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      12-27-2014, 03:03 PM   #1
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extra front lights

what do you guys think about front extra lights on the X5, have been thinking about it some time now, I’m frequently driving on dark roads and i have hade extra lights on previous cars and kind of miss it, maybe put some extra lights behind the front grills so not to destroy the esthetics? Or maybe be brave and put a grill guard whit some lights in the front, very difficult to decade because of the lack of reference pictures etc.
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      12-27-2014, 03:10 PM   #2
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The only thing I've ever come across is this, which I asked about a while ago, and it does seem sort of tacky/useless when compared to LED fogs we already have.

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      12-27-2014, 03:10 PM   #3
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IMHO... don't do it. Back when halogens were the norm, extra lights were needed for very dark/rural roads. With HIDs and full LEDs these days, there is more than enough output. High beams light up the night even more.
If you do go with extra lights, I'd mount them to each side of the lower grille, which has "cutouts" (mesh doesn't extend the entire width of the fascia on my M-Sport). Bush-bar would look totally out of place (again, IMHO).
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      12-27-2014, 04:24 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doanster View Post
IMHO... don't do it. Back when halogens were the norm, extra lights were needed for very dark/rural roads. With HIDs and full LEDs these days, there is more than enough output. High beams light up the night even more.
If you do go with extra lights, I'd mount them to each side of the lower grille, which has "cutouts" (mesh doesn't extend the entire width of the fascia on my M-Sport). Bush-bar would look totally out of place (again, IMHO).
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      12-27-2014, 04:26 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doanster View Post
IMHO... don't do it. Back when halogens were the norm, extra lights were needed for very dark/rural roads. With HIDs and full LEDs these days, there is more than enough output. High beams light up the night even more.
If you do go with extra lights, I'd mount them to each side of the lower grille, which has "cutouts" (mesh doesn't extend the entire width of the fascia on my M-Sport). Bush-bar would look totally out of place (again, IMHO).
i was thinking about putting them behind the front grilles like on pickup trucks to hide them, have a friend that has that setup on his raptor and they give good light but then you have a question of blocking part of the radiator and ev warranty problems if something goes bad in the motor..
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      12-27-2014, 04:28 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by opasha View Post
The only thing I've ever come across is this, which I asked about a while ago, and it does seem sort of tacky/useless when compared to LED fogs we already have.


Agree, that kind of stuff only looks god at night, as soon you see the car in daylight its aftermarket all the way :-)
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      12-27-2014, 04:35 PM   #7
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maybe something like this
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      12-27-2014, 04:42 PM   #8
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Nah, that's way too ugly/tacky. Get an LED bar and place it perfectly in the open space you have in your lower grille area since you have an M Sport, it's perfect.

https://www.pinterest.com/jamdesignf...ed-light-bars/

Just so you know, LED bars are SUPER powerful.
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      12-27-2014, 05:05 PM   #9
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LED bars still would look out of place. Raptor/FJ/Jeepasauraus, yes. F15, not so much.
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      12-27-2014, 06:27 PM   #10
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Agree it’s a bit...off-road, are you talking about this area on the M-front?
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      12-27-2014, 07:07 PM   #11
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The lower/lowest grille if you go this route. I'd almost do two smaller bars vs one long one. Avoids the cyclops/Knight Rider look.
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      12-27-2014, 07:26 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doanster View Post
The lower/lowest grille if you go this route. I'd almost do two smaller bars vs one long one. Avoids the cyclops/Knight Rider look.
thanks for the input, Kitt signing out ;-)
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      12-28-2014, 01:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paicapo View Post
maybe something like this
Why not add Go Faster Spripes to make it look REALLY tacky.

It's wrong, plain and simple wrong.

(IMO)
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      12-28-2014, 01:55 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doanster View Post
The lower/lowest grille if you go this route. I'd almost do two smaller bars vs one long one. Avoids the cyclops/Knight Rider look.
Agreed, IF HE MUST, then this is the area to do it. It will be funny though in the end; it will make it look like the F15 will have pearly white teeth !
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      12-28-2014, 07:34 AM   #15
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Don't do it. As said above - current BMW lights, especially LED ones, are more than enough to see properly at night. I personally hate it when people convert their cars into Christmas trees and the beams go everywhere, blinding others.
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      12-28-2014, 08:32 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Armen383 View Post
Don't do it. As said above - current BMW lights, especially LED ones, are more than enough to see properly at night. I personally hate it when people convert their cars into Christmas trees and the beams go everywhere, blinding others.
@Armen383 +1
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      12-28-2014, 10:24 AM   #17
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Security model hides lights here:


Original fogs are a bit too high to be effective fogs, a subject discussed in a German forum as well.

I would leave it untouched, but if I had to do something, I would add a second set of the OEM LED fogs, mounted elsewhere, like this (photo edit):
A)

Name:  Four Fogs.jpg
Views: 3336
Size:  274.6 KB

B)
Name:  FOUR FOGS 2.jpg
Views: 3637
Size:  269.8 KB


5 Series places the fogs in a more appropriate area in my view:

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Last edited by MattBianco; 12-28-2014 at 10:36 AM..
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      12-28-2014, 10:36 AM   #18
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And if I were 16 it would look like this, with half of them in Selective Yellow :
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      12-28-2014, 10:41 AM   #19
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Quote:
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And if I were 16 it would look like this, with half of them in Selective Yellow :
Still laughing....
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      12-28-2014, 11:07 AM   #20
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Matt's Option B would be the cleanest and easiest in terms of mounting since the mesh doesn't extend the entire width as previously mentioned.
One big headache regardless of what type of lights you add is wiring. Assume you'd tap directly into the battery, but you then have to find a clean solution regarding the switch. Old Skool driving lights included a little red illuminated toggle switch, not what you'd want for the interior of our nice F15s. Would there be a suitable blank space on the console somewhere that you could fit an unused factory button?

ps LMAO regarding the "16-yo option", Matt! I still remember when PIAA 1000s were all the rage on Civics, Integras, etc.
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      12-28-2014, 11:29 AM   #21
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Still laughing....
Same here
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      12-28-2014, 12:54 PM   #22
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You guys all show your (young) age with your comments. PIAA? When I was 16, in the US, there were only hot rods. My lights on my 320i (4x rectangular fogs) were Hella! hahaha.....let's say it was early 80s...very early.
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