Anyone tried LED headlight "bulbs" yet? I am thinking of trying out a pair of Cree hi/low LED's in my 2011 r56. I tried aftermarket HID's and my "footwell module" freaked out...I thought I had just cost myself major bucks...but it seemed to "reset" somehow. I don't care about "bulb-out" warnings, as I already get those for my LED DRL bulbs, and my LED fog light bulbs. Just looking for more illumination, and to match the pure white light of my DRL's and fogs. Those LED's make my halogen headlights look like parking lights, lol.

 

No direct replacements yet for LED. If you didn't have a good time with the HIDs then I would stay clear of LED. Too new, expensive, and hot for main light source.


Why not just do a proper retrofit of HIDs and projectors?

 

$1270.00 at the MINI dealer for the projector retrofit. Not exactly within my means right now.

 

This is not accurate at all.

There absolutely ARE H13 LED's available for the headlights. The LED's are much more efficient, offer much clearer light without "spotting," and are much more reliable than HID's for vehicles equipped with factory reflector housings. The LED's get hot, but nowhere near as hot as a standard 35W HID kit.

You can easily find a pair of CREE LED's for ~$100, and not on Ebay.

The CREE LED's are amazing, and I highly recommend them if you do not want to go the route of HID's. Although I would like to mention, the issue you had with your footwell module is not a typical reaction of a MINI Cooper with aftermarket HID's. I've had HID's on my 07 MCS for just shy of 1 year now with no issues.

You can also go the route of a projector retrofit. I did - before LED's for the headlights were available. However, the retrofit depending on the shop, can be about $900+.

This brings up my second point, if you do not want or care for the focus that projectors provide and just want more visibility, LED's are the way. The LED's are NOT compatible with vehicles that come with factory installed projectors - the light output is absolutely terrible. So for you, LED's are the best option.

Edited to mention - there are also ZERO issues with space and fitment in the MINI Coopers. We've already installed the H13 LED's on a few in the past 2 months with zero issues. Yes, the LED's for the headlights are a new product, but the technology itself absolutely is not.

 

OK, guys and gals. Got my LED headlights installed. Now need the assistance of you electrical guru's out there! Low beams work OK, but lots of "dark areas", especially in center point. I am guessing it is the way the headlights are made...both sides are the same, and plug in in the same direction, therefore light floods out of one side only, and the same side, right or left. I THINK I can correct this by shaving some material off of the bulbs themselves, so that I can better postion them in the housing/reflector. My BIG issue is that I have NO high beams! The LED's are there, 2 per side, but only one lights up, even when I select high beam. I get the indicator for high beam on the dash, and the fog lights go off when I select high beam. I used a 12v test light on the wiring going into the LED "controller" box supplied with the LED's, and I get a good 12v on the low beam side. When I select High beams, and put the test light on the high beam supply wire, the test light lights, and the high beams flicker on and off! I am guessing I need some kind of resistor to "fool" the footwell module into thinking that resistance is OK, and to give the high LED's power. Any ideas? I am stuck, and I absolutely HATE electrical issues, and "black boxes". Please..someone help the electrically-challenged!

 

babysarah..I see you have a 2007. My 2011 may be a quite different animal, what with the CAN system and all....

 

If by "CAN" system, you mean "canbus" .. that doesn't matter. We install HID's on maybe, 4 MINI's a month without issues.

I forgot to mention in my previous post that you need an error harness. It's a special error harness (we call it a BMW error harness, ironically) and can be found online. Where I work also carries them for $45. Not sure of prices in other places around the interwebz.

For not having high beams, you may just need to switch the pins. Also, fog lights are supposed to shut off when you turn on the high beams.

You're not electrically challenged, but a few special things needed for our picky cars.