08 BMW 750 DS1 Bulb - Is GE good brand still?

Hi, I have a 2008 BMW 750li...I bought car in 2013; since 2008, the HID bulbs have not been replaced.

I came across GE brand:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9PPSOU/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Are GEs reliable?? I know companies sub-contract out...I don't see too many retailers carry GE HIDs compared to Osram and Philips.

Thank you.

The GE D1S bulbs are fine. These particular Osrams are the best-performing D1S on the market right now.

Make sure your headlamp lenses are in perfect condition, and make sure the headlamps are aimed correctly (at a shop where they use an optical headlamp aiming machine).

Having just installed some new Philips X-treme Vision gen2 (85122XV2C1) bulbs (apparently a now-outdated recommendation), are there significant advantages to the OSRAM Xenarc Night Breaker Laser D2S in a low-beam application?

No, there's probably not enough of a margin of benefit to be worth re-upgrading.

-Virgil- said:

No, there's probably not enough of a margin of benefit to be worth re-upgrading.

Click to expand...

I really think the standard HIDs are fine. I ordered the Osram 66140 CLC for $45, the night breaker are almost $25 to $30 more per bulb. I was completely ignorant that these HIDs bulbs may last a much longer time compared to halogens, but they do lost there lumens. I believe there are many HID vehicles that are driving around with really old bulbs with reduced brightness and drivers don't know.

Step 1: Ask if a $43 GE bulb is good.
Step 2: Get an answer: Yes.
Step 3: Buy a $45 Osram bulb "instead of a more expensive bulb".

Sorry about that. the reason I went with the Osram is because they have that bar code on the packaging to tell if its legit....so peace of mind. The GE , didn't seem to have that.

But, on a the bright side (no pun intended), the new bulbs are infinitely better than the old ones obviously.

If anyone here has HID bulbs that are six years or older. CHANGE them. You will notice the difference!

weedkill3 said:

If anyone here has HID bulbs that are six years or older. CHANGE them. You will notice the difference!

Click to expand...

Its not the years but the hours on the bulbs (night driving typically) that "wear them out", reduced lumens ie. "Lumens maintenance" Typically about 70% lumens output remaining at 1500 hours of use.
That's almost a 1/3rd loss or 30%. Some bulbs even only 60% of original output at 1500 hours of "burned" time, 40% loss.
A person who rarely (minimally) drives at night may never need to change the bulbs, a person driving 10 hours a week at night should change them at least every 3 years, Preferable every 2 years.
If you drive at night more than this adjust accordingly, I cant see it being likely that anyone should change them more frequently than once a year.

Note: GE HID bulbs are rarely if ever copied (counterfeit) due to their small market share in the HID bulb world, compared to Philips or Osram. The counterfeiters focus on where the money is.

What is the lumen output of the nighbreakers compared to the Osram OEMs?

As with high performance halogen bulbs, high performance Xenon bulbs tend to run at the high end of the allowable spec. But lumen output is not the only difference between a regular and a high-perf bulb, don't be fooled.

-Virgil- said:

As with high performance halogen bulbs, high performance Xenon bulbs tend to run at the high end of the allowable spec. But lumen output is not the only difference between a regular and a high-perf bulb, don't be fooled.

Click to expand...

I just came across these...

https://www.amazon.com/Osram-Ultra-Xenarc-Headlight-66140ULT-HCB/dp/B01LQ14228


Ultra long life 10 year warranty. How much dimmer are they compared to the OEMs (OEM is 4 year warranty)? What did they do to give the capsule longer life?

Keep in mind, HID bulbs (of all kinds) lose intensity little by little as the hours of use pile up. Without any specification on lumen maintenance, "Long Life" can only be assumed to mean the bulb will keep lighting up for a relatively long time...no word on how brightly.

-Virgil- said:

Keep in mind, HID bulbs (of all kinds) lose intensity little by little as the hours of use pile up. Without any specification on lumen maintenance, "Long Life" can only be assumed to mean the bulb will keep lighting up for a relatively long time...no word on how brightly.

Click to expand...

The only thing that I can think of that would make them last longer (not likely lumens maintenance too) is a slightly thicker electrode material, its the arc gap widening that eventually usually makes them "fail" to stay lit.
The wider gap causes the voltage (85VAC) to stray too much higher than the ballast is designed to offer. somewhere about 100VAC the ballast will refuse to keep the bulb lit. The electrode material is typically Thoriated Tungsten, perhaps they have added something else to the mix.