye watering prices recently for LED/XENON light units, £700+ for a single headlight unit.

Are we going to get to the stage where a 10 year old car is beyond economical repair because a headlight bulb has gone?

Or just see it as part of the cost of running/keeping a car for a long time, I have a 14 year old Z4C owned from new if the xenons failed I'd just replace them with new units.

[g3org3y]

mmm-five said:

We're already there.

Have a front-end crash in a 100,000 mile 2006 Z4 with xenons, and the insurer will probably try to right it off if the headlights need replacing as they're almost £1300 each (that's a Rybrook BMW price) and that probably doesn't include the cost of the bulb, igniter and ballast (probably another £100-£150 each).

[mmm-five]

Wills2 said:

Or just see it as part of the cost of running/keeping a car for a long time, I have a 14 year old Z4C owned from new if the xenons failed I'd just replace them with new units.

I'd rather not buy new at £1300 a unit myself, but didn't have the foresight to buy them when they were available for £450 and then later at £800.

I just keep my eye on ebay/breakers for new/used parts I know I will need at some point on a 160,000+, 16 year old Z4MC - already gathered quite a collection of wheels, brake discs, calipers, seats I took out to fit Recaros, spare diff to be rebuilt, oil coolers, silencers, injectors, coils, TPS, O2 sensors, etc.

[Mr Tidy]

Just as well you have a warranty!

I bought an E90 3 Series with Bi-Xenons in 2019 and one of the sidelights was out. Thankfully it uses a bulb so replacing cost pence, but getting to the back of the light fitting took ages.

But it's sobering to think 2 broken headlights would probably make it uneconomic to repair.

[MGirl]

You don’t want to see the price of the LED headlights then. £3667 each for the i8 and for those people who seemed insistent on the Laser Lights, they are £6780 each.

And on the 4 series (F36 as an example) the LED lights are £1518 each. As more and more manufacturers move to LED headlights, the cost of maintaining a vehicle is just going to increase.

[Monty Python]

MGirl said:

You don’t want to see the price of the LED headlights then. £3667 each for the i8 and for those people who seemed insistent on the Laser Lights, they are £6780 each.

And on the 4 series (F36 as an example) the LED lights are £1518 each. As more and more manufacturers move to LED headlights, the cost of maintaining a vehicle is just going to increase.

Surely as more cars use them and more are made, economies of scale should come into play. After all, LEDs aren't exactly new technology.

[MGirl]

Monty Python said:

MGirl said:

You don’t want to see the price of the LED headlights then. £3667 each for the i8 and for those people who seemed insistent on the Laser Lights, they are £6780 each.

And on the 4 series (F36 as an example) the LED lights are £1518 each. As more and more manufacturers move to LED headlights, the cost of maintaining a vehicle is just going to increase.

Surely as more cars use them and more are made, economies of scale should come into play. After all, LEDs aren't exactly new technology.

You would hope so but currently no. BMW amongst others have been using rear LED tail lights for some time and they still charge around £500/£600 each for a replacement. It’s probably going to have more to do with everything else that goes with it like the electronics that power them.

I’m sure in time headlamp bulb manufacturers will start offering replacement units undercutting the car brands themselves.

[Krikkit]

mmm-five said:

I'd rather not buy new at £1300 a unit myself, but didn't have the foresight to buy them when they were available for £450 and then later at £800.

I just keep my eye on ebay/breakers for new/used parts I know I will need at some point on a 160,000+, 16 year old Z4MC - already gathered quite a collection of wheels, brake discs, calipers, seats I took out to fit Recaros, spare diff to be rebuilt, oil coolers, silencers, injectors, coils, TPS, O2 sensors, etc.

Good job you've got room to keep most of a car tucked away, not everyone does!

[mmm-five]

Krikkit said:

Good job you've got room to keep most of a car tucked away, not everyone does!

I haven't, but have a friend who does

I've replaced most things on the car at least once already...I think the roof panel, gearbox, side/rear glass and nav/audio system are still original.

[Wish]

Update.

Good and bad news.

Car went in and the good news is it didn’t need a light. Apparently the cable wasn’t positioned right and had come loose. So new light needed.

The bad news is it cost me a large chunk of money as I’ve part exchanged the car for an 18 plate M2.

[MGirl]

Wish said:

Update.

Good and bad news.

Car went in and the good news is it didn’t need a light. Apparently the cable wasn’t positioned right and had come loose. So new light needed.

The bad news is it cost me a large chunk of money as I’ve part exchanged the car for an 18 plate M2.

Good job! That’s the kind of thing I end up doing. You’ll enjoy the M2

[mmm-five]

Wish said:

Update.

Good and bad news.

Car went in and the good news is it didn’t need a light. Apparently the cable wasn’t positioned right and had come loose. So new light needed.

The bad news is it cost me a large chunk of money as I’ve part exchanged the car for an 18 plate M2.

Have you checked on the price of an M2 headlight yet

If they're cheap, I'd collect a few spares as an investment opportunity.