NIGHT DRIVE WITH OSRAM CBI D2S BULBS

[Larz]

I went off on a drive last night along A1A by my house and also through a mate's area where there are few street lights. Mind you, this is a ho-hum quality cam INSIDE the car so it films through the windscreen. it's my car cam that runs 24/7 to record accidents or events. The camera is mounted at the top of the windscreen and angled slightly down so it doesn't capture the view angle from the driver seat looking forward over the hood. Osram CBI bulbs (and others) get brighter and stronger after the 'break-in' period and I reckon I have less than 3 hours on them in this video so they are not broken in yet. The car camera records at 1080p but you will need to change the YouTube playback to 1080p coz they default to 480p.

Some things to notice whilst watching:
1) Driving directly under a street light, this camera records a weird colour coming from the headlamps. It has always done this for some unkown reason.
2) About 10 seconds in, you can see the sharp cut-off on the passenger side as I pass a white car on my right.
3) Notice how the light bean is very wide. On a 4 lane road, it lights all 4 lanes and entire intersections.
4) Looking straight forward, you will notice how far the beam reaches in front of the car, illuminating road reflectors, etc.
5) The AFS feature is also more pronounced with the headlamps turning just as the car begins to make a L or R turn.
6) When passing another car, and at stop lights with a car next to me, my headlamps wash theirs out, almost as if they have their lights OFF.

For purposes of ownership, the music tracs are:
Empire - Shakira (her voice makes my nips hard)
Gorilla - Bruno Mars (his doesn't LOL)

When my GoPro gets here, I will do a proper video with the camera mounted outside and aimed forward, duplicating what you see whilst driving.

http://youtu.be/DnyP14B6wXA

**** I posted this on the M37/M56 forum as well, but someone removed it without the courtesy of contacting me. I reckon they don't use the same bulbs, or we just aren't welcome in there - dunno which coz nobody contacted me ***

[06M4.5]

very nice & clear, miss driving in Florida roads at night

I'll also be doing my fog lights in the future, those clear lens look really good.

I just adjust my headlights because my M is lowered so much, have to see what it looks like now.

[Larz]

I hear you mate. When I bought those fog lamps for $40 I was expecting them to be total rubbish and expected to toss them in the bin and order OEM instead. I was so surprised that they actually fit great. Getting both L and R fog lights with bulbs included for 1/4 the price of just one side from Infiniti (160 L + 160 R) is an amazing deal.

[Frog]

Tell me about your car cam? Sounds like a good idea

[Larz]

Its called a dash cam or car cam, or DVR cam. There are some low-life peeps out there who will cut in front of you at the last moment, causing you to hit them, then they sue you and milk your insurance coverage. It does no good to state how it really happened, becasue it's their word against yours and you're the one who hit them. If you have documentation that shows the truth, it's a different story. Also, if your car is in a car park and someone backs into you and flees, it captures the plate number. There are many types and many prices. This is the cam I got:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-6 ... 940wt_1206

It's NOT a really great camera for making videos to share, but all you need is a documentation of the event to back your version of it. It records onto a micro SD card, and it comes with a card reader that fits into USB port on your comp for playback. You can set it to record continuously, or in 10min clips, etc. Once the SD card is full, it begins re-recording over the oldest files so the most recent files are always available. It can also be set to record only when there is a jolt to the car. I use a 32gb class '10' card instead of the class '6' card it came with - better resolution.

[calidoso]

Are these just connected with the stock system? Or i would need others things?

[svard75]

Nice vid Larz. I was thinking about getting a couple of these after someone decided to crash into my parked car and take off.

@calidoso - these cams are self sustained. They run off a battery and record to a micro SD card as Larz mentioned.

[Ilya]

Its called a dash cam or car cam, or DVR cam. There are some low-life peeps out there who will cut in front of you at the last moment, causing you to hit them, then they sue you and milk your insurance coverage. It does no good to state how it really happened, becasue it's their word against yours and you're the one who hit them. If you have documentation that shows the truth, it's a different story. Also, if your car is in a car park and someone backs into you and flees, it captures the plate number. There are many types and many prices. This is the cam I got:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-6 ... 940wt_1206

It's NOT a really great camera for making videos to share, but all you need is a documentation of the event to back your version of it. It records onto a micro SD card, and it comes with a card reader that fits into USB port on your comp for playback. You can set it to record continuously, or in 10min clips, etc. Once the SD card is full, it begins re-recording over the oldest files so the most recent files are always available. It can also be set to record only when there is a jolt to the car. I use a 32gb class '10' card instead of the class '6' card it came with - better resolution.

Thanks for sharing.

And man, those roads. So smooth. I hate what winter does to our roads

[Larz]

Are these just connected with the stock system? Or i would need others things?

The cam I purchased attaches to the windscreen with a clear mount and the camera can be removed from the mount very easily. You can wire it to the driver side fuse box for 24/7 power, or use the cigarette lighter to power it only when your driving.
They also make cameras with two lenses now - they record out the front AND out the rear from the same camera. Everything you need to get started is included usually. It's just a matter of mounting it and running the wirs across the top of the windscreen and down the driver side pilar to keep it neatly out of sight.
All I did was buy an SD card with more storage space. Long as you buy a 'class 10' SD card, the resoluiton will be fine.

[wideopn11]

Nice. How do you recharge it? I know it has batteries but how long do they last and do you take the camera out of the car to charge it?

[wideopn11]

**** I posted this on the M37/M56 forum as well, but someone removed it without the courtesy of contacting me. I reckon they don't use the same bulbs, or we just aren't welcome in there - dunno which coz nobody contacted me ***

I never saw this in the M37/M56 section so I didn't move it or delete it. I haven't checked yet to see if the bulbs are the same but I don't see a problem with posting this over there. You guys are always welcome and I'll even say encouraged to come over and visit and share your knowledge.

EDIT: bulbs are the same. These will fit M37/M56.

[Larz]

This thread was really about the headlamp bulbs but many have asked me about the cam in here as well as in PM. So I made a new post called 'CRASH CAM" that gives a little background and answers the questions. You will pay between $200 and $300 for a decent camera, but think how much you will pay if you come back to your car and find a dent in your bumper, or if another car hits you and leaves the scene.

[Larz]

Its called a dash cam or car cam, or DVR cam. There are some low-life peeps out there who will cut in front of you at the last moment, causing you to hit them, then they sue you and milk your insurance coverage. It does no good to state how it really happened, becasue it's their word against yours and you're the one who hit them. If you have documentation that shows the truth, it's a different story. Also, if your car is in a car park and someone backs into you and flees, it captures the plate number. There are many types and many prices. This is the cam I got:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-HD-1080P-6 ... 940wt_1206

It's NOT a really great camera for making videos to share, but all you need is a documentation of the event to back your version of it. It records onto a micro SD card, and it comes with a card reader that fits into USB port on your comp for playback. You can set it to record continuously, or in 10min clips, etc. Once the SD card is full, it begins re-recording over the oldest files so the most recent files are always available. It can also be set to record only when there is a jolt to the car. I use a 32gb class '10' card instead of the class '6' card it came with - better resolution.

Thanks for sharing.

And man, those roads. So smooth. I hate what winter does to our roads

I hear you mate! Whilst driving in NY I was shocked at the road conditions. I didn't see a single roadway that didn't have more pot holes than a block of swiss cheese. And, coming from London, that says alot! In South Florida, we get no snow, no ice, and no winter temps. Our roads have never had plows or road salt. Minus the occasional sink hole, the roads here are very good as you know from your many visits.

[Larz]

**** I posted this on the M37/M56 forum as well, but someone removed it without the courtesy of contacting me. I reckon they don't use the same bulbs, or we just aren't welcome in there - dunno which coz nobody contacted me ***

I never saw this in the M37/M56 section so I didn't move it or delete it. I haven't checked yet to see if the bulbs are the same but I don't see a problem with posting this over there. You guys are always welcome and I'll even say encouraged to come over and visit and share your knowledge.

EDIT: bulbs are the same. These will fit M37/M56.

I posted it again, and again, it was removed.
Thank you for the response, but I will be staying in here.

[wideopn11]

That's odd. I'll ask the other mods if somebody deleted. Idk why though since it pertains to both series of cars. Idk what might cause the post to fail.

[calidoso]

i meant the bulbs. lol. Would they fit with my stock system or would i need a new ballast?

[Larz]

i meant the bulbs. lol. Would they fit with my stock system or would i need a new ballast?

If your M uses D2S bulbs, no modification is needed. Mine are D2S and are running on the original OEM 35w ballasts.
I simply replaced my existing bulbs with these.

[calidoso]

Stupid question, how can I tell if i have that type of bulb? I thought standard they are the same. Thanks in advance for the help. Lol

[Larz]

Far as I know, all the M's use D2S bulbs for low beams. You could check in the FAQ thread on this forum or have a look in your owner's manual to double check.

[Ilya]

Only 2006+ M's with HIDs use D2S. Non-HID 2006+ M's (forget what package that was - premium?) use H1.

[calidoso]

Thanks. I guess i will add this on my to do list.

[Larz]

Sorry for the delay. As promised, I shot another vid - this time with my new GoPro 3+ black edition incuding some spooky night music. Mind you, I haven't yet read the manual so if there are settings to make night vids better, I didn't use any of them, LOL.
I did the same trek from my house, down A1A and then added some motorway driving on I-95 including a rather muscley move near the end between two huge trucks that were each doing 75mph. Considering I have only 6 cylinders, I'm amazed at the passing power all of our M's have. They are also very quick to merge onto a motorway from a B-road.

http://youtu.be/JlfWUxys0bE

Remember to use the 'gear' gizmo at the bottom of the player to see it in 1080p and full screen!

(D2S size Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs with OEM 35w ballasts on a 2007 M35)

[06M4.5]

Lights are very bright & clear

[Six_Legs]

These are on the list... Thanks for posting both vids!
I think the first one you posted from car cam was actually better quality, could be wrong. Tried to go back and watch but its gone...

[MOWellsinVA]

Oh, yeah; these bulbs on on my list for my next upgrade. They look amazing. I'm still on my original OEM HID's and they are not anywhere near as bright and white as these. What a difference!

[Larz]

Oh, yeah; these bulbs on on my list for my next upgrade. They look amazing. I'm still on my original OEM HID's and they are not anywhere near as bright and white as these. What a difference!

I hear ya mate! The added brightness is a huge difference - more lumens than OEM or even my old Phillips Ultinons. What's really great though is how far ahead they shine and and the width of light is about 2x my old bulbs. They are called cool blue intense but the colour of light in front of the car is closest to daylight I've seen on any bulbs. Definitely great for reducing night-drive effects on the eyes.

[Larz]

In response to all the PMs about the Osram bulbs saying the video won't load, etc. I have re-done the video now that I'm getting better using my new GoPro cam. The night video is in my sig now, as well as pics of the mods I've done. The sig also includes a link to my YouTube page to which I will add new videos as I make them.

Hopefully the sig shows below. Sometimes this thing doesn't load my sig, although my settings require it to do so.
If not, click on my icon and it should show the links.

[EniGmA1987]

I just got my lights redone about a month ago now. They are really nice looking but also very bright. The quad low beams I have currently shine about 900ft in front of the car with just some regular Morimoto bulbs. I am definitely going to save up and replace them all with the Osram CBI's. We'll see how far the lights shine then

[szh]

I posted it again, and again, it was removed.
Thank you for the response, but I will be staying in here.

Hmmm ... that is weird. I certainly would not have expected it to be removed.

Z

[szh]

Hopefully the sig shows below. Sometimes this thing doesn't load my sig, although my settings require it to do so.
If not, click on my icon and it should show the links.

As an FYI, a sig only shows once "per page" in any given thread - your first post in any given page will have it, but not on the others on that page.

Z